Increasing Profitability Washington DC

As the U.S. economy continues to decline, more woodworking shops are reporting slow sales and decreasing profitability; however, some companies are still continuing in a growth pattern and are doing well on the bottom line.

What are they doing different from other companies? Without exception, these companies are focusing on finishing and how it relates to their overall production processes. They are mastering the art of reducing cost of goods sold while increasing quality of the finish and the number of finishing options to sell to their customer base.

There are many options in finishing that allow manufacturers to reduce overall production costs while increasing the customer's perceived value of the finished product.

One method, often overlooked, is utilizing lower grade lumber by implementing finishing systems that hide defects. Furniture manufacturers are masters of using lower grade lumber or multiple species of wood in the same piece of furniture and making it look like high dollar merchandise. Many of their finishing schedules involve over 15 different steps to achieve those fine furniture finishes, but a 15-step process isn't practical for most small- to mid-sized shops. Regardless, many tips can be incorporated into a finishing process to reduce the cost of lumber and increase yields and profitability.

Using pigmented wiping stains is the tried and true method to create color in the kitchen cabinet industry. By limiting the process to just a wiping stain for color, the end result is dependent upon the amount of color that is wiped on and off of the part and the amount of color that penetrates into the pores of the wood. Many times this process results in a less than desirable effect — particularly on poor quality wood.

The following finishing steps allow for the success use of lower grade lumber: sap stains, shaders, toners, dye stains and primers with glazes.

• Sap stains

  Many manufacturers sort out and discard all of the light sapwood from the darker hardwood. Sapwood can be difficult to stain to the same color tones as the heartwood with just a wiping stain; however, using a sap stain on the sap streaks before applying the wiping stain will make the sap streaks disappear.

  A sap stain can normally be purchased through your coating supplier to match the species you are using. Most sap stains are formulated with dyes, a fast solvent and a small amount of binder. The sap stain dries quickly and does not add a significant amount of labor to the process while allowing use of good lumber that normally is wasted.

• Shaders

  Shaders are materials used to add color to the wood without wiping; therefore, they can be termed as "spray to color." Shaders are often made with vinyl sealers and are reduced with thinner to approximately 10 to 14 percent volume solids.

  They can be tinted with pigments if you want a semi-opaque look. For a transparent clean look, use dyes to tint the material to the desired color. Often both dyes and pigments can be used to make a shader to simulate the "milk paint" look. A semitransparent colored shader is a great choice to spray directly over a low grade rustic cherry, alder or birch wood specie.

  It can be easily rubbed through to the wood using abrasives after it dries to achieve an antique look. Most wiping or long oil glazes can be applied over the shader and clear coated when dry. This easy three-step process can be used on lower priced lumber. These types of finishes are often up-charged higher than regular stain finishes due to the customer's perceived value of the finish.

• Toners

  Toners, sap stains and equalizer stains are all in the same base chemistry family. They are used to equalize uneven tones of color in the wood. On some stain colors it may be possible to use a lower grade of lumber and realize a cost savings even with adding the toner step to the finishing schedule. Toners will give the stain appearance more of a furniture look.

• Dye Stains

  Dye stains are often used to mimic the appearance of expensive wood species on a lower cost substrate. Dye stains are made with a fast evaporating solvent, mixed with dye colorants. When used on wood that blotches severely, you can add up to approximately 5 percent vinyl or lacquer sealer to the stain to even out the penetration of the color.

  Adding a dye stain step under a wiping stain will "even out" color tones to a great extent, even in poor grade lumber. Also, dye stains are often used under a wiping stain to provide a deep rich vibrant color. The perceived value of the color will increase dramatically. Most customers will pay a premium for this type of color process, which provides benefits on both using a lower priced substrate as well as increasing profit margins.

• Glazed Primers

  "Rustic Grade" lumber with knot holes, discoloration and other defects may be an ideal grade of material to use for a rustic or primitive type of finishing. Some finishers choose to fill the open knots with Epoxy stick filler. All the sharp edges are worn or sanded down round and smooth. Heavy physical distressing is generally in good taste for this type of finish. One medium coat of tinted opaque primer is applied onto the wood.

  After the primer has dried, abrasives are used to sand through the wood and anywhere a finish would normally wear through. A wiping glaze is applied next. If the species is cherry or alder, the glaze will penetrate into the wood where the primer has been rubbed through, creating a dark burnished look. A light tinted shader made with a brown dye can be sprayed over the glaze. This step makes the finish look aged and authentic.

New techniques, big returns

All of the finishing techniques or steps described above are relatively simple to do, if the process is set up correctly with the right coating materials and spray equipment technology. Look in the upcoming issues for step-by-step instructions on how to apply these types of finishes. Utilizing cheaper lumber material that is normally wasted will significantly reduce your manufacturing costs.

Finally, don't leave money on the table. The perceived customer value of these finishes is much higher than the actual manufacturing production costs.

Ed. note: Phil Stevenson is the founder of the American Wood Finishing Institute (AWFI) in Vineland, N.J.