another builtin with my first Key design check it out fINISHED PICTURES ADDED

[honeydoman]

well this one is awesome, this lady wanted scone lights on each side of the cabinet as per a picture she had.  it took me awhile while building this to decide how to do the lights as cloumns and then it came to me.. and this is the results.  I fluted the columns with a design that was on their fireplace mantel and I used my 1400 router.

then I also fluted the center cabinet with my signature fluting design.  then  I decided to do a key on the center top of the unit.  and it really set this apart.

I used almost all my great festools to accomplish this amazing built in !

I still have to make the doors and shelves and will add those pictures when i finish that, but wanted to share these with all my fellow festooligans. !  ask your questions and I will answer.

 

[GPowers]

That is a lot of crown work. Looks nice as always...

 

[nickao]

Great work as usual and you get paid to do it, what more could you want!

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Very nice, Kreg!

Tell us how you chose to go about making the curvature to those upper rails.  MFS, jigsaw, router and template?

What's that in the 4th picture that runs vertically down the cabinet side against the wall?

 

[honeydoman]

Ken,  that is just a 1/4' rip strip to hide the back and make it look better.  okay here is how I did the curves.  she wanted a curve that was similar to her kitchen cabinets.  so  I took a 1x8 popular found center and went up 3"  then went 2 1/2" from edge on both sides.

then I took 3 nails and nailed one at the center point at the 3" up and then I put another one about 1 1/2" up and 1/2 way between the middle and the end point.  took a 1/4 rip strip from pine and curved it around the nails and traced the curve.  removed it and the nails and used my festool jig saw and cut the line.  then sanded a bit with the ro90 and then I took out my mfk 700 router with a roman ogee bit and routed it out.  and then took the larger cut out piece that I just made from the center arch and used it as a pattern for the smaller ones. just dropped it down a bit till it fit inbetween the points. and then did the same thing.  all freehand and no rocket science ( I failed that class in HS )

plan and simple

these so far I have 4 days into them and all on site at the customers garage and driveway.  with all my festools stacked up on the "T LOC" Systainers !  my kapex and stand and the mft3  and beautiful weather and of course the tunes on the boom box !

 

[peter halle]

Kreg,

Great execution.  But constructufly it wasn't my favorite of your designs.  I realize that you,like all carpenters,work towards the wants of the customer.  Details add shadow lines and guide the eyes toward the central exhibit.  This design made the jigs, jags,  show Lines, keystones, etc the central part of the design to me.  Just too much detail for me.  But executed well.

Peter

 

[honeydoman]

Hey everybody, thanks !  and thanks for your comment also peter and I understand.

I just want to add how I do some of the things.
You know when I look back at my built ins that I have done, each one is better because of the last one I did. plus I see ideas here on the forum that I take from, magazines I look at, and other built ins that I see in houses I go to etc. and I remember different things I have seen and see how can I do that detail on this cabinet.

so for those of you who are doing built ins or want to. just go for it and create your style and designs. use that router bit for that detail etc design a special arch not just a circle. do special fluting, just dont buy the store stuff because it is easier.

lots of the built ins I see are basic store bought moldings, basic arch and that's it. create your own style and then when it is done the customer instead of saying oh thanks that looks nice

they will say wow that is awesome.... and that is why I get so many referrals from previous customers most customers don't know what they want just that they want a built in for components and display pictures etc. so I give them what they want and add the wow factor to it and they love it. then there friends come over, as they want to show them off and of course i have left them 10-12 business cards to give out,,, or they give my number and they become next ! it happens over and over again.

my prices are reasonable, as when they bid it out i am usually higher but for better stuff. I am not up to high end cabinet shops prices as I do not have all that overhead.

I have invested bucks into festools as they are designed for carpenters who work on site and believe me festools save me 20 % in time over using table saws, drilling the shelf holes , dust clean up etc. I invested in the 108" long rail, the ts55 saw and the parallel guides which right there is $1,000 bucks but that investment allows me to knock down sheet goods on site, make repeat cuts of the same width and is much safer then humping a huge sheet through a bosch table saw on site or even your shop saw unless you have a huge infeed and outfeed base.

so right there is a safer and time saver.

and that is just one example of how I do it. !!  go for it I say and don't look back.  rock on !

 

[Theshipstore]

Kreg  Another nice looking built-in , Although not sure I  like the added lighting.

Sal

 

[honeydoman]

well here are the finished pictures, i added the doors yesterday, thursday october 20  I really love this one and put it on the top 5 of my list as of today.

customer was overwhelmed !  another fine job by me , if I should say so myself  [thumbs up]
in case you want one also  $3,300 bucks was the fee I so graciously was paid.  took me 6 days all by myself.  without festools it would have take 7 days.  the festool system saves time and improves quailty

enjoy

 

[upscale]

in case you want one also $3,300 bucks was the fee I so graciously was paid.  took me 6 days all by myself.

