| Blog series by dennis mitchell | updated 159 days ago | 8 parts | 4468 reads | 222 comments total |
Part 1: Shaking my head...we'll never learn
I spent the day installing cabinets, I built, in a manufactured home. Kinda like spreading caviar on wonder bread. Actually it was a sales office. They were busy. I guess the depression is driving folks to these “bargains”. My sister bought a 12 year old one down in Nevada. In 12 years the outside trim was falling off. All the windows failed. The roof leaked and needed replaced. The dry wall was cracking. This was all just normal wear and tear. I’ve done a bit of work in...
Part 2: Support your local cabinet maker
One more time someone told me I was too expensive so they got their cabinets at Lowes. Did they ask me for my price…No! They just assumed. The reality is every time I’ve bid against Lowes and apples were apples my bid was cheaper. I guess we can get brain washed. I’ve even seen that prejudice here at Lumberjocks. Yes most shops have gone after a high end clientele. It might even be hard to find a local cabinet maker who would do “low end” work. We even have a ten...
Part 3: Etsy update
I’m going to throw a pity party and you are all invited. When I get some good news I’ll pass that along to. (First I’ll have to get my taxes out of the way). It has been three months that I’ve been running this Etsy shop. I know some artisans have done OK. I’m pretty sure if I dedicated the time and energy I would have had better results. First off the price is great. The time to setup shop and download photos is significant. I figure when all is said and done I...
Part 4: Splinters
I am pretty immune to the little buggers. I figure I can dig a splinter out with a Phillips screwdriver while running 4X8’s through the table saw. These days I’m having to use those special magnifying goggles just to see them. For some reason they are making them smaller these days. I think it has something to do with global warming. The other day I got the worst of my career. It wasn’t that big. Big ones are easy. This was a skinny little oak splinter about 3/8’s long...
Part 5: Taxes!
Yep that time of year. Folks are having tea parties. The economy going south. I get to see my year end, bottom line, financial worth. I don’t think it will impress anyone. It sure made me wonder. This self employment gig has cut my income in half. Maybe I need to tell you about one of my heroes. I have this buddy. Plays a mean guitar. He also is a craftsman. Does some very nice, high end, upholstery work in an 8 X 12 shop. A few years ago he was telling me how he “just gets byR...
Part 6: The world is her litterbox
A few years back my cat decided to get untrained. She started crapping behind the furniture. It was pretty strange. The solution was to move her to the shop where she has access to plenty of sawdust. So I get to share my shop with cat crap. Wonderful. This cat loves to ride on my shoulders. She will sit up there while I’m cutting 4X8’s or at the miter saw and just purr away. She will also stand right under your feet or try to climb your legs while at the saw! This picture is her s...
Part 7: Another gallery done gone
Tomorrow I set out to pick up my furniture from another store that has closed up. In the ten years I’ve been building furniture I’ve had my furniture in four different galleries. All of which have shut their doors. One of them more than once. This one lasted a year. The hard part is knowing how much heart the owners of these stores have invested. Let alone money and time. I see this and I know the American dream has died. What is the average? One out of ten small businesses survi...
Part 8: Hanging it up
Ya I’ve done had it. Guess I’ll see if Thos will give me a job herding tourist. Today I turned down a chance to do the Western Design Conference. After doing shows, galleries, etsy and a web site with very little luck I’m plum out of energy. (and money) When I started I knew of 12 different galleries that had regional furniture. Now I only know 3. Two are owned by furniture builders and the other one won’t even return my calls. I can’t even blame it on the econom...
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