LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Lost in woodworking

9K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  Jim Jakosh 
#1 ·
A self employed woodworker

I got say that it isn't all what a person would think self employment is cracked up to be.But now is not a very good time ether. Let me explain what I mean or have experienced. for one thing no one ahead of you can tell you how many hours you might put in ,and then how much you might make an hour, don't keep track, It might scare you. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I do, but not always is the money coming in fast enough to keep up with all the bills and expenses. Over the past few years I have had some people ask about going into business for themselves, and now isn't a good time , I was well established for years before the economy took a down turn. I was told that one should have a 6 month cousin saved before starting in business, That is very tough to do.
Well for the past two month I averaged 14 to 16 hours in the shop,just getting ready for a sale of some furniture that was repaired and customers didn't come back to pick it up. It didn't go as good as thought
but I did land some work. So it has had some positive out look , Now maybe I'll do one in the spring.
that come to me.
BE THANKFUL FOR ALL WHAT WE HAVE OR HAVEN'T WENT THROUGH. AND THE GOOD WE HAVE IN LIFE !

SO, ON THIS DAY OF MORNING FOR THE ONES THAT LOST LOVE ONES , THE REST OF US SHOULD

THANK YOU, for taking the time to read this commit.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Mate, I can sympathise with you.

I've been SE for about 6 years doing architectural illustration work and it's always been feast or famine. With the economy as it is, work is pretty hard to find but we manage to keep our heads above water thanks to good fortune and some understanding parents.

I've been training to do Japanese joinery with a bloke not far from me and finding Sensei was a lucky break. I managed to get a job to do some shoji screens and I'm almost finished with it. It's taken far longer than I anticipated and I think I'll just about break even on it.

I look at it as a paid learning experience and hopefully some work may come from it. I know for certain that I'll keep the hours I've spent in mind on the next quote.

Wishing you hope, health and happiness for the rest of the year.
 
#3 ·
Trouble with the computer,OH Well !

I'm re-entering this suite under a new name, C ought a virus back a few months ago,Watch what your clicking on. I didn't have every thing backed up, so I had to reload every thing, and I'm not done yet. the business comes first.

HAPPIER DAYS AHEAD, I HOPE!
 
#6 ·
Holidays and Winter apon us

Are we always prepared for this season, this year I guess ,but not for heating the shop. If you don't generate enough scrap wood to have a wood stove like me, but then look at the fire hazard with heating with wood. And then Kerosene is $ 4.29 a gal and then the smell, Propane is another alternative I have used, but I haven't priced that this year yet, and then it's the money that isn't coming in as it has in the past, along with the work orders either, We just need to pray for this econamy to turn around for the better and hope all of can hold on untill it happens, I have been in business now since 2001 and this is the first time I have had to close the shop due to lack of money and paying customers to pickup their finished projects, I don't have a slush fund to help keep the heat on, Now with said , it's going to be hard for me to find things to keep my mind occupied and my hand without being in the shop, Should have taken up wood carving too, could have done that inside the house, ( Not Married , Ha , Ha ! )
 
#7 ·
Doug, I have the same issues with heating, but I have a day job so I use a small electric heater and the cost appears in the house bill. I wear a heavy work suit and a hat. I wear gloves when safe and always have wool socks on. I have enough scrap to run a wood stove, but worry about safety especially overnight. I tried a Reddy propane heater and the condensation rusted some of my tools. Also too expensive to run. I used a kerosene heater, but the fumes and cost were an issue. It may be hard to believe, but my part of California temperatures can go below zero at times. I do finishing in the house. I am married, but she puts up with me! Hope you find a solution and hope work picks up for you.
 
#8 ·
Experience has paid off

As we all know all about this economy and the down turns it has caused, I have been forced to close down my furniture business, due to the lack of customers. How this economy can change, last year I was working 12-14 hours a day, and since June it has dropped off drastically.

Well getting to the point , About three weeks ago I sent out three resume's to woodworking company's
I knew of, and less than a week I got a response from two, And have had two interviews .
Now I have to decide what one I'm going to take.

One is doing contract work out of my shop for the Company that is already established doing Mill work.
It would involve special woodwork for the Legacy woodworking Machine I Purched two years ago.

And the other is a forman posision . over seeing Mill work for a well established Company over 12
years, and want me to work on product devolopment, witch I have already thought of 4 items made from
the scraps they already discard, I know there product line.

I haven't discused money with eather Company, I have a second interview to go to yet.
I'm leanning towords working for someone else for the next 20 years, Had enough of dealing with customers one on one.

SO. The point is with what you think of the small amount of woodworking you do ,I would still put it on your resuma as work experence. I have been working in the furniture industry for 18 years, and have work in my own shop building custom furniture since 1985. As the years go by you can learn more and better teckniques
in your woodworking.
 
#9 ·
sad to hear you closing down … but you have to take care of the beloved ones
so congrats with getting the oppetunity to have new income
I think you shuold go for the product develoment job that will close to what ells
you have made and you will still take lots of desissions like you are used to in you own shop
but thats only my thoughts

best thoughts
Dennis
 
#15 ·
Love of woodworking , found me LOVE

Their are some things in life that are unexcepted. Or maybe a dream come ture.
Devoriced 12 ears ago, and I barried myself in my woodworking. Then with the economy takeing a down ture I turned the ww hobbie into a full time business. when the custom build furniture slowed down I started repairing firnture and 1 year ago she dropped of a Antique rocker off for repair.

Then the first of Febuary she called to ask if I was single and rest is ?.
Well so far so good, we hit it off. We are both in our 50's and been through bad marrages.

GOD dose answer prayers.
 
#21 ·
Been to busy and Hot .

For the past few months I haven't had time to get on LJ , between the New Girl in my life and the HOT
weather here in Michigan, I started building a storage shed for my Girlfriend and because of the hot temp's she didn't want me working out in the hot temp's, besides she is a LPN, so I listen.

Still have lot of work to do on the storage shed before winter and now her list is getting long along with mine.
Along with the motor-home I just got done repairing the whole roof and rafters inside, we should never have
any more trouble with that leaking. And then I have to work on the home she owns 100 miles north of where we live and work before winter.

Well all you home owners know the work around the house is never done .
I think that is the reason she grabbed me up, Like Red Green puts it, If your not hansom, ya got to
handy.Or something like that !
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top