# Toy box with a difference?



## tim (12 May 2006)

I've been meaning to make this for sometime but have never got around to it. 

Its essentially a toychest that has a large drawer instead of a lifting lid. I've always thought that lifting lids are a bad idea in that they come crashing down and that you have to clear anything from the top to open it.

Made from cherry and the drawer is olive ash and cedar. Dimensions are 750mm x 500mm x 450mm (lxdxh).
































The reason I finally made it:

Its off to auction tomorrow to hopefully raise some money for the Elizabeth Foundation which helps profoundly deaf children (one of our good friends'' children has benefitted immensely from this charity and they are throwing a fund raising ball). So its gladrags all round and hopefully not despairing too much when the idea proves to be a bad one and no one bids!

Cheers

Tim


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## nickson71 (12 May 2006)

I like it a lot ........ I don't think there will be any problems getting bids  


Very Nice work


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## SketchUp Guru (12 May 2006)

Tim, that is a very nice piece of work. Excellent job and cause, too.


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## Paul Chapman (12 May 2006)

Lovely work, Tim =D> =D> 

Hope you raise plenty of money - it's a very good cause. My (now deceased) eldest brother was deaf and I know that deaf people can have a very difficult time.

Good luck

Paul


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## Mike.C (12 May 2006)

Very Nice Tim and an excellent cause.

I wish you all the best at the auction.

Cheers

Mike


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## Chris Knight (12 May 2006)

Great job Tim and good luck with the auction!


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## Philly (12 May 2006)

That is lovely Tim-well done!
Philly


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## JFC (12 May 2006)

Love the dovetails on the plinth . Lovely job .


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## CYC (12 May 2006)

Tim, this is a really nice chest. Just my style. 
I like cherry too and you finished it really well. You also appear to have use only the best contruction method which will make this a piece to stay in some lucky family for very long.

Well done and best of luck on raising plenty of money  
Fair play to you.


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## Shadowfax (12 May 2006)

Tim, that is lovely!
Good luck at the auction. An excellent cause.
Come to think of it, you won't need luck. Anyone with any sense will join the queue.

Cheers.

SF


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## Waka (13 May 2006)

Tim

Very nice box, I like the DT's on the skirting.


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## Newbie_Neil (13 May 2006)

Tim

I love the box and hope it raises lots of money.

Cheers
Neil


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## como (13 May 2006)

Tim,

Nice one, the box looks great. Is the routered edge around the top done with one router bit or a combination of different bits?

Mark


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## tim (13 May 2006)

Thanks guys.

I'm really nervous about what it will get - not fishing for compliments but just natural I suppose - a pretty public way of determining if your stuff is worth anything!

All I do know is that I have already had a private bid (that exceeds my reserve) so its definitely sold and woin't be coming home with us (and our hangovers) tomorrow.  

Waka/ JFC - I'm really pleased with the dovetails on the skirting too - its the first time I've done that but I found it much easier than cutting perfect mitres (even with a good chopsaw).

Como - the profile was cut with one bit - one of the Tornado cutters from Rutlands - can't remember which one, I bought about 5 of them in the last sale. I'll go out to the workshop and look later - although I don't think they mark the cutter itself with a code or identifier. edit: having looked on the web, its either TR205 or TR206.


CYC - I did build it as a 'proper' piece of furniture. It would be great if it became someone's heirloom.


Just in case you were wondering the reserve was only put on in case it didn't even reach the cost of materials so that I could have the opportunity to sell it elsewhere and donate the money that way.

Cheers

Tim


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## Scott (13 May 2006)

That's lovely Tim! I'm sure it'll do well in the auction. Best o' luck


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## dedee (13 May 2006)

Tim, excellent. I am sure it will do well - please update us.

Andy


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## MikeW (14 May 2006)

Very nice one, Tim!

Take care, Mike


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## tim (16 May 2006)

Well it raised £750.

If I'm honest I'm a little disappointed esp when I analyse the time/ materials taken. I normally don't make things on spec so its a bit of a rude shock but its done some good and I enjoyed making and donating it. 

The ball raised 60 grand in the end - I'm still a bit worse for it (the boozy sunday lunch seemed such a good idea at the time).

