I am in need of a small length of casement molding, perhaps 16′ to match some in my house. The stuff I am trying to replace was custom built 80 years ago and I can find nothing similar today. I priced a local lumber yard and got an estimate of $300 for blade setup and $3.00/foot. Obviously the $3.00 isn’t the problem. Was this an outrageous price? Is there some other way I should be looking to get this molding made?
Thanks in advance.
Replies
Nope, not outrageous. They probably have to make the knives of have them made, depending on the cutterhead this can cost a couple of hundred bucks. Then they have to set up the machine.
It's just what it costs...
Lee
When I bought 'custom' crown molding from M. L. Condon it was $100 setup charge plus the price of the wood. This is if they are from existing knives. If they have to make the knives it was more (and I didn't ask that price). They had a large selection of existing crown profiles and I found one I was happy with.
That's a realistic price in my area. My company and others in the area get that much. You might try other cabinet shops as they might have something close or can make it in several passes with different knives. You might look at the LRH magic moulder head for your table saw to make your own moulding. The tilt of the saw give one profile lots of options and you could most likely fake it close enough.
If that is ONLY for the blade setup (no special order knives) then that is very high. My suppliers charge 100 to 150 for set up and a few cents per foot (pluss the cost of lumber).
Mike
I get about $150 -200 to set up existing knives and a lot more if I have to custom grind .I think that is a fair price.The problem is the small order.Remember it would be produced at 20/ 30 ft per min.
$300 is on the high side of reasonable. The knives cost $100-$150, they have to draw the profile and deal with the knife grinder, then set up (maybe 1/2 hr if everything goes right, plus run a 2 foot sample) for what is about 1.25 minutes of milling. They will probably let you keep the knives if you insist, so that if you ever get a shaper you can run more. Best solution: have the knives made yourself, and find a friend with a shaper, and tell him he can keep the knives for his trouble. Guys with shapers are suckdrs for a free set of knives in a new profile.
Next best solution: post a dimensioned drawing of the profile and maybe someone here has the knives, or close enough.
DrewK
Lee's dead on. I have a moulder, and cutting the knives to match the profile costs a couple hundred, plus another hundred to set up. I wouldn't even do a 16' run, unless it was for someone who hires me frequently. If it's gotta match, I think $300 is cheap. Just my .02.
Jeff
Hell if all you need is 16' just make it by hand. Rough it on the table saw and then plane it out with a shoulder and block plane. Or if you find router bits that are close you can get by with them. It might take a couple of hours but you will have worked up a great sweat by then and saved yourself some $$'s in the process.
Thanks to all who responded. It's above my pay grade to be able to duplicate this myself and $350 is a lot of incentive to find another way. I think I am going to steal a piece or 2 from the inside of a closet and replace tat with something else.
Thanks again for the thouhts.
Drew
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