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?

3 comments

3 Comments

sam_cooper14d ago

Only if you charge by the hour and enjoy pain.

matthewking14d ago

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.

kim_davis14d ago

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.