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Explainers · 2026-07-02 · ~3,900 words

Patreon for woodworking creators: complete 2026 guide — wood movement mechanics and documentation, joinery proportions and dovetail slope documentation, finishing chemistry, tool sharpening protocol, and the Apple Tax

Woodworking Patreons retain when they deliver the technical documentation layer that build videos structurally omit: why wood moves (shrinkage coefficients, equilibrium moisture content, tangential vs radial behavior), how to calculate the movement range for any species and board orientation before cutting the joinery; how to build a cut list that accounts for nominal vs actual dimensions, rough-sawn allowances, and every kerf; what proportions make a mortise-and-tenon mechanically sound versus what makes it split the mortised piece; why dovetails are sloped 1:6 in hardwood and 1:8 in softwood; how oil finishes cure at the molecular level and why shellac cut ratios and wax content determine which top coat can go over them. Woodworking audiences are desktop-heavy on YouTube but iOS-heavy on TikTok and Instagram — Apple Tax exposure begins November 1, 2026.

Who woodworking creators are on Patreon and what retains their patrons

Woodworking Patreon creators span hand-tool furniture makers, power-tool shop builders, hybrid-method craftsmen, and turner-and-carver specialists who work at the intersection of dimensional lumber and sculptural form. What they share is a viewer base that watches the video but wants to build the piece — and cannot build it from the video alone because videos optimized for engagement compress the slow, careful documentation steps: measuring MC before milling, calculating the movement range before cutting the mortise, checking the shrinkage coefficient before deciding whether a panel floats or is fixed.

The retention mechanism on woodworking Patreon is project dependency. A patron who is actively building a piece needs the plans, the cut list, and the technical notes that support each build decision. They will not cancel while the project is in progress. The strongest retention occurs when the creator sequences content so that each new project release overlaps with patrons finishing the previous one: the next plan arrives before the current project is complete, and the patron never reaches a moment when they have nothing actively in progress that requires their continued subscription.

A two-tier structure works for most woodworking content creators. A Technical Documentation tier ($12–18/month) delivers project plans with annotated cut lists, wood movement calculations for the build, joinery proportioning documentation, and finishing notes for each video project. A Master tier ($28–45/month, capped at 15–20 patrons) adds SketchUp or CAD file access, patron-choice project polls where Masters vote first, and a quarterly live session. The back-catalog pitch at sign-up is essential: document how many annotated project packages are immediately available on joining.

Wood movement mechanics: why wood moves and how much

The moisture mechanism

Wood moves because cell wall fibers in wood are hygroscopic: the cellulose microfibrils that make up the structural matrix of wood cell walls absorb and release water molecules as ambient humidity changes. Below the fiber saturation point (approximately 28% moisture content for most species), every 1% change in moisture content produces a measurable dimensional change in the wood. Above the fiber saturation point, the cell walls are fully saturated and additional moisture is held as free water in the cell lumens; dimensional change occurs only below this threshold.

The dimensional change is not equal in all directions. Wood moves most across the growth rings (tangential direction, as seen in a plainsawn board where the growth rings run nearly parallel to the face), less perpendicular to the growth rings (radial direction, as seen in a quartersawn board where the growth rings run nearly perpendicular to the face), and negligibly along the grain (longitudinal direction). The ratio of tangential to radial movement is approximately 2:1 for most North American hardwoods, with species-specific variation. This is the fundamental reason quartersawn lumber is preferred for stable applications: a quartersawn board moves roughly half as much across its width as an equivalent plainsawn board of the same species and width.

For Patreon documentation, state the movement calculation for every wide component in each build. The formula: species shrinkage coefficient (tangential for plainsawn, radial for quartersawn) × board width in the working dimension × moisture content change in decimal form = dimensional change. White oak provides a clear example with well-documented coefficients: tangential shrinkage coefficient 0.00365 per 1% MC change; radial shrinkage coefficient 0.00174. A 150mm wide plainsawn white oak tabletop at 8% MC installed in a room that reaches 14% MC in summer (an environment that goes from 45% RH in winter to 65% RH in summer): 0.00365 × 150mm × 6 = 3.3mm expansion. The same board quartersawn: 0.00174 × 150mm × 6 = 1.6mm. A tabletop that is 750mm wide plainsawn white oak over the same 6% MC swing moves 0.00365 × 750mm × 6 = 16.4mm — more than 16mm of seasonal movement that must be accommodated by floating attachment, tabletop clips, or elongated-hole hardware.