$3,300 sounds good for six days work, but it has me thinking. Can you really survive commercially on that amount? I'll assume (maybe incorrectly) that material costs, transportation, maybe many hours per day, all have to come out of that $3,300.

Now, I haven't contracted out my woodworking services for a number of years so maybe my thinking is out of date. And, I know there's competition to consider so you have to be priced to compete. But, I don't know if the amount you charged is workable on a regular basis. No offense intended. Comments?

 

[honeydoman]

the reason I posted the price on this one is I get many emails on my prices, so I posted this one... and yes I do pretty good materials were only $700 and about 6-8 hours a day is all and yes travel was only 20 minutes away.  I am not in this business to get rich but I do want to get paid......(john mellancap couger said this )  but I am usually the higher price if the job is bid out, in this case is was not as it was a refferal and they just wanted it... I also did crown and another small job and have more to do for them.

and I have money left over for festools !!!  but I have fun and enjoy what I do.

 

[upscale]

and I have money left over for festools !!!  but I have fun and enjoy what I do.

I guess in the end, that's all that counts! But, one last question... When do you sleep? You appear to work a standard day and post all night. 

 

[BobKovacs]

Kreg-  I'm curious on the 6 days and how they break down.  In looking at it, I'd think the schedule would be:

Day 1- Pick up material, layout and breakdown sheets
Day 2- Drill shelf pin holes, pocket holes, etc., assemble boxes
Day 3- Build doors
Day 4- Set cab boxes and tops, start trim/face frames
Day 5- Finish trim/face frames, prime
Day 6- Finish paint

Am I close?

 

[honeydoman]

Yep except I do doors after face frame is in to get final size and those I do at shop

 

[tiralie]

But, I don't know if the amount you charged is workable on a regular basis. No offense intended. Comments?

Probably not in the GTA, but as Guy Ashely once told me, pricing is a tricky thing. Failure is a cruel but effective and efficient instructor. Generally speaking I think our cost of living here (real estate alone) makes an apples to apples comparison difficult.
Tim

 

[tiralie]

customer was overwhelmed !  another fine job by me , if I should say so myself  [thumbs up]
in case you want one also  $3,300 bucks was the fee I so graciously was paid.  took me 6 days all by myself.  without festools it would have take 7 days.  the festool system saves time and improves quailty

Kreg:
Thanks for posting and all the info.
I enjoy reading the background and detail of your projects. I really appreciate all the time you put into these posts both here and elsewhere.
Tim

 

[ThomasC]

Kreg,

Nice piece. I build these pretty regularly myself, and I think your price sounds like it's fair to both you and your client. Is the prime/paint materials and labor included in the $3300, or is that additional? If it is additional, how much cost did that add (if you don't mind me asking)? I don't do much of my own finishing, but I do have some experience with it. Trying to decide if it would be advantageous for me to do so, or if I should just stick to the woodworking.

TC

 

[nickao]

3300 is way more than fair to the client(almost robbery), but not to him. That is at least 5000 for the work and material, probably could get 7500 in the city and they would pay with a smile. 3300 is the rock bottom, can not take a dollar less, no mistakes or I lose money price.

Heck, for 3300 I would not bother making it myself and just have him do it!

You do a lot of these so you must know the market in your area.  If you are happy with the money made I guess that is all that matters.

 

[honeydoman]

that was full price.  and yes I can charge more and I can charge less.  I think it is fair for the market  and see since I set up in their garage and use the festool system I can crank these out faster and easier then maybe a shop guy who has rent for the shop etc..  and I don't compete with the top of the line cabinet companies that do exacto mundo stuff.  that is short for exactly perfect.

I do a great job at a fair price and usually when I am being quoted against I am usually the highest, but usually not for what I do as far as the detail.... but usually I am the sole person given the quote and usually get the job.  if I was at 4-5 gran for this I would not get  except for 20% of what I do.

I rather work every day and make some money then sit home and bitch out the economy and nobody wants to pay my price.

and by using the festool system and I can save a day or 2 I can do it for less.  I have a friend of mine who built a single built in... 36" wide 8 feet tall  doors below and 1 drawer and shelves above  nothing special and no painting.  it took him 11 days he said and got 1800 for it....  I could have done it in 2 days-3 days... now he spends way to much time analing building things... spends hours squaring up stuff over 1/32" or less and does perfect exact stuff.  but hardly ever gets jobs....

so pick your style, pick your price and do it... but you must fit into the market you work.. I work the middle class 30-40 yrs old familys with kids and they want a nice built in but dont have major bucks.. so that is my market.

and I am fine with that.. 

 

[pdlandgang]

so pick your style, pick your price and do it... but you must fit into the market you work.. I work the middle class 30-40 yrs old familys with kids and they want a nice built in but dont have major bucks.. so that is my market.

As someone once told me "Sell to the masses and live with the classes.  Sell to the classes and live with the masses."  Not saying you are trying to get rich, but there is typically more wealth (opportunities and money) in the masses.

I also enjoy viewing your post's and also your philosophy.  Happiness can be measured in many ways.