>> 13 Router Dado Jig Plans
Router Dado Jig

Easy To Make Dado Jig

Router Dado Guide

Dado Jig

A Dado Jig for the Router

Router Dado Jig

Exact-Width Dado Jig

Adjustable Dado Jig

Router Dado Cutting Jig

Adjustable Dado Jig

Router Dado/Rabett Jig on the Cheap (pics no plans)

Adjustable Dado Jig for Routers

Auto Adjust Router Dado Jig for Hand Routing (at SMC, requires free SMC membership to view pictures)

>> 6 Router Mortise Jig Plans
Plunge Router Mortising Jig

A Simple Plunge Router Mortising Jig

Mortising jig

Tage Frid’s Mortising Jig

a very simple, efficient shop made mortising jig for use with a plunge router

Hinge Mortise Jig

>> 7 Router Circle Cutting Jig Plans
Router Circle Cutting Jig for Woodworking

Router Circle-Cutting Jig

How to Cut Circles and Curves With a Router

How to Make a Router Circle Cutting Jig

Router Small Circle Jig

Router circle jig (pics, no plan)

Router Trammel

>> 2 Router Tenon Jig Plans
The Four-Faced Tenon Jig

Tenon Jig for the Router Table

>> 3 Router Fluting Jig Plans
Fluting Jig

Routing Stopped Flutes

New Fluting Jig For Custom Curved Flutes

>> 9 General and or Eclectic Router Jig Plans
Dirt-Simple Router Jigs

Router Pattern Jig – With Plans

Jigs for bench top palm routing

A cradle for changing router bits

Zero Clearance Router Table Miter Spline Jig (pics, no plan)

Router Table Box Joint Jig (pics, no plans)

Router Centering Jig (pics no plans)

Router Surfacing Jig

Free Woodworking Router Slot Jig Plan

>> 5 Router Jig Videos
Podcast #29: Top 5 Shop-Built Router Jigs
Video: Router Jigs Part 1 with Popular Woodworking senior editor, Robert W. Lang
Video: Router Jigs Part 2
Video: Setting Up and Using the Mortiser Router Jig
router mortise jig

>> 61 More Plans for Your Router: Collections from ToolCrib.com
Edge Jointing (and Planing?!) with a Router: 24 How-To Guides, Forum Threads and Videos
9 Router Bit Storage Plans: Router Bit Boxes, Shelves, Organizers and more!
28 Free Router Table Plans

>> My Forum Sources for Router Jig Plans
Router Mortising Jig Plans or Advice Needed
Router Small Circle Jig
What’s your router guide for doing dados?
M&T jig
Woodsmith Router Jig
Making an overhead router sled/jig (ideas, not a plan)
router dado jig
Router Jig Plan
Consulting Woodworker’s Published Woodworking Articles

I got an exciting email from KnotScott the other day with some updates and some BONUS forum finds! He took some time off from working on his fireplace to send us some FORUM FINDS! Thank you Scott!

1) Freud Premier P410 Fusion Blade:
“It’s different than most 40T general purpose blades, and does some things better, but there’s also a price to pay to get that performance.”

2) Adding rip capacity to a table saw:
“There are several recent threads on TS rip capacity. I’ve read comments about “shifting” or “moving” the rails to the right to increase rip cap blade-right. I’m hoping someone here has tried this on the Griz G0690 saw and can tell me from actual experience what is involved.”

3) Lumber Storage Tips:
“Is it ok to store wood, in the unheated garage? what does this do to the moisture content?”

4) If I could tell the manufacturers what I want
“What would you wish for if you had the tool manufacturers ears? It’s very possible that this thread could even catch their attention!”

5) Changes are in the wind…be aware of what you’re buying.
“I was in HD recently and noticed a two-pack of Freud blades for around $30. I picked them up to look at them and noticed they didn’t appear to be the same quality as my Freud blades. Rough around the brazing, etc. Turned the package over and noted “Made in China.”"

6) Biscuits….do you or don’t you?
“Do most of you use biscuits when edge gluing boards for top a case sides? I have been, but seems as if it gets mis-aligned rather than helping align the boards. Even cut them on my table saw top to make sure everything is flat.”

