Not Makin’ It
After working in my shop on a successful project I sometimes ask myself if I could make a bunch of this or that and sell them for a profit. It’s fun to think about a running a little cottage industry. I bet any reader of this blog has thought the same thing about something they enjoy doing and making.
I have published many times my thought that most of the hobbies I do involving manufacturing are not because it is the least expensive way to make something. Usually it is the only way. The onsies and twosies items hobbyists make are more like expensive prototypes than mass production.
Examining all the costs and time involved, I have satisfied myself that most people including myself won’t pay for all the costs of something that can clearly be mass produced at a lower cost. The perceived value must be greater than the cost to produce plus reasonnable profit.
What we call “original art” falls into that category. There is an emotional value with original art that makes it worth owning at higher than mass production price. A plain wooden mass produced box can probably be imported to the USA, completely built for $0.99 and after hand carving, painting or finishing at a cost of $10.00, can be sold for $25.00 at a boutique. Making the box from scratch, one at a time may have a COST to produce of over $25.00. If you are an artist with talent, the same box may be worth $250.00 to someone.
So the options are to become very good and fast at duplication or provide something special that has far more value than the cost of the time and material. I think it takes a little of both. Actually, getting paid well to make prototypes may be the best business of all for the mechanically inclined non artist.
A few months ago a stranger called me and asked if I could do some “shop work” for him. He wanted a piece of square steel tubing cut off and two through holes drilled in the side. I didn’t have that size tube so I explained how he could buy some for himself. He said he would but he still wanted me to make the part for him.
The next weekend he had the proper tube and brought it to my shop. I cut it to length, measured, spotted and drilled two accurate holes, debured the holes and filed the cut edges and handed it back to him in about 30 minutes. No big deal, right? He said, “How Much?” I said I am not makin’ it my business so gratis is fine with me. He gave me $20. Hmmm…
$40.00/hour not bad at first thought. It’s great for 30 minutes side work. It’s still not makin’ it as a full time business. How can that windfall happen 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year. Then pull off all the costs of insurance, rent, car, tool repair, etc. <sigh> It sure was a generous reward but I’m not makin’ it a business.