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[CaptainArchmage]

The thing about stonecrafting is while non-[LAVA] stone is almost infinite, certain kinds of stone run out, so you might want to create a stockpile for common stone (think non-flux magma unsafe layer stone) to turn into mugs. Or you could build an obsidian factory and export some high-value goods (but when you've got magma, you can also do clay and glass crafts that are worth so much more).

You don't want to sell off wood, since that has a lot of uses (fuel, pearlash, soap, any power generating buildings and axles) and has a relatively long regeneration time. Stone isn't worth it to sell, because it is too heavy, and can be turned into more valuable or useful things. If you absolutely have too much stone, you can always sell crafts to the merchants, or smelt it into metal, or use it in steelmaking if its flux, or do a megaproject.

[Jeoshua]

you might want to create a stockpile for common stone (think non-flux magma unsafe layer stone) to turn into mugs.

This

Make the stockpile smallish, and place it directly next to a craftsdwarf workshop.  Make sure it's closer than any other rocks.  Remember that z levels count, and that distances to objects are "as the ghost flies", meaning they go straight down through floors like they weren't there, ignoring the distance to stairs.

I use this method to place a 3x3 stockpile 1 z level beneath every workshop, just in case I want those workshops to make items with specific materials that I then add to that stockpile's import list.

[CaptainArchmage]

I use this method to place a 3x3 stockpile 1 z level beneath every workshop, just in case I want those workshops to make items with specific materials that I then add to that stockpile's import list.

If you want you can just keep a stockpile of stone around the craftsdwarf workshop, since having the stockpile 1 z level beneath the workshop may increase journey time considerably. You can filter out the other stockpiles above and below by assigning dwarves to burrows.

Also, I think the choice of stone may be the one closest to the dwarf at the time of job activation. This is why you might want to filter out stockpiles using burrows.

[wuphonsreach]

Put the workshop in the middle of a 5x5 room, make sure there is no loose stone on the levels above/below the workshop location (+/- 2 Z-levels).  Then put a stone stockpile around the workshop (ends up looking like a ring) that only accepts the non-economic stones that you want to use at that workshop.

95% of the time, the crafter will pick from the ring stockpile.  As long as they choose to accept the workshop's job while standing inside the ring of stone.

As for reducing hauling jobs, leave room for ( equal sized stockpiles right by the trade depot (or directly above with a nearby stairs).  Make sure you allow bins.  Including stone mugs, there are eight types of crafts that can be created from stone.  Some barons/mayors like to forbid export of some of those eight types (such as forbidding the export of earrings).  So by splitting the crafts across 7 piles and putting the goblets in the 8th pile, you can still haul the bin to the trade depot without running afoul of a export restriction by accident.

(If you're going to export it, there needs to be at least a moderate sized stockpile right by the trade depot.)

[SirAaronIII]

I always use the exploit-ish method of quantum dumping a bunch of stone where I want it to be, then making a bunch of junk crafts, then dumping those near the trade depot. It takes a lot less space, but it's exploit-ish.

[Togre]

Alright, I've got the caravan <check>
Depot stocked with junk trade goods. <check>
Broker at the depot.  <check>

Let the trading commence!

After a "learning" the difference between "trade" and "offer"  the trading goes well.

In addition, through the whole process, I've somehow learned how to set the labors a dwarf will do--this is awesome.

Okay, off to do some more stuff.

But one new question...

Should high traffic passages be made 2 or 3 tiles wide, or does a 1 tile passage not slow down the dwarfs?

[Il Palazzo]

It takes a moment for dwarves to pass each other in a 1-tile wide passage, so making it wider certainly helps. 3-tile wide is a bit of an overkill, but a lot of people make these for aesthetic purposes.

[Togre]

Sweet!  That is easy enough and works pretty well.

Okay, new question that is (hopefully for my ego) more complex.

How do I get a dwarf to hunt?

I've read the wiki.  I've set a dwarf to hunting labor and nothing else...and he sits there with no job laughing at me.

I've got a butcher set up.  I've got badgers just asking to be hunted.  But nobody will go after them.  What am I missing?

Somewhat related question--does he arm himself or do I need to assign him a weapon (I only have axes)?  If so, how do I do that?

[Shook]

Hunters should arm themselves. You just need a crossbow and some ammo. Both can be made out of wood, bone or metal, though wooden bolts are obviously less effective than bone or metal. It matters less for the crossbow, since their material only affects how well they can act as improvised clubs.

Edit: Oh, and a quiver is probably necessary too, which is made of leather.

[Il Palazzo]

As Shook said:
You need a crossbow, bolts and a quiver.
Make a crossbow at the Bowyer's, bolts at the Craftdwarf's and quiver at the Leatherworks. Hopefully, once you've got it all ready and stocked in appropriate stockpiles, the wannabe hunter will go and arm himself, then venture outside.
If you don't have leather for the quiver, make an ad hoc military squad, and send it to kill a badger or whatnot. Your butcher should butcher the corpse, and your tanner should tan the hide. Then you can make your quiver, and maybe some leather armour for the hunter.
Make sure that you've enabled refuse gathering from outside -> {o}ptions -> {r}efuse(IIRC the keys), and that you've got a refuse stockpile, preferrably somewhere near the butcher's, otherwise the corpse will just sit out there and rot.

[Deon]

Don't forget to assign bolts for hunters.

[Togre]

Wonderful!

Built bowery and got guys out hunting.  They are awful at it, but hey, they'll get better.

I think I've got the supporting workshops set up, but if my hunters ever kill anything, I'll find out for sure.

You guys are great!

[Syrup Roast]

Try not to get too attached to your hunters. They are most likely the ones who will uncover ambushes and are thus the first unfortunate victims.

You can mediate this by assigning hunting (or war) animals too them. Hunting and war animals can be trained at a kennel. In my experience, this doesn't help the actual hunter that discovers the ambush, but will give you more time to get his other buddies of the same profession into a safe place.

[Shook]

That being said though, hunters tend to get to legendary marksdorf reasonably quickly. A legendary marksdorf will screw anyones shit up before they know where the bolts came from. And the hunters won't flee, perhaps (and i hypothesize) unless the enemies get really close. They might be in trouble if that happens, though.

[Alarion]

In addition, through the whole process, I've somehow learned how to set the labors a dwarf will do--this is awesome.

If you want to get into more details of who can do what and so on, try Dwarf Therapist, which is a utility to easily set labors and whatnot on your dwarves, view their personalities and see their skill levels in detail. An absolute godsend when you get a ton of new migrants and want to know exactly how skilled they are at a glance, or when a dwarf not intended for a certain job is doing it anyway because he has the labor turned on. Try it out, you won't get disappointed!

//A, helping out