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Thread: Time to get your opinion

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO
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    It is not just the wood that cost that much. I live in the sticks and hard wood stores are quite a distance from me. Since i work out of the corner of my garage i have no room for other toys, such as sanders and planners. I use a local furniture maker who buys rough cut lumber, rips it and glues it back together and sands it. So there is labor cost built into the price, but i save in other ways. These are cut from 8/4 and typically my plaques are 17-18 inches tall or round and are all 3-d. I generally calculate it out to the square inch on how much I paid. It has been as low a 9 cents a square inch for cherry and as high as 24 cents for black walnut. And then there is always a little waste. My finished planks generally come in at 18-20 inches wide by 60 inches long and range from 1.7 to 1.9 inches thick.

    There is one hard wood store not far from me. Obviously people buy his stuff or he would be out of business. The last time i was in there rough cut black walnut was 15 dollars a board foot and it was not the best wood. So i am not interested in buying his wood. And this was 4-5 years ago.

    But for now its a mute issue since i think that she lost interest.

    Not that it matters but here is a sample of my plaques
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    7,832

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    Absolutely beautiful work cowboy, your finishes are great!
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  3. #13
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    Feb 2010
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    Thanks. I have struggled with finishing over the years. Some of the stuff i put out in the beginning was criminal.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    344

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    Impressive work, I think have seen some posted before.

    So is that about your cost per plank or per plaque ? That thick, seems like you could just about double it with a good bandsaw. I often shave off blanks to right around the thickness I need, even if if means just shaving off 1/4 or even 1/8 to use for something else. Everyones different, usually I don't require anything more than .8 for my 3D projects. Wastage sucks but is a fact of life we have to deal with, but minimizing is definitely possible in most cases. You obviously are successful with what you do so probably don't need to change your formula.
    Doug

  5. #15
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    Feb 2010
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    Me being different is what most of my girl friends have said, not sure that was in a positive sense. I have done some in 6/4. I did 300 dollars damage to my truck this week backing out of the garage. There is just no more room for toys. A decent hardwood store is 200 miles round trip and shipping to my house if i buy on line is costly. but for a plank made from 8/4 that is 18 inches wide and 60 inches long was 210 on my last order. depending on what i am making i can get 3-4 plaques. Perhaps that is not a great price but considering everything it is a fair price.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Norman, Ok
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    3,251

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    It doesn't get much better than this.

    If this kind of work was on the national market the price of materials wouldn't even be discussed. Gees, Cowboy you're one of the best. Where do you expect to go with this kind of work? It just can't be limited.

    What I hope is you don't start into production, making lots of 3d carved plaques. Limited editions bring good money and are less trouble.

    Joe

  7. #17
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    Feb 2010
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    SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO
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    That means a lot coming from you Joe. Jokingly i tell people all the time that i dont want a job or i would get a shop and start production. Of course i posted the pictures of the ones that look good. Finishing tool paths take a very long time. Last month was busy for me even being part time and i just got my electrical bill, ouch.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Burlington, KY
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    10

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    Cowboy what finish do you use on these plaques. I carve plaques but not 3d

  9. #19
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    Feb 2010
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    i use primarily Arm-a-seal wipe on poly. If it starts to take on a plastic look i wipe it down with a dark gel stain, but a very thin coat and then finish it off with another coat of arm-a-seal

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    , Cross Junction VA
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    103

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    Absolutely gorgeous, Cowboy. I'll have to check out that poly!

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