Making Wood Work

Can a business owner help maintain a friendly and sociable work environment? The question sets off a long and lively discussion on the Business Forum. July 24, 2005 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Social_Conversation_and_Shop_Morale.html

A computer programmer asks whether he's crazy to want to work in a cabinet shop instead. A long, spirited debate ensues. April 9, 2008 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Switching_from_Office_Work.html

After a shop worker is very badly injured by a machine, the owner seeks feedback from colleagues. April 7, 2008 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Thoughts_After_a_Severe_Accident.html

A ton of advice on attaching paintable wood faces to an insulated steel garage door, including advice on fasteners, adhesive, and door track hardware. November 2, 2010 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Facing_a_FlushPanel_Steel_Garage_Door.html

A professional pilot who loves woodworking is considering a career change. His story sets off a spirited discussion on the ups and downs of the self-employed craftsman's life. November 10, 2005 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Switching_to_a_Woodworking_Career.html

What's the right dress and grooming strategy for a woodworker who wants to make a good impression on customers? October 13, 2010 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Professional_Dress_for_Woodworkers.html

Making custom furniture is a very tough business, and most craftsmen who try it fail. August 29, 2006 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Starting_Out_as_a_Furnituremaker.html

Another worker ponders whether to buy a shop that's up and running, or set up his own from scratch. Lots of good angles considered in this long thread. July 2, 2008 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Sizing_Up_a_Shop_That_is_For_Sale.html

A ton of advice from experienced business owners about marketing, money management, planning, and other business fundamentals. December 1, 2010 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Keys_to_Profitability_for_a_Small_Shop.html

Building a sawdust-fired boiler to heat kiln and shop. November 18, 2002 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Sawdust_as_fuel.html

It's the rare woodshop owner who doesn't work 12-hour days and 6-day or 7-day weeks. February 6, 2007 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/The_Crazy_Hours_of_the_Sole_Proprietor.html

Here's a long, detailed, and authoritative examination of a moulding mill owner's proposal to invest in his own sawmill operation. April 20, 2011 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Should_a_Moulding_Mill_Bring_Sawmill.html

A cabinetmaker mulls over whether to throw in the towel, after two big clients fail to pay. July 5, 2011 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Surviving_Being_Stiffed.html

I am entertaining the idea of having a potential employee take a math test during the interview process. Have any employers out there developed some type of simple math test? February 8, 2005 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Testing_Prospective_Employees.html

An out-of-business cabinetmaker is being pursued by a debt collector for money he owes on machinery. The case sparks a heated debate and reveals some hard-nosed business and legal truths. January 7, 2007 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Secured_Debt_Collections.html

This thread tackles two issues at one time (listing the top issues confronting wood shops, and managing multiple different kinds of work), and beats both into submission. July 30, 2009 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Challenging_Issues_for_Wood_Shops.html

Believe it or not, some woodworkers are successfully adapting to the downturn by increasing their prices. June 22, 2010 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Survival_Strategy_Raise_Your_Prices.html

A cabinetmaker asks for advice on getting out of the hole he's in, and gets a ton of good feedback. January 9, 2008 Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Working_Too_Hard_and_Still_Broke.html

Advice on structuring the process when a "designer" supplies you with vague, half-baked sketches and asks you to take on the job. November 14, 2014 Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/When_a_Designer_Hands_You_Sketchy_Drawings.html

An extended discussion of one of the peskiest issues in custom woodworking: managing customers who want to change their minds. February 6, 2007 Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Establishing_a_ChangeOrder_Policy.html

A question about equipment investment turns into a thoughtful seminar on marketing, pricing, and finding your niche. November 10, 2005 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Taking_a_Business_to_the_Next_Level.html

A thoughtful discussion about whether labor expended on small details is wasted, or worthwhile. December 27, 2010 Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Which_Fine_Details_Do_Customers_Care_About.html

Are these original shop drawings protected by copyright law? May 19, 2004 Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Copyright_Issues_and_Architectural_Drawings.html

A long discussion about how warm (or cool) to keep a shop, whether to turn the heat down at night and over the weekend, and the effect on costs, productivity, and quality of different practices. December 24, 2012 Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Setting_Shop_Temperature.html

How sustainable forestry relates to the woodworker and consumer demands. June 3, 2003 Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Sustainable_forestry.html