Bookshelves - A Commission That Almost Got Me Committed....

So what ever happened to the jig to make the holes for the shelf pins you were going to tell us about????? LOL

-- Just another day in paradise.

Looks very nice! Those are the reasons I don’t work for money. It takes all the fun out of it.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Great job, Rob. Ditto what Gary said about woodworking for money. The same reason applies when people ask me why I don’t play piano professionally.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Join the club Rob, we all learn eventually, well some do. I still need a reminder every once in awhile, I’ll take on a job about once a year thinking this time I got my butt covered, and then end up kicking my self repeatedly for weeks afterwards. It can really wear on a guy after so many years of it. Nice job on the bookcases.

-- If you can't find the time to do it properly, how will you find the time to fix it ?

ill take all those commisions that you dont want !! lol well you did an exellent job you can certainly be proud of that .

OH the joys of going pro!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Came out nice.

Good advice.Since you don’t need it, just charge high and they can take it or leave it.

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

Hi Rob,

The job turned out nicely. Irrespective of what you charged, the client got their money’s worth. A friend of mine, who was a carpenter by trade had some sound advice for me about a similar subject. He told me he never turned business down but when faced with a job that he really didn’t want to do he simply tripled his normal price. Usually the client would move on to someone else but occasionally he would get a contract. But the higher commission for the job helped ease his angst at having to complete the job.

Getting commissions is a nice way to help supplement your woodworking expenses but you cease to work for yourself in the process and, as such, must adhere to their time lines. I have a great deal of respect to anyone who can do this. It is just not for me.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Great advice. I’ve been planning alot of projects lately mostly for my wife and I always get her approval on the project plans before I even buy the wood. (She changes her mind alot). I did find that drawing them up on Sketch Up in the proper way makes a great way to estimate the amount of wood I would need. Then I just figure out what type of wood I want to make it and I get a pretty close price on the materials. It’s the labor that I can’t charge for. The best I get is a happy wife!!

Sounded tough, but you did a really nice job Rob. They must have been absolutely delighted with the finished product. I do have a question as I know you’ve done this stuff before. What method do you use to attach the hardwood front edge to your shelves?? Do you use a joint, like tongue & groove or do you just glue them up? LOL, maybe a good forum topic huh? Just courious.

-- Jim Hallada, Chesterfield, VA

We live, we learn ?........when I first joined LJ I read about your plight.

This saves both time and money forthe next time? should there be one?

not to say this is the right way, or the only way because it isnt.

break the piece into components where ever possible, with the least amountof sub assemblies as possible while considering how you move them around so….....

A seperate base sub assembly. Easy to carry in, easy to level, easy to scribe to the floor and or wall.

leave the stiles between cabinets seperate. I love biscuits for this very reason. I would make the rails on all the shelves fixed and stop them where they meet the gables/sides. By cookie cutting the stiles to one or both gables you can put two cabinets on the base, apply glue to stile and use masking tape or clamping device to secure it to both gables and work your way down. It looks exactly the same, its quicker and will last just as long. Same for the top crown…............a seperate assembly that you simply place on top and secure.

If I were you I would be proud of this project. It looks good.

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

Rob, I enjoyed reading about your challenges making this project, and I also enjoyed seeing the finished result. Great work, and good learning…you can’t beat that!

-- Robb

i think rob has brought up a subject that would make a topic for a forum entry . a lot of hobby wood workers are tempted to do what he did as a way to buy new or bigger tools for their hobby . or are considering taking the leap from hobby to business . i would personally dissagree with the triple your price and they can take it or leave it method . that could have an adverse effect on your reputation . i never value my paycheck over my reputation . i dont underestimate my customer he may have no clue how to build his own bookcase but that dosnt mean he dont know what one should cost . again this could be a very interesting thread and informative to others like rob my 2 scents thanks

That piece came out beautifully! Despite the hassle you should be proud that you finished it and the customer liked it! As far as what you said about getting paid..I agree. I love woodworking but when I worked at a cabinet shop it took all the fun out of it…it became a job…something I had to do rather than wanted to do…got stuck making things I didn’t want to for people that didn’t appreciate the work I put into it. I moved from the production floor into the design studio and I liked that allot better. At least then I had more influence on what was being built!

-- Women love me.....trees fear me

We’re planning out a number of such installations in our new house, and I’ve been looking around at various places on the net to try to figure out the right way to build such things, and in the process I’ve found a number of professionals who say that their ballpark starting number for built-in cabinets is a thousand bucks per foot of wall.

I think those of us who play with wood on our own way underestimate what it’d cost to make a profit on a project, by the time you add in equipment amortization and true labor costs and all of that it costs a heck of a lot more than we just off-the-cuff guess.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Don’t get discouraged we all get jobs like this and not just one either, I’ve had several and I’m sure there’s another one coming soon. You probably learned enough on this one to make the next bookcase go much smoother on you and the family. So hang in there!
As far as working for money, I don’t agree with Gary, (who should be charging a premium, he’s our LJ’s champion).
Unless you’re just working for friends and family, which is something I try and avoid if possible. We’re craftsmen and our time is valuable, especially if we have families.
I found out that most people play games with you so I’ve learned to play their game back. Lets say I want $5,000 for a job, they’ll ask if I can do it for $2,500. (A furniture store won’t haggle, why should we)
So what I do is if I want $5,000 for the job I’ll tell them $7,000, Then they’ll say well how about $5,000 and I’ll moan and groan and do it for $5,500. It’s a win win and everybody’s happy. Remember you can always go down in price to get the job but you can never go up. As far as working for contractors, well that’s another story for a different topic, be careful!

-- Illegitimis nil carborundum - Don't let the bastards grind you down http://woodworkingtipsfrompop.com

well it is gorgeous!!!
Sounds like you are glad it is done, though.

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Really nice job, I know what you mean when you start taking money for your work that’s what happens, it turns into work. But he came out looking great be proud of it.

Pictures for your scrapbook to show your “next” customer why you should get top dollar for your craftsmanship , is what I see here . They are beautiful and I love the color and the finish as well : )

I was told that I should be selling my “hobby goodies ” after giving away almost everything that I used to make for fun . Now when I quote a price to a customer , they either take it or leave it…often telling me what a like item would cost at WalMart….I hold back on the laughter as much as I can and point them in the direction of the closest WM store so they can purchase their very own $5 cutting board made out of who knows what and by who knows who and see if WM offers a life time guarantee to them….. 9 out of 10 come back to see me and I really didn’t want the 10th ones business any way ! : ) You can always lower your price , but not your standards , my friend : ) Have a great weekend and keep making your fine furniture .

-- Dusty56@comcast.net