More Forum Finds by KnotScott:
10 KnotScott Forum Finds: Are $100 Blades Worth $100 + Best Band Saw + Best Cordless Drill + More

10 KnotScott Forum Finds: Shop Organization Tips, Free Cad Program, Reduce Table Saw Vibration + 7 More!

KnotScott Forum Finds: Woodworking Bargains at Wal-Mart? + Dust Collection + Dovetails and MORE!

6 KnotScott Forum Finds: Your Monthly Woodworking Spend + Kid Proofing the Shop and more!

KnotScott’s Forum Finds: Flag Case with One Board, Router vs. Shaper, Jointer Advice and More!

KnotScott’s Wide World of Woodworking: Bandsaws, Glues, Jawdropping Projects and MORE!

KnotScott’s Wide World of Woodworking: Saw Stop Blades, Hot Router Deals, Classic Table Saw Debate and MORE!

Knotscott’s Forum Thread Picks: Maloof’s Passing, Common Woodworking Errors, Planers and More!

Low-cost, high-performance Transmission-line Speakers

“I designed these speakers and I’m happy to share the design. This site is designed to let you build a pair of very nice speakers for very little money. I designed and built these speakers in the summer of 2002 and finished them in time to demonstrate them at the annual Shopsmith Users Group Weekend in Dayton, Ohio.”

Tom’s Workbench Link of the Week: Denim Pine

So, you have a stand of lodgepole or ponderosa pine trees that have been infected by the mountain pine beetle, and now the wood you have harvested is a pale shade of blue. What can you do about it? Well, if you are an association of foresters in British Columbia, Canada, you harvest the timber and sell it as Denim Pine.

WIA – A behind the scenes account

“I dealt with stringing, compass inlay, edge banding and sulphur inlay. That’s still a lot to cram into an hour and a half lecture or a two hour hands on workshop.”

Customer Project Gallery: The Table That Ran Away

“One of my favorites is shown here: Running Table by David T. from Cypress, California. How fun is this? Check out the gallery to read the story of how David made this console table and turned it in for his college English project, and find out why the table ran away! Incredibly creative!”

A catalog of great furniture design

The auction includes works by well-known furniture makers Wendell Castle, George Nakashima, Wharton Esherick and Judy McKie, among many others. There are even a couple of plywood chairs by Frank Lloyd Wright. Also featured are works by Mid-Century designers like Charles Eames and Hans Wegner, along with less familiar contemporaries like Paul McCobb, Phillip Lloyd Powell and Harvey Probber.

Wave Goodbye: An Amazing Design!

“This table combines several design concerns of continuing personal interest: motion, asymmetry, and plasticity. Many people enjoy its graceful humor, and it resides in several prominent collections.”

103 – Flush Trim Bits
“Flush trim bits come in all shapes and sizes, but they all share the same basic anatomy. After watching this video, you’ll have a much better idea of which ones to buy and when to use them.”

Wood Magazine ProductionForums: If I could tell the manufacturers…
“If you could change one of your existing power tools – and have all the manufacturers follow that change, what would it be?”

Wood’n Bits Workshop » Working with Thin Wood Stock
“I cut a lot of thin strips from standard lumber stock using a table saw. I know there are those who believe their table saw provides .001? accuracy. Mine does not and often I’ll need to fine-tune the thickness of the results. It’s also the case that the surface itself is simply not smooth enough for miniatures work. I fix both of these problems using a heavy card scraper in a simple handle I made.”

Router Trammel
“The router trammel (also know as a circle cutting jig) is an jig that allows you to route a controled arc or circle. There are several manufactured models available to purchase. However they are quite easy to make in the shop.”

In Defense of An Old Friend
I’ll be honest with you: I’ve got several different routers on the shelf. But what did I reach for first? My good old Porter-Cable 690LRVS with a fixed base.

Domino Butt-Joint to a line
This is a post I made on The Woodwhisperer Community forum about how to butt-joint a member into the middle of another with a Domino joiner. Normally you use registration surfaces to create Domino’d joints, but here you have a line.

Yonkers man loses four fingers in woodworking business accident
A 50-year-old city man cut off four of his fingers in an accident Monday in the woodworking shop where he is employed, police said.

Shop made grooving planes – Fine Woodworking
“Smart construction. Beech sides sandwich a rosewood core that serves both as the “frog” and as the skate. Shop-made satisfaction. Using a tool you’ve made yourself is pleasing, especially when it works as well as these grooving planes.”