Document this calculation for every wide component in each build. The tabletop calculation, the door panel calculation, the drawer bottom calculation. Patrons building in a different climate face different MC swings and must scale the numbers to their environment. Providing the formula and the species coefficient enables this.

Equilibrium moisture content by climate

Wood reaches equilibrium moisture content (EMC) with its environment: at steady-state conditions, the MC of the wood equals the EMC for the ambient temperature and relative humidity. The governing relationship: at 45% RH (typical heated interior, North American or Northern European winter), EMC is approximately 8%. At 65% RH (spring and fall in many temperate climates, or year-round in coastal environments), EMC is approximately 12%. At 80% RH (humid subtropical, unheated outbuilding, basement without dehumidification), EMC is approximately 16%.

The relevant number for joinery design is not the single EMC but the annual swing: the difference between the highest and lowest EMC the piece will experience in its installation environment. A piece installed in a heated Minnesota home that reaches 25% RH in winter (EMC approximately 5%) and 60% RH in summer (EMC approximately 11%) faces a 6% MC swing and a potential 16mm seasonal movement in a 750mm wide plainsawn white oak panel. A piece installed in a consistently climate-controlled environment at 45% RH year-round faces a negligible MC swing and essentially no seasonal movement.

Document the target MC at the time of milling and the assumed in-service MC range for each project. Resistance-type pin meters read the electrical conductivity between two pins embedded to approximately one-quarter of the stock thickness, correlating conductivity to MC through a species correction table. Capacitance-type meters scan the wood surface without pins but read only the top 3–4mm of the stock, which may not represent the MC of the interior, particularly in freshly milled or recently dried lumber. For documentation, specify the meter type, the species correction used, and the measurement depth. Target MC for interior woodworking in a North American or Northern European heated interior: 6–8% MC at the time of final milling and joinery cutting.

Joinery design implications: fixed vs floating

The two design responses to wood movement are fixed joinery (designed to prevent movement, which works only when the movement force is small enough that the joint can resist it without failure) and floating joinery (designed to allow movement to occur without stressing the joint). Fixed joinery appropriate for wood movement: mortise-and-tenon along the grain axis, where wood movement is negligible; edge-glued panel glue-ups, where all pieces move together; bridle joints and long-grain butt joints. Floating joinery required: tabletop attachment (tabletop clips or figure-8 fasteners slot into a groove in the apron and slide as the top moves); breadboard ends (the breadboard is mortised onto the tabletop with elongated holes in the outer pegs that allow the top to move while the breadboard holds the edge flat); door panels in frame-and-panel construction (the panel floats in a groove in the stile and rail, unglued, with space at the groove bottom for panel expansion).

Document the specific floating mechanism for each component: the slot width and elongation in tabletop clips (standard tabletop clip slot is typically 5mm wide and 12mm long — confirm the clip manufacturer specification), the elongated hole dimensions in breadboard pegs (the center peg is fixed; the outer pegs have elongated holes with 6–10mm of travel per side), and the panel-to-groove clearance in frame-and-panel doors (leave at least half the calculated seasonal movement as gap between the panel edge and the groove bottom on each side).

Cut list math and board foot documentation

Board foot formula and nominal vs actual dimensions

Board foot formula: thickness in inches × width in inches × length in inches ÷ 144, which simplifies to thickness in inches × width in feet × length in feet. A board 1 inch thick by 6 inches wide by 8 feet long = 1 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 = 4 board feet. Lumber is sold at nominal dimensions: a 1×6 board is actually 3/4 inch thick by 5-1/2 inches wide; a 2×4 is actually 1-1/2 inches thick by 3-1/2 inches wide. Board footage at the lumber yard is sold at nominal dimensions, so the calculation uses the nominal numbers for pricing purposes but the actual dimensions for all cut list and project calculations.

Rough-sawn lumber from a sawmill arrives at true nominal dimensions (a 4/4 board is approximately 1-1/8 inch actual; an 8/4 board is approximately 2-1/8 inch actual) and must be surfaced to final dimensions. The surfacing allowance for planning rough stock: subtract 3/16 inch per face for planer passes (two passes for a typical 4/4 board brings it from approximately 1-1/8 inch to approximately 3/4 inch), and 1/8 inch per edge for jointer passes. A rough-sawn 4/4 board that will be jointed and planed to 3/4 inch loses approximately 3/8 inch total thickness in processing. A rough-sawn 4/4 board that exits the planer at 7/8 inch for a structural application loses approximately 1/4 inch.

