21 - Bandsaw Wizard Alex Snodgrass

Over the years, I have known many folks that have considered taking the plunge into starting a woodworking business, but they did not pull the trigger for one reason or another.  In this show, I discuss three common life points where I have seen people take the leap along with the pros and cons for each point in time.  I also break down three times where it would NOT be a good idea to start a new woodworking business and why.  

After getting a headache from trying to learn and understand the re-zoning process in my county to help launch our new marriage venue, I had to get out of the house.  So I went to the shop and decided to talk about one of my favorite jigs . . . The Kreg Pocket Hole Jig.  It was one of those spontaneous shows where I discuss 5 things I really love about it, how I use it, and why it is such a useful tool in my shop.  

In this show I break down the differences between building a woodworking business and building a woodworking craft.  To be clear, in both instances, I am talking about woodworking for a living.  But, in each case, the woodworker is proceeding down a slightly different path to make money.  I review some of the pros and cons for each path, and what you can do to overcome some of the cons to make it work for you.   This episode is really part two of a four part series.  Since I like to begin with the end in mind, this is part of my ongoing analysis of the woodworking business I want to build.    

In this show, I talk about the business side of woodworking.  I am working to build up a woodworking business, but I am struggling on which path to take.  There are sooo many options to choose from that it can be overwhelming.  But, trying to be a jack of all woodworking usually does not translate into a longterm, successful business.  If net profit is important to you, I think it important to focus in on just a few products as part of your woodworking business (at least at first).  I break down what I learned from building up a successful law practice and how that applies to building up a successful woodworking business.  

Ever done some whimsical woodworking?  Wondering what the heck that is?  Well, it is something I just totally made up and had a blast doing it.  After you listen to what I am talking about, I hope that you give it a try! Think I have gone crazy?  Let me know at https://www.facebook.com/AvidWoodworker/ 

I am not about to let this COVID-19 get me down.  Recently, I decided to get into my shop and work on something.  I had heard that saw mills and manufacturing plants were reducing production or closing to honor the social distancing requirements.  Then I started to think about saving my money anyways just in case things got worse.  Still trying to stay positive, I thought of 6 things you can do in your shop for free to lift your spirits.  These are things you probably need to do anyways, but may have put off doing because you just wanted to make some saw dust.  

So after 5 years of silence, I am finally back.  I wish I had been podcasting this whole time, but life sometimes throws you interesting curve balls.   In this show, I share what happened to me and why I had to put podcasting on hold.  I also share a big change in my life that has allowed me to start podcasting again.   I wrap it all up with an explanation of what the future holds for me and the podcast.

This is part 1 of an interview with professional woodworker Shane Rodarte, who has been woodworking for a living for the past 28 years.