Making a Living Woodworking

[Tim Bridge]

Here's the answer. You gave up on the idea in a little over two hours because of what a few people said. I went off on my own and started selling pieces for good money (including a grandfather's clock for $7000 in 1990's) but had to give up on it because the logistics problems, not the lack of market. If you have a passion for this I would say you should try it. What is the worst that could happen, you aren't going to starve to death, are you?

I think I won't commit to this full time, but I may try to sell some of my work from time to time.
The fact is that I'm not very fast with my builds so my cost per item would be too high for resale.

Unless I get into production I will never be able to make money at this.
I was just seeing if it was possible, but I'm afraid that if I turn my hobby into a job then it won't be as satisfying to me. The woodworking for me is very therapeutic.

[Ken Grant]

The woodworking for me is very therapeutic.

Running a business is a lot of things, but therapeutic is not one of them!

Here is some advice on starting a business I read a while back and thought is was worth writing down.

Passion first, business plan second, full speed ahead third. Any other order or skipping a step is a recipe for disaster.

[Scott Cenicola]

I've found even doing occasional commisioned projects can cause more stress than I like in my woodworking. My last project was at the end of 2015. I set clear time line expectations with the client and still ended up being rushed to get it "done for christmas". I ended up producing a project that didnt meet my standards. I'm a little leary getting another project and have spent more time recently on home and shop projects. I like supporting my habit, but getting paid for it takes some of the fun out of it. Like the op, I work too slow to even consider a full time go at it. I hope to do commisioned ww part time in retirement, a mere 20 years from now.

[Ryan Mooney]

I've found even doing occasional commisioned projects can cause more stress than I like in my woodworking.

My experience has been that commission work is a lot harder than spec work because you don't just have to make what's in your head, you have to figure out what's in someone else head and make that. To top it off they usually don't know what they want until they see it and decide that whatever it ended up being wasn't actually it. It seems like people who are successful doing commission work are 2 parts psychic, 2 parts therapist and 1 part woodworker. I know there are folks who are successful at it and my hats off to them.

The people I see who seem to be making some sort of a living at wwing as a full time gig seem to fall into primairly two camps.

The more lucrative bits (for some value of lucrative) seems to be if you can find a niche market and market the hell out of it. Usually this means making the same 3-4 things in volume, optimizing production, increasing volume, spending most of your time on sales, hiring people to do the repetitive work, expanding to another couple of items, having them flop and then going bankrupt because you over extended yourself (ok maybe that's a bit pessimistic the trick is clearly to avoid the last two steps). If you walk into a shop you can usually spot these guys because they tend to have a more limited tooling set focused around cranking out their specific product line as fast and efficiently as possible.

The other folks are the generalists who are half custom cabinet maker, half handyman, half bespoke furniture, half of half a dozen other things as well. They usually tend to drive a beat up old van and have a shop full of mixed use and ageing but well loved machinery.

[john lawson]

As a professional woodworker once told a group of our Guild members, "woodworking is a good way to make a hard living or a hard way to make a good living".

[Mark Patoka]

About 10 years ago I started selling some of my items so I could afford to buy tools and it turned into a small business. I still have a full-time job so I only have nights and weekends available (which are also busy with life activities) but when orders come in, it means personal projects get delayed (I haven't even touched my lathe in over 4 years). Granted, my hobby business is not required to put food on my table but I also realized I don't want to do woodworking like that full-time.

I have a niche market focused primarily on the military and if I wanted to broaden my business I could but based on my profit margins, it means I would have to produce 30-50,000 units per year to maintain my current lifestyle/income level that my day-job provides. That would require a production factory setting and no thanks. Also take into account that as a sole proprietor business, you have to pay additional taxes, self-employment taxes, insurance, etc that you probably don't have to now which drives up your gross income requirements. If you are looking to go the flea market or craft show route, that means you will be sitting idle during those times when you would rather be in the shop producing.

Don't let the above discourage you but maybe try something on a small scale just to get the feel for what's involved. Many people start very successful businesses out of their garage (i.e Shark Tank entrepreneurs) and woodworkers can, but it usually means a lot of work and at some point you may not be making the items yourself, but hiring it out, and find yourself running a business, which you are, and you'll find that you no longer desire to be engaged in what was your hobby.

[Andrew Hughes]

That's a good saying John,I like it. How about the saying behind every great woodworker is a woman with a good job.
Now back to the topic.I do like commission work.Its most rewarding when I am asked to make something special that brings out the best in me.And I have never falling short.I don't like working from measured drawing.
If exceptional work is normal for you then there might be a chance.
just don't try to be a perfectionist.

[Simon MacGowen]

It is possible but unlikely.

Christian Becksvoort, a well-known American furniture maker, advises people like you considering a switch to making furniture for a living to KEEP their day-time job while trying out a new career venture.

It looks nice to build things and sell them but the reality is the market is very small for fine furniture unless you are well known like Michael Fortune, the late Sam Maloof and whatnot.

