Hi all. Some of you may be wondering where I've been The last week or so. I've come down with some bug. Been sick for a week nos. But I'm on the mend and shall return

Not every build is a table, chair, or cabinet. Sometimes we take on projects that are a little unusual, a little personal, or just different from the everyday shop work. Maybe it was a custom jig, a quirky piece of furniture, or something you built that surprised even you when it was done. Share the most unusual project you’ve made — and what made it different — in the comments below! 🏆 Prize: $100 Sawinery Gift Card (aka guilt-free tool money 😉) 📅 Winner announced on September 29!

I hear and see woodworkers all the time who are asking about how much to charge for the woodworking products they make or the custom work that they do. By and large, these are relatively new woodworkers, as those who have been selling for a while already have a good idea what they are personally going to charge for their work. It's a good question, but I'm not sure the advice that is offered is all that good. We all know that woodworking is an expensive hobby or side-hustle to get into. That means we have to sell our work for enough to cover our expenses. That's even true for those who are just trying to have their sales income cover the cost of their hobby. But we find ourselves competing with the big box stores out there, who buy by the trainload, largely from the Far East, and sell their products cheap. It's hard to get anything that even resembles a decent price when you're competing on that basis. So, I'd like to offer an alternative sales philosophy for you to consider. That is, instead of trying to compete with the big box stores, who are selling cheap products cheap, make them compete with you. Okay, so what do I mean by that? I mean make products that are so high quality and so beautiful that they can't compete with you. You can't compete with the price of a flat-pack shelving unit; but you can build a shelving unit that's so nicely made and so strong, that it can readily become a family heirloom. You can't make a cutting board as cheap as the bamboo ones that are out there; but you can make a cutting board that's so unique and so beautiful, all your kids and grandkids are going to be saying they want it, when you pass on from this life. Granted, this is going to require some work on your part. You're going to have to invest in yourself, taking the time to learn how to make those exceptional quality products. Don't try and make everything. Pick one or two items or one category of items and learn how to make them exceptionally well. If you do, you'll find that can sell those products at a premium price and you'll have customers lining up to take them off your hands.

A friend of a friend asked me to reimagine a previously installed built-in into something modern but still personal. He had originally asked a carpenter to make some shelves, but they sagged under the weight of the books. Since his wife is from Brazil, I chose 5/4 Ipe board to give the project a subtle familial connection. I built seven floating shelves, keeping the design clean without compromising strength. To make sure they wouldn’t bow over time, I added 1/8" brass stock along the back edge at full shelf height. He wanted a touch of class without anything gaudy, so the brass serves as a quiet detail and adds flex resistance. For the finish, I used a beeswax mix that brought out the depth of the Ipe grain and left a smooth, understated sheen—while avoiding any oil or finish bleeding onto book pages. I’m happy with how it turned out. What do you think?

Some tools just don’t cooperate, no matter how much you practice. Maybe it’s that tricky hand plane that never cuts quite right, the table saw that always feels intimidating, or the tool you just can’t seem to get the hang of. Share the tool that gives you the most trouble — and why — in the comments below! 🏆 Prize: $100 Sawinery Gift Card (aka guilt-free tool money 😏) 📅 Winner announced on September 22!