How to Maximize Profit & Minimize Waste on a Woodworking Production Run | Project Planning 101

👉👉👉Click on "More" for video mentions and special links!👈👈👈 👇👇👇 In this episode, Steve Hobo with Wood breaks down the part of woodworking nobody talks about — the planning that happens before you ever turn on a machine. Using a real customer order for 20 personalized margarita flight holders (10 pairs for 5 local Mexican restaurants), Steve walks through how smart material planning is where the real money is made. You'll watch the entire thought process in LightBurn: measuring the full layout, adding kerf buffers, converting metric to imperial for lumber shopping, and figuring out exactly how much material one piece really needs. The big takeaway? The project requires a 37" length for uniform, continuous grain — which immediately rules out 36" boards and shapes every purchasing decision that follows. Steve then shops Westpenn Hardwoods for 1/8" cherry, compares the 5"x24" vs. 3"x48" stock options, and shows why buying the right board cuts cost dramatically. By resizing the design from 3-1/4" to 3" wide, he gets one complete piece per board — and uses the leftover offcuts to make veteran flag name plates so almost nothing goes to waste. The result: production cost per piece dropped from roughly $17 down to about $8.56 — turning $100 of lumber into 10 finished products that sell for $40 each ($400 total). Also covered: Why finish choice matters in a restaurant environment (lacquer failed, polyurethane held up) His full finishing process: taping glue joints, rattle-can poly on interior surfaces, glue-up, then exterior coats and brushed water-based poly Why friction-fit corners need a kerf buffer and get no glue Remember: you don't make money when you sell something — you make money when you BUY it. Plan smart, buy cheap, waste less. 🪵 Tools/Software mentioned: LightBurn 2.1.0, Westpenn Hardwoods, 1/8" solid cherry, water-based polyurethane 👍 Like, subscribe, and drop a comment with your own production-planning tips! #Woodworking #LaserCutting #LightBurn #SmallBusiness #MakerBusiness #ProjectPlanning #WoodworkingBusiness #CherryWood #CraftFair #Woodshop #MaximizeProfit #LaserEngraving #WoodworkingProjects #DIYWoodworking #HoboWithWood ================================ VIDEO MENTIONS: https://wphardwoods.com =================================== Support Links: https://hobowithwood.com/membership/ One Time Donations https://www.paypal.me/youtubehobo =================================== Links To Products I Use: 4 in 1 Hat Press https://hobowithwood.com/HatPress Super Cool Workbench https://hobowithwood.com/Workbench Stainless Steel Shelving Unit https://hobowithwood.com/StainlessShe... Perfect paper for cutting with your laser. https://hobowithwood.com/WhiteCardstock https://hobowithwood.com/RedGreenCard... https://hobowithwood.com/GoldSilverCa... Clock Mechanism link https://hobowithwood.com/ClockMech 2.5" Dice Blanks https://hobowithwood.com/DiceBlanks PREMIUM Baltic Birch Plywood, 3 mm 12" x 12" (300MM X 300MM) https://hobowithwood.com/PremiumBalti... 1/16" Basswood 12" x 12" (300MM x 300MM) https://hobowithwood.com/ThinBasswood =================================== Some of these links are affiliate links, but will not cost you a penny more! Using them helps to support the channel!