Document the actual final dimensions in the cut list and the nominal rough dimensions used for lumber yard purchasing. The cut list should show both: Component name, quantity, rough dimensions (T×W×L in inches or mm at the rough stage), final dimensions (T×W×L at the final machined dimension), grain direction, species, and special notes (quarter-sawn required, book-matched pair, no sapwood). Add a purchasing summary at the top: total board footage by species, plus 15–20% waste factor for defects, kerf loss, and rough-to-final conversion.

Kerf allowance calculations

Every saw cut removes a kerf — the width of material destroyed by the saw blade. Kerf adds up across a cut sequence. Standard 10-inch table saw blade with full-kerf teeth: 1/8 inch (3.2mm) per cut. Thin-kerf blade: 3/32 inch (2.4mm) per cut. A cross-cut sequence that makes 12 cuts to produce 12 cabinet parts from a single 8-foot panel removes 12 × 1/8 inch = 1-1/2 inches of material from the total panel length in kerf alone — waste that must be accounted for in the initial panel size.

For a full sheet of 3/4 inch plywood ripped and cross-cut into cabinet components: document the rip cuts (each reducing panel width by kerf width), then the cross-cuts (each reducing part length by kerf width), and sum the total kerf waste across all cuts. In a complex carcass with 8 rip cuts and 16 cross-cuts using a full-kerf blade: 8 × 1/8 inch + 16 × 1/8 inch = 3 inches of kerf waste. On a 96-inch panel, 3 inches represents 3.1% waste from kerf alone, before accounting for any defect avoidance or layout optimization.

Document the blade type (thin-kerf or full-kerf), the kerf width measured from the blade (not taken from the manufacturer specification, because blade wear narrows the kerf over time), and the total kerf sum for the cut sequence. For cut list budgeting, include kerf allowance in the rough-dimension column: if a final part is 90mm wide and requires a rip from a wider board, the adjacent part layout on the board must account for the 3mm kerf between them.

Grain orientation documentation per component

Grain orientation is a functional decision, not only an aesthetic one, and it must be documented per component type. Table tops: flat-sawn (plainsawn) stock for visual figure and cathedral grain pattern, with the movement calculation informing the attachment method. Structural components such as legs and aprons: quartersawn preferred where available, for dimensional stability over the cross-section and for the medullary ray figure in species such as white oak and sycamore. Drawer sides: quartersawn or vertical-grain stock to prevent seasonal swelling and tightening in the drawer opening; a drawer side that moves 1mm across its height with seasonal humidity change can bind in a case with 0.5mm clearance. Door panels: flat-sawn for figure, unglued in the groove, with movement gap calculated. Breadboard ends: quartersawn for minimal longitudinal movement, since the breadboard runs perpendicular to the main panel grain and must not cup or twist independently.

Add a grain direction column to every cut list: QS for quartersawn, FS for flat-sawn, VG for vertical grain, RG for rift-sawn grain. Include a notes column for any component where the grain direction is specified for a functional reason rather than purely aesthetic. Patrons who understand why each component has its grain direction specified can make informed substitutions when their lumber selection at the yard does not include the ideal cut.

Joinery documentation: proportions, angles, and settings

Mortise-and-tenon proportions

The one-third rule for tenon thickness is a structural minimum derived from the mechanics of the joint: the mortise walls on each side of the tenon carry the shear load when the joint is stressed in racking. If the tenon is too thin, the mortise walls are thick enough to be strong but the tenon is too thin and fails in bending; if the tenon is too thick, the mortise walls are too thin and split out. One-third of the mortised piece thickness at the tenon location produces approximately equal strength in the tenon and the mortise walls.

Specific example for a chair leg and rail joint: 44mm (1-3/4 inch) leg, 19mm (3/4 inch) rail. Tenon thickness: 44 × 1/3 = 14.7mm, practical dimension 15mm or 5/8 inch. Tenon length: equal to the width of the piece being mortised into (the leg), so 44mm. Tenon width (the dimension across the rail): limited to no more than 5 times the tenon thickness to prevent the seasonal wood movement of the rail from racking the mortise open. 5 × 15mm = 75mm maximum tenon width. A rail wider than 75mm requires either two tenons across the width or a haunched tenon with a haunch filling the panel groove.

