Can you be a full time professional woodworker?
Can you be a full time professional woodworker?
Many people dream of building furniture for a living. But before you jump into that career, answer these questions to find out if you CAN be a full time professional woodworker.
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Also, I want to see you have a beer with safety Dan
Last and most important question: can you…dance?
I’ve Been self employed 10 years and you nailed it. I’m sitting on the couch right now.
I think one of the biggest set backs to being a full time woodworker from the home shop is what to create. Decks, floors and cabinets have the biggest customer base and are in the most need. Bad part of this is that it isn’t a one man show operation. These projects must be made at NOW speed. The customer wants them NOW. "IS IT DONE NOW?!" Also in my opinion the most boring woodworking to get into. Little creative input, your basically connecting 2 x 4’s all day, everyday. Then there is furniture..it’s going to be great right? You can create whatever you want and take over the world right? Wrong. Remember that whatever you can do for $5 china can do for 15 cents. And think about it..whens the last time you or anybody you know said out loud.."I need a coffee table, know a good woodworker?" It doesnt happen. The majority of people want cheap cheap cheap and know where to get it. Then….lol yea I know this isnt very uplifting, but it’s the truth. So you’ve created the coolest piece of woodwork ever. All 3 people that have seen it ooooo and ahhhhh over it. How are you going to sell it? You dont have a store people go to..also the vanilla answer "sell it online" doesnt cover it. It’s not that simple. How are you going to do that? Do you know how to make a website? Are you willing to pay for shopping cart services and hosting for your website? And even then there are millions upon millions of websites that are buried online and rarely if EVER get seen. It can be done but I think Chad would agree..it’s a tough damn road. Be prepared for that.
thanks – this is food for thought –
There are many similar projects in Woodglut’s plans.
I am furious with YouTube. I thought that you had gone on hiatus for a long time. I’m going through all my subscriptions because I’m not getting any alerts whatsoever how many of my subscribed channels but getting tons of alerts I’m things I never watch. As I was going through my subscriptions I want to check on Chad – still subscribed the bell Iicon is still clicked and I have not received one _single_ notice! So if I’m not getting this that means other subscribers aren’t getting them as well. YouTube stinks!!
Excellent advice! I left a full-time job with a big company and set up my own shop (not woodworking). There were some pretty lean times, but my wife and I learned to roll with the punches, and after 18 years we were able to sell the business and retire.
Awesome video, way to bring the truth! Watching a Mike Rowe Video on Prager U hit this same note about following your passion vs bringing your passion with you. But I like the bottom line approach of yours. You may be a great woodworker, but you can’t eat your pine or oak wood, and banks don’t usually like intarsia or a mid-century modern bookcase as payment. One other issue that you might hit on is equipment. You might have a table saw or planer, etc now, but using it full time as a job would mean more wear and tear, or upgrades. or maybe you discover for a job you need a particular tool, can you afford that? (you hit on that with the money points)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVEuPmVAb8o
Thx’s Chad, as a Steel Fabrication n Welder I am on Disability with a blown out back and have switched too woodworking and LOVIT !
Problem is with a New Low Income the Purchase of tools is slow because the Bills still have to be Paid Monthly !
So I challenge myself constantly and the latest I took a six pane window sash and cut it down too a four window sash for the Wife to do a Photo thing she is excited about.
It may have took me four hrs to do working on n off due to my back pain it came out looking like a factory made sash !
My Tip, always Challenge yourself to make and be able to overcome mistakes you may make and learn from them !
Thx’s Chad
Oh Love your Planter Boxes Too !
C’mon, what we really wanna know is how to get Safety Dan’s job! I got the tools, the safety equipment, and the first name, so I’m most of the way there!
I would so be fired by myself!
Soon as I did my first decent dovetail I wanted to quit my job. Buuuuut glad I haven’t made that mistake yet as I realize it’ll be a good decade at least before I can develop my skills to run my own business, much less have the funds to do it. For now, just learning from videos like yours and practicing with what little time I’ve got.
Good points…Great information..Thanks
I run my own roofing and siding company already so yes to most of your questions the one I lack in is the quality of work! So my goal is to build my woodworking shop and that’s my retirement income. And in the meantime practice woodworking in the off hours and slow periods to build the skill , by still keeping my regular business going I can buy most of the woodworking tools as a company right off . So thanks for the insights on being a woodworker
This is fantastic, Chad.
A you tube chanel is the best jajaj
I work ft and am building my wood working business in the after hours. Hoping to make the switch one day. Great video!
i think a good music help when you are along in your workshop and being full time woodworking is little scary specially if you have a lot of bills to pay
Some excellent points on this, I am self employed, and its definitely rewarding, fun, challenging, frustrating all at the same time and takes a lot of discipline.
Hey Chad, great video. In this age of computers this video could apply to alot of people. Lots of work from home jobs out there. But are people cut out to do them ?
Wow chad. Quite honestly I’ve seen a lot of videos put out on this type of subject but for some reason you really hit the nail on the head. Very informative and easy to follow. I’m really loving this “just plain board” series. Keep this going.