Woodweb Podcasts

We are creating audio versions of our Knowledge base articles. These are categorized by topic into podcasts, for listening in the shop, jobsite, on on-the-go. These are both an educational and entertaining way to augment your woodworking endeavours!

Making Wood Work

Listen to archived forum discussions from Woodweb's Business forum. Woodworkers discuss the nuts-and-bolts of running a successful shop.

Subscribe (RSS Url): https://anchor.fm/s/f510f8d8/podcast/rss

Episodes:

Work-Station Shop Organization Systems

Thoughts on a shop setup that involves moving the workpiece from station to station, rather than moving pieces and tools onto and off of a single work bench.May 23, 2011

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/WorkStation_Shop_Organization_Systems.html

Punch-List Management Strategies

Cabinetmakers discuss ways to streamline the installation punch-out process. May 20, 2009

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/PunchList_Management_Strategies.html

Finding Good Finishing Help

Tactics for attracting finishers, perhaps the industry's most difficult "get." December 26, 2004

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Finding_Good_Finishing_Help.html

Cabinetry Warranties

Cabinetmakers discuss their warranty policies. June 15, 2009

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Cabinetry_Warranties.html

Value added defined

What exactly does "value added" mean? Many definitions and interpretations are offered up. July 29, 2003

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Value_added_defined.html

Instead of a Showroom

If you don't have space for a cabinet showroom, try these techniques instead. May 6, 2007

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Instead_of_a_Showroom.html

How to Work a Local Home Show

Detailed advice on how to set up and operate your booth in a local home show in order to sell enough work to make the investment worth it (and then some). October 18, 2011

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/How_to_Work_a_Local_Home_Show.html

Making Money on Custom Installs

How can a 2-man operation stay profitable on cabinetry installations? A discussion of costs, pricing, planning, and time management for installing custom work. July 27, 2008

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Making_Money_on_Custom_Installs.html

Customer Deposits and Payment Schedules

A heartfelt and sometimes heated discussion about setting payment terms, including initial deposits, for a cabinet job. February 27, 2013

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Customer_Deposits_and_Payment_Schedules.html

When to Raise an Employee's Pay

Here's a long discussion about the purpose and timing of pay raises, and the associated communication issues. July 3, 2006

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/When_to_Raise_an_Employees_Pay.html

Taking Small Jobs as a Marketing Method

Can taking on small repair jobs or punch-list work help you get larger, more lucrative projects? September 15, 2011

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Taking_Small_Jobs_as_a_Marketing_Method.html

Letting Employees Use Your Shop

Here's a long thread about what terms an employer should set for allowing an employee to build a personal project in the shop. February 11, 2009

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Letting_Employees_Use_Your_Shop.html

Teaching an Employee to Optimize Materials

A problem with an employee who doesn't use up scrap leads to a long discussion on hiring, training, and firing procedures. May 20, 2009

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Teaching_an_Employee_to_Optimize_Materials.html

Charging Enough to Stay in Business

Seasoned cabinetmakers give a newcomer some hard-nosed advice on how to price his work realistically. October 15, 2009

Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Charging_Enough_to_Stay_in_Business.html

Profit-Sharing and Incentive Pay

Employers and workers discuss the pros and cons of linking employee compensation to company performance. November 4, 2007

Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/ProfitSharing_and_Incentive_Pay.html

Employee Overpayment Snafu

A cautionary tale: an overtime miscalculation resulted in years of paycheck mistakes in the employees' favor, before the payroll manager figured it out. How should the boss respond? June 5, 2006

Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Employee_Overpayment_Snafu.html

Butcher Block Finish Dispute

This long saga of a woodworker's difficulty with a customer who is dissatisfied with the finish on a butcher block shipped cross-country offers lessons on communication, contracts, and credit card company dispute resolution processes. March 26, 2010

Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Butcher_Block_Finish_Dispute.html

Managing a Business Disaster

A big customer can't pay because of big legal trouble — now the cabinetmaker has to struggle to stay afloat. This long discussion is loaded with sympathetic insights. November 26, 2007

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Managing_a_Business_Disaster.html

Looking Back at Life

Ever punch a rooster? Business owners discuss the meaning and purpose of life — and how to enjoy it. January 22, 2006

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Looking_Back_at_Life.html

Overhead per employee

Adjusting your overhead when you add workers. September 24, 2002

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Overhead_per_employee.html

Adjustment Problems and Customer Care

An extended discussion of how to handle a customer who repeatedly calls about minor drawer alignment issues on custom cabinetry. December 6, 2008

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Adjustment_Problems_and_Customer_Care.html

Eyewitness: Injury

Scary stories about careless acts and bad consequences. June 28, 2005

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Eyewitness_Injury.html

What is a Project Manager's Job?