Document the haunched tenon where applicable: in frame-and-panel construction, the stile has a groove for the panel that runs the full length of the stile. The mortise for the rail tenon must start below this groove. The haunch is a shoulder of the tenon that fills the open groove in the stile at the top of the mortise, preventing the groove from showing at the frame corner and adding resistance to the rail twisting in the joint. Haunch depth equals the depth of the panel groove: if the panel groove is 10mm deep, the haunch is 10mm deep. Document haunch dimensions in the joinery notes for each frame-and-panel project.

Dovetail slope ratios and marking

1:8 slope (7.1 degrees) for softwoods; 1:6 slope (9.5 degrees) for hardwoods. The slope of a dovetail tail determines the mechanical lock of the joint: a steeper slope produces a tighter undercut that is harder to pull apart but concentrates stress at the short-grain area at the base of each pin. In softwood, where the fiber density is lower and the wood compresses more easily under lateral load, a steeper slope increases the risk of short-grain breakout at the pin base during assembly, particularly if the fit is tight. The shallower 1:8 slope distributes the assembly stress over a longer short-grain path, reducing breakout risk. In hardwood, the fiber density supports the steeper 1:6 slope without short-grain failure, and the steeper angle provides a stronger mechanical interlock.

Marking the slope without a commercial dovetail marker: using a ruler and marking knife, mark a point 8 units along the baseline from a reference corner and 1 unit rise (for 1:8) or 6 units along and 1 unit rise (for 1:6). The rise unit and the baseline unit must be in the same measurement: 8mm along and 1mm rise gives exactly 1:8. Set a sliding bevel to the line from the reference corner to the rise mark. Lock the bevel. Use the same bevel setting for all tail marking on the workpiece to ensure consistent slope across the joint. Document the slope ratio in project notes as a ratio, not as a degree angle, because ratio is unambiguous and does not depend on the protractor reading correctly.

Pin-to-tail spacing documentation: the number of tails and pins per joint face is an aesthetic and structural decision. Common spacing for a 150mm wide drawer front: 3 tails with half-pins at each edge. The pin width at the narrowest point (the pin neck) should be at minimum 4mm in hardwood and 6mm in softwood; narrower pins are fragile during assembly. Document the number of tails, the tail spacing, the pin neck width, and whether the joint was laid out with a marking gauge or with a commercial dovetail jig. If using a jig, document the jig brand, the guide finger spacing used, and the router bit diameter and cutting depth.

Pocket screw pilot hole documentation

Pocket screw joinery uses a stepped boring that enters the workpiece at a steep angle (approximately 15 degrees from the face), drilling a stepped hole: a larger-diameter counterbore for the screw head and a smaller-diameter pilot hole for the screw shank. The jig positions the drill at the correct angle and stops the boring depth with an adjustable collar on the stepped bit. The collar setting determines the pocket depth, which must be correct for the material thickness.

Standard Kreg jig settings for common material thicknesses: 3/4 inch (19mm) material — jig position A, collar on the bit at the marked 3/4 inch position, 1-1/4 inch fine-thread screw for hardwood or 1-1/4 inch coarse-thread screw for softwood and plywood. 1/2 inch (12mm) material — jig position A with modified distance (the jig face moved closer to the workpiece edge to prevent the drill from breaking through the face opposite the pocket), collar set at the 1/2 inch mark, 1 inch coarse-thread screw. 1-1/2 inch (38mm) material joints — jig position B, 2-1/2 inch screw. Document in project notes: jig model, collar position, screw length, screw thread type, and clamp force (pocket screw joints require clamping during driving because the screw pulls the joint together; insufficient clamp force produces a stepped joint face). If a face-clamp is used, document the clamp type and jaw direction.

Dado depth and width calculations

Dado depth maximum: one-half of the stock thickness for structural dados (shelving dados, case dado joints). A dado deeper than one-half of the stock thickness weakens the piece beneath the dado so significantly that the shelf load can cause the dado wall to deflect or split. A dado in 19mm (3/4 inch) plywood must be no deeper than 9.5mm (3/8 inch). For dado width: match the actual thickness of the mating piece, not the nominal thickness. This is critical for plywood: a panel sold as “1/4 inch plywood” typically measures 4.8mm, not 6.35mm (1/4 inch). A dado routed to 6.35mm to fit “1/4 inch plywood” leaves 1.5mm of slop per side. Measure the actual plywood thickness with calipers at three points on the sheet and machine the dado to that measurement.

