On 2/2/2013 2:14 PM, John Grossbohlin wrote:
"Swingman" wrote in message
...
On 2/2/2013 7:35 AM, John Grossbohlin wrote:
And, indeed, on this last four barstool project, my detailed record of
shop hours (which I strive to keep accurately to facilitate bidding on
future jobs), indicates that I spent 30 minutes cutting the 80 loose
tenons for four complete chairs.
That's 30 minutes for ALL the project tenons ... Now tell me how long
would it take you to cut 80 tenons in the ends of 40 chair components?
Cutting custom loose tenons a "burning distraction", not quite ...
... but what it is, is the difference between actual experience with
an operation, and just talking about it. 
I think you miss my point... which in a commercial environment becomes
even more critical. That being that time is money. I'd think that on
the very low end shop time is worth at least $50/hour and more
realistically probably more like $100+/hour in many markets (to cover
labor, profit, and the fixed and variable costs of having the shop and
equipment [taxes, heat/cooling, electric, interest, maintenance,
insurance, holding costs of inventory, depreciation, etc., etc.]). I
have one associate whose commercial shop costs him about $35K/year
whether he makes anything or not... at 40 hours per week for 50 weeks
per year he needs to charge $17.50/hour just to cover the fixed costs!
That said, excluding the cost of the wood, in round numbers, that puts
the cost of your 80 tenons between $.31 (($50/2)/80) and $.63 each
(($100/2)/80) plus the cost of the wood. As a rough cost comparison,
the Rockler site lists 600-Packs of Festool Domino Beech Tenons,
8x22x50mm at $82 with $12 shipping. That works out to $.16 each. Even if
you used two per joint and charge $50/hour they are cheaper to buy than
make when you take the cost of the wood into account. Value engineering
would ask if it makes sense to use a "custom" size when functionally a
"standard" size would do the job for lower cost. In a commercial
environment maintaining some inventory of fasteners and adhesives is
requisite when you take the opportunity costs of "running to the store"
or "making upon need" into account so buying 600 for inventory would not
be unreasonable. In a hobby shop environment, the discretionary time
available to many, if not most of us would be more pleasantly spent on
the primary project not on creating "standard" fasteners... even at
about $.28 each for quantities of 100 delivered.
Not saying it cannot be done and not telling you how to spend your time
(money)... If you can charge full shop rate and cover the material cost
for making tenons it doesn't matter much. If you are discounting that
time in any way (from under pricing, or charging what it would cost to
buy them rather than make them, or forgetting to charge period) then you
are taking money out of your pocket... I'm simply looking at the
situation through a different lens here. I'm also not saying I haven't
spent time making things that could be bought cheaper when all the
opportunity costs are taken into account. ;~)
John
I totally agree for professionals, but not for the hobbiest. Most of us
spend a lot of time not doing projects, but doing small work. Consider
this a small work task that can be done just as efficiently and for no
real cost other than the cost of wood, which I think many of us have
strips of wood that would make the teonons cheap to make and use up some
of the off cuts we have.
--
Jeff