"Blazer Fan Dan" wrote

well, space, tools and what not, are all already in my possession.

I have let several young furniture makers use my shop to get started and run
into this all the time. It is always hard to get these facts across to
beginning craftsmen. Space costs money even if you own it. You have to heat
it, maintain it, insure it and pay taxes on it. In time you will need more
of it to store material and products. If you were not using it you could
sell it or probably rent it out so to be completely accurate you should
include that in your costs. After all if you are only netting $1,000 a
month but could rent out the space for $500 is all that effort worth the
extra $500?

Similarly tools cost money. You have to have things repaired and replaced,
buy blades and abrasives and occasionally add to the repertoire. I work
weekends and nights, maybe 25 hours a week, and have to budget at least $100
month in tool maintenance and supplies. Unless you are willing to give a
lot of your profit to your suppiler for finished strips you will have to
invest in a good jointer, planer and shaper. Preferably with power feeds as
milling a few miles of strip is a mind numbing job. And don't forget the
power bill. Lights, power tools and air compressors use a supprising amount
of it.

im not expecting to make a whole mother load, just enough for a single
guy to live decently on (meaning: I won't starve)

And how much is that? To stay just above the poverty level you will have to
produce and sell 12 - 15 hulls a year. You also have to sell them. That
means spending a lot of time taking your boats to boat and craft shows and
other outdoor events where people can see them. Can you build 1 or 2 a
month and still spend a third of your time selling them?

Over time, if you build an exceptionally good quality product at a
reasonable price, you will build a reputation and people will start coming
to you so your selling time will go down and your prices can go up. But the
first 4 or 5 years will be very tough.

I am not saying don't do it. In fact I spend a lot of time encouraging
young craftsmen and artisans. But you have to understand the business end
of it or you won't last long enough to build a reputation.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com