iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

log furniture

Started by 4woody, January 18, 2007, 10:35:39 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

4woody

i know someone who wants to buy one of my benches and i was wanting to know how much to ask for it. the bull dog was drawed by hand and burnt into the wood



Brad_S.

I don't have any idea what it should bring, but I wanted to reaffirm to you to not sell too cheap. That's a real nice piece! Too often us part time woodworkers under value our time and talent. Don't let that happen on this piece!

If it were me, I would add up the time I spent on it plus material and put an hourly rate on my time. ($25? hr.) I suspect you will be taken back by what it totals, but then it's up to you how low to go on your rate.

Good luck.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

metalspinner

The cost of things  I make are directly attributed to my desire to make them. ::)

No, really...  You need to balance the time you have invested plus materials to the market value.  If you get really good and fast at making something, don't penalize yourself on the time side.  The time of gathering materials in the field should also be considered - not just your shop time.  Then you have the asthetic value and uniqueness to consider.  Did this person ask you, or did you approach them.  Your in a better position , of course , if they approached you.

I used to ask my wife the same type of pricing question all the time.  Every time I was disappointed in her answer. ::)
Wait, I just thought of a great idea!  Donate one to the Forestry Forum for an auction and use that price as a benchmark. :D :D Ask me how many birdhouse ornaments I've sold for $187. :D :D :D


Something else to consider...If you under price the work because you are not a "professional" that could adversly effect the "real" professional trying to earn a living.  If the market is saturated with "non-professional" underpriced work - even top quality like yours, then the paying public will expect low pricing on all craft objects. IMHO
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

4woody

it took my wife about 2 hours to draw it and burn it in the wood and  it took me about 3 hours to make it and sand it and then puting on the clear coat i'm not sur how long it took on that what would yall recommend for a finish

TexasTimbers

Brad summed it up pretty well. I know you probably want to see some guestimates but it is hard without knowing how proficient you are; how long it took. If it took you eight hours total then you'r near around $300 because you have materials. When I say eight hours I don't just mean the time you spent working on it, you have the figure the time it took to chasing all the materials. Looks like log legs. Did you get in your truck and burn diesel to burn some 40:1 mix to cut those logs? Ya gotta figure all that.
On the other side of the coin, if you are happy to pay someone to take it and it truly makes you happy then that's your business. Bad business of course, but yours.  :)
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

TexasTimbers

Sorry woody I was typin while you posted. Yep I am that slow sometimes. I will let the finish experts answer your finish question, but I am a recent lacquer convert. It's not good for everything but it's pretty fool proof and sure does shine. MAybve an oil would be better though for a seat. But like I said I will leave it to the finish experts.
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

4woody

metalspinner how can we donate one to forestry forum we would like that verry much because everyone here has been so nice and helpful

4woody

for a finish we put 2 coats of linseed oil and 2 coats of polyurethane

Brad_S.

Quote from: 4woody on January 18, 2007, 11:26:08 PM
metalspinner how can we donate one to forestry forum we would like that verry much because everyone here has been so nice and helpful
PM Jeff. I'm sure he'd be very grateful!
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

4woody

oky i pm Jeff so lets see how long it takes a busy man to reyply oh for the legs my boy an i took a light an hand saw to the woods at night cut from a fallen tree

solodan

Woody,
you know what your time is worth. Don't sell yourself short. On the other hand it is sometimes ok to take a smaller profit if it is an influential customer. I have gave deals to contractors that build custom homes, lumber distributors, people with ties to major publications, and that kind of stuff. I don't know how much it helps, but I have got  referals this way, and it definately doesn't hurt.  Eventually as one becomes more busy we go back to point #1, what is your time worth? well more than it was when you started. which to some degree creates more demand from the higher end customer, which results in more demand all the way across the board. 8) As long as you are honest and fair, I believe you will prosper. :) at least that's what I counting on. ;)

metalspinner

It sounds like you're reluctant to charge what you think you are worth.  Don't feel guilty about your price.  If you honestly think the stool cost xxx amount of time and you charge $xx  per hour, then that's the cost. 

If you think you were not very efficient because that was the first one, then make a batch of three or four, average in the first one and that will give you a good base.  You do owe it to your customer's to work efficiently.

Things like the drawing can be added as an option to the customer if they think the stool is to high.

A couple coats of poly is plenty for the finish.  I haven't gotten into spraying yet, but pre-catalized lacquer seems to be on everything now a day's.
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

4woody

I was thinking about trying to do some spraying on some of them an i was thinking this woud be a good place for every one to show there stuff

4woody

Will i started the one for the forestry from so far i have 3 hours  on it an still haf to sand it an then it will be ready for my wife to do her part

4woody

A questuen would you leave the bark on the legs or take it off ?





Stephen1

I make some Log benches with no carvings on them. The top is scribed to logs underneath, then drilled,  bolted together with 3\8 threaded rod. then pluged from the top.

