Woodworking Business

[Thalermade]

I am not going to get rich doing this, I realize that. I also realize that it could take a very long time to really make any money until I develop a customer base. I just want to do something I truly enjoy and turn it into a successful business at some point. I think if I stick to building one or two items with a few variations of each, I could them very well. And maybe people will buy them....

Any thoughts?

Thanks

I think that if you have the time and some money, that with your rough plan (and that you are not pressed to turn a profit immediately), this is actually the time you should get started.

You have the opportunity to start slow. Maybe even donate a piece or two to a charity auction (track it as a marketing cost) every so often. So in a couple of years when the economy is picking up you will have built up a name. And you have built up your skills. And hopefully you will have been able to find a way to reduce the cost of your raw materials.

One concern I do have is what I will refer to as "matched sets" It took my wife years to buy bedroom furniture because she had to be happy with each piece of the set. So if you are building just one of the pieces that would be part of a set, you may have some difficulties.

Best of success to you.
Russ

[SARGE..g-47]

First.. as you have already stated.. don't quit your day job. Take the advice from Ray.. if you are going to get serious you need a source of serious wood and that's not the Box stores. And.. it will require some serious equipment to prep it for ready to build with.

I have been tinkering with this for 37 years. I build exclusively solid wood.. one-off piece using straight joinery. I have a computer desk-hutch worling at the moment that has over 60 mortise & tenons.. bridal joints.. hidden dove-tail miters.. trenches (dadoes running long grain).. etc. etc. Over 35 hours so far (and I'm pretty fast) and the the desk base has just been completed.

More hours for the top and desk doors in Phase II.. even more for the hutch as everything is QSWO. I will end up with $400 worth of lumber and around 60 hours not including finish time which requires dry times and cure before wax is applied.

What would I have to charge if I intended to sell it? The answer is much more than anyone is going to pay considering the economy is poor and there is a relatively small "niche" market. And even the "niche" market is feeling the pinch as most have lost their hinny in stocks and not sure what tomorrow will bring as far as having a job.

I know a number of professionals who used to build one-off's. Most now have other jobs teaching the craft.. producing DVD's.. classes.. writing magazine article..etc. Lee Grindinger who is one of the finiest builders and carvers in the U.S. got fed up and moved to an island in the tropical Atlantic. Richard Jones of Richard Jones Furniture closed his operation in Houston and moved back to England to take a College teaching job involving furniture and design.

If you do it... keep it low key and part time to get your feet wet and test your local market. Build something that people want but you have to be competitive with the cheap market and bear in mind people don't really look for quality in furniture as they once did for investment. Why should they when a woman is going to change an entire house of furniture in several years when the current trend changes. And she can do it cheap with the help of IKEA.. etc.

Me... I'm going down to the shop and work on this desk-hutch knowing it will be one of a kind and I couldn't afford it if I had to pay for the labor that goes into it. Sorry to sound so negative as I once had dreams as you but... reality reared it's ugly head and I adapted to it... a spade is a spade.

Good luck...