Thread: First Job: Yay, well sort of...

You cannot undertake bespoke work at mass production prices. The table you are copying is a very basic design and for someone with access to cheap timber, could be done for the price, provided there were several tables to be made at the same time.
As a rule of thumb, bespoke usually means an increase in cost of approx 50% on a mass produced item. This figure is somewhat subjective as every project comes with its own complications.
Interestingly, when we take the figure suggested by the client and add the said 50% we come up with $3000. Now we are somewhere in the vicinity of what others on here have considered a reasonable price.
There is a large timber content in an item such as this and will represent a considerable variable dependent on the type of timber used, both in price and weight.
A mate of mine makes magnificent refractory tables from old oyster punts. The material is free to him, requiring his time to collect, denail, dress, etc. For him to go out and purchase timber he would have to increase his prices considerably. Probably to the extent of prohibitive.
An explanation to the client should accompany the quote. Do not be a Bleeding Heart. Offer options and improvements on design where possible...this alone will often win them over.
Remember, slavery is no longer acceptable.

I could be wrong but is that wood really oak? It doesn't look at all like oak and the text just says it's solid timber. The rift sawn parts don't show any of the really strong cathedral arching oak has and there are no medullary rays in sight. It looks to me like it's just 90x35mm pine - the kind used for framing. The table ends show the growth rings and it looks like all of them are cut really close to the center of the tree and all of the boards show very similar end grain. It looks a lot like this https://www.bunnings.com.au/90-x-35m...metre_p8404652 The knots also really look like pine knots.

I don't make my money doing woodworking but I'm pretty sure if you went with framing pine, stain, screws and glue instead of proper joinery, you'd make the table and benches in a weekend or two. The table and bench legs also just look like laminated 90x90mm pine.

Edit: I'm not advocating that bespoke should be cheap or the job should be done for no profit, just saying that making the table and benches out of framing pine would reduce the material cost to a few hundred dollars and leave enough for labor and a profit. If the client wants is dead set on oak, keep dreaming. My solid Tas Oak dining table (no chairs) from a big store was just over $2k, asking for bespoke table and benches from hardwood for that price is ludicrous.

I like that massive table on their website. It looks like it would be great to drink far too many beers around and get rowdy.

Looks oak to me.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

I like that massive table on their website. It looks like it would be great to drink far too many beers around and get rowdy.

Looks oak to me.

If you mean the oak trestle table, yes that looks like oak, but the 'Henry the Eight' dining table?

Thanks Ian

i got a quote back from Nina Kitchen at 1300 pounds which is about $2500 .

I thought the same about the Torsion box idea.

Thanks for the guidance on the hourly rate. I actually thought the going rate was about half that

Thanks Sir Stinkalot

I think you are right about people simply not knowing what things cost. I have examples of family members, who I only charge material costs, that decide in the end to go down the ikea path!!!!

Originally Posted by Bendigo Bob

I checked the photos on Nina's web site. that table is about 35mm thick with a 45-50mm apron around it to chunk it up.

The line between the top and apron is quite visible.

Makes a huge difference in material costs.

interesting, I put it at about 3 inches

Originally Posted by auscab

That table in the picture isn't Oak its Pine . It also isn't recovered that I can see, Its new wood .
And the construction is slapped together glued and screwed. Otherwise known as crap waiting to fall apart in a few years.
A quick flick through their other tables shows up some of the bad methods of joinery by the plugged up screw holes .
what looks like a through stretcher rail is a butted and screwed rail with a end grain piece added /screwed to look like its a through tenon.

Rob

Great eye there Rob

Thanks Alkahestic, You have a great eye too.

Originally Posted by Damienol

Thanks Ian

Thanks for the guidance on the hourly rate. I actually thought the going rate was about half that

As a rough rule of thumb, your hourly rate should be around 2 times what you intend to pay yourself. So $80 per hour would translate to around $40 per hour in your hand. For every hour you spend building a piece, you will spend another hour, if not more, sharpening tools, sourcing materials, cleaning up the shed, putting stuff away, delivering the finished product, etc. You can't really bill this unproductive time to the client so it becomes part of your overhead. Your hourly rate also covers the cost of consumables such as sand paper and such.