Funding my Carpenter

[Velo_Vandore]

This is a long one so if tldr; please skip to the blue text.

I have a level 24 Conjurer and decided to start learning a craft so I can make equipment for myself and friends. My Carpenter is now at level 21.

The Carpenter leveling went great while I could buy mats from the NPC vendor until around level 15. But now I am onto Yew and Elm, I'm heading to the Market Board as besides gathering myself it seems to be the only place to get the materials I need.

Now the problem is that logs are costing a fortune and I can't find any way to earn that money back with what I craft. For example, if I look on the Market Board right now:

elm log: 72gil each (cheapest) for stack of 99 = 7,128gil
elm lumber: 190gil each (cheapest) for stack of 61 = 11,590gil

To make one elm lumber I would require three elm logs. So I have to spend 216gil to make one elm lumber which can be sold for 190gil. Obviously lumber isn't a great earner on it's own then. What else can I craft and sell? Let look at a few examples:

Initiate's Spinning Wheel (currently selling for 10gil on Market Board):

2 Elm Lumber = 380gil
2 Bronze Rivets = 8gil (2gil each from vendor)
Total Cost = 388gil

The Initiate's Spinning Wheel currently sells on the Market Board for 10gil even a high quality only goes for 200gil.

Elm Crook (currently selling for 9gil on the Market Board):

1 Elm Lumber = 72gil
1 Beastkin Blood = 7 gil (from vendor), 1 gil (currently on Market Board), or free (drop from mobs)
Total Cost = 72gil - 79gil

Selling for 9gil will lose me at least 63gil even HQ is only currently selling for 90gil, but losses would be incurred with failed HQ attempts.

Iron Lance (currently selling for 26gil on the Market Board (HQ = 995gil))

1 Elm Lumber = 72gil
2 Iron Ingots = 194gil (97gil each (9,603gil for stack of 99) is current cheapest price on Market Boards)
1 Hard Leather = 31gil from Carpenters Guild vendor
Total Cost = 297gil

So possibly a profit to be made if HQ, but I'm not confident that it will sell at 995gil. All failed attempts to HQ would make a loss of at least 271gil anyway, so in my mind not feasible.

Let go to the next crafting tier tier with a brief breakdown of a few more (won't go overboard with details):

Yew Lumber cost 102gil to make and sell for 150gil. It's a profit! Hooray, I'll be crafting and selling this.

Iron Guisarme costs 177gil to make and sells for 100gil. Boo! HQ is up for 999gil but will it sell?

Yew crook costs 102 - 109gil to make and sells for 39gil! HQ up for just 43gil! Ludicrous!!!

Walnut Lumber costs 51gil to make and sells for 35gil??? So Yew Lumber makes a nice profit, but Walnut Lumber which is a higher tier makes MINUS 12gil??? Where's the logic!?!

Ok, so looking at a snapshot of the market today, it seems a lvl21 Carpenter can make a profit buying yew logs and making / selling yew lumber. Everything else is a small to huge loss. Since Walnut lumber (next tier from yew) looks to loose me money as well, I'm not confident about how my crafting will be affordable in future.

Are all crafts like this? What's the point of putting in so much time and money to craft a staff that I can buy on the Market Boards for 43gil (HQ)??? Crafting is fun but not THAT fun... Is this bad design / system that needs to be looked at or am I missing something?

Is a DOH (gathering) class essential to fund crafting progress and should this be the case? In real life you generally sell at a higher price than the cost of the materials right? Am I looking to make major bucks selling my crafted goods a few more tiers down the road or is Carpentry considered an artistic pursuit in Eorzea, where you only make a profit after you die and get famous?

Any wisdom, advice, theories or condolences will be welcome