I love the support shown in these comments. As a retired cabinetmaker/furniture maker/yacht joiner of over 40 years on the West Coast of Canada, I would say here in B.C. my shop would have charged around $2,500 CAD if built on spec or $3,000 CAD if built on commission. One thought when pricing - look around your beautiful shop just before you set the price and add a small percentage to account for the love, time and energy it took to set it all up and to keep updating it. Your clients will be happy to compensate you for that too, not just the piece itself. Your work is top notch and your whole vibe is passed on to your clients through your work. Big congratulations!
Mike, just a few things: 1. Excellent craftsmanship as always! 2. Unfortunately your sister is correct... 3. Statements like "nothing keeps a check in check, like a bowtie" are what make the English language difficult 4. Did I mention the design details are next level on this one? 5. If I were you, I wouldn't take a penny less than $2000 for this fine piece of furniture. 6. The lack of a song recommendation was concerning, please blink twice in the next video if you're being forced to leave them out against your will.
When I grow up I want to be a furniture maker. That much power is in the beauty of your craft! The talent plus the tools are in perfect harmony. Kudos!!
It is refreshing to hear a Tuber recognize how much glue is adequate. I'd say that such a table (I like it very much) would be worth $3,000 right off the bench if there was an eager buyer standing right there. On the other hand, if there was still such a thing as a successful gallery right across the street accepting such work, their cut would be at least 40% of the retail. In that case, the table's price would have to be $5,000 for both you and the gallery to realize the necessary price. On the third hand, having no gallery capable of selling such work for that price, the task of finding a buyer is yours to accomplish. Your channel is probably the very most efficient way of accomplishing that. With the intention of profiting from all your work and investments while supporting successful retailers or the additional cost and effort of finding a buyer on your own, the cost needs to remain $5,000.
Very beautiful Mike! I just delivered a custom pulpit (African Mahogany) to a local client and can appreciate how much time and work goes into this type of project. Its a very nice piece, $3500 - $4500 is where I would place it. Thank you for sharing your project and video, always enjoyable and a learning experience!
Depends really.. Do you enjoy making this type of work more accessible? Are you purely after the highest margin? The fact that you use your CNC as a planer doesn't help the machining cost/time. You could sell this for 2250 to the right person with the right wallet. You could also make this from an offcut in a day with some modification and the right setup and still make a profit on a lower price. It really depends on your business model and workflow..
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder . Beauty is assessed by how something fulfils your needs . I would not buy this table for even one dollar UNLESS I intended to resell for a profit . Why? I have zero possible use/application for it in it's size, color, purpose. Mike , you are a top notch craftsman/artist . YOU should not waste your time making generic items . Put yourself out there as a designer of 'commissioned only' projects . Name your price and reap what you deserve .
I love the bridle joint sitting in the subtle shallow dado, very nice touch. Your attention to detail top notch as always. I'm honestly surprised to see such low numbers for the cost, I wouldn't let this go for less than $4500-$5000.
Beautiful details, Sir. As always. I'd sell this for 3500 if spec'd by a client. 2000 if selling from inventory. Yes, in my experience, there's that much of a difference!
So Mike, this was pretty rad to watch this from material selection, which inspired the design, dripping in small details of the making process. I’m from Buffalo, NY which is very close to East Aurora NY which is where the Roycroft Campus was founded, which I think was a movement in answer to the industrialisation of making factory line junk, bringing the focus back to craftsmanship and design around the turn of the 19th century. It wasn’t just craftsmanship style furniture, it was also metal work, pottery, a whole movement, pretty cool. Maybe you know all this, Ida know…my wife has the brains in our operation, I’m just trying not to embarrass myself, know what I’m saying? One quote from a visit there stuck with me, “People know the cost of everything and the value of nothing” or something along those lines. Word up That being said, I don’t know how much you typically charge for your pieces, and sadly at this point in my life I’m not in a position to invest in bespoke, original solid hardwood pieces, so I’ll take a crack at it, and I understand there is a a hike in timber prices at the moment. Really nice piece, solid design, terrific craftsmanship, really like the Burl in the surface, love walnut… $2,800 Bro I know this looks like it took you a while, my best estimate, apologies if you think this is lower than your pro pricing estimate, or if that’s too high for broke people like me to consider
Mike's Sanding Disc is THE BEST on the market. Super high quality... I love mine... Next time leave in the reaction when setting mallet into the epoxy.. It's nice to see even Superhero's make mistakes...
