Woodworking business

[Paul B. Cresti]

So how many of you guys/gals have started some type of woodworking business or derivative of? and how are you doing?

[Mark Singer]

Just a pastime! Having a great time!
Mark

[Todd Burch]

I have. I started professionaly April 2003. In a nutshell, I'm broke. But, I'm also not looking for anything else, and my outlook is that my situation is going to get much better, and if it doesn't, it's my fault!!

Todd

[Kurt Aebi]

Like Mark, Just a hobby.

Have fun and keep posting, these guys are a mountain of information!

[Don Farr]

As slow as I am if I had to do this for a living I would starve to death.
Maybe when I retire for a little extra cash.

[Dan Bussiere]

Wow, I couldn't imagine anyone paying for the stuff I make. Evening and weekends when I can. When I was young, I wanted to be a mechanic. I did and now I hate it because it became work instead of fun. Thank God I retired from that career in the military. No thanks, I leave the hobby alone.
Dan

[Steve Roxberg]

For fun only, maybe when I retire a few odd jobs at my leisure.

[Bob Lasley]

Paul,

I did woodworking professionally off and on, mostly part time. Most of the money I made was used to upgrade and purchase additional tools. I found that most people want you to build cabinets, bookcases, etc. and they want it by a certain time. I rapidly tired of building cabinets, bookcases, etc. and working under a deadline. I have sworn off woodworking for hire, although there is still one project hanging out there, and now build what I want to build (or SWMBO wants me to build) when I want to build it.

I have to agree with the others, keeping woodworking a hobby is much more fun!

Bob

[Dennis Peacock]

Paul,

I am still a hobbiest woodworker. I do take on a couple of commission pieces each year to help fund the shop. With all the furniture that LOML wants done, I don't really have time to venture into a full fledged parttime business. In my area, people want really nice stuff for the cost of what you can buy at the local Wal Mart. For one, those pieces cost less than what I can buy the raw materials for (real wood and not particle board) and when they find out that something I make will cost then at least TWICE what it cost in Wal Mart....they opt for Wal Mart furniture. I have even quoted a EC for $750 to a co-worker and they screamed that the price was way too high!!! Now, 2 years later, they are talking to me again about building an EC for them that will hold up to use and still look good....since the one they bought at the local store is now falling apart, doors warped and trim coming off. I even told them that I was only making after expense of materials that I was only making $150 off the whole project. The still opted for the "other stuff".

I guess we will see what comes out of this newest round of "gee I sure would like to have you build me an EC".!!!

[Mike Cutler]

Primarily I just do it for my own enjoyment as stress relief from the "Real Job". I took about 4 years of formal instruction in woodworking in school a zillion years ago,which has allowed me to make a few beers, and dinners off of "Tech Assists" to co-workers and friends. But I leave the real work for the pro's. You have a better chance of keeping your friends that way. Maybe someday I'd like to see a return off my "investment" so to speak, but not today.

[Tyler Howell]

Just for fun, but the barter system lives. I do odds and ends for boaters and I get boat time on Lake Superior, Lake Michigan etc in exchange. "Work For Sail".
Proud member of 'OPBYC' Other Peoples' Boat Yacht Club.

[Bill Grumbine]

Hi Paul

I see I'm the odd man out here. I've been at it as a professional for almost 11 years now. Technically I am part time, but it feels like full time most of the time, and it is my main income producing job. I am almost evenly divided between custom furniture, speculative turning, and teaching of turning. I say that right now because the students are coming in fast and furious (not really - they are coming fast, but so far everyone has been happy!) The numbers fluctuate, but they are positive more than negative. Once all the kids graduate, I will be at it full time. At least, that is the plan.

I was concerned that when I took a hobby and turned it into a business, it would become drudgery for me, but quite the opposite happened. I found that I really enjoy it. I get a little frustrated sometimes when I don't have the time to make something I would really like to make, instead of doing something that isn't all that interesting, but with the variety mentioned above, that frustration doesn't come up too often.

Bill

[Chris Padilla]

Hobbyist for me...I just don't think it would be as much fun if I need to do it to put food on the table and my kid through college.

That said, I am making a few things for some friends for material cost only. That is fun, too, and still not real "work" so I have no problem with that.

To be frank, I love remodeling. I love ripping down drywall in my house to update the insulation, move electrical, etc. I recently gutted the 1/2 bath downstairs and redid everything in it: new plumbing, minor reframing (for a medicine cabinet), updated/rewired my electrical box and added a sub-panel (one wall of 1/2 bath shared with my garage which happend to have the fuse box on it! ), built a new vanity and medicine cabinet, new stone tile floor. It was fun and I am learning all sorts of things. My drywall skills are pretty good now! I can sweat copper and lay tile, too. And, of course, I got to do some woodworking building the vanity/medicine cabinet although they were all painted white in the end.

Next, I tried my hand at masonry with refacing my brick fireplace. See the OT forum for the fun I had and am having with that! Thank, God, it is nearing completion!

It is all still a hobby but I've wondered about buying houses, fixing them up, and selling them as another carrer path. I would tend to think it wouldn't be as fun then....

[Dick Parr]

Mine is only for hobby now. I made some stuff on consignment over the years, but my intension for the last 10 years was to build the shop up and slowly upgrade the tools so that I would be able to supplement income after retirement came. The shop is built and the tools have all been upgraded but medical retirement came last February, about 9 years to early. So now I can only spend a couple of hours a week out there doing small stuff mostly. Big stuff just takes to long any more. I like making things for others or to help them make things. So now instead of “build it and they will come” it’s, if they come over I will help them build it.

[Lynn Sonier]

I'm not conducting a business per se but I take jobs from local churches and friends and charge for the work. It gives me a chance to cut wood belonging to other people because it sure is expensive when you're cutting up your own wood. I also make swings to sell. If I'm not busy, I make one and hang it in the oak tree by the street with a "For Sale" sign on it. The one I have out there now has been there for a couple of months but this is a tough time to sell outdoor furniture. It hasn't gotten above 60 degrees here in about 2 weeks.
I usually don't charge as much for custom made stuff as it is worth to make it but I enjoy the "H" out of doing the work. When it comes to the finish, however, I'm not so gung ho.