View Full Version : Could you make a _______? Just for me?
and the answer is: it depends.
on who you are (i'm not a business, i'm a private individual with some skills and tools)
on what you want and when you want it. again, see above. i'm not obligated by any law of man to serve everyone who calls me and asks to have something done. I am constrained by God's law to love my neighbor, but that too does not require me to give away what i don't have.
a very good friend emails me last week, her uncle passed away way too young, and two other people had bailed on making her a cremation urn/box. I had made her something previously for her doggie, so she knew I could do this. funerals don't wait, they happen pretty quickly. same for babies, they don't wait, they are coming, whether you are ready or not.
but someone who wants something, as opposed to needs something - that's a different category. i want a lot of things, but i don't go around demanding others give me what i want. i either save up to get what i want, or i do without, or i change what i want to meet my means, or i make it myself.
my hobby of woodworking is a money losing operation. when you count the cost of all the tools and stuff, the cost of the shop :faint:, and the cost of fetching lumber and shipping things hither and yon, if i live to 100, i'll still be underwater money wise.
but it gives me pleasure to make things for myself, and for others now and then.
end of rant.
:DAB:
simpleman68
07-04-2018, 6:00pm
I hear ya but I don't get frustrated anymore.
I just ask them what they want and tell them the approx price range and they usually just say, "oh". :lol:
I've been through that more than a few times when people come to our theater for the first time and ask me if I'd help them do a similar build.
Most folks just don't understand the effort and materials involved as they've never done it.
I would bill somebody $90-100k to replicate the build but they usually figure it could be done for $15-20k :lol:
Scott
the cremation box i just wrapped up, had about $100 of materials (lumber isn't cheap!)(neither is hardware) and direct costs (like gas to/from the store). i didn't keep track, but i started last monday, got done today, so that's 10 days end to end. 1-3 hours each day in the shop, so likely at least 10 hours of my direct time, not including "thinking about it" time. even at $50/hr, that's $600 total.
oh.....
the lady who asked for this...they are a young couple, shooting buddies, they aren't drowning in money. they work hard, but they don't rake it in like some basketball player or executive. so i can afford such a thing now and then and not dip into Mrs. DAB's grocery money. so i did.
did some googling last week. similar boxes ran from $70 up to $800. i'm sure the funeral home had some on offer for a pretty penny.
if some stranger sees this, and wants a copy...... well, it won't be a gift. it'll be north of $600.
I hear ya but I don't get frustrated anymore.
I just ask them what they want and tell them the approx price range and they usually just say, "oh". :lol:
I've been through that more than a few times when people come to our theater for the first time and ask me if I'd help them do a similar build.
Most folks just don't understand the effort and materials involved as they've never done it.
I would bill somebody $90-100k to replicate the build but they usually figure it could be done for $15-20k :lol:
Scott
you build theatre sets?
tell us more.
simpleman68
07-04-2018, 6:27pm
you build theatre sets?
tell us more.
I've been doing construction/remodeling for the last 20 years as a side business.
We buy fixer-upper homes and redo wiring, plumbing, framing, drywall etc.
and then rent them out instead of selling. Tenants that are paying down my mortgages, all small, are part of my retirement plan.
Before that I spent a decade working with and learning from licensed electricians, plumbers and frame/trim guys.
I am a huge AV nut and built a nice basement theater that we use 3-4 nights a week.
Scott
https://i.imgur.com/P0APXm0h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JC1uIrFh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Nj612qOh.jpg
Shot with the new speakers instead of the little originals.
https://i.imgur.com/gEr8yuEh.jpg
i remember that basement redo. :faint:
i turned the scraps you sent me into several nice items, including a jewelry box for Mrs. DAB and another box for myself and my branding irons. most of the lacewood is gone, still have a few pieces of wenge.
thank you so much again for those. not woods i would have searched out and gotten on my own.
i love Mrs. DAB, but not $30/BF worth! :slap:
last time at the hardwood lumber store, they had a pile of Zebra wood. :faint: $25/BF.
write me a big enough check, and i'll make you something really nice out of it. but i'm not going to stock that stuff on spec. i stock some maple, walnut, and cherry, but that's about it. and only a few boards of each. bigger project? road trip!
