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You think he moans a lot, my other half makes him sound like a beginner !

wood monkey i asked for a picture and still waiting, if i made a table that was that special to command such a high price tag i would want to show it off to the world. I don't think anyone is being negative here, if we all said go for it you will make a fortune, how helpful would that be. Some...

Thats why the owners of the above are driving around in a porche and i'm in a battered old van. I have always said some customers will not see all the hours you have spent doing dove tails and mortice joints, all the hours of sanding, its all about the finished item, if it looks good then they...

wolfey, can we have some pics to see what a 11k table looks like ! The most expensive one i've ever made in Oak was around £700. 10K profit is what i would see for 6 months work, which is probably the norm for a one man band. Things to make, well look around at what people need in their homes...

I would love to make some of what i call arty farty furniture but my client base consists of mainly retired folk who have a more conservative taste so what i make is of a traditional nature. Its what they ask for, its what i make, it pays the bills. Although furniture has been my main income...

Hi paul, i've been making bespoke furniture for a living for 26 years now, the advice i would give myself if starting again would be to make a range of items and just stick to them, produce a small catalogue, sell on line. Then you have cutting lists, jigs for those items and know what timber is...

Had my Dewalt for 30 years and it was second hand when i brought it. It is the most used machine in the workshop. What other machine cuts tenons so well. Never done rips with it as i have a table saw for that job. Chop saw for on site work and angle cuts in the workshop, as the Dewalt takes time...

Hi jacob i was wondering where you had got to. I spent the weekend checking out prices of other makers and yes mine are to low for the quality of build. So monday i shall be getting onto my web designer to make a lot of adjustments. Yes bigger batches is the way to go.

Pinched from another site.

Hi beech I have been making furniture for a living for 26 years, all made to order so bespoke one off's. No advertising all word of mouth. Anything from kitchens to tables and anything in between. Yes built in as well, some joinery, doors and windows and a bit of site carpentry if asked. I...

Although i have all my furniture making gear, to make these products all i need is a radial arm saw and a sawbench. Anyway i don't want to drag this post out anymore, so thank guy's for the input it has given me lots to think about , i have several iron's in the fire, will see how things pan out...

Thanks beech and others for the input. Although i have been selling my wares to the public for 26 years now, selling wholesale was going to be a new direction, so a lot to take on board. By having set products and cutting lists for that product and dedicated jigs is as simple as i can get the...

Thanks chaps VAT now removed.

When i have been approached by a couple of retailers it was on a drop ship basis whereby they would sell my product on their site take payment then send me customers details, i then make /arrange delivery and invoice the retailer at end of the month. They like this arrangement as they hold no...

Thanks for the replies chaps. Cordy and Peter valid points regards the VAT, i will contact my web designer to change this.

As well as my furniture making and property maintenance business i have my web based Sunnyfields poultry housing and i have been asked by a couple of online shops if they could stock my products on a drop ship basis, but i can't see how this will work and i will try to explain why. Say an item...

Had the same thing with their 15inch thicknesser when the drive chain broke, they kept no spares for the machine. Repaired it with a chain link joiner 2 years ago and its still ok.

Doors are my biggest pain in the arse, most of them i have revisited to shave off where they have swollen. You can't ask payment for this extra work, so done in your own time. The painted ones are the worst as you have to re-do the paint 3 coats, so 3 re -visits. Just around the corner i made 5...

I would not openly discuss prices with customers unless asked, i have been working for the lady in question for around 20 years as she has 4 holiday lets that i do maintenance on every year and her own place, so have becomes friends. I asked for cash as i don't have an account with Travis...

I was talking to a customer friend today who wanted a new front door, i told her if she gave me the cash i would not put it through my books and add on 10% which i would normally do. After a long discussion she was not convinced that all tradesmen add on a percentage to the cost of the...