Woodworking Block

How A Little Change Can Make A Big Difference

Nobody who has been running a small business enjoys having competition in the form of an imitator pop up unexpectedly in a nearby location. It may be annoying or even infuriating, but there’s nothing they can do about it, since nothing illegal has been done. All the business owner can do is try to find a way to deal with the new competition.

Joe is a hypothetical cabinetmaker who had a small workshop and showroom that he ran from his home. Most of Joe’s work came from interior designers and architects who were looking for unique pieces of furniture or furniture that fit in odd spaces that required custom made units. They were his bread and butter, while his showroom only attracted the odd commission.

For over five years, Joe didn’t have to worry about work. He wasn’t getting rich, but he always got by. Then things changed. First came the economic slowdown. It hit his two main clients first and then, as their work dried up, so did his.

Not only that, but a rival came in the form of a large furniture showroom in the new shopping mall just across the street from his. They sold everything from contemporary bar stools to European designed furniture.

That hurt Joe even more, because he often got commissions for modern bar stools. He made a good profit from them, too, because he had set up his lathe to turn them out quickly. He sold a half dozen or more to people for their home breakfast bars and even to the occasion bar owner.

Having been hit from both sides, Joe’s comfortable lifestyle was threatened. Having never even had to think about bankruptcy before, Joe simply wasn’t prepared for the blow.

At the next meeting of his local woodworker’s guild, Joe got up in front of everybody and shared his dilemma with them. He wasn’t alone in his plight. Almost everyone in the room who relied on their woodworking skills for a living was having a similar crisis.

Joe himself came up with the solution. It was obvious that they couldn’t compete with the large companies who bought kitchen bar stools and other wooden furniture in bulk from mass producers. They had to find a niche for their custom made products. Joe’s location next to a new shopping center was perfect for their niche business.

They all threw themselves into the project and turned Joe’s home into a showroom. Instead of calling it a furniture store, they promoted it as a gallery and only displayed their best creations in it. Word spread and soon people started crossing the street from the shopping center just to admire the works inside the gallery. Today, Joe and his buddies are enjoying more success than ever before, thanks to his great idea and their cooperative efforts.

The Block Plane – a most useful woodworking tool

Kapoosh 650 Knife Holder, Woodgrain Finish $33.29 Kapoosh Knife Block Woodgrain. Food Safe polypropylene freedom rods allow you to mix and match kitchen knives from different sets and to store practically any utensil easily. The rods keep your knife sharper by eliminating the potential of scraping the blades on the edges of traditional knife block slots.The rods are removable and dishwasher safe just place them in the top rack of your dishwasher …

Mundial Solid Wood In-Drawer Knife Storage Tray, Large $35.99 KST-2 Features: -Knife storage tray.-Made in Malaysia.-Rubberwood.-Lifetime guarantee. Dimensions: -Overall dimensions: 2.00” H x 9.00” W x17.00” D….

Lombardi’s Woodworking 100% Pure Tung Oil (2 Ounce) $3.99 Tung Oil is an all natural finish providing a tough, flexible and highly water-resistant coating. The oil comes from the cold pressing of the seeds or nuts of the Tung tree. The food-safe oil brings out the natural colors and grains of all the woods we use in our products….

RapidAir Compressed Air Piping System – Air Outlet Kit $26.29 Add a compressed air line to your RapidAir system quickly and easily! Simply mount an additional RapidAir Compressed Air Outlet on your wall, ceiling, or inside new construction walls and connect to the main line using RapidAir Nylon Tubing (sold separately). The tubing connects quickly and easily, just push the 1/2″ nylon tubing into the fitting until seated and you’re ready to go. Removal is jus…

Smith’s TRI-6 Arkansas TRI-HONE Sharpening Stones System. $14.39 3 Stone Sharpener, 6″ Stone Length, Rotating Triangular Base, Fine, Medium and Coarse Stones, Honing Oil and Groove In Base To Collect Oil….

MLCS 9167 Safety Push Block and 5-Piece Stick Package $19.95 …

Bosch ROS20VSK 120-Volt Variable Speed Random Orbit Sander Kit $69.98 Bosch ROS20VSK 5″ Variable Speed Palm-Grip Random Orbit Sander KitBosch Power Tools and Accessories is one of the divisions within the Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, which is one of the largest power tool and accessory manufacturers in the world. Bosch provides a complete line of corded and cordless power tools and accessories engineered to survive any jobsite and allow professionals to take contr…

Howard BBC012 Butcher Block Conditioner Food Grade Mineral Oil and Natural Waxes, 12-Ounces $5.10 Specialized wood care for butcher blocks, cutting boards, wooden bowls, and utensils. The penetrating quality of food grade mineral oil along with the water resistant traits of beeswax and carnauba wax rejuvenates the wood and prevents drying and cracking. The naturall antibacterial waxes help repair knife marks and protect the wood by keeping the mineral oil in and the moisture out. Exceeds U.S. …

Block Oil – Non Toxic Wood Oil Finish (Natural) $8.45 Block Oil is a unique blend of oils that penetrate, condition, and seal all natural wood  surfaces. Sold in a 12 ounce bottle, Block Oil is a gentle concoction of refined seed oil, lemon oil, vitamin E, and carotene. This wood finish product keeps wood from cracking, drying, or absorbing food odors. It also protects knives and cutlery from corrosion. With a fresh lemon scent, this natural woo…

Woodcarving Magic: How to Transform a Single Block of Wood into Impossible Shapes (With 29 Projects for Carving Interlocking Rings, Cages & Other Amazing Geometric Designs) $12.45 Caution: Mind boggling woodcarving projects! If you thought carving the linked chain or the ball-in-cage was a challenge, get ready for Bjarne Jespersen and his mind-altering woodcarving projects! Bjarne is a master woodcarver from Denmark and has spent his life studying geometric form. In this book, he shares over 25 amazing designs and projects for woodcarving. From flat rings, to linked cages, …