Noah B Woodworks

I’ve always wanted to make money with woodworking. I’ve made a few huge projects and have assembled a valid portfolio, but I am far from breaking even on all of my investments. I believe I am still a few thousand in the red. Having a work shop is well worth it though and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m constantly juggling the making of projects for myself, my friends and my family for free, which brings me great joy and happiness, and the making of projects for paying customers. The paying customers are few and far between, but usually they make up for it by paying what I’m asking, and having immense patience. I only get a few hours a week to work, and usually a larger project takes a minimum of a few months to build.

I’ve slowed down quite a lot in the pursuit of paying customers. I’m honing my craft, and trying to catch up on personal projects that keep my fire for woodworking lit. I’m also using this time to optimize the shop. I’m hoping to start filming again, which takes a lot of time and effort, but is usually worth it in the end. I have a nicer camera, that I haven’t been using because it takes a little more effort to setup and get going but the quality of the video is superior. It is easy for an audience to tell the quality of craftsmanship, and it starts with the storytelling and quality of video presentation. These metrics are extremely competitive in todays day. The average consumer has access to a variety of quality tools and there are endless creative ways to utilize them.

I am working on a humidor, that of which took a little detour last weekend. I decided to just go for it, and I almost made it out unscathed. At the very last moment disaster struck. I was running a toolpath on the CNC and the wood ended up coming loose on my new spoil board. I wasn’t paying close enough attention, and the mahogany got ruined. I’ll be getting new wood for that project and trying again this weekend. Once I’ve got the mahogany box made I plan to inlay it into a thicker piece of wood and then power carve a texture into that, once the box has been glued and the hardware is in place. It should be an interesting result.

My friend got married a few months ago, and he’s having a boys weekend in Chicago as a bachelor party replacement. I’m looking forward to it very much, so I’m planning to make him a simple watch display case on the CNC. I purchased the watch pillows, and so I’ll measure those and cut 3 watch sized slots into a piece of inch and a half thick walnut or wood of similar beauty. I’m thinking I’ll engrave his and his wife’s name onto it or something. Embellish it in some sort of tasteful way. I’m thinking I’ll probably rout grooves onto the edges to give it a sleeker, more professional look. That smaller project needs to be done this weekend, as the boys weekend is the following.

I need a place to store my whiskey, so I am pondering the idea of a wall mounted whiskey cabinet to go behind the door in my office. The bottles need to be out of sight, in a sturdy cabinet preferably up high. I’d like to do this project on the CNC as well and use it as an opportunity to push the cabinet making capabilities that the tool possesses. I’m still trying to form the piece in my head, and figure out what I’d like for it to do. It would be good if it could hold 5-10 bottles, and maybe some glasses. I’d be happy if the door had glass or some decorative quality. I’m hoping to film this project because it seems like a good opportunity to do so.

I’m hoping to finish a speaker project I started in January for my brother, but that project is not any fun. However, he is a paying customer, and if I do finish it, I’ll bring money into the house which is always a plus. I’ve got time for that one though, he’s not in any rush and the wood isn’t going anywhere. I’m hoping to do that one on the CNC as well, but it is tricky to cut miters on the CNC so I’ve slowed down on that project.

It’s exciting to have projects ahead of me but feels overwhelming at times. I appreciate that there are things to do, my problem is I struggle to find time to do them.