Previous Roundups:
Woodworking Roundup: Favorite Shop Sounds, New Old-Growth Mahogany, Concrete Jigs and MORE

“After 21 seasons, “The New Yankee Workshop” is closing its doors, and its much-beloved host, Norm Abram, is going to focus on his personal projects and PBS’s “This Old House,” according to Russ Morash, executive producer and director of “The New Yankee Workshop.”"

update: More Research Shows His Leaving was No Surprise to Observant Fans…
While digging into the woodworking forums to gather reactions to the news of Norm’s retirement I came across several posts that indicated remarkably early assumptions that he was retiring this year. In short – his retirement was not a surprise to many observant woodworking forum goers.

Here’s some early observations:

02/02/09 in Woodnet:
“Maybe they’re going to stop taping all together after this “season” & are breaking down the shop, selling everything off?”
What’s up with Norm?

09/08/09 in LumberJocks
“The Yankee Cam archives show that in past years, Norm would have filmed half or more of the upcoming season by now. But there is nothing listed so far this year. It’s possible he’s filming new shows or something for 2010 and just not using the Yankee Cam anymore, but I don’t know why that would have changed. So I’m assuming that they haven’t filmed anything for 2010. I know the economy is tough; is it possible that no one is willing to underwrite NYW anymore? Or is Norm just sliding into retirement?”
Any News on “New Yankee Workshop”?

10/09/09 in Woodnet:
“I just finished checking out the NYW site. Here it is—well into October and they don’t have word one about any new season starting in January—heck, by this time, they usually have some of the new projects posted on their web site. Has anyone heard anything?”
Where’s Norm???

Update 2: Norm Abram Retirement Reactions from Around the Web
Blogs and forums errupted with discussion, most of it nice, about Norm’s departure from the New Yankee Workshop. Here’s some of it…

Norm Abram Closes Up Shop (Woodworking Magazine)
“The other question is what’s going to happen to the shop itself, which is stocked with all manner of machines and hand tools. Morash said he’s personally looking forward to some free time so he can build a few things in the shop. As for the long-term plans for the shop, Morash suggested that the shop could be put on display at the Smithsonian.”

Goodbye to the New Yankee Workshop (53 Comments! Farewell from Marc Spagnuolo)
“Regardless of how you feel about his work methods and tool choices, you can’t deny the influence he has had on the woodworking community. I used to even watch Norm before I knew the difference between a pin and a tail. And its guys like Norm that paved the way for a goober like me to create our show.”

New Yankee Workshop Series Ends (221 Comments Here!! FineWoodworking Blog)
“The Fine Woodworking audience has a long relationship with the television host. Many credit him as the inspiration for getting started in the craft. In Norm Stories, a former editor at Fine Woodworking, recounts how Abram got him into woodworking after an appearance at Good Morning America.”

Norm Abram Closes ‘Yankee Workshop’
“Yes it’s true… Norm, “any shirt as long as it’s plaid” Abrams is hanging up the hammer on the “New Yankee Workshop”. The man who made me believe “I could with wood” and “No stain, no gain”.”

Forum Farewells to New Yankee Workshop:
Messge from WGBH regarding Norm
“I am excited to see who will take the place of Norm. I think some young blood with a good sense of humor to liven things up would be great. Let’s see if we can get someone like Marc Spagnulo to do the next show.”

New Yankee Workshop Series Ends
“i have to say even tho my skills have gone much further past using brads to hold everything together if it wasn’t for TNYW and Norm i may have never picked up the hobby.”

Norm retires from NYW?
“he’s the reason I’m a woodworker. I also never built any of the projects, but I watched most of the episodes. I wish him well.”

Goodbye New Yankee Workshop
“I met Norm a couple times. He is a genuine nice guy that he seemed to be on TV. I remember when he first started on Bob VILA TOH. He has no beard and a terrible mustache. The show had gotten stale the last couple years but I still watched and enjoyed. He will be missed.”

NYW ending production
“I’ve met Norm and Tom Silva several times. One of my customers in Massachusetts has them as customers and I’ve bumped into them in their showroom while they were buying tools and fasteners. Norm is as genuine and down to earth as he seems on TV. Tom not quite as much.”

