What's On The Bench...

Old handrail and bookcaseOne of my current projects is not a full remodel, but a replacement project for a handrail, bench, and bookcase.

The house was built in the 1920's and the original design elements expressed much of the Arts&Crafts period. Many of these elements have been replaced over time as the house has been remodeled. Most of these changes occurred in the 1960's and 70's. 

The clients wanted to do something new that would brighten the room. They wanted to replace these items, not get rid of them, and they wanted the look to be more period appropriate. I gave them some ideas and even went shopping with New handrail and wall.them to look at handrails.

The job progressed in a couple of stages. First, I tore out the handrail, bench, bookcase, and plywood wall. Then I replaced the handrail and installed sheetrock in place of the plywood. 

We had talked about the bench and bookcase and I had given them rough ideas, but I did not get out any solid ideas until a few days ago. I presented a couple of ideas in SketchUp and they made a decision. SU makes an impressive presentation.New handrail and bookcase.

Today I will be working on an Arts&Crafts inspired bench that should look more like an original part of the house design instead of something uninspired that came from Oak Express.

So you will have to stay tuned and catch the progress photos as I step into the next phase of the project.

This project has been a fun one. Handrails are always technical with the angles and every cut is critical. This job has been calling on all of my woodworking skills to achieve a successful installation. I am looking forward to completing the bench and getting it installed.

I also start working on the Scott Morrison videos again. Since my schedule hit a big crunch I have not been able to sit down and edit the footage. Sorry to hold you guys up on these videos, but once I take money from a client, there is an impending obligation to fulfill. I went almost a week without posting anything at the ACW or LumberJocks, after getting sick I have been laying catch-up and I have not had the time to sit down at the computer.

That's all for now, I need to head out and cut some wood.

Your friend in the shop, Todd A. Clippinger.

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Alison Heath on Woodworking & Marketing

Guys - Meet Alison Heath

If you are interested in woodworking as a business, it is important that you get to know Alison Heath. 

I became aware of Alison Heath through Twitter. I noticed that she was always sharing these great, nutritious bits of information on business and marketing strategies, so I started following her at Twitter and through her blog  "Workbench Marketing." 

Alison Heath - Marketing Super GeniusOne of the things that I found to be a great connector for me to Alison is that she loves furniture and she worked as marketing director for a high-end custom furniture business in the D.C. area. She understands small business and has a special penchant for the craftsman of any medium.

This is important, because what she shares seems more relevant to me and my business. The variety of business books I have read offer great business advice and principles, but there seemed to be a disconnect as to how it helps me, with my business, in my situation. Alison's information seems to be spot-on for me and so other woodworkers may find her information particularly applicable as well.

Another pro woodworker and business owner that follows Alison is Troy Bouffard. Troy puts together the best interviews I have seen anywhere and he has just posted an interview with Alison at his site Birch Hill Woodcrafts. So be sure to check out Troy's interview with Alison to find out about her background and what she is all about.

What I love about Alison is that she "Shares the Love & Shares the Knowledge." Today, Alison is appearing as a guest writer for the ACW and her submission covers woodworking and marketing. 

Woodworking + Marketing = Success

by Alison Heath

There’s more to owning a woodworking business than the woodworking.

Even if you are the best craftsman in the country, with unique designs, speed and efficiency in the shop and the full complement of professional equipment, you still need one crucial thing: CUSTOMERS.

Some folks seem to think that by opening up their doors and saying that they’re a professional woodworker, they will immediately have a backlog six months to three years long like Sam Maloof did. The reality is often different. Sometimes much different. I know woodworkers who haven’t seen a sale in six months, much less a backlog of six months.

That’s not intended to discourage anyone in their dream of becoming a professional furniture-maker. However, in order to be a professional, you need to be a professional businessman and not just a woodworker. And while you’re dreaming of your own woodworking business with the safety net of a nine to five is the time to start thinking about the basics of marketing. It’s not as scary as you may think.

