Question
How did you get into wood working What obstacles did you face?
Forum Responses
(Furniture Making Forum)
From contributor A:
I grew up in a family where many generations considered the measure of manhood and human worth was the ability to use your hands and minds to build, repair, and make things. This was not only for self sufficency, but as a vocation and way of life. I thank them all.
I had my fill of standing in front of a Court, representing one side or the other, fighting over goods and children in divorce cases and in general cleaning up other peoples messes that they would not have gotten themselves into if they had an ounce of common sense, foresight or the intelligence to come to me in the first place. If you won you were divine, if you lost you were worthless, if you reached an equitable agreement and settlement you were lazy and if you wanted to be paid for the work you were something else. I like making things and seeing people smile when they see what I have created. Listening to someone play an instrument I have made, particularly in front of an audience, is pure joy.
The obstacles I faced were the cost, and my mother's desire that I continue practicing law. I maintain a license and am current on CLE to make her content, and occasionally I can do some good with it for friends.
Interestingly, I've reached the point where I am pretty much at the top of the pay scale for an employee. I decided that I either needed to open my own shop, which I do not wish to do, or find some other way to use my skills and experience. Now I teach others what I have
learned, and so far, it is going reasonably well.
My obstacles are money, experience, and knowledge. I'll admit that maybe I moved too fast but I'm not turning back. I need money to pay off my loan for the business before I profit. I need experience to be faster and feel more confident dealing with customers' projects, and I need knowledge in finishing and all the laws and ethics of running a business. That is why I'm here so much, trying to learn from all of you.
I was unhappy with a simple footstool handed down from my Dad. I thought there should be a better design. After a few tries that ended up as nice little tables, I hit upon a simple frame design that uses braided cotton cord to weave the seat. A handweaver friend of my wife
sat on the stool during a visit and asked if I could make one for her to sit at her loom. We worked out some ergonomic questions and she is happy to this day (15 years later). She talked about it and showed it to other weavers. Other weavers started asking for one and then a hand spinner asked for a chair. We solved those questions and the idea was in place to work out other seating possibilities.
Ten years ago, after a successful show (orders and sales) at a regional weaving conference, my wife and I agreed that I get out of the oil industry, find a job for her where we really wanted to live, and start making benches and chairs for weavers and spinners. Now there are about 20 design variations, all with woven seats and backs, custom fitted to the person and their tasks or just as seating in their home.
I have a one man shop, I do the woodwork and have two cord braiders to making the cotton cord to weave the seats in colors requested by customers. I do 5-7 shows a year, have a backlog of orders, customers who have multiple pieces in their homes and weavers who have a bench for each of their numerous looms. When I started I thought my customers would be fiber artists, which is 50-60% of my work, but rocking chairs, dining room chairs and other variations are a significant portion of my business.
Every once in awhile a friend will call about a geophysical question and I will work it out. The science is still of interest, but the hassles are not. I have not looked back. The joy is working out design variations, meeting and working with customers to help them be
comfortable while doing their craft, and most of all working with my hands in the shop and studio at my craft and new career. The fact that I make money at it is a side benefit. I don't have a state-of-the-art shop but that is not an absolute need to make fine furniture. A poor craftsman blames his tools for doing poor work. I have only had two pieces returned, one because the shipper broke it and the second as a trade-in for a taller bench. The trade-in sold at the next show.
I bounced around from woodshop to woodshop and finally got sick of the ups and downs and the massive layoffs when the slow times hit. I hated unemployment compensation. The last straw dropped and the camel's back broke. I got my own contractors card, registered with the state and got my own shop about 30 miles away. It was what I could afford to pay in rent and gasoline, which was about $1/gallon. After 7 years I moved into my present shop which is 2 miles from my home.
I traveled around the country and ended up working with an old retired teacher, restoring antiques and framing pictures. He knew antiques, architecture and proportions and history, and spent every day talking about why something was right or wrong. This augmented my
earlier exposure to architecture on family summer vacations over the years. When my wife was pregnant with our first child, I realized I needed a more career-oriented path and walked into the best shop I knew of, and asked for a job. They hired me, and put me with a 70 year old guy building louvers and shutters - traditional mortise and tenon joinery.
Then I saw my first issue of Fine Woodworking, and realized that there was more to it than slapping shutters together. The shop also built curved stairs, spiral stairs, doors, odd windows and mantels. All mortise and tenon, all solid wood, all old guys, bent and broken.
