RSS

Category Archives: BlogNotes

Blogging about my adventures in woodworking. Yes, you will read it.

Shipping: The Problem Child of Woodworking

Shipping. It’s the part of selling my pieces that I hate the most. Forget marketing, working on the website, finding customers – it’s shipping that is the biggest pain. For one thing, it gets in the way of a sale – people might be ok paying $1000 for that table, but $300 to ship it? It can be a deal breaker, and I don’t blame them. Then they worry if it will get there ok. Having said that, some can argue the type of person willing to pay that much for a side table doesn’t really fret over the shipping cost.

So, if you pass that hurdle, then there is the problem of – actually shipping it. My smaller items, like clocks, aren’t so bad; but tables? OMG! It’s like another project all by itself. You have to find a cardboard box of the right size (unless you have to use a crate), then find stuff to put in it to keep it from being damaged, i.e., packing peanuts. Then you have to attach cloths or pads in strategic places on the piece to prevent damage. The last big piece I shipped – my Limbert side table – I was able to ship in a thick cardboard box, yet had to make a 4-way “strut” to keep the box from collapsing in the middle. Thankfully, it got there unscathed.

Ok, enough crabbing about shipping; here’s the upside.

Thanks to the Internet, i have a worldwide audience for my pieces, and a very lost cost way of getting my “catalog” out there. And thanks to FedEx, in my opinion, the best shipping outfit, I get my piece there in good condition, on time, and at a fairly decent price.

So while shipping, the problem child, will never turn 18 and move out, I can deal with it.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 6, 2012 in BlogNotes

 

Tags:

Pricing Questions

In talking with potential customers, I often encounter the same conncerns or questions about the products and pricing. I thought I’d share those, along with answers….

• Wow. It seems like your furniture costs a lot! I can get a table like you have at Target for 1/4 the price you’re asking!

You’re right, I’m sure you can. You can get furniture you have to put together yourself, made out of :

“An environmentally friendly material called “engineered wood,” a combination of high quality hard wood and soft wood materials which are residuals of other lumber processes. These materials are bonded together with a synthetic resin, then applied to high heat and pressure.”

In other words, shredded wood lumber companies didn’t want, held together with a resin, which won’t hold screws, and the “finish” is paper laminate. Really? Is that what “furniture” is made of now? The designs are ok (at best), but doors fit poorly, the “finish” is easily marred and not repairable, and the piece is not strong. Water will damage it, easily. Handles or pulls will come off, as they are only plastic. They are one-size-fits-all furniture; no way to customize it, should you want to refinish it, order it a bit taller or shorter, and so on.

I know, I have purchased some before! Now before you have a heart attack, let me explain – this was when I was first married, when I wasn’t even into woodworking; we were young and needed some cheap furniture, somewhere to put our clothes. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about furniture and what passes off as furniture.

• Ok, so I’ll skip the put together yourself stuff. Still, I can get a table from a national chain like Ashley’s (no relation), IKEA, Raymour & Flanigan, or places like that. They are at least half your price!

They are, again you’re right. I’ll shock you again, I’ve bought from Raymour & Flanigan! Now, at this point, I was into woodworking, but certainly not into upholstered goods, like a couch. That’s just not my thing (yet). So, my wife picked out a love seat and sofa recliners, at a price of about $1500 (about 5 years ago), for our family room. After about 3 years of use, the one side of the couch where people usually sit is more deeper than the other side, and the arms at either end have some give to them. When you flip the couch over to vacuum behind it, you can see the frame twist. The upholstery itself has held up ok. It’ll have to be replaced in probably another 2 years.

When we finally replaced our living room furniture, and this time we got the good stuff – and there is good stuff out there in national stores. We bought Bassett. Specifically, a couch, love seat, and two upholstered recliner chairs; about $7000. That’s quite a lot, huh? It’s not because we are rich, we certainly aren’t; but this time, I did my homework, and found out which furniture is made like I would make it – built to last, and attractive. Even I was happy with the construction upon delivery. I expect it to last us 15 years, and even then, just the upholstery will need to be replaced, the mechanics should be fine.

• I see your point; you have to pay a lot of money to get quality furniture – but I can’t afford that! 

