A Pair of Side Tables

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Ted

I really liked the tables.

Thanks for taking the time to post.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[BradNaylor]

Hi Dan

I'm intrigued as to how long it would take a pro - hand cut dovetails and all :?:

Well that's the scary bit, Ted!

Working on the basis that you might be able to charge around £1500 for the pair of tables, and that the material cost was around £250, a pro would have to complete them in a week.

A week sounds about right to me - but with the help of a Leigh jig for the dovetails!

Dan

 

[lucky9cat]

Well Dan, I'm gobsmacked. It just goes to show that as someone who just does it for a hobby I have no idea of the value of the work or the techniques required to do it efficiently - and I've got O'Level woodwork as well :wink: .

One thing in my favour though, the wood cost is about £100; but as I mentioned before I keep my wood waste to a minimum and waste time to achieve that. The table tops are only 18" square and the tables stand 16" tall.

Whatever, one week and £1500 - I'm amazed. I do realise that is £1500 to the right buyer i.e. someone who wanted the tables commissioned.

Cheers, Ted

 

[Jez]

Looks awesome, nice dovetails

 

[BradNaylor]

I do realise that is £1500 to the right buyer i.e. someone who wanted the tables commissioned.

Cheers, Ted

This is the point, Ted.

The tables are only worth £1500 if someone commissions them at that price.

If you were to try and sell the tables you have just made you would find it heartbreaking - you'd be lucky to get £300 for the pair. This is exactly the point I was trying to make in Byron Black's recent thread on selling speculative pieces.

The principal challenge for pro cabinet makers is not making the tables, it is finding the client who will commission them for £1500!

Whatever, one week and £1500

Please don't fall into the trap of equating selling price with earnings. There are a large number of costs that have to factored in before a profit figure is arrived at. I would be happy with £700 net profit from a job like this for a very full week's work.

£700 x 42 weeks in a year (allowing for holidays, illness, and unproductive days)

= £29400 per year

I would like to bet that most people here earn more than that in their day jobs.

 

[ByronBlack]

£700 x 42 weeks in a year (allowing for holidays, illness, and unproductive days)

= £29400 per year

I would like to bet that most people here earn more than that in their day jobs.

Want to swap jobs?

Nice tables Ted, I really enjoy reading these write-ups and like the progress shots.

Dan - you make a good point about profitibility and selling price, in my business a few years ago at first I was amazed at the 'prices' that I could sell my services for, but come the end of the year when I've had my accounts prepared I soon realised that those large cheques soon shrink!

 

[TonyW]

Lovely work and thanks for WIP pics.
You said that this was your first commissioned piece - I think you will get many others

Cheers
Tony

 

[OPJ]

Ted, can I also ask which sort of chisels you use with your machine, if I haven't asked you already - are you happy with the cheap 3/4" chisels or have you adapted yours to take better quality 13/16" diameter?

 

[lucky9cat]

Olly, you had me scratching my head there for a minute :? . I'm currently using the 3/4" chisels as supplied with the machine and intended to move over to the better quality more expensive ones as these wore out. I've just looked at the Axminster catalogue and see what you mean now, they're 13/16". It looks like you can buy an adaptor to take it down from 13/16" to 3/4" but, obviously, not the other way. It looks like a new bushing will be required . Do you know if they make them?

Ted

 

[OPJ]

I've had a reply from Axminster and unfortunately, they don't make or sell them. Looks like your best bet will be to have one made locally from a small engineering firm or something - that's what others have done. Doesn't cost too much either, apparently.

I bought my machine when it was on sale for £130 with only one 3/8" chisel, so I decided to go with the best I can afford from the start.