Will Sampson talks about the magic spark that ignites invention and why some people seem to be so much more naturally inclined to be inventors. His guest is Brad Cairns from Quantum Lean and Best Damn Doors, who is wearing a new hat as the developer of an innovative line of sanding equipment.
This episode of the Woodworking Network podcast was sponsored by the Executive Briefing Conference. It’s really easy for woodworkers to stay stuck inside, focused on their shops and production. But over the last couple of years, the pandemic has forced them be even more isolated than usual. And it’s even harder if what you want is to network with the top-level executives in the industry. Where and how can you do that? The answer is the Executive Briefing Conference coming this September at the spectacular Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. This is an unparalleled opportunity to boost your business with intelligence on techniques, tools, and technology and to feed on inspiration from real leaders in the industry. Not to mention take in all the high-altitude hospitality, beauty and recreation offered by the Broadmoor. Learn more at ExecutiveBriefingConference.com. See you there.
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.
You can find all of our podcasts at WoodworkingNetwork.com/podcasts and in popular podcast channels. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Thanks again to today’s sponsor, Wood Pro Expo. If you have a comment or topic you’d like us to explore, contact me at will.sampson@woodworkingnetwork.com. And we would really appreciate it if you fill out the survey at woodworking network.com/podcast-survey. Thanks for listening.
Intro music courtesy of Anthony Monson.
Intro:
Welcome to the fourth season of the Woodworking Network Podcast and a new episode. Join us as we explore the business of woodworking big and small and what it takes to succeed. I’m Will Sampson.
Today’s episode is sponsored by the Executive Briefing Conference. Today our guest is Brad Cairns from Quantum Lean and Best Damn Doors, wearing a new hat as a developer of a new line of machines. But before I get to that, I want to talk about:
Igniting the spark of invention
Inventors and inventions fascinate me. As long as I can remember, even as a little kid, I was captivated by stories of inventions and the people who created them. How did they think up those things? What is different about the way prolific inventors like Edison, Tesla, Franklin, or Bell solved problems? Is it something that can be learned, or is it just the unique makeup of these people?
I don’t know the answer to those questions, which of course leads to more fascination with the people who have the inventor gene (if there is such a thing). But I love crossing paths with inventors and exploring their ideas. Throughout my career in woodworking, I’ve met dozens of people who came up with clever inventions to solve woodworking problems. I’ve written about many of those inventions and the people behind them.
But I still don’t have a clear understanding of what makes these people different. Even so, I do know that there seems to be more than the usual share of inventor types in the woodworking community. Every shop I visit has features or ways of doing things that they developed on their own. Sometimes these innovations are truly unique, and other times they are a lot of re-inventing wheels that other shops have done, too. Heck, I do the same thing all the time in my shop, making simple jigs and fixtures to make a process faster, easier, safer, or more accurate.
Those are what I call little inventions. Bigger inventions are something else. A bigger invention is something like a whole new machine or a breakthrough product or a new marketable tool. This is a different level of inventive visualization and vision. It requires seeing a solution and all the contributing parts and assemblies as one full piece all at once.
They say necessity is the mother of invention, but it takes more than need to spark a completed innovation. Decades ago, when I was building stringed musical instruments, I needed a large resaw bandsaw, and it just wasn’t in the budget. But I was just young and foolish and clever enough to think I could build such a bandsaw myself. And I did. I called it Frankenstein. It weighs in excess of 300 pounds, cobbled together from scrap steel, scrap cast iron, and off the shelf bearings and hardware. It’s a miracle that it works, but it does and it’s still cutting wood in my shop today.
Even more amazing are the inventions designed from the onset to be sold. I tried my hand at that, too, but not very successfully. Maybe that’s the whole secret of the fascination. It’s like going into a restaurant, smelling the aroma in the air, and knowing the chef will cook up something great, but you have only an inkling of the ingredients. Still, I live for that meal.
I want to get to our interview with Brad Cairns, but first, let’s pause for a word from our sponsor:
It’s really easy for woodworkers to stay stuck inside, focused on their shops and production. But over the last couple of years, the pandemic has forced them be even more isolated than usual. And it’s even harder if what you want is to network with the top-level executives in the industry. Where and how can you do that? The answer is the Executive Briefing Conference coming this September at the spectacular Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. This is an unparalleled opportunity to boost your business with intelligence on techniques, tools, and technology and to feed on inspiration from real leaders in the industry. Not to mention take in all the high-altitude hospitality, beauty and recreation offered by the Broadmoor. Learn more at ExecutiveBriefingConference.com. See you there.
Now let’s get to our interview with Brad Cairns.