First "real" project - a bit of smithed hardware for a cabinet job

[Fe-Wood]

This would be my first sale of hardware for a cabinet job I designed and built. I did it for a little over cost of materials and fuel. I thought the experience of doing a small "production job" would be more valuable than the money at this point. It was definitely an experience. It took me about 30 hours to make all the jigs fixtures and parts. I don't know if thats a good or bad amount of time for a project like this. Any feedback would be great

I go do the install Tomorrow...

[Steve Shimanek]

This would be my first sale of hardware for a cabinet job I designed and built. I did it for a little over cost of materials and fuel. I thought the experience of doing a small "production job" would be more valuable than the money at this point. It was definitely an experience. It took me about 30 hours to make all the jigs fixtures and parts. I don't know if thats a good or bad amount of time for a project like this. Any feedback would be great

I go do the install Tomorrow...

Just my opinion, but if your work is good enough to go out of the shop it should have an appropriate price tag on it; you may not mind working for free but that may be a minority view. Once you sell something cheap you are setting the market price for everyone in your area. And just think....there is always someone who will do it cheaper, making you compete against yourself and the cheaper guy! Set the bar high, deliver quality work, and expect a fair price for it. Just my thoughts.....good luck and thanks for sharing your work.....looks like a cool project.

[John B]

HiFe, I agree entirely with what steve says, you are selling yourself short, supplying hand made items at probably less than the equivalent whats available shop bought ones.

You have to have a 'realistic' price to start with, otherwise you will have difficulty achieving a sustainable/viable price further down the line.

You have given 30 hours of your life to make these, What price do you put on it.?

Learning is always a difficult time to factor into a job and I think most of us have had to live with that on our journey into the craft, however don't sell yourself short, at the end of the day its your lifestyle that is affected, so long as you and the client both are happy with the outcome, then thats a deal.

Nice looking job by the way.

[Mainely,Bob]

Really nice looking bit of work.We want to see pics of the completed project too of course!

Better brace yourself there Woody.Once the cabinet makers in your area find out you can make custom hardware they will be climbing thru the windows to place orders after you lock the doors.
If you liked doing the work,and price it where you can profit well,there`s money to be made along those lines of contact.
Hope you planned to make those hours you put into the jigs and fixtures pay off in production work.Those kitchen and bath designers are always looking for the next custom touch.Seriously.

[pkrankow]

It would be extra effort, but blind welding by drilling a hole in the flat would look a lot better than the booger on the edge of the scroll. You would have to either have better production control over the length of the scroll or drill each bracket to match the scroll.

Heck riveting is an option too.

Nice looking.

Phil

[Mainely,Bob]

It would be extra effort, but blind welding by drilling a hole in the flat would look a lot better than the booger on the edge of the scroll. You would have to either have better production control over the length of the scroll or drill each bracket to match the scroll.

Heck riveting is an option too.

Nice looking.

Phil

Gotta agree with Phil on that one.A hole in the flat bar behind the scroll and welded from behind sure would look cleaner and be far easier to clean the spatter off too.
Up here that technique is called a "French rivet". ;)

[Fe-Wood]

Thanks guys-
Typically I would totally agree about pricing the work appropriately. This job is for some of my very best friends. I saw it as an opportunity to learn a bit about jigging, production work and quality control and giving a really nice gift. I learned an enormous amount about all of it. For me it was worth the price. I did make the jigs stout enough to produce in quantity and I do have a shop that is interested in "custom" hardware.

Phil
I thought about "blind" welding but I felt I was seriously out of time. Adjusting the scrolls is easy- want it longer- make the curl a little straighter. The short one I did before I realized I needed to have a completed sample to compare too as I did the assembly.

So about the time it took me to make- How does it compare to what you guys would estimate? If I had to count only the hours to produce the product, I'd say about 22 to 24 hours.

[nuge]

So about the time it took me to make- How does it compare to what you guys would estimate? If I had to count only the hours to produce the product, I'd say about 22 to 24 hours.

All depends on your tools. If I had the dies for the center detail it would take maybe 8 to ten hours with my kit. Prolly ask $1200 or so. Not from a good friend though. More like Fifteen

The pulls are very nice.

[Rhyfelwr]

I never know what to ask for something unless I see a price online or at somebodies stand.. Its real hard starting out to figure out what to price something you craft.

Thats why I like posts like this.. You get everyones opinion..

