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Woodworking

really like the shaker style table
building the stuff is obviously not going to be your problem

how do you propose to go about marketing it?
 
justabubba said:
really like the shaker style table
building the stuff is obviously not going to be your problem

how do you propose to go about marketing it?
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I am not sure. Most of the items I make are one of a kind, I dont have any drawings or sketches to go by, I just get a picture in my mind and go with it.

I put some of the items I make on Craigslist but I dont get many replies if any...
 
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Well, got the table stained - 2 coats of Mahogany then put through the aging process to give it that "old" look, now to let it dry a few days and give it a few coats of polyethylene.

Still trying to think where I can sell these. Any ideas?
 
Imnukingfutz said:
View attachment 67141144View attachment 67141145

Well, got the table stained - 2 coats of Mahogany then put through the aging process to give it that "old" look, now to let it dry a few days and give it a few coats of polyethylene.

Still trying to think where I can sell these. Any ideas?
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We have a local place that sells wood-burning stoves, BBQ's, outdoor fireplaces, and outdoor furniture. It would fit into that theme, pretty well, I'd think.
 
Definitely. That's some really nice work you do, there.

But as others said, you aren't going to be able to compete with cheapie mass production companies in terms of price. It would be important how you market yourself. Maybe start out with smaller products with smaller price tags and work your way up as your reputation builds.
 
SmokeAndMirrors said:
Definitely. That's some really nice work you do, there.

But as others said, you aren't going to be able to compete with cheapie mass production companies in terms of price. It would be important how you market yourself. Maybe start out with smaller products with smaller price tags and work your way up as your reputation builds.
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Surprisingly after seeing what places like Home Depot & Lowe's sell their out door tables for I should be able to destroy their prices. HD has a similar table to mine (wooden slat - rectangle) and they want $229 for it and it is the cheezy spray on finish, I was asking $135 for this unfinished, with the finish I am thinking of $175....now I might just rethink my pricing.

In materials I only have about $40 into it, $60 with the finish. Now that I have the pattern made & tweeked I can make 5 or 6 a week easily...unfinished.
 
SmokeAndMirrors said:
Definitely. That's some really nice work you do, there.

But as others said, you aren't going to be able to compete with cheapie mass production companies in terms of price. It would be important how you market yourself. Maybe start out with smaller products with smaller price tags and work your way up as your reputation builds.
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Thats a good idea, we have 2 places like that here where I live....thanks for the tip.
 
My furniture has been picked up by Custommade.com and is available for purchase on their site.

Its a site that lets people who want specific things made put their requests and have artisans from all over the country bid on the project...I have been a member there for a while. NOW I qualified as a maker where people can go to buy my things....I am so happy...LOL
 
Imnukingfutz said:
My furniture has been picked up by Custommade.com and is available for purchase on their site.

Its a site that lets people who want specific things made put their requests and have artisans from all over the country bid on the project...I have been a member there for a while. NOW I qualified as a maker where people can go to buy my things....I am so happy...LOL
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Excellent!!


....and congratulations....now go make some money!!
 
The art of marquetry would be an option. Have you thought about that or ever made any?
 
Have you considered custom PC case/desks? On another forum I visit a member just build one for themselves and had interest from the community in purchasing some.


Here is what I am talking about (built by Persin all credit goes to him):

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I have had many similar ideas in the past but lacked the equipment and knowledge to build them. If you google around you can find several different approaches and interesting designs. I think it is a neat idea and would like to something similar myself.
 
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Baralis said:
Have you considered custom PC case/desks? On another forum I visit a member just build one for themselves and had interest from the community in purchasing some.


Here is what I am talking about (built by Persin all credit goes to him):


I have had many similar ideas in the past but lacked the equipment and knowledge to build them. If you google around you can find several different approaches and interesting designs. I think it is a neat idea and would like to something similar myself.
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Nice double taper on those desk legs.

Yea, they are nice, I saw a set of pics of a guy who made a coffee table PC. His had a flap that opened and a monitor that was on a spring loaded platform with small shock absorbers. He flipped the thin lid and pressed the top of the monitor and it rose up slowly from the table. The key board & mouse were wireless. He had a coax run through the floor into the table and then ran an HDMI cord back down through the hole under the table to the basement then up through the wall to his TV. Not the greatest wood craftsmanship but what he lacked in that department he more than made up in his technology skills.

A completely bad assed system.

It can be found on The Chive.
 
66gardeners said:
The art of marquetry would be an option. Have you thought about that or ever made any?
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Oh hell no. Thats a skill I wont even dare to try yet...that is insane skill....Im still working on double wood inlay and laminating. My skill is with raw wood. I just took my first raw log and milled it down to make a jewelry box for my wife. Red oak is a bitch to mill without the proper tools. I only have a 12" Delta Industrial table saw not a log ripper.....yet.

Cudos to those that have mastered that skill.
 
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My newest project - 12' X 3' Plank Trestle table made out of 200 year old white oak.

what the table started as.webp6 - hand carved mortise & tenon joints.webpthickness of the table top.webptest for color.webpLeg section stained.webp
 
I love wood working too. It's a touchy, sensitive market, and you'll be competing with mass produced marketers who use asian stink wood for tables and crap that cost less than the lumber you'll need to buy in the kitchen cabinet market. So choose what you build carefully. If you're going to build one-offs, as you do now, you should still do drawings - that's just my advice. I do the same, and sell them without too much trouble. What I've found and others will tell you is to build what you like. If you can please yourself, you're likely to please others with your work as well. And it's fun. There are other wood workers here at DP. I'm certain you can get some good advice. Good luck.
 
Absolutely. Those items are beautiful. But I don't know if you could make an income from it, after expenses. Like so many things these days, small businesses are in competition with the big box stores, where things are imported (even hand made items) from other countries that pay its workers slave wages.

So it depends on how much you'd charge, how you would market the items, where you live, etc.

I esp love the molding. As for me, I'm too frugal to pay for hand made items like this, though. I would go the big box route, simply because I couldn't really afford to spend much more than that. Here in Dallas, though, there are a lot of up-scale homes where I think the owners would pay for hand made items like yours. I have a friend who just bought a hand made coffee table off the internet. It was pretty expensive. That's his thing...high quality hand made furniture and such.
 
Be careful, don't turn a fun hobby in to a job.
 
Maybe the niche could be making accessory/accent pieces that are unique but blend well with the existing furniture.
 
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