Out of interest, (and certainly not fishing) do people think its a fair figure?

Cheers

Tim


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## Paul Kierstead (17 May 2006)

tim":1pwlfa8d said:


> Well it raised £750.
> 
> Out of interest, (and certainly not fishing) do people think its a fair figure?



Well, I don't know about 'fair', but assuming your aren't a well known woodworker, I would suspect it is a 'fair market value', particularly if the audience is not especially keen on handcrafted woodworking items. I'd bet more then a few though "I seen one just like that at X for 200 quid". The market is a cruel cruel place, and not especially fair.


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## Paul Chapman (17 May 2006)

tim":371cuidd said:


> Well it raised £750.
> 
> If I'm honest I'm a little disappointed esp when I analyse the time/ materials taken. I normally don't make things on spec so its a bit of a rude shock but its done some good and I enjoyed making and donating it.



Given that Joe Public buys most of his furniture from IKEA and his idea of craftsmanship is what he sees on television programmes such as 'Changing Rooms', I doubt that many people have any idea what true craftsmanship costs in time, skill and materials. Most of those at the auction probably thought: "Well, it's only a box" :? 

Unfortunately, that is the reality and I can understand your disappointment.

But the money went to a good cause - that's the main thing.

Paul


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## dedee (17 May 2006)

Tim,
all things considered I think it was a reasonable price in the circumstances. It was obviously higher than your reserve.

Is that an etched makers mark on the RHS of the drawer? I've been considering getting some from here Makers-Marks.

Are yours similar? 

aNDY


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## Adam (17 May 2006)

tim":2vx3vtjr said:


> Well it raised £750.
> 
> If I'm honest I'm a little disappointed esp when I analyse the time/ materials taken. I normally don't make things on spec so its a bit of a rude shock but its done some good and I enjoyed making and donating it.
> 
> Cheers Tim



OK, assuming a standard auction, noone there was specifically looking for a wood item. However having seen it, they were prepared to pay £750. That seems reasonable. Who was auctioning? Did they do a good pitch? Hand built by a local cabinet maker, hand cut dovetails, blah blah blah - really lay on the sales patter?

What would a customer who really wanted it have paid if they had turned up on your doorstep and commissioned such a piece? What would you have quoted? I'm guessing £1K to £1.5K? But then they get to specify some of the design perhaps?

Possibly, the person bidding probably won't realise how good it is till they get it home and examine it properly. 

I think its a lovely piece. Well done.

Adam


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## CYC (17 May 2006)

It seems a fair price to me, it's like €1125.

I, like everyone on this forum, will understand how long it must have taken you but really this is the kind of price you would expect from any retail place of "fine" furniture. The difference is that because it's a once off for you it feels like it's too much work for the gains. Sadly that's the cruel reality of hobby woodworking. I have done some projects for friends clocking the likes of 25 hours only to make about €200! It was for a friend :-({|= 

It's only my opinion now.
How much were the materials for it?


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## tim (17 May 2006)

I think Adam's hit the nail on the head. You can't exploit the 'bespoke' factor if its not bespoke to the customer. So essentially to get a decent price for this I had to be lucky that on the day at least two parties had to have the same interest and wallet depth.

It did essentially sell itself since it was in a Silent auction so it wasn't talked up except by my guff in the brochure which said all the usual. This was something I only found out about a week before the event :x rather than in the main one run by one of Sotheby's finest - who was incredible. 

Since this is the first one of these that I have made there was also an inefficiency attached - again normally covered in bespoke pricing.

I think also I was slightly unlucky in that while this crowd weren't Ikea shoppers at all, one grandfather was overheard saying 'Oh that's a pity, I've just had four toyboxes commissioned and they are being made in China'.

Andy, they are from Maker's marks - really pleased with them.

CYC - materials were probably c £200 if I bought them from merchants but the Cherry was from Ledbury so probably about £80. :wink:



Paul":3mn75zls said:


> But the money went to a good cause - that's the main thing.



You are right and thats definitely the point of doing it but I its also a very interestiong experience for me about what to consider if selling items on spec rather than my usual commission only route (which I think I'll stick to for the time being!).

Cheers

Tim


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