Woodworking is a great hobby but not a job -- for most skilled or not-so-skilled woodworkers. By the way, you will get bored sooner or later if it is a job, and not a pastime, that you have to worry about revenue and expenses.

Simon

[John T Barker]

As a professional woodworker once told a group of our Guild members, "woodworking is a good way to make a hard living or a hard way to make a good living".

I'd remind you that that is one man who may or may not be a good businessman.

[Brian W Smith]

Probably shouldn't respond,partially because it's coming from a jaundiced,professional POV,and quite possibly because of the difficulty of even putting it in words...

When you can define "scale",and what it implies WRT design...then we can talk.Until that time,my only advise would be more study.We have a dedicated research library that I'd say is N of 75%...read that to imply we spend on avg. a hundred a month on used books,coming from a long generational line of WW's,and still trying to learn.

So can it be done?Sure...is it easy?Could be.

Work on your scale.Just sayin.

[Todd Mason-Darnell]

The Wood Whisper had an interesting blog or video entry on making a living as a wood worker I saw awhile back:

In summary, he said, 'Don't quit your day job. If you can't make money on it in your spare time, you are unlikely to make money on it full time". He also does point out that he does not make money from wood working, but from selling stuff on line, personal appearances, etc.

[David T gray]

what do we consider making a living ???

[Erik Loza]

...He also does point out that he does not make money from wood working, but from selling stuff on line, personal appearances, etc.

Over the years, Minimax and SCM Group have paid "woodworking celebrities" for things like appearances at trade shows, appearing in videos and blogs, etc. In fact, there is an active, well-known ww'er who has a syndicated TV program that SCM did something like this with, recently. I have two observations about this and will preface them by saying that the guys I have met, who do this sort of thing, have all been real nice guys and that I applaud their business savvy.

First, the guys I know who did/do this probably make all their income from endorsements, sponsorships, etc. In fact, I would venture a guess they don't actually sell ww'ing projects any more. Just like I don't think you can buy a cake from the Barefoot Contessa.

Next, the dollar figure that was mentioned to me, to have a Minimax product used in a television program, was SHOCKING. And I don't say that lightly. Clearly, media is not my business but the numbers were astounding to me.

Erik

[Yonak Hawkins]

Broaden your thoughts on making money from woodworking. Not all woodworkers are selling their stuff at flea markets, on-line or commission work. Consider manufacturing in your garage.

[Brad Barnhart]

Good thread, with lots of good advice. Just to show you an example of the inevitable, I drove OTR all my life. The trucking business was all I knew. In 2007, My Dr told in his own sweet way, that if I didn't slow down, bad things were in my future. Then & there, my bride decided I needed a hobby. Long story short, we started buying woodworking tools. I started checking out books on the tools & wood from the library, taking them with me on the truck to read. Hell, I'd never been around any of these tools! In the trucking business, we don't use them! In turn, the more I learned, the more tools we began to purchase. Two years later, I come in off the truck w/viral meningitis. Spent 8 months in the hospital, lost the use of both legs & partial use of my left hand. I had to learn to walk again, w/intense therapy. I was no longer able to drive, & no longer able to support my family. After 14 months of therapy, my Dr released me to do light work, but no driving. I was determined to go back to trucking. Two months later, my old boss put me back to work driving. I drove just over a year, doing occasional woodworking when I was home. Soon, we lost my father & my nephew two weeks apart. I had a seizure in the truck, wrecked the truck, & my trucking career was over for good due to health issues. I wasn't even 50 yet! After that, a major back surgery, & bouts w/depression, I'm here to tell you, don't tell me IT can't be done! Yes, I'm living on a fixed income, & have been for sometime, but, had it not been for my brides' idea of a woodworking hobby, I honestly don't know how we'd of hung on. We were able to make cedar chests, toy boxes, etc. to keep money flowing. As time went on, in the last 20 years, I've perfected the scroll saw, & w/some furniture repair, & other woodworking, I don't get rich at it, but I make enough to somewhat supplement our income. Especially when things are tight. Please don't misunderstand, what I've told you is not a sob story, or looking for sympathy. The main idea is, IF you want something bad enough, whether out of need, curiosity, whatever, YOU can figure out how to make it work for you!!! We make several craft shows within 150 miles of home, have several orders for scroll work, with other woodworking, we just keep pluggin' along. The next thing is, I'm self taught. I've learned everything I know about woodworking on my own. And no, before you ask, I've never lost a minutes interest in it! Woodworking has been very therapeutic for me, not to mention meeting new friends, learning new things, & just enjoying it to the limit! Take it for what it's worth, my friend, as said, if possible, don't give up your main source of income! But, IF you want to pursue this, research, listen, make an honest effort to gain new ideas & experience, be honest with yourself, & do not turn your back on your support! My wife has been my inspiration through all of this! The sky is the limit! Just my .02/worth. God Bless, & good luck!