Interesting, Non-retirement Coverage of Norm Abram
Interview with Norm Abram, Master Carpenter of This Old House
“Anytime I get an invitation to go to someone’s workshop whether it be a commercial woodworking shop or a private woodworking shop, I’m ready to go. Because I want to see how other people are setting up and how they do their work.”

VIDEO – Interview with Norm Abram

Norm gets arrested?

Norm Abram’s Big Break and Continuing Wood Working Education

1) There’s a staff review of scholarship applications
2) Staff looks at needs of the woodworkers
3) Staff looks for some sense of appreciation of the spirit of what Krenov promoted
4) Staff looks for a sensitivity to the craft, tools and materials

If you’d like to donate more, visit the Krenov Scholarship Donations Page on the College of the Redwoods site for instructions. Mr. Welter asked that we make checks payable to the College of the Redwoods, and put “JK Scholarship” in the memo section.

Thank you again to our new subscribers, and thanks to ToolSnob and Tom’s Workbench for getting the word out.

Top 3 Woodworking Posts:
Favorite Shop Sounds – by Scott

“So, I was in the shop the other night sqaring up a few boards on the jointer and my brother was commenting on how he liked the sound of of it running and when you ran boards through it.”

Old-growth Mahogany Discovered

“In 2007, a group of scuba divers, wood experts and businessmen formed a company in Belize to salvage exotic tropical logs from the country’s waterways. That company is Greener Logs Limited. The logs being salvaged have been on the bottom of the waterways for up to 200 years and the supply is quite large. How large? In the day, trees were felled and held in the bends of the waterway to wait until a shipper, at the river’s end, was ready for a load. Then, the chains used to hold back the logs would be released and the logs traveled down the river to the shippers.”

Concrete Miter Jig – Viewer Jig

“I once thought of patenting this thing, instead, I leave it to you to air it if you wish. It’s also an expose’ on making tools out of concrete! This miter jig consists of concrete with polypropylene fibers for added strength. It describes a perfect 45 angle and the ‘table’ (piece of Corian on top) is at a dead 90 to the work.”

More You May Enjoy:
Make It Fit: Drawing Parts in Place During Design
“When you are working in the shop on a project, there comes a point where you need to shift from working off the plans to working off what you’ve already built. Doing so helps to avoid making parts that don’t fit.”

Water-Based Dyes and Pinned Tenons
“Ray has a couple of questions about water-based dyes and pinned tenons: I am building maple morris chairs and I am thinking of using water based dyes from General Finishes.”

Special Effects (Custom Video Game Controllers)
“I acquired some highly figured maple that could only be described as tiger maple. Next I formed the case. Using some of the off cuts I made a test piece with the colors he was looking at including a combination that I had come up with. Adam went with the custom color.”

101 – Low Entertainment Center Pt. 5
“This project was an incredible learning experience, and not in the way you might think. I actually found it incredibly challenging to step back from my primary shop tools, and focus only on the portable power tools.”

In Woodworking Circles and Beyond, Sam Maloof Still Draws a Crowd
“Nearly six months after his death, Sam Maloof will be among the most prominent headliners at one of the country’s largest annual craft expositions.”

Woodworking Tool Review – Dremel Plunge Router Base
“In one of my posts I jokingly chided Norm Abram, the host of the New Yankee workshop for having too many routers. As a viewer of his show, it appears that Norm has so many routers that he doesn’t have to stop and change bits, instead he changes routers.”

Bench Cookie Giveaway – Fine Woodworking
“Get a chance to win some of these. Change your FineWoodworking.com avatar, post a comment, and you could be one of five lucky winners chosen at random to take home a set of Rockler Bench Cookies.”

Woodworking Industry Conference to be held
“Information on the cabinet industry, cabinetmaking and woodworking Organizers recently announced that the 2010 Woodworking Industry Conference will be held April 21-24 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey, Monterey, Calif.”

For some basic, non-plan guidelines to keep your dog healthy in his new home, check out Keep These Important Tips In Mind When Building A Dog House!