Dado width machining methods and their documentation: a stacked dado set in the table saw uses outer blades with chippers between them; the width is set by the combination of chipper widths plus optional shim washers. Document the chipper combination and shim configuration used to hit the target width. A router with a straight bit makes one pass at bit diameter, then offset passes for wider dados; document the initial bit diameter, the fence offset for the second pass, and the resulting width measured with calipers after a test cut in scrap. A router with a dado bit guided by an edge guide or jig: document the bit diameter, the guide brand and setting, and the test-cut measurement. The test cut in scrap is the operative documentation: the actual machined width, not the theoretical setting. Always test in scrap of the same thickness and species as the project stock.

Finishing chemistry: polymerization, shellac ratios, and compatibility

Oil finish polymerization mechanism

Oil finishes — boiled linseed oil, tung oil, Danish oil — cure through oxidative polymerization rather than solvent evaporation. The active components are unsaturated fatty acids: chains of carbon atoms with one or more double bonds (C=C) along their length. When these chains are exposed to atmospheric oxygen, the oxygen molecules react with the double bonds in a radical chain reaction, forming peroxide links that bridge adjacent fatty acid chains and create a cross-linked polymer network. This cross-linking is what converts the liquid oil into a solid, flexible, adhered film.

“Boiled” linseed oil (BLO) is processed with metallic drier additives — cobalt, manganese, or zirconium naphthenate — that catalyze the oxidative chain reaction. Without driers, raw linseed oil cures by natural oxidation at room temperature in approximately 4–6 weeks per coat, which is impractical for furniture finishing. With cobalt and manganese driers at typical commercial concentrations, BLO cures in 24–72 hours depending on ambient temperature (warm, well-ventilated curing environments accelerate the oxidation), film thickness (thin wiped-off coats cure much faster than standing coats), and species (open-pored woods like oak and ash allow deeper oil penetration, producing faster through-cure; closed-pored woods like maple keep more oil at the surface, slowing cure).

Danish oil is typically a proprietary blend of oil (linseed or tung) and varnish resin dissolved in a petroleum-based solvent. The varnish component film-forms at the wood surface as the solvent evaporates, then the oil component polymerizes by oxidation into the wood pores. The result is a semi-penetrating finish: harder and more water-resistant than straight oil because of the varnish film-forming element, but still maintaining some of the tactile quality of a penetrating finish. Different Danish oil brands vary significantly in their oil-to-varnish ratio, which affects hardness, sheen level, and the number of coats required to build a working film. Document the specific brand and product, application method, and number of coats.

Film finish vs penetrating finish decision framework

Penetrating finishes (oil, wax): soak into the wood fibers, enhance grain and figure, easy to spot-repair by reapplying the same finish product to the affected area. Limited abrasion and water resistance — water rings form if water is allowed to dwell on an oil-finished surface; abrasion from regular use gradually depletes the finish layer and requires periodic re-oiling (typically once or twice per year for a dining table, less often for decorative pieces). Best for: wood surfaces where the tactile quality and repairability outweigh the need for water resistance; shop furniture; pieces where a low-build, close-to-the-wood appearance is the design intent.

Film finishes (varnish, polyurethane, lacquer, shellac): build a film on top of the wood surface that is harder and more continuous than the wood fibers beneath. Higher abrasion and water resistance because the film acts as a physical barrier. Repairs require abrading through the damaged film layer and recoating, which may require stripping and refinishing the whole surface to blend the repair. Best for: dining tables and surfaces subject to wet glasses, cutting boards (food-safe film-building finishes only), pieces where durability outweighs repairability as the primary finish criterion.

Document the finish decision for each project in terms of the selection criteria: “Used boiled linseed oil because this piece is a shop stool that will see direct contact with wood shavings and tool use — easy reapplication is more important than abrasion resistance” or “Used oil-based polyurethane because this is a kitchen table that will see wet glasses and food contact.” The reasoning documentation is as valuable to patrons as the procedure documentation, because it teaches the decision framework rather than just the outcome.

Shellac cut ratios and wax compatibility

Shellac is the dissolved resin secreted by the lac bug (Kerria lacca), dissolved in denatured alcohol to create a working finish. The concentration of the dissolved shellac is expressed as the “cut” — the weight of shellac flakes dissolved per gallon of alcohol. A 1-lb cut contains 1 pound of flakes per gallon (approximately 1 cup of flakes per quart of alcohol). Standard working cuts and their applications: 1.5-lb cut for most brushing and spraying applications — thin enough to level well and build coats quickly, the standard for most shellac topcoat work; 2-lb cut for sealing end grain before final coats, where a slightly heavier body reduces the absorption into the cross-grain pores; 3-lb cut for barrier coat applications where a thicker film is needed in a single application to seal a reaction-prone substrate.

