Replies

1. 
   oldusty | Feb 25, 2007 12:56am | #1

   Stan ,

                It's hard to be specific with no more info , typically your materials plus so much an hour for your time pus the cost of overhead and I've heard tell some actually add in a couple a bucks for profit .

                   tell us more              dusty

1. 
   STANLEIGH | Feb 25, 2007 01:14am | #2

   THANKS DUSTY, RECENTLY REQUESTS  HAVE BEEN FROM INTERIOR DEC/DES THAT GIVE ME A PICTURE FROM A MAGAZINE AND WANT THE PEICE A DIFFERENT DEMENSION IT RANGES FROM TURNED LEG SOFA TABLES TO ELIPTICAL COFFEE TABLES TO BEDSIDE BENCHES. SHORT OF JUST A GUESTIMATION ON TIME IT WOULD TAKE TO PRODUCE IM LOST. I CAN GET A HANDLE ON MATERIAL PRICE/BOURD FEET AND SUCH BUT HOW DO I GUESS TIME ON TURNING (SAY FOR EXAMPLE) SIX TURNED LEGS FOR A BEDSIDE BENCH?

1. 
   oldusty | Feb 25, 2007 03:04am | #3

   Stan ,

            Furniture is more involved to bid than cabinetry . There is no one answer really .

        I'll ask you , how much is your time worth ?

       It may take 2 hours per turning , maybe .

       Some have said as much as 10 times material costs to build a piece .

     I never bid T & M , I guestamate my time in days and add the materials cost to arrive at an exact price to quote to the client . Then they know exactly what their cost will be . If it takes me longer than I figured , my bad,live , and learn next time we know better from experience .

                  luck to you             dusty

2. 
   InMyOpinion | Feb 25, 2007 03:45am | #4

   Believe it or not, there is an etiquette that accompanies email (and the like). High among the "rules" is the avoidance of using uppercase in the manner you have done. Doing so is tantamount to shouting.

1. 
   oldusty | Feb 25, 2007 04:41am | #5

   IMO ,

             Imo , if it's just one word in caps , it could be a yell , but the whole post was just the font used . Maybe you are ultra sensitive or thinned skinned .

      Better buckle up and hold on cause not all here may conform to your liking .

                     regards           dusty

1. 
   DavidCockey | Feb 25, 2007 06:14am | #6

   ALL CAPS IS MORE DIFFICULT TO READ for most default computer fonts, at least for me. Mixed case is easier. I suspect that's the reason for the etiquette rule. The worst is all caps and no punctuation.

2. 
   dlb | Feb 26, 2007 12:51am | #12

   The reason that words typed in all capitals

   1) are harder to read

   2) take more time to read

   is that your brain stops to digest each letter as opposed to words in lower case where your brain is more familiar with the letter pattern and will recognize the entire word.

   dlb

   .

    The undisciplined life is not worth examining.

1. 
   oldusty | Feb 26, 2007 02:56am | #14

   Hi dlb ,

               An interesting theory , my guess is all brains do not work exactly the same . Personally I have never been bothered by caps , that's only me , I can understand if others are less forgiving of caps.

           I would be more concerned of the content of a post as opposed to the politically correctness of the grammar and such .

                             dusty

                                 

3. 
   DavidCockey | Feb 25, 2007 06:17am | #7

   Woodwork magazine had an excellent article by Richard Jones on a methodology for pricing work a few issues ago. It basically involved breaking the job down into a series of tasks, and then estimating the time for each, and also guidance on how to estimate the cost of the materials taking into account waste, etc.

1. 
   creekwood | Feb 25, 2007 05:35pm | #9

   That article was one of the best I've ever read on pricing. I've since followed the basic guidelines, and found myself in a much better position on my pricing.

1. 
   SgianDubh | Feb 25, 2007 05:51pm | #10

   creekwood, that's kind of both you and David to offer positive feedback on my verbal diarrhoea. It's sometimes hard to know if my published twitterings are useful to others. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture

1. 
   creekwood | Feb 26, 2007 02:45am | #13

   More than just useful. That article has helped me greatly to fine tune my bidding on projects. I just got a really big milling job, for me at least, and that was crucial in figuring my price.

   Don't quit sharing your experience. We do take notice.

   thanks

   Jerry

4. 
   sawdustmaker | Feb 25, 2007 07:00am | #8

   Figure what your time is worth, material cost, cost of overhead, and some profit. It is easy to underestimate the actual cost of your overhead. You may find you will operate at a loss for a while until you build up clientele. Having survived a year so far, you probably already know this. Some sort of basic job cost, actual time versus estimated, will help you bid your next projects. If you try to keep track of your actual time, try to be realistic. As you become more efficient, and you adjust your pricing where you can cover your costs and make a profit, things will come into line. All this is easier said than done.

5. 
   jeanlou | Feb 25, 2007 06:01pm | #11

   Stanleigh

   I didn't think you were yelling at me, but I agree that all caps is harder to read (decode)

   Among professional estimators there is a saying: ''The guy who is awarded the job made a mistake''.  JL