Here’s what you’ll find below:
>> Dog House Plan Awards: Best in Show
>> Slanted, One-Sheet Roof Dog House Plans
>> Peaked Roof Dog House Plans
>> Dog Shelter Plans: Shade, Not Insulation
>> 3 Dog House Building Videos + Plans

>> Dog House Plan Awards: Best in Show
Build an insulated A-Frame doghouse for under $75 (Great guide, great plans, great idea, great look… TOP Dog house)

“This doghouse is suitable for a small to medium-sized dog with a 9 square foot base. I purchased my materials at Home Depot. Note that the doghouse uses an existing floor–in my case, an outdoor deck–so no base is included in this plan.”

Funny Build Notes for Gigantic, Custom Multi-Dog House (Best write up award… great notes for folks building a custom dog house)

“How do you say “I love you” to an animal that doesn’t speak English? Well, P-nut would tell you that you give him carrots. Jake and Miles would say you rub them, play Sock with them, and feed them smelly stuff. The cats – they’d want you to sit still and be warm. But sometimes you just want to spoil your special friends. So…”

In The Doghouse: Lowes (Keeping up with the Martha Stewarts award)

“Pets are part of my family. When it’s cold outside, I let them in; when it’s hot outside, I let them in. “They’re dogs. They belong outside,” says my husband. But as I look outside, the most irresistible puppy dog eyes persuade me. To keep to a minimum the muddy paw prints on the floor and the hair on my clothes, we decided on a comfortable solution that makes everyone in our family happy—a delightful doghouse.”

Gingerbread Dog House (No Way, No How award)

How to Build a Solar Dog House (Hot Dog + most in need of safety warnings Award)

>> Slanted, One-Sheet Roof Dog House Plans
Insulated Dog House Plan

“This unique, insulated Dog House Plan is only one design of many dog houses. It is designed to provide an insulated, warm, dry, comfortable dog house for your dog; plus it is designed to be easy to clean!”

Dog House: Lowes

“Give your pet a sturdy shelter from the elements.”

Flooring for Fido

“Above-ground kennels aren’t little jails. Rather, the kennel is a dog’s bedroom and den, a place where a dog feels happy and secure.”

>> Peaked Roof Dog House Plans
The Sparky1 Dog House

“It features an insulated floor, roof, and walls, a removable roof for ease of cleaning, a cedar deck with roof, an optional inner wall, and solid construction throughout.”

Designer Dog Kennel

“Your best friend deserves the best, so if it’s time to do something about his or her accommodation, spoil them with a kennel that’s comfy and good to look at.”

Basic Plans for a Large Dog

“Protect your four-legged family member, too, with this simple-to-build house. It’ll give him shade on sunny days and a welcome shelter on rainy ones. And you can even decorate it to suit his unique personality!”

How to Build a Dog House: DIY Network

“Begin by determining the size of the doghouse based on the dog’s full-grown size. A dog should have enough room to freely turn around and lie down while still allowing room for food and water bowls.”

Dog House Project Plan by Georgia-Pacific

The dog house is designed to provide a sturdy shelter for a medium sized dog. A rear vent can be added to the back side of the dog house for additional ventilation.

Harry & Sal’s Dog House

Here is a design for a simple A-Frame shelter which is easy to put together and could be adapted for all sizes of dogs.

NCSU Dog House

Building A Doghouse: Lowes 1

“Building a doghouse is a great family project. With these instructions a beginner level DIYer should be able to complete this project in a weekend, using common household tools.”

Dog Kennel for Large Dogs

“This kennel will accommodate a large dog but is really suitable for a dog of any size.”

How to Build a Wooden Dog House

“Give your pet the needed protection from the wind, rain, and snow. This medium sized wood dog house is functional as well as stylish. It is primarily constructed of cedar wood to help withstand insects and decay.”

Simple Doghouse 1.0

“About a month and a half ago, I welcomed a new member in my family, Max a very nice and sweet little Silky Cocker . :o) I quickly realized I needed a doghouse for Max since he is staying in my enclosed backyard during the day, when I’m not home. Of course I could’ve bought a doghouse at my local pet store but since I already had some plywood sheets , I thought it would be more fun to actually build one and write an instructable from it.”

>> Dog Shelter Plans: Shade, Not Insulation
Green Roofed Dog Veranda

“My primary motivation for building this is to create a shaded space for my dogs to rest when out in the yard with the added benefit of providing real estate for an additional herb/bee/butterfly garden. My dogs are spoiled rotten and sleep in bed with my wife and I, this is a spot for them to rest when playing in the yard, it is not designed for a dog to live in.”