The wax content of shellac determines subsequent finish compatibility. Natural shellac flakes contain approximately 3–5% wax by weight. When shellac is brushed or sprayed and cured, this wax migrates to the surface, leaving a microscopically thin wax layer on the dried shellac film. This wax layer prevents adhesion of water-based finishes applied over it: the water-based finish cannot bond to the wax-contaminated surface and will peel or fish-eye. Dewaxed shellac — processed to remove the wax fraction, sold commercially as Zinsser SealCoat — has the wax removed and can be applied under any finish: water-based, oil-based, lacquer, or additional shellac. Waxed shellac can be applied under oil-based finishes without adhesion failure, because oil-based finishes bond to the wax-contaminated surface adequately.

Document per project: flake brand, color grade (amber for warm tone, blonde for near-clear, garnet for dark antique tones), whether the shellac is waxed or dewaxed, the alcohol type (denatured alcohol is standard; high-proof grain alcohol such as Everclear works as a substitute where denatured alcohol is restricted), the cut ratio, and the mix date. Shellac solution in alcohol has a shelf life of approximately 6 months from mixing at room temperature — old shellac may not dry properly, leaving a tacky surface that never cures. Write the mix date on the container.

Finish compatibility chart

Document finish-over-finish compatibility explicitly, because incompatible finish layering is among the most common and least intuitive failure modes in furniture finishing. The rules:

For Patreon posts, present this as a decision table in the finishing notes for each project, with the specific products used and the compatibility check confirmed. Patrons who use a different brand of water-based finish over your shellac must check whether the shellac is dewaxed — not all commercial shellac products are clearly labeled on this point. SealCoat is the most unambiguous dewaxed shellac; if using flake shellac dissolved at home, note whether the flakes are dewaxed.

Apple Tax for woodworking Patreon creators

Woodworking creator iOS rates vary substantially by platform. YouTube woodworking: 40–55% iOS. YouTube woodworking audiences are among the least iOS-heavy of any content category because the dominant consumption mode is watching on a large screen — a laptop or TV in the shop, not a phone — while planning a build. Desktop and smart TV viewing suppresses the iOS fraction. TikTok woodworking time-lapses and transformation reveals: 72–80% iOS. The short-form timelapse format performs well on TikTok with an overwhelmingly mobile audience regardless of content category. Instagram workshop photography: 68–78% iOS. Finished piece photographs and workshop aesthetic content reach a predominantly mobile Instagram audience.

A woodworking creator whose Patreon patrons come primarily from YouTube conversion faces a materially lower Apple Tax exposure than a creator who converts TikTok viewers. The iOS rate is not a fixed property of the niche — it is a function of the primary conversion platform. A creator active on both YouTube and TikTok has a blended iOS rate that depends on the relative patronage share from each platform.

The Apple Tax on November 1, 2026: Patreon applies Apple’s 30% IAP fee to all subscriptions processed through the iOS Patreon app.

At $500/month gross with 45% iOS (YouTube-primary woodworking creator): 45% × $500 × 30% = approximately $67.50/month ($810/year).

At $800/month gross with 48% iOS: 48% × $800 × 30% = approximately $115.20/month ($1,382/year).

At $1,500/month gross with 50% iOS (mixed YouTube and TikTok woodworking creator): 50% × $1,500 × 30% = approximately $225/month ($2,700/year).

Even at the lower end of the woodworking iOS range, the absolute dollar amount grows with scale. At $1,500/month gross, a woodworking creator loses the equivalent of more than one full month of patron revenue per year to the Apple Tax. The fix: enable Patreon’s web-only billing toggle in Creator settings before October 31, 2026. Update YouTube video descriptions, the channel About page, and all community tab posts to use the Patreon web URL directly rather than any app link. After enabling, verify from Safari on iPhone that the subscription flow uses Patreon web checkout, not an Apple IAP dialog.

Use the KeepTier Apple Tax Calculator to run your specific numbers. KeepTier is a web-only membership page for creators who want 100% of their tier revenue minus only Stripe fees, with no iOS IAP pathway and no platform percentage. Plans from $9/month.

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