re: Does Anyone On Here Do Wood Work As A Side Hustle?

It's something that I do for fun and have thought about doing for some extra money but then my fun thing becomes work. So, I may do this in a couple of years but right now, I'll just do it at my leisure.

I do. What do you need?

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only slightly less annoying

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put this on list as well

My grandfather was a carpenter and built homes for a living, he was in demand and well respected in the industry back before the Mexican crews took over.

He had a shop with multiple tools/saws in his back yard and made all kinds of stuff for his family/kids/us grandkids.

I regret not spending time with him and learning his craft.


He could work wonders with wood

I've built a lot of different things over the years, including:

Computer Desks
Entertainment Centers
Bed Frames
Bookcases
Dining Room Tables
China Cabinets
Buffets
Display Cases
Kitchen Cabinets-----really don't like to do these
Porch Swings and other outdoor furniture
Planter Boxes

And my favorite is "one off" cabinets to fit spaces people can't find things to fit to suit their needs.

I've found the biggest problem is customers paying for good craftsmanship like good joinery, finishes, hardware, etc.

Can't tell you how many times I've heard "But I can get something similar from Bob's Unfinished Furniture." But it's built out of pine and particle board and they want mahogany and has drawers with simple dado joints instead of dovetails.

You pay for what you get.

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I've found the biggest problem is customers paying for good craftsmanship like good joinery, finishes, hardware, etc.

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I am partial now to pocket hole joinery. It's not old school but it is easy and effective. Building furniture is not finishing. Finishing is an art in its own right.

I did exactly ONE piece for money. I did not like that my hobby became a job. The woman wanted walnut but only wanted to pay for pine. Had all kinds of trouble trying to get the finish right and in the end it wasn't worth my time for what I got paid.

I woodwork for others based on 4 rules -

1 - If you see something you like in a store, go buy it.

2 - It will be ready when I feel like working on it.

3 - If I don't like you enough to do it for you for free, I'm out.

4 - I will build you as close to what you want as I want to build.

This usually weeds out the folks that think they can get it cheaper from me than the one in the store. It keeps my to do list long enough that I will never finish it though. Sometimes I am in the shop 3 nights a week, sometimes, three nights in 6 months. I do it when I get excited about it.

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Like a 12inch European carbide tooth inset jointer planer.

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Felder?

I am a separates guy myself and prefer knives, I have a 12" Northfield jointer (really want a 16 or 20") and a 24" Oliver planer.

I have never thought about it as a money-making endeavor. Most people recoil when I tell them the cost of just the lumber. Take something like a Maloof sculpted rocker, you may have $600-700 in wood just using walnut. Add to that 60-80 hours of time and you are starting to talk real money to make any reasonable profit. People make some decent money making things like Adirondack chairs in pine but trying to sell people quality teak chairs unless you sell in the Hamptons and they look at you like you have 3 heads. The guys I know that make the most money as a side hustle are production turners using primarily free wood. Heirloom quality flatwork is simply too expensive for most people's tastes, they would rather have cheap and replace in a couple of years which is the thought process that makes Ikea so big.

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Would love to own one. Every one I looked at is 3 phase and would cost way to much to swap out motors for 240V.

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VFD baw! I run some VFDs but I also have a rotary phase converter. I love buying old iron 3ph equipment for pennies on the dollar. Never be afraid of the phase. I have been collecting machines for a new shop at the camp in LA and most of it is 3ph. VFDs have some advantages since you have such a great amount of control over the motor but a rotary is the way to go if you have mostly 3ph, well unless you have modern Euro 3ph equipment with electronics and need a Phase Perfect. You don't want to be running a Martin or Altendorf slider on a rotary.

I know someone who does. He makes awesome stuff, but it doesn’t sell well. He might sell one or two pieces each year. Handcrafted stuff isn’t cheap, and you can buy some mass produced piece that resembles it for half the price.