How to Build an Open Air Doghouse:The Doggy Retreat

“We all need our own space sometimes, even pets, it sounds weird but it’s true. When you look at the pics below you may think this is a dog house, but it is not, you may say this is lattice work but it is not, or you may call it a trellis, which it is not. What it is though, is a combination of all three of those with a twist. The idea is to create an open air retreat that I can get vines to grow on to help the dogs feel like they are in there own element.”

>> 3 Dog House Building Videos + Plans
Dog House Building Video from Michael Holigan

Lists of Free Dog House Plans:
All About Dog Houses
Dog House Plans from FreeWW
Dog House Plans from Suite101

To start off – instead of getting my hobbyist readers all pumped up about going full time – I’m going to share a sobering thread from WoodNet. It’s called:
Burned out, and it’s a cautionary tale of what can happen if you’re successful too soon with your venture. Here’s a choice quote from the OP (original poster):

“I should have kept this a hobby, something to do in my spare time. But the passion got the best of me, and I made it into a full-time job. Now the dream has turned into a nightmare. All I want is a casual, free-form woodshop where I can create to my heart’s content. But doing so would not make me a living, so I’d have to get a real job. But the real job would get in the way of the passion and creativity, and I’d be caught in this same cycle of burning desire to create, but no time to do it. To those for whom this is still a hobby, I envy you.”

Let that ring in your ears for a moment: “To those for whom this is still a hobby, I envy you.”

Granted, this is a fellow at his bleakest, darkest moment. Also, it’s someone who got the opportunity to go all the way and he rushed into it, probably before he was ready. In addition to some great pricing advice in that thread, further on comes a great suggestion: “Maybe you should think about finding something part time just to take some of the pressure to produce off. It is also a big help when you are able to start picking and choosing your jobs. All I do now is period furniture which is where my passion really lays.”

In short, don’t quit your day job until you’re comfortable with the realities of your new venture.

If you stuck around through my lecture and finger wagging then you’re serious enough ;) Without further ado, here are some pricing guidelines and further discussions for woodworkers curious about how to price their goods and services.

>> Pricing Custom Work, Custom Services
Custom furniture and other custom services pricing are one common area of discussion. Some sample “pricing models” from the forums:

“My shop rate is $60/hr plus material marked up by 20%.” FamilyWoodworking

“(Supplies)+(Hours invested * what your time is worth to you)” LumberJocks

“Material cost (with 20% markup) plus approx. $25/hr. for all your labor (milling, assembly, finishing)” SawmillCreek

General threads on pricing custom furniture and cabinetry:
Contractor Pricing (GREAT discussion for potential woodworking contractors…)
Review: The Woodworker’s Guide to Pricing Your Work
help pricing osage rocker
How do I decide on a price for my work?
Help with pricing cabinetry
“New here, pricing questions”
Job Pricing? (sticking to your price when prospect starts negotiating)
Pricing? (for small restoration jobs)
pricing for a labour of love (great for general pricing philosophy of high-quality installation and furniture)
first post – pricing question

>> Pricing Turning (Bowls, etc…)
If you’re new to turning and are curious about pricing, check out this thread at SawmillCreek – you might get bowled over by what some of those artists are asking. There are no numbers regarding how many they sell :) Here are some rules of thumb from forums I read:

“I’ve read of some folks who price by the inch (in diameter), and add or subtract from that number based on the uniqueness of the wood. Here again, your market will dictate the price, but I’ve seen some guys who shoot for $5 per inch, and others who go for $10.” FamilyWoodWorking

“Obviously your local market defines in part what a bowl will bring but a rule of thumb I have seen is $8.00 and inch wholesale and $10.00 an inch retail.” SawmillCreek

“For a starting point, some people use a size-based pricing system, say $10 per inch of diameter, plus another $10 per inch of height. In this case, an 8″ x 3″ bowl would be priced at $110.” Family Woodworking

Threads on pricing turned work:
Pricing your work (general)
New Turner Pricing
Interesting pricing for turnings (big bucks)
Pricing for a newbie? Salt and Pepper Mills
Bowl Pricing
Pricing on Baseball Bats

>> Pricing Pens
Pens are another highly-sellable item that many folks can crank out. They have a bit more material cost with all that metal and ink. Here’s how some people figure out pricing:

