Time management in the shop Professionals

[Brian Brown]

This is for professional woodworkers, part and full time. I am creating a similar thread for us weekend warriors. This may seem like a strange question, but how is your shop time divided between actually making your saleable projects and creating "for the shop projects"? I've been doing this for about 5 years now (hobby), and it seems like I spend more time making stuff like jigs, shop fixtures, shelving and storage in the shop, adjusting and remaking jigs and shop tools, etc? Each project requires a new jig or two for accuracy, and there is always something else to build to make the shop function better. Then I need to make a new storage system for the new jigs and tools blah, blah, blah, you get the idea. Last night I saw David Marks make one of the most complex jigs I've ever seen. It took more time than the actual project. So I am posting a poll with this thread for professionals, that may make just one, or many copies of a project. Feel free to add coments about your time in the shop. As I mentioned, this is a hobby for me, and I never want it to become my living. That's the fastest way I know to ruin a good hobby.

[Peter Quinn]

At my last job (custom millwork) we were allowed 10% weekly hours max for shop time, ie: projects or maintenence not directly billable to an order. If we used the whole 10% regularly you got the HAIRY EYEBALL from the foreman. We tended to do things on occasional slow weeks, during dry times (waiting for glue to set) or when absolutely neccessary.

Jigs/fixtures specific to a job were charged on a time/materials basis to that job and considered as a cost when developing estimates. In an established shop the vast quantity of general jigs/storage/fixtures neccessary for efficient work had been built over years by numerous staff which made things less painful.

In my home shop some weeks I spend 80% of time on shop projects, 15% on maintenence and cleanup, 10% drinking beer...I often wonder where that extra 5% is coming from and why I have built nothing. I keep a list of needed shop projects and attempt to spend 1-5hours/50hrs 'investing' in my shops future.

Jigs meant to last years are carefully crafted from quality materials and stored carefully. Single use setups are carefuly crafted from scraps and MDF then quickly discarded to save space. I have been building my shop for 5 years and am just finally at the point of productivity...some weeks!

[Jamie Buxton]

Making a jig to build a piece of furniture is salable time. If you need that jig to build that piece, you should be charging the customer for its construction.

[Greg Heppeard]

Just getting things going...have to build more jigs and make tools usable...working on a 5 hole router table at the moment.

[M. A. Espinoza]

Making a jig to build a piece of furniture is salable time. If you need that jig to build that piece, you should be charging the customer for its construction.

Correct, anything related to building the job is bill-able or you are giving money away. Good way to find yourself working for minimum wage.

Rarely get time to build the things I would LIKE to build. Would love to build furniture for the home or for the portfolio but the bills keep coming. Very hard to get time on something that isn't bringing cash flow.

[Steve Clardy]

99% working IN the shop.

Maybe that leftover 1% is working ON the shop

[julie Graf]

my shop is a wreck. just kidding. wait, my partner says the shop is a wreck. luckily for me, he is the one who gets stuck making the jigs and doing the tool maintenance and set-up.

I try to judge when to spend time on jigs - if it will make the job easier and less chance of "screw-up" then i usually do it. If I think it will make the product again, I will keep the jig.