JRD77VET
07-04-2018, 6:44pm
I hear ya but I don't get frustrated anymore.
I just ask them what they want and tell them the approx price range and they usually just say, "oh". :lol:
I've been through that more than a few times when people come to our theater for the first time and ask me if I'd help them do a similar build.
Most folks just don't understand the effort and materials involved as they've never done it.
I would bill somebody $90-100k to replicate the build but they usually figure it could be done for $15-20k :lol:
Scott
:iagree: As a machinist, it seems the street rodders want custom items at JC Whitney prices
:iagree: As a machinist, it seems the street rodders want custom items at JC Whitney prices
"it's just metal...." :slap:
fine, do it yourself. :rofl:
believe it or not, many things that people want.....are made everyday by others who have perfected making these things in large quantities. affordable? depends on what that is for you. they want to make a profit too. nothing wrong with making a profit. doing so allows you to give away your money or your time to those in real need. otherwise, you too are a poor beggar looking for mercy from others.
"it's just a _____" well, then, you'll have no trouble making it yourself just the way you want it. have a nice day. :DAB:
JRD77VET
07-04-2018, 7:00pm
:iagree:
They fail to take into account the thousands of dollars of tools and tooling plus decades of experience that "make it look easy".
GRN ENVY
07-04-2018, 7:11pm
Sorry Doug, Didn't mean to offend you.
A simple, i'm not interested in doing the project would have been sufficient......
From your previous posts and history you've mentioned that money you do take in exchange for goods and services buys you lumbar and ammo. I'd rather support friends and their ventures no matter how big or small, over the big box retailer. Plus your work speaks for itself.
Again didn't mean to step on your toes. :cert:
simpleman68
07-04-2018, 7:26pm
i remember that basement redo. :faint:
i turned the scraps you sent me into several nice items, including a jewelry box for Mrs. DAB and another box for myself and my branding irons. most of the lacewood is gone, still have a few pieces of wenge.
thank you so much again for those. not woods i would have searched out and gotten on my own.
i love Mrs. DAB, but not $30/BF worth! :slap:
last time at the hardwood lumber store, they had a pile of Zebra wood. :faint: $25/BF.
write me a big enough check, and i'll make you something really nice out of it. but i'm not going to stock that stuff on spec. i stock some maple, walnut, and cherry, but that's about it. and only a few boards of each. bigger project? road trip!
I was stoked that you would be able to use scraps that I could not.
That lacewood is beautiful stuff.
The new projector that went into the theater last month is pretty awesome. Amazing what technology is doing with image quality, particularly with projectors vs back-lit tvs.
Scott
This was taken with my cellphone in a dark room. The screen is about 12' long and 7.5' high.
Did I mention I'm an AV nut? :lol:
https://i.imgur.com/4xfSCAyh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hIk3Lib.jpg
Sorry Doug, Didn't mean to offend you.
A simple, i'm not interested in doing the project would have been sufficient......
From your previous posts and history you've mentioned that money you do take in exchange for goods and services buys you lumbar and ammo. I'd rather support friends and their ventures no matter how big or small, over the big box retailer. Plus your work speaks for itself.
Again didn't mean to step on your toes. :cert:
:cert:
Not stepping on my toes.
Just giving you my perspective on things.
Millenium Vette
07-04-2018, 10:27pm
i turned the scraps you sent me ............still have a few pieces of wenge.......
https://i.imgur.com/h9MXvU9.jpg
Wow, I have some of Scott's wood in my W.
.........Wait, that don't sound right......:leaving:
This was a fun project. I gave Douglas no input and said surprise me.