“Materials
Time. Say 25.00 per hour.
+ 20-30% markup.
Profit is in markup.
Pay yourself for your time. Thats the paycheck. The markup is profit, to be able to purchase new tools, etc.” SawmillCreek

“The pricing question comes up frequently on the penturning forums. Everyone has their own take. For many, they simply go 3X cost of materials.” FamilyWoodworking Family Woodworking

Threads on pricing pens:
I need some help on Pricing
Pricing Advice
“pricing pens for sale”
“redeemed previous pricing blunders”

>> Craft Fair Pricing + General Experiences
One question I’d like to get into in the future is WHERE to sell. Thankfully the affable and highly-knowledgeable Vaughn McMillan has a couple of great threads at Family Woodworking with some good advice and direction.

“…the canopy, sign, tables, table covers, and a few baskets from Ikea have set me back about $600 – $700. (And that’s after doing a lot of price shopping.) I’m learning this is not for the weak at heart. Just means that much more stuff to sell before breaking even. Glad I’m not doing this for a living.” FamilyWoodworking

“after having done much field research in this matter I’ve found that having a line of work (small bowl, pen, top, etc) that includes items for $10-20 is very important.” FamilyWoodworking

“One booth selling $15 and $20 craft items nearly ran out of stock, but others selling similar products had slow sales all weekend. I don’t think the other two turners at the show did much (if any) better than me, and they had a lot more of the $20 to $100 range than I did.” FamilyWoodworking

Threads on craft fair selling:
Da Booth: Selling Work at Craft Fairs
Added Something to the Booth

>> Pricing Engraving Services
Professional and startup engravers have a strong presence over at SawmillCreek.org. Apparently there’s continual demand for their work from trophy and sign-type shops in local areas. Here are some tips, though less from the selling-to-another-business perspective (see below for that).

“If it’s a one-piece to be inlaid, I would charge as I would for a plaque, $xx times number of lines, plus $xx for laser time, plus your overhead and profit, plus any materials (x 3) that you have in it.” SawmillCreek

“I reckon on between $1 and $2 per square inch to do custom inlay/marquetry work with my laser – mostly around $2.” SawmillCreek

“Material Cost + Labor Cost + Profit Percentage + Overhead Percentage = Wholesale Cost” SawmillCreek

“The one year I had my ornaments in a Holiday Craft Sale, I found that the ones priced $3 sold well, those at $4 sold OK, anything $5 or more just sat there.” SawmillCreek

Pricing engraving work threads:
Suggestions on pricing Inlay with Engraver
pricing suggestions
Pricing Christmas Ornaments

>> Large Runs + Selling to Other Businesses for Resale (B2B)
From the forums it looks like there’s no shortage of work from local businesses. Is it “woodworking?” Well, yes. You’ll be using your woodworking tools, that’s for sure. These types of jobs are where you’re going to start thinking of yourself and your shop as a factory. Also useful from these discussions – making room in your price for the margins of those who are reselling your work…

For cutting out jigsaw puzzles: “I charge $1/minute.” SawmillCreek

“2-3 times materials and $1 per minute laser time, plus whatever time you spend prep and post work (shop rates are quite varied).” SawmillCreek

“I have several trophy/award/sign shops that come to me for these, most of them have only rotary engraving equipment. They got me to agree to a wholesale price of $30/hour for any setup and .50/minute for actual laser time. As it turns out with the low volume it’s really not worth it for me so get more than that.” SawmillCreek

Large run + B2B pricing threads:
JigSaw puzzle pricing help
pricing wood “poker” chips
pricing question for trophies and awards
Pricing a recognition award job?
pricing?? on quilt racks (commissioned by store then price negotiated down)

>> Pricing Signs
Similar to large runs, signs are another job woodworkers can land in service of businesses. Additionally, they could make nice craft fair items. Here’s some insight into pricing signs:

“Since there are fewer people that can handle the large jobs, I charge the greater of $65sf or $125 per laser hour “plus materials”. Additional finishing requirements are usually extra.” SawmillCreek

“I was happy with 2x material price plus a nice per hour rate, but I don’t know now.” SawmillCreek

Sign pricing threads:
Help on job pricing
Sign Pricing Help

>> Marketing Your Products Online
I’ve found 3 websites so far that exist solely to connect woodworkers with the buying public. And no, I’m not talking about eBay, Craigslist and Etsy ;) We featured one of them, CraftsmansWoodshop, in a recent article. Two of them are new – I originally had thought that custommade was new, but Mike corrected me (thanks Mike!).

http://www.craftsmanswoodshop.com/
http://www.custommade.com
http://www.finewoodartists.com/

>> More Resources, Articles, Guides, Books, Etc…
I will add more as I find them! If you know of any good ones, please let me know!