I am having troubles with the dowling starting to break on some, and am looking into have some steel bent to replace the wood dowling.  I did not  sand this group , because they are rough from the chain saw, they use approx. 1 gallon of Cabot Stain. I have been charging $200 Canadian. When I built them I figured on 4 hrs of labour $100, wood$25, $50 for stain, then a little extra for everything else.
   I have built anouther group and sanded them, nicer looking now that they are sanded then would like to apply a shiney type of finnish, I believe I will get $300. As soon as it warms up and I can walk I will finnish them and post some photo's.
Quote from: 4woody on January 20, 2007, 08:48:22 PM
A questuen would you leave the bark on the legs or take it off ?









4woody
      I believe the bark will eventually fall of as the wood shrinks.
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

4woody


WDH

That is a nice dawg, 4woody (nice bench too  :D).  Benches take a lot of abuse and wear, so the poly is a good choice.  One reason lacquer is so popular is that it dries very fast, so multiple coats can be applied in a day.  That is why the cabinet makers and other high production shops use it so much.  For someone like me who does one project at a time, multiple coats in a day is not critical.  Also to safely spray lacquer, you need a spray booth with fans, etc.  I would say stick to the poly or an old fashion alykd varnish.  They both work well with oil, so you can use an oil base like dansih oil or tung oil and topcoat when dry with poly or varnish for protection.  Looks great too. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

4woody

Thank you WDH for your coments i like the rustick stuff i wuod like to see what other people have to show to

4woody




this is a few pic's of a new log bench we are working on. It tock my wife 2or 3 hours to draw and burn it free handed. but shes not sure she likes it so we mite sand it off and start over.what do you think.  :-\

Norm

It looks great the way it is 4woody, what kind of wood did you use?

Murf

I agree with not selling yourself short.

I posted a whaile back about some shelves I saw while on the left coast visiting family and taking a much needed break.

Now I realize, they were being sold in an "artisans co-operative" store, (read: extra $50 for being artsy-fartsy) and in a very toutisty area (read: another $50 just cause they can)  but still.......  these shelves were selling for $175 each!!  :o



When I jokingly said to the young feller working there, "I'd need lots of them to fill my wall..... do you have many left in stock?" he never missed a beat and came back with "I'd have to check, we sell several a day some days."

I nearly fell over........  :o

I figure there's about $0.50 worth of varathane and a $10.00 piece of glass in there, short of that, just some scrap slabs and a few cuts.... even I could do that!!!
If you're going to break a law..... make sure it's Murphy's Law.

4woody

norm its white oak and thank you



murf we ant going to sell none until we know what to sell them for. because some take longer to make then others

solodan

This style brings me between $300-$400








I like those shelves, especially the price, maybe I'll do some of those. ;)

I went into a store near here that had 18" stumps for sale It was just a 12" firewood round, sanded and finished.  $125 :D  They told me that they sold 3 of them the first day. ::) :D 8)

4woody

Hay solodan what kind of wood do yuo use i make some like that to looks good i like to see every budys stuff to thank you

solodan

That's ponderosa, I also use alot of sugarpine and incense cedar. :)

4woody

so far i have only used oak an peacon we have syp ant tried it yet but mabe soon i like to make them ihave 12 erc but its hard to come by so i dont make the log bench out of it i cut all them up in 1inc broads

WDH

Start over?  Heck no.  No DanG way.......It looks great!
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

4woody

thank you i am glad yall like them an the last one an' got the finsh on it yet

saddletramp

Hey Woody. nice benches. Looks like you built them sturdy enough and your wife is a talented artist. I really like that last one with the dove landing. What to charge? Figure your time like the other guys have said. Take your wife on a shopping day and just look at things similar to yours. Get a feel for the market, price wise and see if the other stuff is as well built as yours. That can give you a base price for your area. Then be sure to charge extra for the art work. Dont go short there, Her art is what truly makes your benches one of a kind. Best of luck Woody and keep on building.
Horses dont git broke.Cowboys do.

4woody

Thanks it makes me an Tabby proud to here how much yall like them we are going to make a lot of them for  spring festalbe

Fla._Deadheader


4Woody, Native American styles and scenes go over big with "Tourists", around Festivals. Cougars and such are great, also. Good luck with your stuff. Practice makes perfect, and, you two are producing some really nice things.  8)
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

4woody

Thanks we will try some of those things to so yall will see more soon

Fla._Deadheader


I realize your wife is very artistic. There are also tons of patterns and pictures that can be obtained cheaply, and traced and burned just like Jeff B did. That's still acceptable for "Hand Drawn" in MY book.  8)
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

4woody

the only thing my wife said she was going to trace is some drawings her grandpa drawed be for he died of some old water mills and fram house's

Norm

That sounds cool 4woody, looking forward to seeing pictures when you get them done.

4woody

i thout it was sweet he is the one who showed her how to draw

4woody

Solodan i have not tried to put that litle brase on one yet is it hard to do with those angles

solodan

I drill to mortise at an angle, but the taper on the tenon I do as if it were straight, it looks better IMHO. I also like to put a brace long ways between the two end braces. The one pictured does not have it cause the customer wanted to be able to fit there boots underneath, cause this was in the mud room. I also cut them all a bit long so that the glue is re-enforced by tension. I think it just ends up more sturdy this way. :)

4woody

Thanks i got one thats going to be 7 ft i was going to do some like that when its done  i will show some pic see what yall think

Thank You Sponsors!