Outsourcing
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….
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.
David DeCristoforo possesses an extensive resume as designer/maker of fine furniture, high-end cabinetry and architectural woodwork. His experience in professional woodworking spans a period of 35 years. For the past 20 years David DeCristoforo Design has been located in Woodland, California. During this time David's shop has ranged in scope from a "full on" cabinet production shop with as many as 15 employees to a small fine furniture and custom millwork shop, working with his son, David RBJ, a highly skilled maker in his own right.