12 Simple Woodworking Projects that Sell Fast
How to get your work in Stores and Galleries
Free Web Exposure for Woodworkers (ideas for marketing online)
Woodworking Price Estimate Wizard
Markup & Profit: A Contractor’s Guide

I selected twitter-using woodworkers such as my pal Tom from Tom’s Workbench and the editors of Woodworker’s Journal. By looking at who THEY follow, HourlyPress discovers some great woodworking stories that otherwise would get lost in the Tweet Stream…

Here’s some great stuff that “floated by” today:
The Village Carpenter: Sauer & Steiner Planes
Wood Talk Online #60 | The Wood Whisperer Woodworking Video Podcast and Blog
My interpretation of old woodworking mallet
Marketing Your Woodworking Online
Where to Get Laminate / Formica

I’m still dialing in the calibration, but it’s worth a peek: Woodworking News and Notes from Twitter >>

I’ll be using the feed myself to find new story ideas, and cool stuff to mention here on the ToolCrib.com blog!

Thanks to the guys at HourlyPress.com for the opportunity to experiment with their software! Next I hope to be able to embed this feed on ToolCrib.com someplace ;)

Here’s what you’ll find in this collection:
>> 4 Basic Birdhouses
>> 6 Extreme Birdhouses
>> 3 Bluebird House Plans
>> 6 Purple Martin House Plans
>> 6 Birdhouse Building Videos

>> 4 Basic Birdhouses
You can’t go wrong with the basics. Usually. These birdhouses are great afternoon projects or even high-production projects for entrepreneurial woodworkers.

The One Board Birdhouse

Bluebird House Plans

The Real Bird Homes Chalet

(See video on this one below)

Cylendrical Birdhouse

(looks like it would be a good seller…)

>> 6 Extreme Birdhouses
Like birds with fine plumage, these extreme birdhouses will cause people to “ooh” and “ahh” when they walk through your garden.

Mid-Century Modern Birdhouse

(see video below)

ornate bird houses

Pallet Wood Birdhouses

(the creator sells these)

The Back to Nature Bark-Fronted Wonder

3 Designs from Canada – All Ornately Finished

>> 3 Bluebird House Plans
My neighbors fed meal worms to bluebirds from their hands. Bluebirds win popularity contests every time, and you can’t go wrong with the simplicity of a bluebird box unless you live in certain parts of Kansas.

Peterson Bluebird Box

Eastern Bluebird Nestbox (Smaller than Western/Mountain)

Western + Mountain Bluebird Box (Bigger than Eastern)

>> 6 Purple Martin House Plans
Purple Martins look like a labor of love to me. Here’s a guide to attracting and maintaining purple martins, or, becoming a “purple martin landlord” as the enthusiasts call it… Here’s a great blog for purple martin lovers, also where I found these Purple Martin house plans.

Swiss Chalet Style Purple Martin House

One Story Purple Martin House

Two-Level Purple Martin House

3 Level Martin Bird House

Plan 8 Purple Martin House from the Pennsylvania Game Commission

Stryrofoam Purple Martin Modular Housing System

>> 6 Birdhouse Building Videos
Pictures are worth 1000 words. The word exchange rate on these videos goes from about 10,000 words on down to maybe 10 or so ;)

Video: Chickadee and Swallow Birdhouse Guide

Springer Chalet Plans

Video: Build Your Own Mid-Century Birdhouse

Video: Extreme Birdhouse, Extreme Birdhouse Builder

Every birdhouse he builds gets a little mini birdhouse. Nifty. Maybe a bit too extreme. You decide.

Video: How to Build a Bluebird Nesting Box

Video: How To Build An Eco-Friendly Birdhouse

(aka plant a tree?)

Video: Claymation – How Not to Build a Bird House