Actually, I’d argue it’s a false economy to keep buying furniture that damages easily, you’re not satisfied with nor proud of, time after time. Unfortunately in America, we’ve thrown craftsmanship out the window in favor of cheaper, but a looks-kinda-good mentality. Reminds me of Chrysler products – the look stylish, but won’t last, and have poor workmanship. A Mercedes looks great, and will last. Would you rather pay more for the Mercedes, drive it for much longer, and have a better experience, or take the Chrysler to the shop often, and be uncomfortable, or at least not thrilled with, the car?

• Again, why is your stuff so much? There’s not that much wood in it!

 Limbert tableIt’s not about the wood – though that plays a part. It’s about the time and craftsmanship that goes into each piece. The pieces I make aren’t made in the thousands,  nor the dozens, not even it pairs – all are made individually. Each has it’s own personality, it’s own feel. I don’t let it ship until I’m happy with it, late or not. I just don’t feel right any other way. Let me give you a little idea about what goes into making, say, my Craftsman Style Table:

  1. Going to the lumber yard, evaluating and selecting lumber, and hauling it home: 1 hour
  2. Breaking down the lumber and milling it into the close dimensions I’ll be using: 1 hour.
  3. Cutting the wood to gross final dimensions for all the pieces: 1/2 hour.
  4. Gluing up all four sides, the top and the shelf: 1 hour.
  5. Waiting for the glue to dry, cutting a few of the other small supporting pieces: 3 hours.
  6. Unclamping the pieces, hand planing them to flatness: 1 hour
  7. Cutting the pieces to final sizes, including tapered bevels: 1/2 hour
  8. Cutting out the large holes and bottom curls in the sides with a jigsaw and router: 1 hour.
  9. Sanding and chiseling those cut holes to perfection: 2 hours
  10. Cutting the shelf and top to final dimensions: 1/2 hour.
  11. Dry assembling and fixing any issues: 1/2 hour
  12. Sanding the entire project to perfection: 1 hour.
  13. Reassemble the bottom portion, glue up: 1 hour.
  14. Wait for glue to dry, sand mating corners to perfection, reexamine for other issues and fix: 3 hours
  15. Final fit the cleats that hold the top to the base, and install: 1/2 hour.
  16. Assembly complete; start finishing.
  17. Reexamine the table for any surface scratches; sand out; look for any other issues: 1 hour.
  18. Make up a custom dye, test on scrap piece for right color and density, test different number of coats to apply; wait to dry: 2 hours
  19. Apply dye to entire project, wait to dry, apply at least one more application: 2 hours
  20. Apply 3 coats of matte polyurethane, wait to dry between each coat, lightly sand and then remove sanding dust between coats: 3 hours
  21. Final inspection and sanding; 2 coats of wax: 1 hour
  22. Make a crate to ship the piece, pack and pad the piece: 2 hours
  23. Deliver to post office or carrier, 1 hour.

Total time: about 30 hours. And that’s not including the time put into marketing, photography, making special jigs and so on. The wood for that piece is about $150. The price I’m asking for it is $875; shipping is $100, but that’s barely enough. That’s $725 for profit, roughly, which is $24 per hour, assuming everything goes right, and I don’t make any costly mistakes.

If you’d like to compare prices, you can do so:

  1. MFDA, $1450
  2. Voorhees, $1800
  3. The Craftsman Touch, $2200
 
2 Comments

Posted by on September 6, 2012 in BlogNotes, Pricing Questions

 

Charles Limbert – My New Inspiration

Craftsman style tableYou’ve heard the name “Stickley” in regards to mission style furniture; but you probably never heard of Charles Limbert – yet in my opinion, Limbert’s contribution to the Mission or Craftsman style is every bit as important as Stickley’s.

Limbert took what Stickley did – the hard, straight right angles and softened them, without diminishing the angularity that defines the Mission style.

Here’s more on Limbert from the Arts and Crafts Society.

Charles P. Limbert was born in Lyonsville, Pennsylvania in 1854 and died at his home outside Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1923.

