Very nice.

Not to derail your thread, but did you do the garage floor yourself?

We have an issue with water coming in under the garage door and I was thinking of putting something like that down to "raise" the level of the interior so maybe water wouldn't come in.

Crusaders41,

Shoot me an email or call me direct. I see you are located in Temple so I wouldn't be able to get out that direction but I can give you some general advice about epoxy flooring to ensure you you don't get taken advantage of or if you choose to do it yourself- you have some insight into the process.


Agrams,

That table is beautiful.

Beautiful

You've posted a lot of really cool stuff, but this is probably my favorite piece.

The minimalist/modern base with the raw top looks great and I love how the swept out legs fit the shape of the top.

Andrew that is gorgeous work.

Beautiful

Agrams better hope I never hit the lotto. He will be a very busy man if I do.

Do you have a buyer for the table already? How much does something like that run?

that one is already sold. Ballpark, around $600 for the top plus the base and how much prep work the top costs. Between the time to cut up the tree, stack it, get it to the kiln to get dried and getting it level, I have probably $300-400 already invested in the top. Then the time to prep/sand/finish it and also any material labor costs for the base. It isn't cheap, and is a lot of labor, but I try to make everything fully customized to whatever someone wants. I had 5 of those slabs total, but 2 are sold, 1 is finished and unsold (but no base made) and I am in discussions with someone for the possible remaining two.

I'm always happy to take more if someone wants to give it!

In all honesty, I have a difficult time pricing what I do to be fair to myself. I enjoy it enough that it doesn't feel a lot like work. The slab in this thread was very flat and required only a modest amount of work to have it ready to finish. A few of the slabs from this same tree will require a decent amount of work to flatten, which will take more time and add to the cost, and while some require a decent amount of epoxy work, this one didn't require a whole lot. Prices will probably go up and down depending on the availability of what I have on hand and as I get more sources for wood so I can keep enough on hand for a decent variety should anyone want something unique.

quote:

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that one is already sold. Ballpark, around $600 for the top plus the base and how much prep work the top costs. Between the time to cut up the tree, stack it, get it to the kiln to get dried and getting it level, I have probably $300-400 already invested in the top. Then the time to prep/sand/finish it and also any material labor costs for the base. It isn't cheap

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I'm pretty sure you could charge double and people wouldn't bat an eye. Even for a custom piece like that, $1200 seems more than fair.

agrams,

do you mind posting a contact email or sending me one?

jmwbiz

at

gmail.com

email sent, or you can email me at gramswoodworks at gee mail dot com

Agrams,

Very nice table. Your work is amazing. Your prices do feel a little low. But I understand the complexities of pricing each piece.

If you check out Craig Lagerstrom's work at Texas Mesquite Co in Bertram, Tx, you will find prices often in the $1k-$2k range or higher. My inlaws have several of his tables and they had to wait a long time to get them because of his backlog. Just another data point that might help.

thanks clem. I am having to be more particular in projects as of late, I have about 4-5 turnings/bowls in the queue and 2 cabinet/flat projects in the queue. It has kind of been my resolution this year to be more fair to my time and what it is worth. My wife keeps getting on to me to charge more (hmm, maybe she has ulterior motives? hah).

Most people don't like hearing that if they want a walnut or cherry table, you are looking at $500 off the bat in material alone for a solid wood table, then 2-3x that for labor/finish/glue/hardware. When someone sends me a link to a pottery barn table and asks if I can make that for a comparable price, they usually don't like the answer.

I love what I do, it doesn't feel like work, it is actually relaxing to me to work in the garage from 10-1am each night. I just like to know what I make is going to last. I want quality and value when I buy something, and people have the right to expect the same out of me if they are going to spend their money.

Thanks again for the input.

curious about something, how do you get the bark to stay on?


beautiful work and I know that is a random question

how do you cut the slabs?

ENG, it depends on a lot of things. The main one is when the tree was harvested. Trees cut down in winter time tend to have less moisture in the bark/cambium layer, and they tend to hold bark better.

I will typically remove any really loose pieces by hand, then scrub the bark with a wire brush to remove dirt and smaller loose pieces, then check it again for pieces which I suspect could have a weak bond. I will then take an ultrathin CA (super) glue and soak the cambium layer/bark with the glue to help strengthen the bond. I have yet to have any problems with bark coming off after finishing a project, but it is a weak spot, so depending on the application of the piece and its use, I will advise some people that natural edges may not be best suited for their intended use.

Some trees generally hold bark better, some don't. Oak is a challenge, mesquite is usually pretty good, and pecan seems to be hit and miss.

ragoo, do a google search for 'granberg chainsaw mill' that is what I use.

awesome thanks. my dad has a bunch of post oak trees marked to come down, he normally splits them for firewood, i wonder if they would make good slabs.

email sent, thanks!

There was a guy at the Woodlands Home and Garden few weeks ago that had bowls and cutting boards. Prices were $200+ for the boards. He was busy selling on spot when I walked by. I didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time looking around because I had my own booth I had to tend to.

i tried to look up company on Woodlands Home and Garden Show website but couldn't find him. I'm sure he is there but I didn't click every vendors website.

Absolutely beautiful work Agrams. No joke. I am thinking of ordering something from you soon.

On the discussion of price. I can't lie. I love your price point as is. I absolutely agree you could charge double and still have a backlog for the rest of your life. Hell, if I were you I'd probably charge a lot more myself. But it would alienate a lot of people that it would normally be open to. I would never be able to afford a $1200 coffee table at this point in my life. In a few years maybe. But the truth is I don't have a lot of money and if you doubled your prices it would put it all above my level. Which is not the end of the world trust me. Everybody else is pretty much outside my range so it's not new. But your stuff is amazing work that I love, and currently on my plane of spending.

BTW this is not a plea to keep your prices low. Just my view on it. You SHOULD get paid handsomely for your work. I am just saying that your price point as is opens up your inventory to a lot more people.