STEWART Masters has given new life to chairs for more than a decade, repairing what otherwise would have been discarded by many.

His company Chairs Unlimited is a side venture for the veteran carpenter. Established in 1993, it was originally intended as a means for Mr. Masters to earn some cash while he was unemployed.

Business was good, however, and 13 years later, he continues to offer his services out of his Southampton home.

"I was out of work and I needed something to do," he explained. "I am a carpenter by trade. I saw an ad in a small business book, asked a friend of mine about it and he suggested I go for it.

"I created a slogan for the company: 'Chairs, chairs, chairs ? broken, wobbly & squeaky. If you want to give them new life (call me)'. Customers found it very catchy and responded and so I've been doing this off and on for a period of time."

In theory, Mr. Masters can repair all sorts of furniture ? and he does. Chairs, however, have been the company's focal point since it originated.

"Everybody has chairs in their houses and so I figured fixing chairs was a good thing. And it has been profitable over the years."

His work involves all types of wood, the most common being ash, oak, cherry wood, mahogany and cedar. Asked how many chairs he'd repaired over the 13-year period, Mr. Masters estimated upwards of 100.

"Bermuda chairs are usually made out of cedar, even today. I've fixed all types ? I've even fixed swivel chairs. One lady had a dining room set and wanted it fixed because she was having a dinner party.

"I got to her house and found she had eight chairs which needed fixing," he recalled. "Another lady who lived near Watford Bridge asked me to come and see if I could fix her chairs. When I got to her house they were all there under the table in pieces. I made parts for the chairs and when I called to bring them back she was so elated."

According to the carpenter, the problems he's called on to fix are generally the same.

"When I go to a house I always tip chairs back and rock them on their legs to see what's happening. You can tell everything about a chair that way. Chairs usually have loose joints. Sometimes it's the glue. Sometimes there are broken parts ? the legs break, the seats go.

"I do repair other furniture also sometimes, but my speciality is chairs."

One of the reasons why repairs are necessary is because chairs aren't as well constructed as they once were, Mr. Masters said.

"Right now, the problem with a lot of chairs is that they have loose pins. Older chairs were built using mortise and tenon joints. Today, they're pin-holed together.

"Older folks today hold on to their furniture. It's of superior quality to what is generally bought today. There's more mass production today. Years ago people would take time to make chairs properly, now they're just thrown together ? people can actually buy chair making kits if they want. It really changes the outcome."

Mr. Masters applies the same quality of care no matter how the chair was made or what degree of repair is required.

"I come and pick the chair up and deliver it back when I'm finished. The job doesn't matter, I just try to do the best job I can. Sometimes you have to work with a mortise. You have to cut it to make it fit and you have got to know what you're doing.

"Sometimes it just needs to be re-glued. In that case I take it apart, re-glue where necessary, clamp it until the glue dries and then, the next morning, take the clamps off."

chair takes two-and-a-half to three hours depending on what has to be done, he said, adding that "people are always very appreciative when they get their chairs back".

Asked whether he put his skills to use around his own house, Mr. Masters laughed.

"Sometimes. It's usually things at home that are put on hold while I do work for others," he said.

Mr. Masters has worked as a carpenter since he was a teenager. His father William was a construction superintendent and insisted that if his sons weren't in school, they had to learn a trade. "I started when I was 16," he said. "My father said that if I wasn't going to go to school he expected me to be on the truck Monday morning to go to work. He bought me a couple of tools and I had to buy the rest."

At that point, his limited experience as a carpenter extended to making chicken coops and boxes.

"But I guess it was in me," he said.

The veteran lamented the lack of interest young Bermudians seem to take in trades, insisting that they still offers a good living.

"The most profitable people are tradesmen but for some reason now, a lot of guys are not getting into it."

deterrent could be the time required to master the various trades, he said. "It takes a lot of time to learn it. I spent four years as a junior mechanic, an apprentice. I spent a couple more learning how to be a mechanic and then a couple more after that, learning to be a top-grade mechanic.

"It took longer than a bachelor's degree but tradesmen are not recognised today as qualified professionals. What they do is thought of as a menial job ? we're not a medical doctor or whatever. But everyone needs a carpenter. If something breaks you call in the plumber, the mason."

Still, Mr. Masters admitted, it's not for everyone

"It takes patience. You have to take your time. You can't rush things. You have to do it properly because if you mess up in the beginning, it will show at the end. I would like to do it full-time but I would have to advertise a whole lot more and the required overhead would drive my prices up."

His aim one day is to construct a chair of his own design.

"I would like to craft a chair. I've thought about it but never actually done it, although I have made chair legs. There is a lot of difference between fixing chairs and making them, mainly because you have to design them."