I’ve been quite busy over the last 4-6 weeks making four identical side tables (with a drawer in each one) and now two sofa tables for a small custom shop not too far from where I live in Northwest Connecticut. It’s a good way to supplement my income when things slow down, and it’s a chance to learn how to make furniture in a different context. When working on commission with one of my clients, I am able to set the price to account for the time, skill, etc. required to make the piece. But when I work freelance, I am paid a flat rate. It’s up to me to figure out how to make it so to ensure I am making a good hourly wage.
Of the many things I have learned so far, perhaps the most important is that you can save yourself a huge amount of time by milling stock more efficiently. I have always thought that milling is an extremely important stage of the process. First, boards need to be genuinely square. Square boards make joinery, drawer making, assembly, or, really, everything that comes after milling, so much easier. However, you also learn a great deal about the boards you are using when you mill them. A pass over the jointer tells you how dense a board is, and that hints at how hard it will be to cut dovetails in the board, which in turn will inform the techniques you use to cut the tails and pins.
Still, I was able to mill at a somewhat leisurely pace. But when you are making four, or even two, tables at once, you’ve got to work fast (without making mistakes). Thinking about this the other day while mille stock for legs and aprons, I realized that my planer is 15 years old and still does a great job. My jointer is a bit older, around 105 years old. It’s a beast that’s capable of taking hefty bites, which means I can flatten and straighten a board very quickly. I’m very happy with both. So, I’ll tell you what I like about them, but also what I don’t, and what I’ll replace them with (and I hope to do that somewhat soon).