Nice work.. I'd probably rivit, since I lack a welder..

[Fe-Wood]

I finished the installation today. Friends are super happy . My pockets happy too
I took a couple pictures of the finished product.

nuge- I was thinking something in that range would be about right. 6 drawer pulls and 12 shelf brackets for about $1600.00 If this hadn't been a learning curve job and I knew what I was doing and all my tools did what I told them too, I figured I should have come in some were on the 12-16 hour mark. I spent about 7 hours upsetting 40 ends only to realize I could get the same effect without doing that step. That time included all the tooling and fixtures- including a pair of tongs!

[Mainely,Bob]

I just gotta ask.
You have all that really nicely finished wood and that hand forged hardware in that room to include that really nice edge detail on that finely finished bottom shelf.

So what`s up with all the cheesy white formica?What was the interior designer thinking?Did they fall asleep half way thru the job or what?

Yank those top 2 shelves off those forged brackets and lay down some glass or something and put a real wood top on that desk.Slap the design guy and show him to the door!
While you`re at it get the painter to put the cover plate back over the outlets.
It`s a real shame the rest of the room doesn`t measure up to your hardware.

I hate waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep!

[Fe-Wood]

I just gotta ask.
You have all that really nicely finished wood and that hand forged hardware in that room to include that really nice edge detail on that finely finished bottom shelf.

So what`s up with all the cheesy white formica?What was the interior designer thinking?Did they fall asleep half way thru the job or what?

Yank those top 2 shelves off those forged brackets and lay down some glass or something and put a real wood top on that desk.Slap the design guy and show him to the door!
While you`re at it get the painter to put the cover plate back over the outlets.
It`s a real shame the rest of the room doesn`t measure up to your hardware.

I hate waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep!

I believe this is a case of thats what the customer wanted and the customer is ALWAYS right. BTW, I built and finished everything in the picture except for the walls, sans outlet covers..... This room is 11x11 and the previous builder, long gone by the way left 3 outlets w/o terminations and a bad taste in the home owners mouth :angry:

[Mainely,Bob]

I believe this is a case of thats what the customer wanted and the customer is ALWAYS right. BTW, I built and finished everything in the picture except for the walls, sans outlet covers..... This room is 11x11 and the previous builder, long gone by the way left 3 outlets w/o terminations and a bad taste in the home owners mouth

Your WWing skills are as finely honed as your smithing skills!Nice work all around.
Shame the customer`s taste doesn`t match your abilities.Isn`t it usually the case.
You pull out all the stops for a friend,make some killer stainless parts and make `em look like they were carved out of solid block of steel.Then polish them to a mirror shine and what does he do?He takes the scotchbrite to `em and throws `em on a flat black rat bike!:rolleyes:

[yaktelcom]

I would like to add something as far as pricing.

Most people don't really know what the price of things should be.
From what I have learned from my limited marketing is :

If you price something low people will think it is cheap or low quality. unless they are in the know.
The inverse to this is People think If it's priced high it must be good or high quality.
Also know where and to who you are selling.
Never sell anything of low or sub-standard quality unless it is so stated.(I would prefer no sub-standard)

Always get your time and costs from your material etc...
Its easier to bring the price down than take it up!

[maddog]

Those are nice. A graceful flowing design. I agree with the suggestion of rivets or plug welds (French rivits??? Fancy name means a fancy price ). If you have to explain to a customer why your stuff is better than Walmart's, visible arc welds are easy to point out. I've had that exact conversation. People outside the trade don't spot it but once you point it out to them it's glaringly obvious.

I would like to add something as far as pricing.

Most people don't really know what the price of things should be.
From what I have learned from my limited marketing is :

If you price something low people will think it is cheap or low quality. unless they are in the know.
The inverse to this is People think If it's priced high it must be good or high quality.
Also know where and to who you are selling.
Never sell anything of low or sub-standard quality unless it is so stated.(I would prefer no sub-standard)

Always get your time and costs from your material etc...
Its easier to bring the price down than take it up!

Completely agree. In fact if people are looking for something of quality they need to pay a high price otherwise they are uncomfortable. If someone offered you a Rolex watch for $50 what would your reaction be?

[yaktelcom]

I used to work for an aluminum ladder company as a QA, now I won't buy just any ladder. I even inspect them when I walk by even though I'm not buying one.