Recent events have changed our way of life and disrupted our way of work. In this, the first of two parts, Will Sampson, editor of FDMC and Woodworking Network, talks with furniture artist and educator Scott Grove about how shops can deal with the crisis. In this episode, Scott explains how he is converting his woodworking education programs to a distance learning model.
This episode of the Woodworking Network Podcast was sponsored by FDMC Magazine. Whether you are a one-person shop or have more than 1,000 employees on your payroll, whether you work with conventional tools or are fully automated with the latest technology, FDMC has information and data you can use. We cover all facets of the woodworking industry including cabinets, furniture, architectural millwork, and the whole spectrum of secondary wood products manufacturing. You can sign up for a free online or print subscription at WoodworkingNetwork.com.
Woodworking Network is a home for professional woodworkers, presenting technology, supplies, education, inspiration, and community, from small business entrepreneurs to corporate managers at large automated plants.
Intro music courtesy of Anthony Monson.
Welcome to the Woodworking Network Podcast where we explore the business of woodworking and what it takes to succeed. I’m Will Sampson.
This episode is sponsored by FDMC magazine.
Today my guest is award winning art furniture maker and globetrotting woodworking education impresario Scott Grove, but before we get to Scott, let’s talk about “Changing the way we work.”
I’ve long been an advocate of lean manufacturing and the mantra of continuous improvement, so looking for better ways to do things is something to do all the time. Still, I have to admit, like most of us, I guess, I often do get stuck in a rut, doing the same old thing and being blind to possible positive change.
But when a crisis happens, it forces those blind eyes to open wide and search for new ways of doing things. In crisis mode, it’s frequently not just looking for a better way. It’s a matter of finding any way that works.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of woodworking businesses are facing somewhat painful eye-opening experiences. As the virus outbreak curtails business, disrupts the supply chain, and even makes it difficult to connect with clients and colleagues in our usual fashion, we have been forced to find creative solutions to all of these problems.
The good news is that woodworkers by their very nature are some of the most creative problem solvers on the planet. Tell a woodworker that something can’t be done with the tools and resources at hand, and that woodworker will more than likely just smile and figure out a way.
Years ago, I needed to resaw wide thin boards for musical instrument tops, backs and sides, by I couldn’t afford the high-capacity resaw bandsaw that would have been perfect for the job. Still, I had some time, some creativity, as well as some engineering and metalworking knowledge, so I decided I could make a resaw bandsaw from scratch with scrap materials I mostly had lying around. And I did. I still have the 300-pound behemouth of a bandsaw that I call Frankenstein. It worked well enough for what I needed back then, and I sure learned a lot about bandsaws making it.
Of course, today I can sit back and laugh, analyzing that decision and realizing I probably could have found a much better, more cost effective, less labor intensive solution to my problem. Financing, outsourcing, work sharing solutions all come to mind. But that’s not what I did.
Today, woodworking shops are facing in some cases existential crises brought on by the virus outbreak. But tapping into their amazing natural creativity, they are looking at the tools and supplies they have available and finding solutions they never would have seen before. Some shops are retooling to make products needed by healthcare workers such as face shields and face masks. They are making things like sneeze shields for retailers and other public-facing operations. Other shops are taking advantage of downtime to rethink their entire operation, do maintenance, rearrange the shop or prototype potential new product lines. Woodworking education instructors are exploring all sorts of distance learning options and new ways of teaching.
Creativity is perhaps our most important tool, and sometimes it takes a crisis to remind ourselves to use it.
Before we get to Scott Grove, let’s pause for a word from our sponsor. FDMC magazine is the world leader in business information for the professional woodworking community. Whether you are a one-person shop or have more than 1,000 employees on your payroll, whether you work with conventional tools or are fully automated with the latest technology, FDMC has information and data you can use. We cover all facets of the woodworking industry including cabinets, furniture, architectural millwork, and the whole spectrum of secondary wood products manufacturing. You can sign up for a free online or print subscription at woodworkingnetwork.com.