...When I started building better pieces and found I enjoyed it, many people raved about my stuff - some winning prizes. The problem became, as I talked with people who wanted a custom piece, is that they have no idea of the value of a piece of custom furniture.
Yeah - I've had people tell me thay can buy a nice (chair, desk, whatever) for way less than it'd cost me for the materials to make a quality piece. I just tell them to go ahead and buy it, then. It
is a hobby for me, but that doesn't mean it has to be a money-losing hobby!
...If I can't charge the true value of a custom piece of furniture, I'd rather just keep building as a hobby. I had long email discussions with a respected woodworker whose philosophy is that he knows he can't charge more than furniture store prices, so that's what he does. I'm not going there! I'd rather do what I want when I want and get what I can when I can.
I refuse to lower prices to meet those of a store. I'll build for myself, or for gifts, but NEVER will I intentionally cut a price just to meet somebody else's. I'm kinda waiting for Charlie Plesums to weigh in here, 'cause I know he builds quality stuff, and asks 'quality' prices for it. It'll be interesting to hear his take on this.
so using some of the logic here, we should just make the pieces of good quality rather go to the trouble to do processes by hand instead of machine for instance. or use plywood instead of glueing up panels where possible. the old furniture shops used plywood a fair amount when they had it and could.. kinda like not walking to work if you can ride.
Quality plywood (definitely not that Chi-Borg stuff!!!) shouldn't be a problem, Larry, so long as it's used well, with edges wrapped or hidden. Nothing wrong with machine cut mortises, dovetails, miters, or whatever, either. (I even wish I had/could afford a Festool Domino for my mortise & tenon stuff.) It's when CNC type production comes into play, with 'sheet optimizing' without regard to grain, etc. that it becomes a problem. Look at your "Drawer" thread, for example, Larry: Will most commercial shops - let alone the CNC shops - take the time, effort, and CARE to make their drawer fronts like you're wanting to do? NO! - not a any price.