Influenced by the heavily Dutch population of the Grand Rapids area, Limbert started designing and building “Dutch Arts and Crafts” style furniture and lighting at his Grand Rapids factory in 1902. He always used the phrase “Arts and Crafts,” and never the word “mission” to describe his furniture. He was a student of European furniture designs, acknowledging the influence of the German and Austrian Secessionists on his work. British (particularly Charles Rennie MacKintosh), Japanese, and American Prairie School influences are also evident in Limbert forms. Limbert visited Europe on more than one occasion, and studied examples of Dutch peasant furniture.

Limbert claimed that the original Spanish Mission Style was derived from Dutch furniture designs. He employed a designer of Austrian background named William Gohlke. Paul Horti, famous for Shop of the Crafters designs, also designed some furniture for Limbert. Of all American Arts and Crafts furniture makers, Limbert was perhaps the best known for his use of decorative cutouts, including squares, spades, hearts, etc. While Arts and Crafts enthusiasts may not find all Limbert designs aesthetically pleasing, the good designs are very good.

He emphasized high quality in materials and joinery techniques, but his line was diverse enough to include outdoor furniture in the Arts and Crafts style. Like Gustav Stickley, Limbert also produced a short-lived line of inlaid furniture and, like Stickley’s, the line was not a commercial success. That the Charles P. Limbert Company stayed in business during and after WWI is a tribute to the appeal and success of its products with consumers. Limbert’s furniture was also chosen to outfit the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park in 1906.

Charles was the son of a furniture dealer and cabinet maker, Levi H. Limbert. He first joined the furniture industry as a salesman, and in that capacity he was highly regarded. In 1894 he started a Grand Rapids, Michigan manufactory making chairs, all the while continuing to act as a sales agent for other furniture makers. He is recognized for having popularized the rustic furniture of Old Hickory of Martinsville, Indiana.

In 1906, he opened a factory in Holland, Michigan where he produced furniture until 1922 when ill health prompted him to sell off his interest in the company. Limbert said that he wanted a more healthy and productive location for his workers. The Holland factory was a scenic site with indoor and outdoor recreational facilities for the workforce. It was also accessible by interurban trolley line from Grand Rapids.

Limbert’s furniture has justly seen a reawakening of interest in the current Arts and Crafts Revival.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on June 17, 2012 in BlogNotes, The Craftsman Style

 

Tags:

SketchUp: Worth Learning

Sketchup is a free drafting program from Google. They created it to be used to generate 3D buildings for their Google Maps feature. Woodworkers use it to make plans with.

Problem is, it has pretty steep learning curve. I gave it up twice. I know other guys that have tried it as well, and just gave up. I couldn’t blame them. However, I did go back to it, and forced myself to learn it, and a book called Google Sketchup for Dummies, by Aidan Chopra, helped out a lot. He also has YouTube videos too which are very helpful.

So why even bother using SU (Shorthand for Sketchup)? Why not just use paper and pencil, the old school way?

Well, obviously, there is a lot less erasing, lol. Besides that, I like the way I can play with pieces so easily in virtual space. I can concentrate on the look first, and the technical later. I can go into joints, and see how they’ll work; I can see if certain woods would go together nicely, or not, because I can give each piece a texture – make this piece oak, that piece cherry. I get exact measurements, whether it be degrees of an arc, or length of a piece. I can “explode” the drawing, like they do in magazines, so I can get a better idea visually of how everything goes together, and can even print out the pieces and their measurements for use in the shop. Also, you can print the pieces at 100% size, so you can use them as a template for a complex shape. I hear you can even make SU generate a cutting diagram on a virtual board!

In short, there is a LOT that SU can do for you, the woodworker, and you really should take the time to learn it, if you ever think you’re going to want to make up your own plans someday.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on June 15, 2012 in BlogNotes

 

Tags:

Mistakes are Just Forced Opportunities

I make mistakes in the wood shop – too many.

Sometimes “mistakes” are just forced opportunities.

One example was Edison’s attempt to make a telegraphic-telephonic repeating and recording device, it didn’t work, but when somebody gave it a spin it sounded like human speech. Edison started from that chance observation and developed the phonograph.

It can also happen in the shop.


