Play Time

[The WoodButcher]

Man,... this stuff is fun, think I'm gonna cover my yard with it.

[RandyJ]

I thought it looked great with just the back on it but the armrests really make it special. Great job, Randy!
Ah, when can I come pick it up

[Bas]

Wow, putting the side railings on really makes it look spiffy! Time for some construction details - how do you make the holes, and prep the legs/ spindles? Shaving horse/ drawknive or chainsaw/ belt sander?

[The WoodButcher]

Hi All, I use the logman tenon maker and forstner bit fer the holes. I love this stuff and always though it would be ez to do. Now that I see how fast it all goes together, I'm gonna make all kinds of cool stuff and hang little tags from it that tell people just how proud of it I am So far everybody that see's it say's "I WANT ONE" but I just can't seem to let it go for $15.00 or $20.00 though. Any body got any Ideas what something like this would go for with a finish on it?

[Mike Davis]

I had a friend that made experiment machines, when somebody needed a machine to experiment on something they would call him. He made all kinds of things like a machine that would test artificial teeth and other crazy things.

He charged ten dollars a part for making the machines. some parts would be large and highly machined and other parts might be just a screw. At ten dollars a part he figured it all worked out.

I count 21 parts in your bench so that would be $210, simple huh?


If that's not enough put in a couple extra braces.

[cptully]

I'd go to the nearest outdoor furniture store look at the closest match (massing and rustic nature) bench you can find. Check it's price and then set your prices.

The other approach is to work out cost of materials and time to manufacture. Cost your time at $50/hour minimum and there's your price.... You may be surprised at how much that adds up!

Chris Tully

[Gotcha6]

Where's the cup holders?

[Bas]

Everyone loves rustic furniture. But nobody is willing to pay a premium price for it. I wouldn't finish it, other than letting nature stain it (birds, tree sap...). The cedar will hold up pretty well on its own, and finishing is a LOT of work.

You may have most luck selling it as a "kit". Give people the feeling they're doing woodworking without to really do woodworking. No idea what you can charge, it all depends. I'd start with $100 for the bench and $35 for the table ($125 if you buy the set ) Provided you feel that's sufficient compensation for your efforts. Doing mass production make take the fun out of it, which means you need more money to compensate.

[The WoodButcher]

Dang Dennis, I build ya a nice place ta sit and now ya want cup holders, I drank hard for 35 years and I never had any trouble holding my beer.

[ptt49er]

I'll have to talk to my boss man, we had some Chinese made log style furniture made from fir come in and he really liked it. Once you get a price on the set let me know and I'll try to broker the deal. I won't even charge you commission for selling it.

[The WoodButcher]

Wow Bas, I bet you would be my first customer huh? At that price, I better just sell the lumber That bench is 8" thick X 17"wide and 8' long. Think I'm gonna have to find me a new pricing advisor. Dang, that gives me a headache in the eye.

[Gotcha6]

I never did do much fishin' so I never learned how to drink much either. I need cup holders! This does look like a good sales source for some of the cedars you'd cut that wouldn't quite be good lumber grade, though. I know when we sell off lumber for clear cutting to someone like Edwards for pallets they don't even want the cedars. Sweet gum, yes, but not cedar. Go figure.

[Trent Mason]

Randy,

I like the bench and the table. I've seen some at a place here locally going for 4 or 5 hundred dollars. Those were made out of something exotic though. Very nice! Sell 'em!

Trent

[Bas]

Originally Posted by The WoodButcher

Wow Bas, I bet you would be my first customer huh? At that price, I better just sell the lumber

That's exactly the point. It's not the value of the material or bench, it's what people are willing to pay. Take laptops. A mid-range laptop cost $899. It cost $899 three years ago and it will cost $899 three years from now. They just keep modifying the stuff they put in 'em to get to $899. Because that is what people are willing to pay. There are lots of products like that.

For a bench, people are willing to pay $100 - $150. Just look at what they have at Home Depot. Or Wal-Mart. Never mind that a slab of cedar looks nicer and lasts longer. The problem is, probably the only people that will appreciate it, and are willing to pay a fair price are woodworkers. And they'll be like - cool, I can do that myself... Of course, if you're famous, people will pay good money for stuff that's useless.

But, I could be all wrong about this. If I knew what's what, I'd be retired by now Maybe the key is overpricing it. $1600 for the bench, $340 for the table.

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by The WoodButcher

Personally I like the torch, how much for the torch?