Since I was young, I could do anything, so I got to move around a lot and do all the things no one else could. One other young guy and I did all the neat stuff - a little initiative went all the way, mostly by default. The pay was terrible, and the owner had dementia, so the shop had a rocky future. I moved on to commercial cabinetry - reception desks, tenant build-outs, and disliked it, but learned
what I could. I then moved on to run a new, 3 man architectural residential shop, and it grew to 20 men in a couple of years. I lasted 5 years before the owner and I could not get along, so I quit one day and ended up in my backyard 1,000 square foot hobby shop. My wife said I would need more equipment if I was going to be hanging out in the back yard, self-unemployed, as she called it. The next day we went out and bought a few thousands dollars of machinery, and when I got back, there were a couple of calls, with people wanting stuff made.
That was in 1990, and I've been busy ever since. I knew from that first issue of Fine Woodworking that the highest quality came from a combination of skill, historical perspective, knowledge of techniques and design ability. I have pushed that as our foundation from day one, and continue to enjoy the best work on the best projects. Nobody
here is rich, but we all have a decent living with good benefits, and truly enjoy what we do. I believe it shows in our products, but I could be delusional.
The nature of custom cabinetry dictates a low job, high dollar volume and that is important to me. The finished work is front and center in a home and is eagerly shown-off to friends and family by the proud homeowner. Never underestimate the value of word-of-mouth advertising. Woodworking, and more particularly the design stage of a project, addresses the creative side of me. And I enjoy "augmenting" the creative side of the customer.
As for obstacles, the internet is not big enough to list all of the obstacles a start-up business will encounter. However hard you think it might be, multiply it by 1,000, then roll your sleeves up, and get started!
Common Lumber Name | A | B | C |
Hardwoods | |||
Alder, Red | 9.9 | 19.2 | 2506 |
Apple | 10.9 | 31.7 | 4132 |
Ash, Black | 9.3 | 23.4 | 4132 |
Ash, Green | 14.3 | 27.6 | 3590 |
Aspen, Bigtooth | 10.3 | 18.7 | 2439 |
Aspen, Quaking | 10.3 | 18.2 | 2373 |
Basswood | 6.2 | 16.6 | 2174 |
Beech, American | 8.9 | 29.1 | 3793 |
Birch, Paper | 8.8 | 25.0 | 3260 |
Birch, Sweet | 11.9 | 31.2 | 4065 |
Birch, Yellow | 9.2 | 28.6 | 3723 |
Buckeye | 8.9 | 17.2 | 2235 |
Butternut | 11.3 | 18.7 | 2440 |
Cherry | 13.8 | 24.4 | 3184 |
Chesnut, American | 11.6 | 20.8 | 2708 |
Cottonwood | 8.5 | 16.1 | 2102 |
Dogwood | 6.8 | 33.3 | 4331 |
Elm, American | 10.2 | 23.9 | 3116 |
Elm, Rock | 12.2 | 29.6 | 3860 |
Elm, slippery | 11.5 | 25.0 | 3251 |
Hackberry | 11.8 | 25.5 | 3319 |
Hickory, Bitternut (Pecan) | 14.7 | 31.2 | 4062 |
Hickory (True) | |||
Hickory, Mockernut | 9.1 | 33.3 | 4332 |
