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aceventura
22nd December 2018, 10:44 PM
Hi All. I am looking for someone in the field of Woodturning to help me with a small business project...creating spindles similar to that shown in the attached link.
https://www.cottageandbungalow.com/eff-efhspindle-bed.html
My questions are:
1. Does anyone on this forum have capacity / interest to do this kind of work, and if so, at what cost assuming I source the timber? Or does anyone have any recommendations? Any ideas about ballpark cost?
2. What kind of lathe is best suited to producing spindles like this? I assume you can get a lathe these days to program it for the result and it will produce that result reliably every time...if that’s right who are the reliable suppliers, what is the likely cost, and how easy would it be for me to find someone to use it to produce the product I want?
3. What kind of timber is best for this?

Any advice would be really appreciated!!!

woodPixel
22nd December 2018, 10:58 PM
How many are you after?

What you seek, if they are many, is a production turner.

If its only for the four, plus cross pieces, then a member with a long lathe capability can do this. Long lathes are expensive.

There are automated machine out there for everything. Endless turning of 50,000 spindles is no exception. The hassle lays in the programming and reliability of appropriate timber.

Even if you are seeking a fair number, say 100, then it would still be better to do these by hand.

If you are interested, this dude has an excellent video series on exactly this type of production: https://www.youtube.com/user/woodturner21/videos

woodPixel
22nd December 2018, 11:13 PM
Part 2....

(this is only my advice, there are others here who are absolute experts. I am a small items semi-production turner... amongst other things)

-- Looks like 90x90mm posts. These can be either laminated Tassie Oak or just "clear" pine. Clear is wood without any knots or nasties. These posts can be bought readily from every timber merchant in Melbourne (or bunnings...gak!)
-- Since its painted, the timber used is almost meaningless. It would be heresy to use The Good Stuff just to cover it up.
-- There is absolutely NOTHING technically complex about this job other than the inherent skills needs to turn deftly, quickly and sand appropriately.

When engaging with a production turner, it is best to supply your own timber. This avoids many arguments. You'll need spares, for invisible things lurk inside and one will spoil every now and then.

The turner will take your pattern and lay it out on a long stick with various marks. This reference stick shows all the beads and coves and where to begin/end any embellishment. There is no need for sub-millimetre accuracy. Even when side-by-side it is hard to tell good turning apart or find these kinds of errors. Separate them by two metres and they look exact.

Did I miss anything? I hope others can assist.

China
23rd December 2018, 01:01 AM
It would depend on quantity if you only want a few hundred then a production turner could do it if you are talking thousands then a turner with a CNC machine would be the way to or you could pick up a CNC machine for around $10,000

ian
23rd December 2018, 07:12 AM
It would depend on quantity if you ... are talking thousands then a turner with a CNC machine would be the way to or you could pick up a CNC machine for around $10,000where can you get a CNC lathe for $10,000?
and for thousands of spindles, would you also want an auto loading lathe?

ian
23rd December 2018, 07:29 AM
Hi All. I am looking for someone in the field of Woodturning to help me with a small business project...creating spindles similar to that shown in the attached link.
https://www.cottageandbungalow.com/eff-efhspindle-bed.html
My questions are:
1. Does anyone on this forum have capacity / interest to do this kind of work, and if so, at what cost assuming I source the timber? Or does anyone have any recommendations? Any ideas about ballpark cost?the item you have linked to is made in the US and priced in US dollars, and, as is normal for the US, the advertised cost excludes tax. A similar item made in Australia will -- to a first approximation -- cost about twice the US price and will also include GST. (Australian labour, transport, warehousing and retailing costs are about double (in some cases triple) those applying in the US.) So your $2895 USD item will have an indicative Australian sticker price of about $6000 to $6500.


I should add that large dimension timber -- as used for the long rails -- is more readily available in the US than Australia. (The headboard will be made by gluing narrower boards together.)
For example, the long rails look to be made from 250 x 50 pine boards. These cost about $5.00 (AUD) per lin.m from the US equivalent of Bunnings. In Australia similar boards cost about $15 per lin.m. at Bunnings. Prices from a timber wholesaler will be less but the scale of the price differential will be similar.


Lastly, it's a very long time since I bought a bed in Australia, but the bed you linked to seems to be designed for use with a mattress sitting on a "box spring" base. I don't know how common that sort of arrangement is in Australia.

Kuffy
23rd December 2018, 07:36 AM
This would be a good machine for the job of 10s-1000s. If only it had an extra 150mm between centers, ah well.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/URGENT-SALE-Copy-Lathe-Hempel-Ex-Cond-Can-freight/323596009606?hash=item4b57d34086:g:tXkAAOSw8Wdbj9gc:rk:2:pf:1&frcectupt=true

woodPixel
23rd December 2018, 06:01 PM
Hmmmm. I think an automated CNC lathe would be a mechanical marvel, but faster?

A good long bed lathe in the right hands would be mighty fast. Plus, even on the mostly-automated ones you still need a grunt to mount the wood, take it off, etc. So, you still have a salary.

I took a little time to read about the totally auto-loading ones. Wooowee, bet they'd cost a pretty penny! You'd want some serious unit output to justify that.

Seems a tamed production turned would be cheaper.

powderpost
23rd December 2018, 08:32 PM
PM sent.

Jim

ian
24th December 2018, 08:49 AM
Hmmmm. I think an automated CNC lathe would be a mechanical marvel ...

I took a little time to read about the totally auto-loading ones. Wooowee, bet they'd cost a pretty penny! You'd want some serious unit output to justify that.I believe that Lie Nielsen use CNC metal working lathes to produce their chisels -- which are milled from A2 bar stock.


A good long bed lathe in the right hands would be mighty fast. Plus, even on the mostly-automated ones you still need a grunt to mount the wood, take it off, etc. So, you still have a salary.

Seems a tamed production turned would be cheaper.totally agree

aceventura
25th December 2018, 01:22 AM
How many are you after?

What you seek, if they are many, is a production turner.

If its only for the four, plus cross pieces, then a member with a long lathe capability can do this. Long lathes are expensive.

There are automated machine out there for everything. Endless turning of 50,000 spindles is no exception. The hassle lays in the programming and reliability of appropriate timber.

Even if you are seeking a fair number, say 100, then it would still be better to do these by hand.

If you are interested, this dude has an excellent video series on exactly this type of production: https://www.youtube.com/user/woodturner21/videos

Thanks for this advice!!! Exactly the advice I was after!!

aceventura
25th December 2018, 01:25 AM
Damnit! I did have a discussion with a friend re: manufacturing costs are cheaper in the states but nonetheless I thought /hoped that the significant price tag for an item like this in the states reflects a big margin. This is disheartening news but very practical info - thanks a lot for your reply!!!

ian
25th December 2018, 05:57 AM
Damnit! I did have a discussion with a friend re: manufacturing costs are cheaper in the states but nonetheless I thought /hoped that the significant price tag for an item like this in the states reflects a big margin.
I have no idea what margin the US retailer is achieving on those turned beds.
On the basis that the scale of any margin is the same in Australia and the US then the sticker (selling) price in Australia will be a multiple of the US sticker price. If not, the Australian selling price could be less than what's been suggested.


For what it's worth, the US business model for those beds seems to involve a contracted furniture making business or a commission maker who makes the beds to order.
The forum user ElanJacobs used to work for a large scale Australian furniture maker who did commission and low volume production work. You may get a more favourable cost analysis answer from him.