Most self-employed woodworkers are too shrewd to do everything themselves. They figured this out when they transitioned from artisan to businessman.

The practice of outsourcing is common in commercial shops.

I know cabinetmakers that do not make any of the components in their cabinets. They buy pre-cut case parts, drawers and doors, then assemble.

I’ve come up with few reasons to outsource:

1. Your dumpster is full

2. Your tooling is dull

3. Your door guy is sick

4. Your shop foreman is leaving for Alaska to pan for gold

5. One word: Overtime

Jokes aside, outsourcing makes a lot of sense in many instances. If you need four turned table legs and don’t have a lathe, buying the legs from another shop makes total sense. Do you really want to spend a few grand on a machine and tooling that you are only going to use once?

D.D.