woodworking doesnt pay:)

larry merlau

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Delton, Michigan
WELL!
this quilt rack is one that i done in between tree work tried to keep track of time some but i found out that woodworking doesnt pay in this range of stuff..

tn_quilt rack 2 001.jpg tn_quilt rack 2 002.jpgtn_quilt rack 2 003.jpg the piece that is in between the verticals isnt that far out of color its just the photo,,, so dont think i went blind in the process..

i had 14 hrs on this which included the finishing and hand rubbed out. and the dollar amount gotten for this was $175.00 so you do the math and tell me what the materials can be for this:) 1 pint of stain, 12bf of clear oak, and enough lacquer to coat it, plus a dab of sand paper it was pretty smooth from hand tools. lets go by a lotto ticket or drive to the nearest ikea..:rolleyes:
 
Wow, someone got a good deal :eek:

As always, I'm in awe of the beautiful work you do. :thumb:

Even though you only got 1/3 of what it was worth, there has to be great personal satisfaction when you look at it. Knowing that you made a near perfect piece that will last for generations has gotta be worth a few bucks. :score:
 
well steve,, it did get me a new doweling jig,, hadnt used dowels in a looong time.. i could save alot time if i would just screw it together and not do half lap joints. but its still not going on my inventory list of what i can do for a buck:):rofl: i would rather give one a major leak:)
 
That came out looking great, Larry. :thumb: You could make it profitable, but you'd have to lower your quality standards...something I know you're not gonna do. Neither would I. ;)
 
Well man it's about time we saw some more of your work.:wave: As you found out this business don't pay much. Like Vaughn said if you were to cut down on the quality, put them screws in. Put some plugs, and then just a couple coats of lacquar.:rofl: This is the reason i would rather give something away. Really great looking piece, now where's the quilts?
 
Yup, Someone got a bargain! That's a very nice looking piece. :thumb: :thumb:

Well, if they tell a friend, next time you just have to put a price tag on it where you'll make a buck!
 
WELL!
this quilt rack is one that i done in between tree work tried to keep track of time some but i found out that woodworking doesnt pay in this range of stuff..

View attachment 50731 View attachment 50732View attachment 50733 the piece that is in between the verticals isnt that far out of color its just the photo,,, so dont think i went blind in the process..

i had 14 hrs on this which included the finishing and hand rubbed out. and the dollar amount gotten for this was $175.00 so you do the math and tell me what the materials can be for this:) 1 pint of stain, 12bf of clear oak, and enough lacquer to coat it, plus a dab of sand paper it was pretty smooth from hand tools. lets go by a lotto ticket or drive to the nearest ikea..:rolleyes:
Ok; Timberdoodle, did you set the price or did they? If you set it, you set it too low! If you let them dicker for the price, you are the one to blame. Set a fair and reasonable price, and that's it. That is my way of doing business! If they decline, which they won't because they know IKEA doesn't carry or make one-of-a-kind goods.

Consider this; I set my price of pens as fair and reasonable. A young man picked out a $55.00 pen last Saturday with a leather case that I sell for $12.95. He wondered if I would settle for $60.00. I declined, saying my pens are fairly and reasonably priced. I offered the two for $65.00. He counted out his money and said "would you settle for $64. 55. That's all the money he had on him. I settled!

The $5.00 less he offered was an insult to my pricing, while it was no big deal to me. There was a principal involved here, and that principal was worth $5.00 to me!
 
Beautiful lines and great craftsmanship Larry. The client got a bargain. Any item that has a lwevel of detail and handwork involved is not goimg to be a real recurring money-maker I don't think. If only it were true I could retire early and play for a living ;-)
 
Larry, I always enjoy seeing your pieces and this one is no exception. You do a great job in matching the grain up and making sure it goes in the right direction.

Perhaps this one will lead to good referrals that you can comp by setting the price to what you feel is fair or by saving time on mass production of several pieces at once. ;) When I did my landscaping lights, I never made any money building one at a time, but by combining the production of the parts a step at a time, I made several in not much more time than I made one.
 
I am NOT showing this to my wife!

It is a beauty! Well done no matter the cost per hour! Hope your pleasure of doing it and the end product counts for a few dollars.

Paul
 
well Larry I have built a few but not put half the quality in them as that one and charged as much or more, You need to up your price. That is a fine piece. Oh and it's about time you posted some pictures of your work. Now get back in the shop.
 
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that's one fine bit of woodworking ol son! :D:thumb: one thing to consider, in the grocery business we would call that a loss leader, basically something to draw in customers, and they would make up the loss with other purchases.

nice to see you're still around, and not damaged:crutches:, or in witness protection:hide:. now i'll have to hold up on sending in the protype....:type:
 

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that's one fine bit of woodworking ol son! :D:thumb: one thing to consider, in the grocery business we would call that a loss leader, basically something to draw in customers, and they would make up the loss with other purchases.

nice to see you're still around, and not damaged:crutches:, or in witness protection:hide:. now i'll have to hold up on sending in the protype....:type:

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:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
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