Thread here (https://www.thevettebarn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115277&highlight=bandsaw)
https://i.imgur.com/h9MXvU9.jpg
Wow, I have some of Scott's wood in my W.
.........Wait, that don't sound right......:leaving:
This was a fun project. I gave Douglas no input and said surprise me.
Thread here (https://www.thevettebarn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115277&highlight=bandsaw)
Yup, that’s where that wenge came from. Well traveled.
Blademaker
07-05-2018, 7:46am
Know the deal....Kinda like when someone hands me a file and wants a knife made out of it. Or 2 or 3 leaf springs, and they want me to make them a damascus knife with it.
Or they ask for a reject blade from my shop. This aggravates the hell outta me.
The common denominator in this is they all want it for free,.....something for nothing.
“It’s just scrap material..”
Yes, that still requires effort.
Know the deal....Kinda like when someone hands me a file and wants a knife made out of it. Or 2 or 3 leaf springs, and they want me to make them a damascus knife with it.
Or they ask for a reject blade from my shop. This aggravates the hell outta me.
The common denominator in this is they all want it for free,.....something for nothing.
now i wouldn't do that.....
no..... that would be rude.
nah, i'd get some iron ore from up north, about 10 lbs should do if it's the good stuff, and i'd let you show off your chops by reducing the pile to iron, then to steel, and then form to a beautiful knife.
:dance::dance: :rofl::rofl: :leaving:
i think Steve would agree with this general point:
we are both retired, but enjoy doing our hobbies as time and money permit. me, woodworking, Steve metal working (sharp things). it gives us a chance to be creative, to try new things, to make something of beauty and utility with our hands, on a time schedule of our choosing (Psst - Bladeshow is 11 months away).
we have both done the "working for the man" thing previously, where you had little control over what you did day to day. you had to show up when told, go where told, do what told, and do it in a manner of their choosing.
not anymore.
we have both spent many years and many dollars on our respective hobbies. and when we make something for someone, it's really nice to get a return on our investment of time and talent. it validates what we are doing in our shops.
we likely don't need the money to buy groceries, but it's an acknowledgement by others that we are doing good work.
but i, and i suspect Steve, don't like cranking out the same thing every day, over and over like some mini-factory. there are factories for such things. we like doing unique things. that show off our skills and challenge our abilities. sometimes we fail. you rarely see those results. and they end up as a nice winter fire on this end.
:DAB::DAB:
Blademaker
07-05-2018, 10:47am
.....i think Steve would agree with this general point:
we are both retired, but enjoy doing our hobbies as time and money permit. me, woodworking, Steve metal working (sharp things). it gives us a chance to be creative, to try new things, to make something of beauty and utility with our hands, on a time schedule of our choosing (Psst - Bladeshow is 11 months away).
Lol....Don't I know it. This will be, more than likely the last Blade Show I set up at. Reason being is fairly simple. The Blade Show has grown too big, IMHO. That, and the fact that CNC mills have come down in price, lotta people buying them and cranking out what we call "Mid-Tec" cutlery, and charging more than a lot of handmade.
we have both done the "working for the man" thing previously, where you had little control over what you did day to day. you had to show up when told, go where told, do what told, and do it in a manner of their choosing.
Truth be told, I was self employed my whole life, did whatever I had to do to make the business a success. I sold the business 'cos the burglaries and stick ups were occurring more frequently. That and "The Man"/.Gov was making serious $$$ off of me and giving it to the lazy and stupid.
not anymore. Understatement.
we have both spent many years and many dollars on our respective hobbies. and when we make something for someone, it's really nice to get a return on our investment of time and talent. it validates what we are doing in our shops.
we likely don't need the money to buy groceries, but it's an acknowledgement by others that we are doing good work.
This.
The last thing I need/want is another job. Any $$$ I make selling a knife pays for some of my bad habits.
