Hand cut dovetails vs router jig for production work
I spent 3 hours hand cutting dovetails for a single drawer last week and it looked beautiful, but my buddy down the street cranks out 6 drawers in that time with a router jig and I'm wondering if the handmade look is actually worth the extra time to clients or just something we tell ourselves to feel better about the craft?
Man you hit the nail on the head. Did a bathroom remodel last year for a client who wanted everything moved around. New vanity, new toilet, new shower pan. Took three weeks longer than I told them because the plumbing under the slab was all wrong. Every time I turned around something else was cracked or corroded. Charged by the hour and still felt like I was losing money.
True story. I started doing flat rate pricing for plumbing jobs. Made a big difference. Figure out what the job is worth, add a cushion for the hidden problems, and that's the price. Customer knows upfront, I don't sweat the slow days.