For example, I was making a mantle clock, about 16″ high, shown here:

Keene Mantle Clock

I had to rabbet the sides of the clock to recive the back door. I did this on my router table. It was a 1/4” rabbett on a 1/2” stock. Of course, I set up and tested the rabbett on a scrap piece of stock. Worked fine. Right depth and so on. My mistake was, I did the whole depth in one pass on the real pieces. I should have done an 1/8” at a time, instead of the whole 1/4”. What ended up happening was, the bit crept out of the collet on the router, cutting deeper than I wanted. Ugh!

The only option was to throw out 4 nice pieces of maple ( I was making two clocks), or get creative.

What I ended up doing was re-rabbetting all four pieces to an equal depth, and then gluing in a strip of paduak to bring the rabbett back up to the originally intended 1/4” depth. The result was a more visually appealing ( I think) back of these pieces.

Obviously, sometimes mistakes can’t be fixed; if you needed a piece to be 8” long, and you cut it to 7”, you probably can’t just glue it back on and hope no one will notice. Some mistakes are final.

But other times, if you get creative, you can turn mistakes into a positive.

 
6 Comments

Posted by on June 15, 2012 in BlogNotes

 

Tags:

Craft Shows: What Sells? Part 3

craft showEveryone interested at doing a craft show to earn some cash wants to know – what to sell? What should I make that will sell well, and make a good profit for myself?

That’s the $64,000 question.

In fact, how much would you pay me to tell you exactly what to make? LOL. I can’t do that, but I think I can provide some guidelines, based on what I’ve observed.

• Uniqueness. Buying pressure is put on the consumer when they find something at a retail venue that they haven’t seen elsewhere. Their thought is, “This is great! I haven’t seen this anywhere else, I should get it.” You shouldn’t be selling something 25 other vendors are. Keep in mind, that quality and/or style figures into uniqueness as well. If my cutting boards are uniquely styled, and/or have better quality than the other vendors, that’s helpful.

• A low price point. I hope this is obvious. Are more people likely to shell out $20 or $50? Having a high-end item, in the $300 range might be a good idea, to get people to come in, and the small $20-ish item lets them spend without sweating about it.

• Geared toward impulsive women. Women are about 80% of the customers, in my experience. They like to buy decorative items, especially for the outdoors. Why outdoors, especially? My theory is, they don’t get to garden stores that often, where outdoor decorations (bird baths, wind chimes, brass sprinklers) are usually sold – so they don’t have the chance to buy those type of items. In contrast, they can buy indoor decorative items in any chain store – Target, Wal-Mart, etc.

• An item that can be easily carried. Would you want to lug around something heavy for the rest of the show, or run it back to the car? That can be a deal breaker for some. Sometimes, I have seen where a large heavy item, such as stones that are etched, or rustic baskets – all that are heavy – can be left in a “corral” the vendor provides with a paid for tag on it, so the customer can pick it up on their way out. Alternately, you can pay some kid to be your mover and take it out to the car for the customer.

• Food. Hey, everybody needs it. Probably not an option with LJs, but perhaps the wives might be interested. The hassle is, (at least here in NY) you have to have certification to sell food products. That probably involves a kitchen inspection, and all kinds of insane rules for the kitchen – such as shelves have to be at least 12” off the floor. I don’t know if there is a huge hassle for small time craft show people – you’ll have to look into it. There is a vendor I see at every show – and whom I buy from every time – Nunda (“nun-day”) Mustard. They sell flavored mustard. Here’s their website. Awesome product – unique, easy to carry, cheap – about $4.75 a jar. They always have samples too, which is a MUST.

•A “green” item”. “Green” – that is, environmentally friendly – items are a feel-good product. When you buy, why not buy green, and help “save” the environment. You can make it a point that all your products are from reclaimed wood, for example.

To the element of uniqueness and craftsmanship, I have seen variations of the following phrase constantly in articles over the years;

