How Long to Make a .......?

"JGS" writes:
> If you have made something a few times, I am interested in knowing how
> long it took you the first time and how long does it take you from start
> to finish now. I would like to have a few real life examples to discuss
> with clients to show typical design times.

IMHO, if you are dealing with clients whose pockets are so shallow they have
to ask you to justify how long it takes to do a task, you need to find new
clients.

I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but shallow pocket customers need to be
given directions to the local IKEA, IMHO.

HTH


--
Lew

S/A: Challenge, The Bullet Proof Boat, (Under Construction in the Southland)
Visit: <http://home.earthlink.net/~lewhodgett> for Pictures

Thanks for your input guys. And SS, the prototype charge is something I am going
to have to seriously consider. JG

Sweet Sawdust wrote:

> Your experience is consistent with mine. One customer wanted a "whirly gig"
> a toy which is a 3/8" dowel 9 inches long with 12 groves cut along one side,
> a propeller on one end and a 5/16" dowel to rub in the groves, Normal time
> to make is under 5 mins.. His took 12 hours and 5 jigs to make the first
> one. Another customer wanted an open box like item. first one took 45 mins.
> to make the rest under 15 mins.. The first "box drum I made took 2 days (16
> hours) to make now it takes about 2 hours to make one. Since I sell in bulk
> I usually eat the development cost, but on custom orders of one of a kind I
> charge a flat rate per hour which includes development time, this means you
> pay more for the first one and the second guy gets a break if there is ever
> a second one. One customer paid 8 bucks an item on the first order of one
> item as a one of a kind never to be repeated order, on his second order he
> got them for 5 bucks an item. For prototypes of items that may never be made
> into production orders I charge a flat $200+ time and materials and write
> off the $200 if it goes into production.
> "JGS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I am often asked "how much would it cost for you to make a .... ". I
> > explain that it depends upon materials, wither or not I have a proven
> > design/plan available, blah ,blah, ... . I have made a nice bird
> > feeder in half an hour, a bird house in an hour, a poker table top in 8
> > hours or less while a pair of speaker stands (with a box to enclose the
> > speakers) and a hidden channel to hide the speaker wire in the 36" long
> > rise took me about 25 hours. The next set would take 4- 5 hours from
> > start to finish as I now have a proven design.
> > If you have made something a few times, I am interested in knowing how
> > long it took you the first time and how long does it take you from start
> > to finish now. I would like to have a few real life examples to discuss
> > with clients to show typical design times. Thanks, JG
> >

Your experience is consistent with mine. One customer wanted a "whirly gig"
a toy which is a 3/8" dowel 9 inches long with 12 groves cut along one side,
a propeller on one end and a 5/16" dowel to rub in the groves, Normal time
to make is under 5 mins.. His took 12 hours and 5 jigs to make the first
one. Another customer wanted an open box like item. first one took 45 mins.
to make the rest under 15 mins.. The first "box drum I made took 2 days (16
hours) to make now it takes about 2 hours to make one. Since I sell in bulk
I usually eat the development cost, but on custom orders of one of a kind I
charge a flat rate per hour which includes development time, this means you
pay more for the first one and the second guy gets a break if there is ever
a second one. One customer paid 8 bucks an item on the first order of one
item as a one of a kind never to be repeated order, on his second order he
got them for 5 bucks an item. For prototypes of items that may never be made
into production orders I charge a flat $200+ time and materials and write
off the $200 if it goes into production.
"JGS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am often asked "how much would it cost for you to make a .... ". I
> explain that it depends upon materials, wither or not I have a proven
> design/plan available, blah ,blah, ... . I have made a nice bird
> feeder in half an hour, a bird house in an hour, a poker table top in 8
> hours or less while a pair of speaker stands (with a box to enclose the
> speakers) and a hidden channel to hide the speaker wire in the 36" long
> rise took me about 25 hours. The next set would take 4- 5 hours from
> start to finish as I now have a proven design.
> If you have made something a few times, I am interested in knowing how
> long it took you the first time and how long does it take you from start
> to finish now. I would like to have a few real life examples to discuss
> with clients to show typical design times. Thanks, JG
>

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 16:47:05 -0400, JGS <[email protected]>
wrote:
> If you have made something a few times, I am interested in knowing how
>long it took you the first time and how long does it take you from start
>to finish now.

Let's see...

When the wife and I first started dating...

Oh...never mind!

Ah, yes...woodworking! lol

In general...about 50% less time...as you mentioned in yer post. You
don't have to worry about the layout. And you already know what
problems you've had...and how to solve them.

I made a microwave cabinet a while back...that sits on the left side
of our stove. I'm soon gonna build something almost identical for the
right side. I've already saved time...this time I had the Borg cut
the pieces for me! And I'm gonna use pocket holes...instead of
clamps.


Have a nice week...

Trent©

Dyslexics of the world ... UNTIE !

"JGS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> If you have made something a few times, I am interested in knowing how
> long it took you the first time and how long does it take you from start
> to finish now. I would like to have a few real life examples to discuss
> with clients to show typical design times. Thanks, JG

I made a Tudor bench. Started it in May, 2002 Finished it in April 2003.
When I realized it would not be finished by Labor Day. I put it aside for
the winter as I did not want to leave it outside when it would not have been
even sat upon, so finished it the following spring.

Stated a second one a couple of weeks ago. It will be finished maybe two
more weekends. Why the big difference? For the first one, I made some
templates for the arms, crest, etc. The time it took to make them was paid
back now. I've also increased my skill level and have a few more tools to
simplify. Actual build time will be less than half this go around.

A few other things I've made as a repeat, the time was cut about 20 to 30%.
Design was done, tough setups simplified. I've also made a few projects for
the grandkids. Making three or four of the same item adds only about 50%
more time than making one.

At a Scott Phillips seminar, he showed a box that he makes for sale at local
specialty shops. First one was over ten hours, now it is less than two
hours.

Since I don't make anything for money, time is less critical for me than a
pro.
Ed
[email protected]
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

The first "Real" poker table I made was a vegas style table - took about 40
hours total from start to finish.
Had a few templates I had to make etc...

The second one took about 10-12 hours. (1 solid weekend)

I have 2 more I need to make - Im quoting the client 15 hours each for them
+ materials.


"JGS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am often asked "how much would it cost for you to make a .... ". I
> explain that it depends upon materials, wither or not I have a proven
> design/plan available, blah ,blah, ... . I have made a nice bird
> feeder in half an hour, a bird house in an hour, a poker table top in 8
> hours or less while a pair of speaker stands (with a box to enclose the
> speakers) and a hidden channel to hide the speaker wire in the 36" long
> rise took me about 25 hours. The next set would take 4- 5 hours from
> start to finish as I now have a proven design.
> If you have made something a few times, I am interested in knowing how
> long it took you the first time and how long does it take you from start
> to finish now. I would like to have a few real life examples to discuss
> with clients to show typical design times. Thanks, JG
>