Here's a list of responsibilities for the project manager at one commercial outfit. January 25, 2013

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/What_is_a_Project_Managers_Job.html

When Someone Recruits Your Top Employee

How should an employer respond when another shop is trying to tempt a top employee to jump ship? May 24, 2010

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/When_Someone_Recruits_Your_Top_Employee.html

Wife's Role in Husband's Cabinet Business

Advice on how a wife can make a solid contribution to a woodworking business, while also handling child-care responsibilities. October 13, 2008

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Wifes_Role_in_Husbands_Cabinet_Business.html

Estimating Start-Up Costs

A brand new business owner seeks input on projecting first-year expenses. January 6, 2005

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Estimating_StartUp_Costs.html

Running a Second Shift

Setting up a night shift at a busy shop can cause problems, and it can also supply solutions. A good supervisor is key to success. November 23, 2012

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Running_a_Second_Shift.html

Recovering from an Estimating Mistake

If a rookie salesman accidentally sells a job way, way under cost, can the shop owner back out of the deal? There's more than one side to that question. October 25, 2006

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Recovering_from_an_Estimating_Mistake.html

Downsizing your shop

Businesses that have grown too fast or too big choose to cut back and go small. October 2, 2001

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Downsizing_your_shop.html

Working for Friends

Offering friends a special deal can blur the boundaries between what's personal and what's professional. Here, an example triggers a long and thoughtful discussion. August 23, 2006

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Working_for_Friends.html

Smart Leasing Tactics

When you need to rent space for your woodworking shop, favorable lease terms can be a real plus for your business. December 7, 2007

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Smart_Leasing_Tactics.html

Working Exclusively for One Client

When a client suggests an exclusive arrangement, it's wise to think carefully about the potential downside. March 18, 2006

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Working_Exclusively_for_One_Client.html

Start-Up Advice for Businesses

It's the same old story: A skilled craftsman (and new solo businessman) just figured out he's been making three dollars an hour. Guys who have been there and done that chime in with advice and encouragement. December 14, 2005

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/StartUp_Advice_for_Businesses.html

Should a Cabinetmaker Let the Contractor Install Cabinets?

For various reasons, most cabinetmakers prefer to install their own work — unless they know and trust the installer. December 2, 2006

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Should_a_Cabinetmaker_Agree.html

Tips for Shipping and Selling Lumber Nationwide

This discussion about the factors that affect shipping rates takes an interesting detour into sales psychology. February 4, 2011

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Tips_for_Shipping_and_Selling_Lumber_Nationwide.html

Training Employees

A rambling brainstorming thread about how to teach complex tasks to workers. December 2, 2006

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Training_Employees.html

Showroom Strategies for a Furniture Maker

A successful niche furniture maker looks for ways to broaden his appeal in his local market. October 3, 2011

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Showroom_Strategies_for_a_Furniture_Maker.html

Talking Dollars with Sales Prospects

Finding out what a customer really wants, and what they really can afford, involves some psychology — but the effort can pay off. December 9, 2013

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Talking_Dollars_with_Sales_Prospects.html

Structuring Performance Incentives

Business owners discuss ways to tie employee compensation to productivity. February 17, 2006

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Structuring_Performance_Incentives.html

The True Cost of Overtime

When you back out overhead, time-and-a-half wages for overtime hours may work out to a wash. But not always ... October 2, 2007

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/The_True_Cost_of_Overtime.html

Surviving Tough Times

A Woodweb forum maker says he's ready to throw in the towel, and others describe why they're not — and explain the tactics they've used to hang tough.October 26, 2013

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Surviving_Tough_Times.html

Smoking Policies for Wood Shops

How should wood-shop employers deal with the issues raised by employees who smoke? The question leads to a lively debate. December 2, 2006

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Smoking_Policies_for_Wood_Shops.html

Stupid Woodworker Tricks

With a nod toward David Letterman, pros discuss their least-best moments. January 24, 2005

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Stupid_Woodworker_Tricks.html

Taking on an Apprentice

It's good for society when young people gain skills. But the rules for apprentices are the same as for employees, and the management problem is not trivial. April 8, 2013

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Taking_on_an_Apprentice.html

Structuring and Documenting the Sales Process

With some customers, selling the job is a long, drawn-out process involving many detours and a lot of back-tracking. How do you keep that process organized, and remember what has been said and promised? It starts with a spiral notebook. February 16, 2012

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Structuring_and_Documenting_the_Sales_Process.html

Tenants, Landlords, and Owning Your Own Shop

When the landlord puts a "for sale" sign on a cabinetmaker's rented shop building, the tenant starts to consider his choices. Here, shop owners explain why they think buying out your landlord can be a wise investment. May 22, 2007

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Tenants_Landlords_and_Owning_Your_Own_Shop.html

Shop Power Choice: Single Phase or Three Phase?