Tattoos, sip of good whisky, replacing guns and ammo lost in the ocean.....
but i, and i suspect Steve, don't like cranking out the same thing every day, over and over like some mini-factory. there are factories for such things. we like doing unique things. that show off our skills and challenge our abilities. sometimes we fail. you rarely see those results. and they end up as a nice winter fire on this end.
Bingo.
I turned down an order for 50 knives years ago. Same pattern.....over and over again.
Pass.
The last 3 Kitchen knives I made that I rejected,.....Two were stress tested to see what I did wrong. The last serves as a temp plate for future models. (Too soft, tried a new quenching technique using oil hardening steel.)
:DAB::DAB:
Stevedore
07-05-2018, 11:45am
As an amateur/hobby woodworker for 50+ years, you know what annoys me? When someone sees something I made in my shop, after many hours, maybe with some loss of blood & a possible trip to the emergency room, & they say something like "That's nice & all, but you have the tools. I wish I had the tools; I could make things like that too." Or, "I could do that, but I just don't have the time." :cuss:
Ol Timer
07-05-2018, 11:52am
As an amateur/hobby woodworker for 50+ years, you know what annoys me? When someone sees something I made in my shop, after many hours, maybe with some loss of blood & a possible trip to the emergency room, & they say something like "That's nice & all, but you have the tools. I wish I had the tools; I could make things like that too." Or, "I could do that, but I just don't have the time." :cuss:
That's like the chef that prepared a meal for his guests. After the meal, one of the guests replied, "That was a great meal. You must have some really nice kitchenware."
:cert:
Offer me enough, and I’ll pick up my pencil again.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/05/private-payrolls-grow-by-177k-in-june-vs-190k-estimate.html
As an amateur/hobby woodworker for 50+ years, you know what annoys me? When someone sees something I made in my shop, after many hours, maybe with some loss of blood & a possible trip to the emergency room, & they say something like "That's nice & all, but you have the tools. I wish I had the tools; I could make things like that too." Or, "I could do that, but I just don't have the time." :cuss:
or:
"it's not fancy enough"
:slap:
yeah, that was a fun episode. lost about $300 on that deal. :kick:
Black94lt1
07-05-2018, 6:11pm
I stopped doing woodworking for the most part about 10 years ago and got into metal work. The pieces I make are for friends that represent things that are meaningful to them and can’t be bought from a big box store. They all know my approach, I work at my own pace and my change their design based on available materials and tools, and you will get it when it’s done no time guarantees :D
I stopped doing woodworking for the most part about 10 years ago and got into metal work. The pieces I make are for friends that represent things that are meaningful to them and can’t be bought from a big box store. They all know my approach, I work at my own pace and my change their design based on available materials and tools, and you will get it when it’s done no time guarantees :D
as i've written before, i looked into starting a business (profit making) a few years ago, but the taxes, fees, and paperwork were ridiculous. so i passed on it.
like the big W i made some time ago, i got contacted by someone here, he had a unique idea in mind, let me have free reign over the details, and he got it when it was done, and sent me a generous amount. i like those kind of things.
but i'll do it on my pace and of things of my choosing.
Black94lt1
07-05-2018, 6:27pm
and sent me a generous amount.
I forgot to add all I charge is the cost of the materials, any leftovers are mine for my projects :)
JRD77VET
07-05-2018, 7:27pm
as i've written before, i looked into starting a business (profit making) a few years ago, but the taxes, fees, and paperwork were ridiculous. so i passed on it.
like the big W i made some time ago, i got contacted by someone here, he had a unique idea in mind, let me have free reign over the details, and he got it when it was done, and sent me a generous amount. i like those kind of things.
but i'll do it on my pace and of things of my choosing.
Barter system works too
Doug has one of one of custom designed belt buckles. All stainless steel, hand fitted, welded and finished. At least 10 hours of work time put into it.
In trade I got a custom cutting board. :seasix:
He's happy, I'm happy :yesnod:
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