pren
Established Member
Hmm.
It would seem I've been a tad naieve/romantic in my opening statement/rant I think EdSutton put it best:
I have to be the worst person I know for going round places like MFI and tutting at the high prices of bog-standard chipboard furniture. I know that SWMBO gets a bit put out that I sometimes prevent her from buying a piece of furniture on the grounds that I can make if for much less, at better quality.
Then again, I don't charge myself an hourly rate. All the wee jobs I've done so far have been for friends and family, whom I would not dream of charging beyond material costs. I see it purely as a hobby and am grateful for any opportunities that arise from my friends to practice my 'art'. So far, all of my 'commissions' have been for those who cannot afford 'nice' things. I've stepped in to help them out where I can. Costs such as electric, screws, glue, wear and tear are not taken into account.
this budget fitted wardrobe project has so far taken approximately 16hrs (spread over a weekend and evenings). I guess if I were to add on, say, £15 per hr, my 'budget' unit might not look so attractive .
Hmm (again).
Plenty of food for thought. Still not entirely convinced that the aforementioned toybox or letters are worth their price for CNC machined MDF. Hand made: yes, as Dan Tovey illustrates. I guess it's all down to the overheads.
Hmm, hmm and hmm, some more.
Many thanks for the contributions. This is the sort of debate that shows off these forums in their best light. Professionals/experienced amateurs educating the village idiot without resorting to insults! :lol:
Cheers.
Bryn.
It would seem I've been a tad naieve/romantic in my opening statement/rant I think EdSutton put it best:
EdSutton":28nl4tj5 said:I think most of us hobby woodworkers go round this loop from time to time; its all too easy to look at a product someone else is offering and think 'I could do that cheaper / better'. But, as others have already said, once you allow yourself a reasonable hourly rate, amortise some of the cost of your workshop, tools etc and think about marketing the product and administrating the sales, the picture begins to look different. The cost of materials that one first considers as significant is, as Dan says, not massively relevant in the end.
I have to be the worst person I know for going round places like MFI and tutting at the high prices of bog-standard chipboard furniture. I know that SWMBO gets a bit put out that I sometimes prevent her from buying a piece of furniture on the grounds that I can make if for much less, at better quality.
Then again, I don't charge myself an hourly rate. All the wee jobs I've done so far have been for friends and family, whom I would not dream of charging beyond material costs. I see it purely as a hobby and am grateful for any opportunities that arise from my friends to practice my 'art'. So far, all of my 'commissions' have been for those who cannot afford 'nice' things. I've stepped in to help them out where I can. Costs such as electric, screws, glue, wear and tear are not taken into account.
this budget fitted wardrobe project has so far taken approximately 16hrs (spread over a weekend and evenings). I guess if I were to add on, say, £15 per hr, my 'budget' unit might not look so attractive .
Hmm (again).
Plenty of food for thought. Still not entirely convinced that the aforementioned toybox or letters are worth their price for CNC machined MDF. Hand made: yes, as Dan Tovey illustrates. I guess it's all down to the overheads.
Hmm, hmm and hmm, some more.
Many thanks for the contributions. This is the sort of debate that shows off these forums in their best light. Professionals/experienced amateurs educating the village idiot without resorting to insults! :lol:
Cheers.
Bryn.