Woodworking & the bad economy...

**Kelly C. Hanna** · 01-09-2009, 11:34 PM

Todd...love to see pics of that excursion!

Steve...very sorry to hear that my friend...here's a few positive waves for you~~~~~~

As for me...my business is still good but there are a few speedbumps on the horizon. There is a delay at the ranch which forces me to keep on the beaten path of what I have been doing up until now. No real problem with that other than the lack of new business calls. I have about 4 weeks of work IF I lay off the last of three employess which will happen next week.

Good news is that both current jobs might lead to a few more with the same clients...as long as I produce what they expect and I see no problem with that. Both seem to be insulated from the 'cancer' that is spreading in our world.

I might have an insulator of my own having found a way to market my hobby [rustic furniture]...remains to be seen if I can pull that one off.

I hope everyone, regardless of profession, gets back on solid ground very quickly!!

**Chris Brault** · 01-09-2009, 11:57 PM

I've cooled it bigtime. I work for a big paper manafacturing company out here with only 6 paper machines remaining. There were 12 running at this site in the 80's. 3 years ago we had 1900 employees. Right now we are around 1000 and they are still cutting back and laying off. And we are extremely slower than normal.

So, I'm not planning any big purchases for awhile. I'm glad I have all the basics to work out there though. I've also been working real hard on my "Plan B" in case I lose my job. I come from a sawmill and logging background,, and know I must get a trade or some type of training if and when I need to find a new line of work.

**John Sanford** · 01-10-2009, 2:44 AM

Welllll, for me, not lookin' good at all. I'm an IT guy who was laid off by a timeshare company (timeshare sales are WAYYYY down) in mid October. Have had a few nibbles, nothing concrete, so I have been gettign a fair amount of semi-productive shop time. Actually, I'm trying to use up a fair amount of the wood I've got laid in, because I surely don't want to have move it or put it in storage again! Tool purchases? haha!! My 18" bandsaw was literally 2 days away from being purchased. That check (my last) went for the rent, utilities, groceries, etc.

Unfortunately, the whole construction and trades picture here went from gangbusters to toilet. We're leading the nation in foreclosures, just behind Michigan in unemployment, etc.

I did get a 3/8" ID drill bushing today, does that count as a tool purchase?

**Todd McGeachy** · 01-10-2009, 3:29 AM

Chris Brault : Hey Chris, I can see that happening. I run an Offset WebPress and this was the slowest Christmas in my career. Newspapers are an excellent barometer of the economy, as businesses slow down their spending on advertising tends to be more targeted. Check out your local one, it probably has way fewer flyers and is half the size of normal. If it isn't, check the ad count... if it is lower than 50% ads on a page they are in trouble and SHOULD be cutting back pages. Many I see now are 65% ads or even 70%, but many pages smaller. The weird thing is classifieds are dropping too, which you wouldn't expect.

The after Christmas season is usually slow, as many retailers blow their budget leading up to the week before Christmas, keep an eye on the papers as we go into mid-February and March when it should pick up.

**Steve Rozmiarek** · 01-10-2009, 3:52 AM

Well, you all have me a bit bummed out! I'm a hobby guy, spent quite a bit on tools recently, and am not expecting to spend more (unless a great deal on an close edgebander, comes up). I'm growing my company, and having just reinvested a big part of my savings into it, again, I'm actually not worried too much.

We are in an industry that actually usually sees increased demand as times get tough, as long as exchange rates don't kill our export market. I can see the service businesses that support us hurting though, and it sucks to see guys you know and respect, having a hard go at it when they did nothing wrong.

I don't suppose I'm alone in going to the woodshop to decompress a bit. Times like these really do make you appreciate the little things, like having the luxury of spending a little more time in the shop, or with friends and family. Sometimes you need a reminder to pause and look hard at what you do have. When it gets better, we will be stronger for it.

**Todd McGeachy** · 01-10-2009, 4:35 AM

Steve: Well at Kelly's request maybe these will cheer you up

Oh if they don't load on the first try just refresh your browser...

Here you go Kelly

The people of Nicaragua were unfailingly helpful and pleasant. I met some great people, rode in a taxi with no floor, was mistaken for a Canadian forces Colonel, shopped in a gold store with a armed escort and caught so many fish with the locals in 30 minutes my arms didn't work anymore and I had to stop. We also consumed liberal amounts of Flor de Caña (Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flor_de_Ca%C3%B1a ) My GOD its good stuff, laying on a hammock at the beach with a glass....ahhhhh
Anyway here is one of the workshops. It is amazing the quality of the work! Also notice the equipment through-out.
http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...furniture/shop
http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...urniture/shop2
Check out the block in the centre of the photo

http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...urniture/shop3
Another quite nice block

http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...urniture/block
http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine.../Chair-shaping
http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...niture/sanding
http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...hair-prefinish
http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...airs-prefinish
http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...irs-prefinish2
http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...iture/progress
This is the table I want to be under in a earthquake

http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...iture/fullload
http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...ture/shoeshine

This is my friend Bob's house on the beach Pacific side; cool breeze all day.
$70, 000 gets you a custom house with handmade teak doors handmade tile, 2500 sq. ft. house,
with back-up power, well, guest-house and internet. Oh and a hunk of beach

I slept on the deck in a hammock at his other house

http://members.shaw.ca/ZephyrCombine...ure/beachhouse

**Keith Outten** · 01-10-2009, 8:02 AM

SawMill Creek is also suffering financially!

The economic situation seems to also be having an effect here at The Creek. Less than 30% of the people who donated last year at this point have donated.

