Making an adjustable sled runner

Wooden runners for sleds have a tendency to expand and contract with changes in humidity and may fit one saw, but not another. It is easy to make your own adjustable sled runners. You can buy runners made of aluminum or plastic, but they require precise drilling for screws to fit... a source of frustration and error.These, the result of years of experience making table saw sleds are intended to help. I originally published this tip in Fine Woodworking.

the need to find failure

Students currently in school need to be offered multiple pathways to success — but multiple pathways to failure as well.  All should be required to fail at something as it’s in the best interest of society that they do so. 

For instance, a young man or woman destined for college would benefit from time in the high school shop class, for even if they were a complete and utter Kutz, they would learn respect for others who had demonstrated greater skill. And for those with greater skill, they would have the chance to witness a rise in their own self-esteem, demonstrated before others, thus easing the gulf between.

Instead of always being pushed aside from academic success and feeling a gulf between themselves and their college bound peers, they might find themselves feeling a deeper connection. We all share a common bond in that we all try and then fail at something. It's being human.

In the recent presidential election (and the one before that), there was a measurable gulf between college educated voters and the skilled tradesmen and rural folks voting on the  other side. As in all things, education makes a difference and the decision made to separate high school learning into separate branches can be found as an important factor in making us a fractured society. Let's put things back in their right places through a restoration of hands on learning at all levels of education.

Make, fix and create... Assist others in failing likewise.

Designing Boxes

 My new book Designing Boxes is now available from Amazon.

A tribute to John Ruskin

This is a box I made for an article in Woodwork Magazine published in December 2003. It was dedicated to Arts and Crafts philosopher John Ruskin. It features steel hinges made from steel strap and decorative corner straps made in an old English style.

Making a rustic walnut writing desk

This video is about making a rustic walnut writing desk for an article in Woodwork Magazine in October 2005. Its features include a one piece slab top, textured with a rotary chisel. A base using my torsion rod technique for strength and stability, and a lap drawer and drawer support box made with hand cut dovetails.

Selling stuff.

A reader asked a very good question and one about which I can offer almost no help.

He said he's been making lots of boxes inspired by some of the ideas in my books and has been giving them to family and friends. Because there are two festivals at which he would like to sell his work, he wondered about how to price his boxes. I can tell you how to cut a dovetail joint,  but how to price one's work is a difficult question that's beyond me to answer while the world is so overrun with so much inexpensively manufactured stuff.

I responded as follows:

I  know nothing quality of your work, or the market and level of interest in buying it. High quality craft shows will bring a higher value generally than selling in your local farmer’s market. Are you well  known in your community and have some kind of following? Being good friends with lots of folks can help. 

The old tried and true business approach would be to look at your boxes in relation to time, materials and overhead expenses… What is an hourly rate that you are comfortable with, and what do your materials cost? Is your time sitting in a booth trying to sell worth anything? If you are thinking of a business, and not just a hobby there are expenses involved.  As a pure hobby,  booth sitting and attempting to sell your work may be worth something to you as a social outlet. If that’s not the case your pricing should include payment for time selling it and the costs of exhibiting it. I've done many shows where the cost of doing the show ate up all the profit I'd hoped to make.

There are also factors of efficiency. If you are really fast and efficient you might be able to sell at a lower price, though the individual boxes may hold less meaning for you or for others. If your boxes are extremely well crafted and creative with your own designs, perhaps  a higher price might be in order.

I can offer no easy formula. You might look at what similar products are selling for in the shows you’re proposing for yourself. And of course, there’s the thing of just selling at any cheap price to get rid of it so you can make more… Giving your work to charity auctions, can be a good way to offload inventory and clear the decks for even better work.

That’s about the best I can offer. I recently put my products on Etsy for 25% off sale. They weren’t selling, so I’ve lowered the price and the discount helped. Customers will ultimately decide what your boxes are worth to them, and that will help you decide their price and out of frustration you may decide to continue giving them to friends. 

Here in Eureka Springs we seem to have more non-profit organizations than any place else on earth, and my wife frequently shops in my box storage for things to be sold to benefit others.

Make, fix and create...

Making a buffet table part 5

This video shows using a 14 degree dovetail bit in the router table to form dovetailed drawer guides to fit on the underside of a spalted sycamore plank being used to make a buffet table.