“Two paths to success – do something uncommon or do something common, yet uncommonly well”
• Traffic usually follows a pattern in these places; being the first vendor with cutting boards (jewelry, garden items, etc) is definitely a plus – someone might buy from you before buying from the guy with similar stuff another 100 feet down the path.
• Displays are everything. You don’t need to have a broadway show, but have an attractive setting.
• Interact with customers, just say “hello” even. I’ve seen a lot of sellers just sitting there doing something else – reading a paper, playing with their Blackberry, etc. Talking to passersby gets their attention, they might see something they want on your table.
• Dress the part. Selling wood stuff? How about wearing a nice white shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, and a new leather apron – act and look the part. No NASCAR shirts, or one that says “BUSH SUCKS.” Play the role. YOU can be part of the product, in a sense.
• Business cards! Several bunches all over your table. You might be busy talking at length with a customer, and I wanted to ask a question. Oh, you have a business card with your email on it – I’ll contact you that way.
• Consider putting out something that catches people’s eyes – food. Candies, crackers, whatever. Will draw attention to your table.
• Give your customer every opportunity to buy from you; don’t make barriers to being able to take their credit card, check or cash.
• Trick #1 If you have some good friends, here might be a trick worth trying: have them crowd around your booth. Nothing draws a crowd like…a crowd. People think something is going on, something to look at, so they come over too.
• Trick #2. Have your friends walk around the show with some of your product, like they just bought it. If people see a few people with that product, they are going to think it’s worth buying, for some reason or other, and will look for your product. It’s a group-think mentality. What would you think if you saw 5 people, here and there, with a wrought iron Sheppard’s crook to hang plants from? It’s got to be a hot item!

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 31, 2012 in BlogNotes

 

Mission-style Doll Trundle Bed

Doll trundle bed

$195


This wonderful little trundle bed would be a wonderful gift for that special little girl in your life. Made of all quarter-sawn white oak, with cherry trundle pulls, this bed will last generations.

The bed features through tenons, a “box spring” and mattress (just a mattress for the trundle), pretty bed dressings and two pillows. The trundle is not mounted on slides; it simply freely pulls from under the bed, which is the usual case in a real trundle bed.

The bed measures approx. 21″L x 15″H x 12″ wide, not including the trundle.

This bed fits the American Girl doll perfectly – it’s the doll in these photos.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 23, 2012 in BlogNotes

 

Tags: , ,

Craft Shows: What Sells? Part 2

I’ve been to many craft shows, and have observed things that sell consistently well. Usually, they are decorative items, geared towards women. Here are a few of those items; maybe they’ll give you some ideas, or you can just start making these things and selling it yourself!

Plant hanger

Wrought iron plant hangers.

Self-standing, and ones you attach to a house or pole. They don’t take all that long to make, and the materials aren’t that much. If you’re a woodworker, metal work might not interest you, but they do sell well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rustic Plantar

Rustic style planters.

Planters are always a good seller, especially rustic types, like this one. Some old barn wood, birch bark, twigs, and you’re good to go. Figure about $40 for this one.

Alpha Letters

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Letters

If you’re a decent photographer, and you have a decent-size town, and no competition, sell these. Even if you aren’t a good photographer, become one! These have huge mark up and little work put into them. The basic deal is, you go around your town, find objects that make up the entire alphabet, take a quality photo of it, make 100 copies (about $10), and tape them to the back of a matted frame, and sell it. Check out a gal that does them in my area; she gets $55 for three letters, matted and framed. She must get the frames and mattes in bulk, probably $8 for a three-letter frame. I’ve actually had a booth, right next to her, and seen her rake in the cash. Women love it because it’s decorative, it’s different, and it can be customized. You can put in a name, “love”, catch phrase, or whatever. If she wasn’t around, I’d be doing this.

cutting board

Cutting boards

The woodworking staple in every craft show. They do sell – fairly well – but make sure you have a good quality, unique product, and make sure you are near the entrance to the venue, because you want to get the sale before the other guy a ways down the line in the venue. That’s generally a good rule for any product you sell in a craft show – be the first one people come to, because once they buy one, it’s doubtful they’ll buy a second, so be the first guy.

Jelly

 

 

Mustards/Sauces/Jellies

Food always seems to go well at craft fairs. I’m not talking about hot dog vendors and such, but prepared, jarred condiments, such as mustards and jellies. A local brand, Nunda Mustard always sells well at craft shows; they sell for $5 each, and I always grab a jar or two. Specialty jellies, like mint or jalepeno seem to do well too. I don’t know how much trouble you have to go thru to sell food products, in terms of the the state health laws, I’m sure it depends on the state. Something to think about if you’re a foodie! By the way, you must provide a sample at a show; you can’t expect people to buy food without tasting it in this situation.

soap

Handmade Soaps

We all know the ladies like things that smell nice, and handmade soaps do, and usually do well at shows; I don’t believe there is any state health law issues to deal with, since this isn’t a consumable product (but I could be wrong). At about $5 – $6 each, I’m guessing the mark-up is quite good. I like them myself, and I’m a guy, so I gotta believe women really like them!

