Hi all,
I need to buy a crib, but everything close to hand seems to suck ass. Babie's R Us, IKEA, etc, etc, etc. all crap, all cheap design and poor craftsmanship.
Where does one begin to look for people who make real furniture? I'm just west of Boston Mass.
I could have a whack at a set of plans as long as it wasn't too elaborate, but surely SOMEONE still makes furniture that doesn't come in flat pack with disposable allen wrenches?
TIA,
carl
$1K --> $2K
ballpark. be nice if it was one of those convertible deals, add rails to turn it into a bed, etc . hardwood/exotic wood production pieces from indonesia or whatever are $300-$800 on average, but i'd go a long way to buy something local, just on principle.
carl
Find a local hardwood dealer, and ask the guy behind the counter. The place I buy wood from sells stuff from hobbyists on consignment (and at a very good rate compared to the furniture stores, at that) and has a pretty good idea of what many of the customers are up to with the wood they buy from shop talk. They should be able to at least get you started.
Your next best bet is to stop off at construction sites and see if any of the guys build furniture- it's a crapshoot, but I know I do construction most of the time because most people seem to *want* the cheap crap from WalMart, and won't even pay for the price of the materials on a custom piece because they could buy Ikea-style stuff cheaper.
In Mass., you should be able to find plenty of folks. If not, I'll build and ship you whatever you need for the right price.
Try the nearest Woodcraft store--they offer classes and the instructor should be able to refer you to someone who can do that kind of work.
excellent advice, thank you.
what (if it's no trouble) would you estimate labor and materials for something like this at? lets say oak, something Shaker-ish, durable for a few hundred years - what about a small bureau also, two drawers, iron hardware?
i ask in all curiosity and defer to your judgement and opinion.
i do appreciate the offer.
carl
what (if it's no trouble) would you estimate labor and materials for
-Steve
Well, if you have time until the kid is born, you could try to check the ads for used cribs. We got a nice solid maple one that way. Although that was a long time ago, maybe all the good used stuff is gone now.
Why am I wasting my time making a living as a computer programmer when I could be rolling in dough as a woodworker? $4k for a bookcase?!
- Owen -
NO DOUBT!!! If I'm figuring right, and according to their prices, with my solid cherry bedroom suite, and entertainment center, and a walnut clock, I could be comfortably retired!!!
Ironic that a guy who once sued other cabinetmakers for building his designs, is now selling such stiff, lifeless designs seemingly devoid of the least hint of style. I offer for your consideration this tv cabinet:
compared to my own humble effort at a similar piece:
I suppose his customers may be comforted to know that they are paying for overhead, and whatever the good Mr. Mosers lifestyle may be, and that their good money isn't being thrown away on those awful designer type persons.
-- Timothy Juvenal
don't recall ever meeting a woodworker who was rolling in dough. Most cabinetmakers get paid about $6-12/hour in my area, unless they're the boss- and then they usually make a little less than that after the payments on the building, panel saws, CNC routers, edge bander, and other neccessaries that come along with needing to finish work on a deadline. Sure, there are $4000 bookcases, and sometimes people even buy them- but not as often as you'd like. You're more likely to get orders for 20 Ikea-style MDF boxes with some formica on them for $50 a pop. That nice bookshelf is an usually an odd job that pops up from time to time and is a little breather from whacking together boxes.
That isn't to say it's not a rewarding job- but I wouldn't be ogling the retail price. They're certainly making a profit, but I doubt it's as much as you might think.
Now that is the high priced spread.
Had a shop next door to boat yard that specialized in doing work for department store window displays.
Table saws, routers, chop saws, and nail guns were all that was needed to be in the window display cabinet business.
Home depot 18 wheeler showed up Friday afternoon with a full load of
3/4" MDF.Friday night till 11:00PM, 6:00AM to 11:00PM Sat and Sunday.
Music on the radio came in straight from Mexico.
Sometime Sunday night, out came the tequila, limes and salt.
Monday morning, everything shipped.
That went on twice a month for about 6 months.
To me, there is a better way to make a buck, to them, they were happy.
Lew
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.