We are losing our advertisers, Oneida just informed me that they will not be renewing their banner ad here after January 15th due to the economic downturn so we will be left with only one advertiser and Google. This puts us in a very delicate situation financially...right on the edge

It's strange in that we just had the best month in our six years online with nine and a half million pages viewed in December and 1.3 million hits per day. Our normal page view count is seven million page views per day so you can see we experienced a huge jump.

I didn't see this coming, in fact I was sure we were going to have our best year in 2009. In previous years we paid our bandwidth bill upfront for the entire year, this year it will be one month at a time

.

**Bob Slater** · 01-10-2009, 8:31 AM

Well then this will prompt me to cough up my due. Was planning on buying stuff through your advertisers, and still probably will, but it is faster to just hit Paypal and deal with it later. Good to support a forum I get help and pleasure from. I sure hope we don't spiral into a depression. It seems to me some crazy types seem to be nostalgic for the 20's. Sorry to hear Oneida is pulling out. That is not a good sign. If they don't find this a useful vehicle, what is?

**Charles Saunders** · 01-10-2009, 8:35 AM

Back in July of last year I became an unemployed IT guy as well, the result of a company acquisition, not so much due to the poor economy. But my job was in an industry already beat bloody by reduced consumer spending. Finding the next job has been hard.

On the micro level (i.e. my household) we’re doing OK but certainly are being careful with spending. My wife works in a recession-proof industry and has increased her hours for the short term. We are practicing “4-walls” accounting, essentially, and we know the life history of nearly every income dollar. To date we’ve avoided getting into any savings or investments. It helps that we have no debts but it still costs a lot to live. Woodworking has picked up mostly because I feel a need to stay busy. My shop is fairly complete for my needs and while I would like a dust control upgrade someday, I’m good for now. Of course I have to buy wood and consumables. I’ve been approached by neighbors who need various woodworking projects done and I’m considering one or two jobs to create some income and stay busy while I look for more regular employment.

On a macro level I see more woodworking machine tool listings on eBay and local Craigslist. As has been pointed out earlier, more of it appears to be 3-phase lately, which indicates to me that more businesses are downsizing or closing. Recent reports indicate German and Japanese machine tool orders have dropped 40-60%. Raw materials orders must be down as well. This is becoming a fairly big hole to climb out of, but as others have remarked it’s an opportunity to appreciate your friends and family and perhaps to do some different things. Any of you who have been adversely affected by the economic downturn have my best wishes.

**Darrin Vanden Bosch** · 01-10-2009, 9:13 AM

I have been lucky to be working in a field that hasn't been hit as hard as some yet, even tho it is constuction.I've been building my shop building and contemplating buying more tooling, while I do have a decent amount of cash stashed away and investments (some that aren't what they use to be) I am thinking about doing with what I have with a few exeptions.
Especially after hearing the new jobless claims yesterday 540,000 new claims, 7% unemployment (those that are still collecting unemployment). The actual number of people out of work is approx. 13.2% ( heard this on the news also ). That is the number you don't hear on the news to often, but maybe you will in the near future.
As the economy resets itself maybe we will start producing something here again. The billions going to these failing corps. give the majority to small business' so the can start the rebound at a local level and let it trickle up for a change, because it doesn't seem to ever trickle down. Remember this country grew because of the mom and pop operations and other small business not because of walmart and the box stores.
Sorry, just a quick rant, had to get it out I guess.
Darrin

**Tyler Boleyn** · 01-10-2009, 9:42 AM

I have canceled all large purchases for the time being except, glue, sandpaper, etc. Even if people get jobs, I don't look for much to change until consumer confidence rises.

**Steve Griffin** · 01-10-2009, 9:45 AM

Originally Posted by Steve Rozmiarek

I don't suppose I'm alone in going to the woodshop to decompress a bit. Times like these really do make you appreciate the little things, like having the luxury of spending a little more time in the shop, or with friends and family. Sometimes you need a reminder to pause and look hard at what you do have. When it gets better, we will be stronger for it.

Absolutely. There are many good things in life which actually improve in down times. Scaling back and having less work for my business means less money, but also more family and hobby time.

Also, historically, the companies that can weather the down cycle really do well when things improve, since they are already in position to meet new demand.

So keep your heads up and don't forget to help out neighbors and family who are really in bad shape.

-Steve

**Larry Edgerton** · 01-10-2009, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by Keith Outten

SawMill Creek is also suffering financially!

It's strange in that we just had the best month in our six years online with nine and a half million pages viewed in December and 1.3 million hits per day. Our normal page view count is seven million page views per day so you can see we experienced a huge jump.

.

Keith, this may be because there there are a lot more guys like me that have time on their hands to goof around on the internet.

Two years ago I was never on the net, didn't have time.

Just curious, how much is a banner ad?

**Gene Howe** · 01-10-2009, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Noah Vig

Going to have house upgraded to 200 amp service first.

Now, that's a good idea!

**Dave Falkenstein** · 01-10-2009, 10:40 AM

I am retired and do woodworking projects for clients to earn tool money. Projects have slowed to a small trickle over the past year. During the summer I do deck projects, and typically have three to six per season. This past summer I had one. A full-time handyman friend is still busy, but mostly small projects - none of the week or two long remodels he used to get. Things for me are very slow, so my tool spending has stopped. We are being cautious about spending in general, although we try not to change our lifestyle drastically. At least some things we use every day are costing less, like gasoline and some groceries. We bought a HDTV a couple of months ago - that was our combined anniversary, birthday and Christmas gifts to each other. This is a good time to hang onto what you have.

Thread: Woodworking & the bad economy...

Thread Tools

Rate This Thread

Display

Nicaragua Workshop

Similar Threads

Woodworking with Kids

Woo hoo! Woodworking Magazine is available for subscription!

Perspective: Woodworking as Speech Therapy

The woodworking life with the woodworking wife

Posting Permissions