New Cupboard Project .....Coming to the finish

[BradNaylor]

£3740 now that's cheap ain't it?

Not cheap.. but quality costs and your work is very very good - Nice work Nibbo !

You're quite right Fecn,

The difficulty however, is finding a client prepared to pay that kind of price for that kind of quality.

There's not that many of them out there!

Most of us out of necessity have to set our sights a little lower!

 

[Lord Nibbo]

£3740 now that's cheap ain't it?

Not cheap.. but quality costs and your work is very very good - Nice work Nibbo !

The magic word WORK to me it's only a hobby which I love doing. I've never charged to make anything for friends or family as long as they supply the wood with plenty left over for me :lol: If I ever charged to make anything it becomes WORK and I would soon lose interest. For people like Dan and all the other professionals it's a different ball game with people nagging for a finish date and then moaning about some little defect trying to knock down the quoted price (how many has that happened to?) I'm not going to even try to compete against professionals they have to make a living to make, I only want to do one off's the thought of making something repetitive like a set of chairs for a dining set would bore me to death.

I'm off to make a cuppa & have a fag :lol:

 

[BradNaylor]

To me it's only a hobby which I love doing. I've never charged to make anything for friends or family as long as they supply the wood with plenty left over for me :lol: If I ever charged to make anything it becomes WORK and I would soon lose interest. For people like Dan and all the other professionals it's a different ball game with people nagging for a finish date and then moaning about some little defect trying to knock down the quoted price (how many has that happened to?) I'm not going to even try to compete against professionals they have to make a living to make, I only want to do one off's the thought of making something repetitive like a set of chairs for a dining set would bore me to death.

I'm off to make a cuppa & have a fag :lol:

You're absolutely right LN, and I think the work you do is excellent - easily of professional quality.

In fact it's probably better because as you say, your motivation is different to mine. When I'm working on a job I've always got one eye on the clock; I'm also preparing timber for the next job, planning the one after that, preparing quotes for future ones, going on appointments to see potential clients, taking phone calls from photocopier salesmen... the list goes on!

I am very lucky though, that I have been able to downsize my business in the last few months, shedding some big overheads including two staff, and can now approach my work in a way more akin to the way you approach your hobby. My total business costs now come to less than £100 per week.

Congratulations on finding a hobby in your retirement which you obviously love and at which you excel. I will just keep on working - because I've got the best job in the world!! :lol:


And no pension!

Cheers
Dan

 

[gidon]

LN - fantastic work! I really like it. It makes me jealous the amount of time you have for woodworking !!
By the way - did you just order the boards from Atkins and Cripps and get what you were given? Or were you able to sort through them yourself? Last time I got ABW they had to get it in. Also how do you find them pricing it all up - I find them a bit random which is frustrating.
Anyway enjoyed looking through that. Looking forward to the next project !
And Dan - it's really refreshing to hear a pro so positive about his job!
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Lord Nibbo]

LN - fantastic work! I really like it. It makes me jealous the amount of time you have for woodworking !!
By the way - did you just order the boards from Atkins and Cripps and get what you were given? Or were you able to sort through them yourself? Last time I got ABW they had to get it in. Also how do you find them pricing it all up - I find them a bit random which is frustrating.
Anyway enjoyed looking through that. Looking forward to the next project !
And Dan - it's really refreshing to hear a pro so positive about his job!
Cheers
Gidon

Yes I got what I was given. I ordered it from Cambridge expecting to collect it from Saltash just across the river from Plymouth but they delivered it and talking to the driver it had come from Oxford. Yes they are frustrating, every time I've ordered the actual delivery was more than ordered by as much as 10% but cubic foot price was as quoted. . The quality (Sapwood content) I had for the drawer unit was excellent, but for the cupboard unit I did get a lot of sapwood , maybe 20%. The best ever ABW I've had was from James Latham (Bristol Depot) for the HiFi unit, all 2 1/2" and less than 5% sapwood but boy was it expensive for 2 1/2".