5 Woodworking Projects That DON’T Sell | Do Not Waste Your Time!

5 woodworking projects you want to avoid. In this video I discuss what projects you should avoid in woodworking so you can make money. If you are just starting in woodworking this video can save you time and money. Beggining as a woodworker is hard enough, do not try to make a woodworking business by selling items in this video. Can you make money woodworking? Yes and you can make money selling the projects in this video, but it is very hard to build a business making the products in this video! I hope this information helps you get to the next stage in your woodworking journey!
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About Cutting It Close:
Our goal is to help aspiring craftsmen do what they love for a living! We hope to share our knowledge in the woodworking field and CNC routering through training videos, CNC router techniques, unique projects, and practical applications.

Timecode
0:00 - Intro
0:24 - #1 Projects with Plans
2:00 - DISCLAIMER
2:21 - #2 NON-Customized Generic Products
3:35 - #3 Coasters
5:03 - FRIOCOOLERS.COM
5:14 - #4 3D Carvings
6:39 - #5 Wood Turnings
7:48 - Outro

[naturaIIydifferent]

Woodturner here. Yup, you ain't paying the bills making toothpick boxes, bowls, or pens. But that's why I have a painting business. It supports my tremendously expensive hobby lol.

[ClintonCaraway-CNC]

Don't listen to a YouTuber who has taken a small part of woodworking, made a business out of it and now thinks he's a "expert". I've been a professional woodworker my entire life and I can say from experience that you can make a great living doing it. 99.9% of the world are not woodworkers and will pay you to build the things they can't.

[roscobaatjies]

Yup I agree with everyone's comments, however, you find 15 gas stations in one stretch, do you think each gas station is in service "just because " you go out for the day "50 restaurants within same facility, and each and e everyone is occupied " whether there's a million woodworkers in a neighborhood or just 5, everyone has their own technique and specialties they offer their clients... don't quit what yall passionate bout,

[codygarrard]

As someone with a wood working business who does a lot of woodturning you are 100% right on it being a bad choice if you want the business to be scalable.

[timsawyer]

I turned pens for a few years regularly, made some crazy pens with expensive exotic woods, epoxy, leather, denim, various metals and gems. They take quite a while to sell and never bring in what they should. The amount of time you put into a single simple wood pen works out to be about 45 minutes once you get your grove down. The problem is that most people won't spend $100+ for a pen, so you need to be down in the 20-30 range before they move at a decent pace. That works out to approx $30-$40 an hour for you, minus materials and pen kits, you're down to 25-30, depending on what you use, minus time invested in listing, packing, shipping, etc.. Now if you start adding epoxy to the mix, your cost goes way up and you still can't sell them for more than 30-40. The idea is to make something and have it gone to the buyer as soon as it's done. There were times when I was sitting on 100+ pens just waiting for them to move... All told, with prepping, making, listing, packing, shipping, you are busting your ass for maybe $15 an hour profit and it's not consistent AT ALL. You might as well work at McDonalds, that would at least be a consistent pay check.

That being said, I still love my lathe, and I love making pens, but these days someone needs to order one. Most times I just make them as gifts for friends/family. Take my time, make something that fits the person, make a box and all that. It's much more enjoyable that way.

[ChtoDelaetMaks]

I really like this guy telling how to make money, and not to make beautiful products that no one needs. In the very first video that I watched, he said that you should not make too large an assortment. Focus on your product, make 5-6 variations and be the best at it.

[matthewwalpole]

This is great advice. The only exception is depending on where you live. I live in Cyprus and there is barely anyone making smalls so the market is great for someone like myself as I have barely any competition. So everything I make and sell is very new and unique to the majority of people in the island.

[davidwhitehead]

I really appreciated this video. Getting insider tips is never a bad idea. I was going to make coasters. That is a bad idea. You saved me a lot of time, money and frustration!

[danny]

I can tell you really care about wood working and the art itself. Giving great advice and especially getting so passionate and raw about it while telling us shows that you only mean good. You are doing a wonderful job, keep up the good work!

[stevecorry]

Thank you, my new friend, you are exactly right about pen turning. I have been turning pens for 7 years and it is hit or miss. I am 81 and retired, so I do it for fun and give away more than I sell. My 3 sons and my wife don't need any more pens, but I have a small shop and continue to amaze myself and have fun doing it. Thanks for the videos.

[makermornings]

I would rename this to 5 Projects that I cant sell. Because I have literally sold every product, multiple times, that we were just told not to sell. I dont like videos of people telling others what to make or not make. Every market, location, ect is different. Big city people might like more modern looking items, but people living in the country like more rustic items. But just because it doesnt work for him, doesnt mean it wont work for anyone else. Not everyone is looking to have a $5M wood working business with 1 item.

[ernestoo]

I had so much fun watching your video... You are entertaining and informative... Thank you so much for your selflessness advise.

[giggles]

You are so right about No.1 Project plans. I watched a video where the fellow comes up with plans of things that are already on the market, he showed us how to make a birdhouse, of course, he's got YouTube, so he had already sold the birdhouse for a couple of hundred dlrs, about a month later, someone listed the same birdhouse style for 50 bucks, while the same style is being sold for over 100 bucks. I bet you 150 bucks, the seller of the 50 bucks item came from the guy who does videos and sells plans of things that are already on the market. The birdhouse, he did built live on YouTube. Of course, the outcome, as you may see was disastrous. Good thing that the seller stopped selling the birdhouse on Ebay.
I am a woodworker.
Thank you for sharing. Pam's husband.

[ubitnik]

Just have fun making things for yourself and maybe someone might want to buy one off of you. The adventure of the craft is the true value. I am just starting out with pallets and already having fun just coming up with my own ideas.

[dunrob]

Agree on all your warnings except coasters. I make them from scrap and have as a cheap draw to my booth which usually gets additional sales 👌

[theom]

Great advice, I like 3-d carving, a bit of turning but have never tried to sell them because there’s just no market that will pay what I would need to make a profit.

[tonyworkswood]

I agree with all your five points / explanations. I've been through all of them over the years. I closed my woodworking business ten years ago after thirty-five years of trading. Now, it's just a hobby shop, somewhere to sit down and chill out with the occasional commission. Every avenue is flooded these days due to cheap imports and CNC output except for the lucrative high-end bespoke market, but you have to be in the inner circle to obtain obscene prices for what sometimes is very basic work. I enjoyed your video. Well said, it brought back memories. Thanks Tony

[Stepweltwo]

At markets people buy my products because they are one offs, individual, I don’t use cnc machines either.

[Viora]

Your video depresses me but you are absolutely right. Ever tried to earn something with handmade wooden stuff myself but almost nothing sells. People would rather buy a soulless product at Ikea for half your price or buy from a trendy shop that has their stuff made in China or Thailand by the 1000 at a time for 3 times your price (because they are hip). People generally prefer to buy characterless junk that you find in everyone's living room.

[aaronknight]

You save my life and my money tbh. I was thinking of following these exactly. I think it's better to make unique stuff from and for my culture