Shop owners discuss the relative pros and cons of three-phase and single-phase power supplies. February 6, 2010

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Shop_Power_Choice_Single_Phase.html

Safety Glasses in the Shop

The owner gets advice as a new eye protection rule creates a labor-management dynamic in a woodshop. August 27, 2009

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Safety_Glasses_in_the_Shop.html

Subcontractor or Employee?

Learning the rules about worker classification and managing the details correctly is a hassle, but the risks of doing it wrong are major. September 24, 2009

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Subcontractor_or_Employee.html

Social Conversation and Shop Morale

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

Switching from Office Work to the Cabinet Trade

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

Thoughts After a Severe Accident

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

Facing a Flush-Panel Steel Garage Door

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

Switching to a Woodworking Career

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

Professional Dress for Woodworkers

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

Starting Out as a Furnituremaker

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

Sizing Up a Shop That is For Sale

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

Keys to Profitability for a Small Shop

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

Sawdust as fuel

Building a sawdust-fired boiler to heat kiln and shop. November 18, 2002

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Sawdust_as_fuel.html

The Crazy Hours of the Sole Proprietor

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

Should a Moulding Mill Bring Sawmill Operations In-House?

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

Surviving Being Stiffed

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

Testing Prospective Employees

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

Secured Debt, Collections, and Legal Advice

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

Challenging Issues for Wood Shops

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

Survival Strategy: Raise Your Prices

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

Working Too Hard and Still Broke

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

When a Designer Hands You Sketchy Drawings

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

Establishing a Change-Order Policy

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

Taking a Business to the Next Level

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

Which Fine Details Do Customers Care About?

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

Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Copyright_Issues_and_Architectural_Drawings.html

Setting Shop Temperature

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

Sustainable forestry

How sustainable forestry relates to the woodworker and consumer demands. June 3, 2003

Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Sustainable_forestry.html

The Most Important Skills to Learn

An apprentice woodworker asks what he should concentrate on for a career in the trade, and gets a full helping of good advice. October 2, 2005

Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/The_Most_Important_Skills_to_Learn.html

Making Money with a Sawmill Business

Plan with a focus on high-margin production, and you might make money — not just wear out a saw. January 14, 2008

Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Making_Money_with_a_Sawmill_Business.html

Patenting a New Jig or Tool

A woodworker has thought up a modification that improves on someone else's design, and wonders whether he should seek a patent. Responses supply a rundown on the patent process and its pitfalls. February 17, 2006

Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Patenting_a_New_Jig_or_Tool.html#google_vignette

Making a Partnership Work

One half of a woodshop partnership gets advice on smoothing out rough patches in the relationship. December 9, 2007

Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Making_a_Partnership_Work.html

Does Outsourcing Cabinet Parts Make Sense for a Small Shop?

Cabinetmakers discuss the pros and cons of having parts cut by another shop. January 26, 2008

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Does_Outsourcing_Cabinet_Parts_Make_Sense.html

Choosing an Employee

Who to pick - the rookie, or the experienced hand? May 4, 2005

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Choosing_an_Employee.html

Story of a Landlord-Tenant Dispute

Confusion over three-phase power throughs a shop leasing agreement into chaos. Here are insights into the legal and practical issues involved. October 27, 2008

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Story_of_a_LandlordTenant_Dispute.html

Laying Out a New Shop

So brilliant, it's simple: Use full-size cardboard cutouts to mock up your layout on the shop floor before you decide. February 1, 2011

Article Link with Photos: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Laying_Out_a_New_Shop.html

Cost of Estimates

Getting paid for time spent on a job before you know it's yours. April 18, 2004

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Cost_of_Estimates.html

Competing on Price in a Tough Market

Cabinetmakers discuss how to squeeze dollars out of an estimate and still make a buck. August 14, 2009

Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Competing_on_Price_in_a_Tough_Market.html

Work in Progress, Efficiency, and Profit

Here's a long and somewhat abstract and meandering discussion that still makes some interesting points about how reducing the number of overlapping tasks happening at once can eliminate management headaches and improve productivity. April 20, 2008

Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Work_in_Progress_Efficiency_and_Profit.html

Struggling to Get Paid

Cabinetmakers discuss payment problems in the industry, and compare contract and billing strategies. July 3, 2006

Full Article Link: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Struggling_to_Get_Paid.html

When a Job Goes Sour

Expectations were unclear, now the customer is unhappy. What to do? May 4, 2005

Full Article: https://woodweb.com/knowledge_base/When_a_Job_Goes_Sour.html

Introduction

Founded in 1994, Woodweb has hosted forums for woodworking professionals ever since. The episodes here are the best of these discussions on various aspects of running a woodworking business.

Find these articles and many other Woodworking resources at: Woodweb.com

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