Hickory, Pignut | 9.3 | 34.3 | 4332 |
Hickory, Shagbark | 10.9 | 33.3 | 4333 |
Hickory, Shellbark | 6.6 | 32.2 | 4195 |
Holly, American | 8.3 | 26.0 | 3387 |
Hophornbeam, Eastern | 7.9 | 32.8 | 4266 |
Laurel, California | 15.1 | 26.5 | 3456 |
Locust, Black | 21.2 | 34.3 | 4470 |
Madrone, Pacific | 7.8 | 30.2 | 3925 |
Maple (Soft) | |||
Maple, Bigleaf | 12.8 | 22.9 | 2980 |
Maple, Red | 13.1 | 25.5 | 3318 |
Maple, Silver | 12.4 | 22.9 | 2981 |
Maple (Hard) | |||
Maple, Black | 12.3 | 27.0 | 3523 |
Maple, Sugar | 12.3 | 29.1 | 3793 |
Oak (Red) | |||
Oak, Black | 11.7 | 29.1 | 3792 |
Oak, California black | 16.4 | 26.5 | 3455 |
Oak, Laurel | 6.3 | 29.1 | 3791 |
Oak, Northern red | 13.6 | 29.1 | 3793 |
Oak, Pin | 13.0 | 30.2 | 3928 |
Oak, Scarlet | 13.2 | 31.2 | 4065 |
Oak, Southern red | 9.6 | 27.0 | 3520 |
Oak, Water | 10.4 | 29.1 | 3793 |
Oak, Willow | 6.4 | 29.1 | 3790 |
Oak (White) | |||
Oak, Bur | 15.4 | 30.2 | 3928 |
Oak, Chestnut | 10.1 | 29.6 | 3858 |
Oak, Live | 17.5 | 41.6 | 5417 |
Oak, Overcup | 10.7 | 29.6 | 3860 |
Oak, Post | 11.0 | 31.2 | 4063 |
Oak, Swamp chestnut | 10.7 | 31.2 | 4063 |
Oak, White | 10.8 | 31.2 | 4062 |
Persimmon | 7.0 | 33.3 | 4332 |
Sweetgum | 8.9 | 23.9 | 3115 |
Sycamore | 10.7 | 23.9 | 3115 |
Tanoak | 9.0 | 30.2 | 3926 |
Tupelo, Black | 10.4 | 23.9 | 3116 |
Tupelo, Water | 12.4 | 23.9 | 3115 |
Walnut | 13.4 | 26.5 | 3454 |
Willow, Black | 8.6 | 18.7 | 2438 |
Yellow-poplar | 10.6 | 20.8 | 2708 |
Common Lumber Name | A | B | C |
Softwoods | |||
Baldcypress | 13.2 | 21.9 | 2844 |
Cedar, Alaska | 14.4 | 21.9 | 2844 |
Cedar, Atlantic white | 10.9 | 16.1 | 2100 |
Cedar, eastern red | 16.4 | 22.9 | 2981 |
Cedar, Incense | 13.1 | 18.2 | 2371 |
Cedar, Northern white | 11.1 | 15.1 | 1964 |
Cedar, Port-Orford | 12.6 | 20.2 | 2641 |
Cedar, Western red | 12.2 | 16.1 | 2100 |
Douglas-fir, Coast type | 12.3 | 23.4 | 3049 |
Douglas-fir, Interior west | 13.2 | 23.9 | 3116 |
Douglas-fir, Interior north | 14.0 | 23.4 | 3048 |
Fir, Balsam | 9.9 | 17.2 | 2236 |
Fir, California red | 10.6 | 18.7 | 2437 |
Fir, Grand | 10.7 | 18.2 | 2371 |
Fir, Noble | 10.1 | 19.2 | 2507 |
Fir, Pacific silver | 10.4 | 20.8 | 2711 |
Fir, Subalpine | 10.5 | 16.1 | 2101 |
Fir, White | 12.2 | 19.2 | 2506 |
Hemlock, Eastern | 12.6 | 19.8 | 2573 |
Hemlock, Western | 11.5 | 21.8 | 2847 |
Larch, Western | 11.3 | 25.0 | 3251 |
Pine, Eastern white | 12.3 | 17.7 | 2303 |
Pine, Lodgepole | 11.5 | 19.8 | 2576 |
Pine, Ponderosa | 12.6 | 19.8 | 2573 |
Pine, Red | 12.2 | 21.3 | 2777 |
Southern yellow group | |||
Pine, Loblolly | 12.9 | 24.4 | 3183 |
Pine, Longleaf | 15.0 | 28.1 | 3658 |
Pine, Shortleaf | 12.9 | 24.4 | 3183 |
Pine, Sugar | 12.6 | 17.7 | 2302 |
Pine, Western white | 10.0 | 18.2 | 2370 |
Redwood, Old growth | 14.9 | 19.8 | 2573 |
Redwood, Second growth | 13.2 | 17.7 | 2302 |
Spruce, Black | 11.3 | 19.8 | 2575 |
Spruce, Engelmann | 10.0 | 17.2 | 2234 |
Spruce, Red | 10.6 | 19.2 | 2506 |
Spruce, Sitka | 10.8 | 19.2 | 2506 |
Tamarack | 12.0 | 25.5 | 3318 |