Replies

1. 
   citrouille | Sep 18, 2006 12:48am | #1

   Charge by the hour.

   C,

2. 
   pins | Sep 18, 2006 01:30am | #2

   You didn't mention if the lumber is new or used. If its used make sure that your friend knows that if you hit a nail he pays for a set of planer blades.

   I agree that you should charge by the hour and insist that he help you do the 'grunt' work. He'll take some load off you and see that you are earning your $.

   And do not make any commitment until you see the lumber. If its rough sawn you could need more than three passes unless you have a gorilla planer. Band milled generally requires less milling.

   John

3. 
   mbholden | Sep 18, 2006 01:34am | #3

   I agree, charge by the hour.

   Shop time in SE Michigan runs 42-45$ per hour.

   Dont forget, that enough wood to do a floor, is probably enough to require at least sharpening, if not replacement, of planer blades.

   What are you going to do with that much sawdust? Amateurs dont often generate that much at one time, so it will be a concern. Make sure you have enough bags for your dust collector before you start.

   Finally, since you will be doing this after work, do not overtire yourself and possibly hurt yourself. Leave enough time to do the work, without having to work exhausted. Safety First!

   Finally, enjoy the job, you are getting paid to do what you would do for free (although in smaller doses (grin))

   Mike

4. 
   SgianDubh | Sep 18, 2006 03:20am | #4

   I charge the equivelant of 15 board feet per hour to get wood from rough sawn to the requisite dimensions square and true on all four sides and cut to random lengths. (I say equivelant because here we work in cubic feet and cubic metres, so 1 cubic foot is charged out at 0.8hrs.)

   So, for example, 200 bf = 13.5 hours times your hourly rate, and 325 bf = 22 hours, etc.. Slainte.

   Richard Jones Furniture

5. 
   GHR | Sep 18, 2006 06:59am | #5

   A real shop with a 4 head moulder would provide a better price.

1. 
   OldGuy | Sep 18, 2006 01:07pm | #6

   Thanks to all. The concensus is "by the hour" so that it will be.the lumber is new but I havn't seen what shape it is in.the customer will be helping and may have extra help with him.shavings are not a problem - I still live on a farm.Cheers,
   Paul

6. 
   RickL | Sep 18, 2006 10:37pm | #7

   I would check the moisture content. If it's still wet or a mixed batch it can still cup or warp so he might come back and complain. I'd have him sign off on it to make sure that it doesn't come back to haunt you.. Typically we face our flooring to remove cup or twist. Just planing isn't the best procedure.

   Charge hourly of course.

1. 
   OldGuy | Sep 19, 2006 12:33pm | #9

   Rick, good point, Ill be sure to check that.

7. 
   TaunTonMacoute | Sep 19, 2006 12:06am | #8

   If you're running a lunchbox planer that already has some hours on it I would bid the cost of a new planer plus a fair hourly rate.  If you have a floor-model planer (a 'real' planer) then a fair hourly rate as others have recommended.

1. 
   OldGuy | Sep 19, 2006 12:36pm | #10

   I do have a floor model. Woodmaster. Fortunately my shop is set up so I don't have to move machines around.Cheers

2. 
   mapleman | Sep 19, 2006 05:19pm | #11

   TT,

   If you're running a lunchbox planer that already has some hours on it I would bid the cost of a new planer plus a fair hourly rate

   Wow! I can't wait until someone asks me to cut something with my table saw. I'm going to figure in the cost of a new sawstop plas an hourly rate!

   Lee

1. 
   TaunTonMacoute | Sep 19, 2006 06:42pm | #12

   A lunch box planer costs about one-sixth the price of a decent tablesaw, in case you didn't know..

   Edited 9/19/2006 11:44 am ET by TaunTonMacoute

1. 
   mapleman | Sep 19, 2006 08:39pm | #13

   First off, I know what tools cost. Second, I think it's ridiculous to charge someone the cost of a new planer plus an hourly rate to plane a few or even a couple hundred board feet of lumber. Lunchbox planers start about $350 and go all the way up into  the $500-$600's.  If the guy has an older planer with lots of miles on it, it's not the fault of the guy who wants the lumber planed. He shouldn't have to buy this guy a new planer. He should pay this guy a fair wage plus the cost of new knives or a re-sharpen. Let's use a little common sense here.

   Lee

1. 
   SgianDubh | Sep 19, 2006 08:57pm | #14

   Whatever the charge, mapleman, there should be enough in it for the job to pay the wage required, cover the overhead, the cost of workshop housework and (machinery) maintenance, and an element for profit. Part of the profit of course is used to replace and update machinery as required.

   You're right, I don't think it would be fair to try and replace a machine from the profit generated through one small job. On the other hand if we are talkng of a little bench top machine and the job is big requiring the machine be run continuously for three or four weeks I'd guess it would be just about burnt out after that and need replacing anyway, ha, ha.

   I charge initial machining like this at 15 BF per hour, as I said earlier. I've found it to be a reliable figure for detailed and demanding stock preparation for about twenty years now, but I price using heavy industrial 3 phase kit. (For less picky work the throughput can be increased to suit.) If I had to price using small machines designed for light use such as a lunch box planer I think I'd need to allow that I could probably only push through 8 or 10 BF per hour. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture

2. 
   TaunTonMacoute | Sep 19, 2006 08:59pm | #15

   I think I need to send all my rough stock to you for processing.

   You ever visited a large mining operation where multi-million dollar machines are left at the bottom of the mine when it's closed because there is no way to get them out, or the cost to get them out is more than they are worth?

   Trust me, equipment costs get bid into jobs and into product costs all the time, especially El Cheapo stuff - portable tools and fixtures.  And this is not necessarily through the depreciation mechanism - I'm talking about equipment costs, plus time and materials.  Bam, wrap a bow around it. 

   I think it's perfectly possible to provide a service with a benchtop planer worth far more than the planer itself.  In that case, the owner of the equipment ought to be able to replace the heavily used unit with a new one, or recover the cost of the heavily used tool in the price of the job.

   My Gosh, I couldn't possibly list all the circumstances where reasonable businessmen across a variety of industries do this very thing.

   Edited 9/19/2006 2:21 pm ET by TaunTonMacoute

3. 
   QCInspector | Sep 19, 2006 09:40pm | #16

   Your thread got me curious about what my hardwood supplier charges to surface for a customer. So I went to their website and lifted this. These prices are Canadian dollars. The knots in the pine you're going to run (Is there pine without knots anymore?) are going to be brutal on your knives. If your converting these numbers into what you might charge per hour then use the Teak and Exotics numbers, remembering they are using the big toys.Machining Charges
   S2S - surface 2 sides - Add .15 cents/BF, (Teak and Exotics - Add .30 cents/BF).
   S2S1E - surface 2 sides one edge - Add .20 cents/BF, (Teak and Exotics - Add .40 cents/BF).Unless the pine is all fairly short don't joint the edge before sawing. Make a long sled that registers off the fence, or in a miter slot (preferred). Then rip the second edge normally.

4. 
   OldGuy | Sep 21, 2006 12:28pm | #17

   Thanks for the added information.A few years ago I build a shelf on one wall that has a clamp/straight edge. I can index a board to the straight edge and run a router down the length. Unless the board is really bad and needs to be shortened first, one pass will join up to a twelve foot length.Cheers