From: ameres@ithaca.cat.rpi.edu (Eric Ameres)
Subject: Re: Impact of our hobby on "the pros" (WAS: Re: Jointer vs Planer)
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 13:29:00 GMT

In article <1992Dec23.010345.981@microsoft.com> ericb@microsoft.com (Eric Brown) writes:
>Having been a pro myself (first non-union, then union, and then some
>self employed), I, and those with whom I worked usually did not regard with
>animosity DIYers who worked on projects for themselves.  What _does_
>raise the ire of pros is DIYers who hang out a shingle to try and
>make some extra money without getting the requisite licenses, insurance,
>and bonding.  The "moonlighter" has an unfair cost advantage, with
>little or no overhead, and can underbid the established and legal
>woodworking businesses.  And caveat emptor for the person hiring an
>uninsured tradesperson to work on their property.  If this fly-by-night
>individual makes a serious mistake and causes significant property
>damage to the client, the DIYer may not have sufficent personal assets
>to cover the damage (the old "can't get blood out of a turnip" adage
>applies in this case when there is no insurance or other deep
>pockets).
>
>
>-- 
>    Eric

Are we talking about woodworking or carpentry here?  I refer to
woodworking as cabinetry, crafts and furniture (fine and otherwise),
carpentry refers to rough carpentry (i.e. framing, sheathing, etc.,
house type stuff).

I am interested and am heading in the direction of starting a small
woodworking business on the side with the aid of my wife and certainly
neither of us are licensed, bonded or insured to make furniture,
crafts or cabinets.  I've never heard of such licensing.  Now if we
were to due contracting and remodeling, then...

Right now I'm not competing with anyone.  My family is my main
customer base and we would not otherwise be the types to go out and
have custom made furniture (maybe go the antique route, but...)
Certainly I`d eventually like to take on the big boys and sell some
stuff in the local shops and who knows where it might go from there.

It seems to me that unless I'm going out and giving my craft away for
free to "the pro's" real, paying customers, I'm not hurting anyone and
if I am it's there fault for not being more competitive.  Even if I
undercut their prices and steal their customers, that's competition.
Just because I do it out of my home doesn't mean anything.

Maybe my situation is blurring the line a bit because I'd like to at
least go semi-pro someday.  

In all my endeavors I try to be as self reliant as possible.  I've
done my own plumbing, electrical, heating, rough carpentry, roofing,
etc.  But I did them for myself, and only after lots of research into
codes, requirements and standard practices.  Until I go out and steal
customers by unfair means (as in the above example shortcutting
insurance, licensing, bonding, etc.), I think the professional trades
are getting a little protective.  Did you know that in a lot of areas
plastic pipe (polybutylene rated for 180deg water) is considered not
up to code primarily because of the lobbying of the plumbing trade?

My bottom line is unless a "professional" can do something I can't or
the time investment isn't worth it, I'll do it myself.  And no, I don't
mind when people apply the same rules to computer consulting and
software engineering.  If people can write better code cheaper
themselves, more power to them, I'm a person not a parasite.

Eric.

These are of course my personal opinions and not those of the New York
State Center for Advanced Technology, nor those of Rensselaer
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Ameres,  Software Engineer                 ameres@cat.rpi.edu
New York State Center for Advanced Technology in Automation & Robotics
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - CII 8313, Troy, NY 12180-3590
Newsgroups: rec.woodworking