1. Your Name, Professional Woodworker

You need to name your business. The above may have a nice ring to your ears, but what does it say to your customers? First, when a potential customer wants a piece of furniture, I can guarantee you that they won’t be Googling your name. Second, what is a woodworker? Is it a framer? A carpenter? A remodeler? There is nothing magical about the term “woodworker” that tells someone outside the hobby that you sell furniture. Instead, pick a name that says something about what you’d like potential customers to know about your business. Even better if you can come up with a business name that includes common search terms for what you’d like to sell. A business name isn’t there to soothe your vanity. It’s there to promote your business.

2. Start Promoting Now

Here’s the bare minimum you need before you can start a woodworking business in the 21^st century:

• A website
• Business cards
• Relationships with other craftsmen in your community (not just woodworkers)

Your road will be easier if you start this now. What this will give you is a website that the search engines will actually see when you’re eventually ready to take the plunge, a bunch of contact information from potential customers that you’ve exchanged information with and a network of like-minded folks who are not necessarily in competition with you to share business tips and tricks with.

3. Don't Freak Out

You can do this. If you’re here reading Todd’s blog, you’re putting yourself in a terrific position for success in the future. But along with building your woodworking skills, work on building your business skills. Learn how to design a website. Learn how to build and maintain long-lasting relationships. Learn how to get your products in front of the right people. Learn how to ask for help.

 Best of luck!

Alison Heath is a marketer focused on bringing marketing basics to small business owners. She blogs daily at Workbench Marketing and can be found on Twitter @furnituregirl.

Alison, thanks for sharing, we really appreciate it. 

Well Guys - That is all for now. If you are interested in business, be sure to check out Alison's blog regularly.

Your friend in the shop, Todd A. Clippinger

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Viewer Question on Jointer

Monte from Virginia asked about what kind of jointer I used and what I thought of it. I tried to email him back with an answer but the email service was rejecting the address, so I thought that I would just post the answer publicly.

G0543My jointer is a Grizzly G0543. It is an 8" jointer with a 75" long bed and it has the Grizzly Spiral Head cutter. The motor is a 2hp 110/220v single phase motor. I have it wired as 220v.

My experience with the jointer has been a very positive one. The carbide cutters have 4 edges and they give a high quality cut that seems to last forever on a single edge. Because the spiral head provides a shearing angle cut compared to the straight knife cut, I am able to joint highly figured woods more easily and with little to no tear-out.G0593

In short - I love this jointer and have no regrets purchasing it. This particular model is no longer sold at Grizzly, but I took a look to see what may have replaced it. What I found was the Grizzly G0593. The G0593 Jointer has the same specs and price point as my G0543.

The only feature difference I see is that the On/Off switch is placed up high on a post for easy access. This seems like it would be a desirable feature in my mind. The On/Off switch on my jointer is down on the base, under the infeed table. It doesn't kill me but it would be more convenient to have it located up higher.

Other than the location of the switch, the color scheme is a bit different.

The 2hp motor is substantial and never seems to be burdened with the work of material removal, even when face jointing large stock. Remember, the jointer only should be removing small amounts at a time anyway. I have never felt that I needed a 3hp motor for a jointer of this size, but if that is what they come with, that is fine too. The point here is that a 2hp motor is, without a doubt, quite sufficient on an 8" jointer.

A taller fence would be helpful here.If there is anything that I would recommend an improvement on, since they already raised the power switch, is that it should have a slightly taller fence. Usually the taller fences are found on jointers above the 8" class. One notable exception to this is that Delta had a tall fence on a jointer in this size (not sure of the model) and I have to say that I had a bit of fence envy when I saw it.

I have the need to move my jointer once in a while, so I have placed it on a ShopFox mobile base. This has proved to work out well and fulfills my "flexibility through mobility" mindset.

I hope that this information helps with your decision Monte. Sorry, I did not get the email back to you, the system just rejected your address.

Your friend in the shop, Todd A. Clippinger.

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