Well, there is some ideas for you, or your wife. I hope they work out for you!

 
1 Comment

Posted by on February 11, 2012 in BlogNotes

 

Tags:

Craft Shows: What Sells? Part 1

Craft showSo, what exactly does sell at craft shows? Woodworkers want to know. Why do some people make out like bandits, while others languish?

I’ve made several observations – and found actual data – to help answer that question, and I’ll share it here.

What sells depends on variables: What kind of show it is (juried, non-juried), the venue (inner city, or Beverly Hills?), the clientele (woman, men, kids, mixed?), season, position in the venue, and more.

The first variable to consider, in my opinion, is the clientele. Typically, this is women, and as we all know, they love to shop. Generally, they are bringing some cash along, and are open to, if not outright seeking to, part with their money. Men, when they are toted along, don’t tend to spend much, in my observations, the exception being at food stands, where everyone spends. Therefore, your target should be women, unless you want to try to nail down the man niche.

You tend to see a LOT of jewelry made by women for women; easily 30% of the show; usually young to middle aged women buy here. Then there is the crocheted/knitted items – dish cloths, doll cloths, doilies, and so on. This is also probably another 30% of the show. Older ladies tend to buy this stuff; it’s not expensive. Food vendors usually tend to make out well at shows, both the ready-made food carts, and packaged products, such as mustards and jellies. Decorative items, both inside and for the garden, lawn or home tend to do well, if they are nice. Following up the rear are woodworking items, like kids toys, cutting boards, birdhouses, etc.

It’s worth noting that people aren’t looking to spend a lot at these shows – though there are regional shows in which high-end pieces are sold, such as a $5,000 Queen Anne Highboy. For the most part, things under $30 are the lion’s share of sales. Also, things that are easier to carry around a show don’t hurt – though I have seen good-sized rustic planters purchased then set aside for the customer to pick up on exiting.

In future blog postings, I’ll be exploring WHAT to sell, and how to sell it.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 8, 2012 in BlogNotes

 

Tags: , ,

Dimensioning Your Wood; Let Someone Else?

drum sanderA great part of our time spent in the shop is for breaking down lumber into final (or near final) sizes. For the woodworker trying to make some production time ( as opposed to the occasional weekend project), time is money, and also frustration (sometimes) and even danger. So why not pay someone to take that on?

Let me get a little more specific. Let’s say you’re going to do a craft or trade show – you need to get quite a bit of product ready, in other words. Or maybe your’re making several of the same pieces for Christmas presents. Either way, you’ve got a lot of breaking down of lumber to do. Depending on your lumber supplier, you’re either going to get rough sawn wood, with no side planed, or wood fully dimensioned – like you would see at Home Depot or Lowes. With the latter, all you have to do is cut it to a final dimension, and you’re ready to go. With the former, you have to surface plane a wide flat side, then joint the two edges, finishing it to final thickness at a planer. That’s a lot of sawdust, and also more opportunities to get injured, nick a blade, or generally add wear and tear to your equipment. Not only that, but also the fairly large amount of time that takes.

More and more, I’m having my lumber guy finally dimension my stock. Obviously, I can’t have him cut final size lengths and widths (usually), but I can have him plane and joint all four sides; he’s got the larger jointer and planer to handle up to 8″ wide lumber, and I don’t. His thickness planer has a three-sided spherical head, which means I sand a LOT less. When I get back to the shop, I just have to rip and cut, and I’m ready. I can concentrate more on the quality of fitting the pieces together, and the finish, rather than breaking down lumber.

And if you think it’s expensive, it’s really not – check with your lumber supplier; it’s usually so much per foot, but I find it well worth the price.

Now I understand that some guys like to do all the dimensioning and breaking down themselves, because the need certain parts of the board, have an odd size, or whatever. But generally speaking, out sourcing this part of the process is well worth the money.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on January 30, 2012 in BlogNotes

 

Tags: