Dealing with shortages.

Like good help, good wood is hard to find, or so many of our readers keep telling me. More and more I receive questions from readers seeking cost-effective substitutes for woods like oak and maple. I am wont to recommend African mahogany and soft maple to fill the bill for comparable grain characteristics at a decent price. Of course, woodgrain laminates, which incidentally look far more like the real thing than what was available in my day, represent another viable option to woodworkers.

For those whose thirst can only be quenched by real wood, African mahogany, common and better, can be purchased in good length and width boards with relatively little waste. Plain as well as fancy veneers are also available for those who prefer to go this route.

As for soft maple, it is an excellent substitute for middle and lower price brackets of furniture. Common and better soft maple can provide interesting grain patterns in solid or veneer form. Both soft maple and African mahogany machine well and both can be finished to give a contemporary or period look.

Invest in Labor-Saving Technology

Backing up a bit, good help is indeed hard to find these days. Now more than ever, it makes sense to purchase new, more efficient equipment to eliminate labor wherever possible. Fortunately, woodworkers have never had so many equipment options at their disposal. As machinery manufacturers have enhanced their equipment offerings, they have also designed machines that are easily cost justified by smaller shops, including CNC units.

In addition, many of today's machines combine multiple functions into one unit. This provides further means for eliminating labor. I hasten to add that as you replace manual labor with technology, reinvest some of those payroll savings back into better wages and benefits for your core people. You can ill afford to lose the loyal employees that you will count on more than ever to operate and maintain your machinery. On this count, also be sure to budget money for training and retraining your workforce.

Looking for another way to save on labor requirements? Consider outsourcing some of your parts. For example, if you run a small or mid-sized cabinet manufacturer, you can probably save a lot of manpower by purchasing your doors and drawers from a specialist. In the process, you will also be able to offer a wider pallet of styles to your customers.

Think about it.