It comes a lot from experienced carpenters I've met over the years, a lot from my father's joinery, but also because I think it's fun to make solid joinery that lasts, and that often goes together with solid wood and old traditional compositions such as tenons, mitres and countersinks. In my opinion, wood is and always has been the material of the future.
What is your favourite project to date?
That's a difficult question, I enjoy doing lots of different things. Every project has its own appeal. But if I had to choose one project, it would be the kayak I built in high school. It was a lot of fun and educational to make, and the result is still something I'm proud of and enjoy.
What are your visions or goals for your career?
The goal of my career as a cabinetmaker is to become as good as I can to pass on the craftsmanship in my profession, as it is unfortunately disappearing more and more. And to do good and durable joinery work to reduce our wear and tear society.
Which Festool product is your favourite?
Oh, it's hard to choose just one machine from the range, but if I had to choose one of Festool's products, I would choose the KS 120. You might think it's an ordinary mitre saw, but once you've used it, you'll never want to saw with anything else again. Mainly because, like so many other Festool machines, it is well thought out and is characterised by precision and ease of use.
What is your favourite type of wood to work with?
I prefer to work with solid wood, but as I said, variety is nice. The wood I work with most often is walnut, firstly because I find it very beautiful and secondly because it is easy to work and Planer.
Daniel Löwing wants a medal
The Swedish carpenter is travelling to EuroSkills 2025
Daniel Löwing
Carpenter
Sweden
Why did you decide to become a carpenter?
I decided to become a carpenter because I have always enjoyed working with my hands. As I grew up on a farm where my father ran a carpentry business that he once founded, the decision to become a carpenter and continue this business was quite easy.
How did you decide to take part in WorldSkills/EuroSkills?
My brother and colleague David Löwing took part in the WorldSkills carpentry competition in 2011 and had Henrik Andersson as an expert/coach, whom we got to know. Last year, when I was the right age for the competition, Henrik asked me if I wanted to take part. And of course I wanted to, it's WorldSkills - the biggest thing you can take part in as a carpenter. But you also have to deal with the Swedish national team the whole journey, with national team meetings and everything that goes with it. And when WorldSkills was over, Henrik asked if I wanted to take part in EuroSkills too, and now my goal is to win a medal there.
I decided to become a carpenter because I have always enjoyed working with my hands. As I grew up on a farm where my father ran a carpentry business that he once founded, the decision to become a carpenter and continue this business was quite easy.
How did you decide to take part in WorldSkills/EuroSkills?
My brother and colleague David Löwing took part in the WorldSkills carpentry competition in 2011 and had Henrik Andersson as an expert/coach, whom we got to know. Last year, when I was the right age for the competition, Henrik asked me if I wanted to take part. And of course I wanted to, it's WorldSkills - the biggest thing you can take part in as a carpenter. But you also have to deal with the Swedish national team the whole journey, with national team meetings and everything that goes with it. And when WorldSkills was over, Henrik asked if I wanted to take part in EuroSkills too, and now my goal is to win a medal there.
Where does your interest in wood and craftsmanship come from?
How are you training for WorldSkills and EuroSkills?
I mostly train for free by working as a carpenter and joiner. But there are certain parts of the competition that I can't do as often at work, such as hand sorting and veneering, so I train a lot in the evenings because it's a lot about quality and quantity of training.
How will you prepare for EuroSkills?
I will prepare for the European Championships in the same way as I did for the World Championships. A lot of self-training, but no matter how much you stand in the workshop at home and train, alone or as in my case with my expert Henrik, the competition is the best training and now I have a World Championship in my Backpack. I might compete in the Danish championships again as a guest competitor, as a training competition before EuroSkills, like I did before WorldSkills.
I mostly train for free by working as a carpenter and joiner. But there are certain parts of the competition that I can't do as often at work, such as hand sorting and veneering, so I train a lot in the evenings because it's a lot about quality and quantity of training.
How will you prepare for EuroSkills?
I will prepare for the European Championships in the same way as I did for the World Championships. A lot of self-training, but no matter how much you stand in the workshop at home and train, alone or as in my case with my expert Henrik, the competition is the best training and now I have a World Championship in my Backpack. I might compete in the Danish championships again as a guest competitor, as a training competition before EuroSkills, like I did before WorldSkills.
Do you get support from your family?
As I work in such a small company with only five employees, I get absolute support from my company. My father runs the company together with me, my brother and two other employees. The rest of the family are also very supportive and were in Lyon when I took part in WorldSkills.
Do you appreciate the support and cooperation with Festool?
Definitely, the support from Festool is very much appreciated, also because, unlike many other professions in the national team, cabinet makers don't have a professional association behind them. This means that I compete in many competitions at my own expense. I am very grateful for the co-operation with Festool and for the fact that I can use their machines at work and at competitions.
Do you have any advice/tips for other young people who dream of becoming as good as you?
To become good at a job, you need time. One prerequisite is that you want to learn and try out new ways, that you are passionate about what you do and that you enjoy it. Because if you believe that it's fun, it becomes much easier.
As I work in such a small company with only five employees, I get absolute support from my company. My father runs the company together with me, my brother and two other employees. The rest of the family are also very supportive and were in Lyon when I took part in WorldSkills.
Do you appreciate the support and cooperation with Festool?
Definitely, the support from Festool is very much appreciated, also because, unlike many other professions in the national team, cabinet makers don't have a professional association behind them. This means that I compete in many competitions at my own expense. I am very grateful for the co-operation with Festool and for the fact that I can use their machines at work and at competitions.
Do you have any advice/tips for other young people who dream of becoming as good as you?
To become good at a job, you need time. One prerequisite is that you want to learn and try out new ways, that you are passionate about what you do and that you enjoy it. Because if you believe that it's fun, it becomes much easier.
How old were you when you started carpentry?
I was already there when I learnt to walk and "helped" my father in the carpentry workshop. So the answer to this question must be very early. Apart from that, I decided to become a carpenter when I went to secondary school and to continue my father's carpentry business together with my brother.
Do you have any other hobbies?
I enjoy doing lots of things that involve my hands, and as we live on a farm, there's always something to do, whether it's welding, sawing wood or repairing a tractor. I also love being with friends, skiing and hiking in the mountains.
I was already there when I learnt to walk and "helped" my father in the carpentry workshop. So the answer to this question must be very early. Apart from that, I decided to become a carpenter when I went to secondary school and to continue my father's carpentry business together with my brother.
Do you have any other hobbies?
I enjoy doing lots of things that involve my hands, and as we live on a farm, there's always something to do, whether it's welding, sawing wood or repairing a tractor. I also love being with friends, skiing and hiking in the mountains.