4:40 Love that Knife Hand Strike technique….I tried it a few times on some scrap 2x4 but I can’t get that perfect line in your video….in fact I must be weak because my timber wouldn’t cut at all. Now my hand is bruised and sore so I’ll have to wait before trying my next chop, but seeing a master carpenter do it gives me confidence. It’s all in the technique..right!
12:44 If only they'd make this machine in a portable hand held version! Imagine the possibilities! Great build, Mike! The base looks very elegant, and the top looks awesome too!
Looking at the materials, you have roughly $350-$500 in walnut. Then the consumable shop materials (finishes/sanding/etc), which I would price around $50-75. So in physical cost your at almost $575. I also have a shop cost on larger project usually a flat fee of $100 ( all them pretty machines aren’t free). Then there is the tangible cost (labor). I typically charge between $50-100 an hour depending on the skills involved in the work being preformed. Milling lumber vs hand cutting bow ties vs finishing. I am going to guess you have about 24 hours (3 tshirt changes in the video is my metric for this guesstimate). So that would be about $1200-2400 in labor. For this I would say $1800. Then your profit margin. I use 10% as my margin, so about $250. So about $2700 would be about the price for a one of a kind solid walnut table.
makes me want to go outside and make something out of scrap like I have done in the pass. great workmanship Mike cannot give you a price because I can do the same table with less tools. your workshop is a true craftsman workshop good video m8
Hi Mike. So how much did you end up selling your table for? Was the price higher or lower than what you would have asked had TH-cam comments not been involved? I'd also be interested in hearing about how you price your work. I imagine for commitioned work you have to estimate the hours you WILL spend, but in this case you know how many hours that you DID spend (plus material and markup, of course).
I count at least eight different outfits. ("Be kind, re-wind" being my favorite) So, if we figure roughly 8 days of 8 hours each equaling roughly 64 hours. In my parts (I am a G.C. in Chicago and pay my high end finish carpenters $45/hr.) I would say after time, material, overhead and creative license $3,000.00. Granted I paid $20.00 for a soup and sandwich at lunch today so economies of scale should be considered. I subscribe to many a woodworker channel on TH-cam and you are my favorite. I have major shop and tool envy watching you however, totes jelly.
$2400-$3800. Out here at the west coast prices are catching up with skill and craftsmanship it takes to pull something like this off. This thin top could be a selling point for some, a welcome step away from the many heavy slabs that are popular right now. Thanks for another mighty video, you captured the shop fun and feel with the legs coming out of the sander shot. I myself when alone can not pick up a screw gun without shooting my trusty ray gun.
An issue I have with most live edge furniture is that it usually feels like the live edge slab and whatever legs someone screwed to it weren’t meant for each other. I like that the slight dado makes the two parts feel custom for each other.
Me to, but I solved that by using a second slab, cut to height and offset to 10 degrees to make live edge legs to, it worked amazingly, but..... It's now a 2 slab table, n is now expensive as a result! But it looks amazing!
Hard to tell pricing without knowing how many hours you have in it or the cost of material. I will take a stab at it though... Day rate of $750 for an 8 hour day = $93.75 an hour. Lets say you have 20 hours of work into it that's $1875.00. Hard to figure material as cost differ a bit area to area. Let's go with soup to nuts, wood, glue, fasteners. $450.00 So subtotal of $2325.00. Add 7% for infrastructure overhead. (electricity, heat/cooling, etc) $162.75 (You could add 5% for business infrastructure, website, marketing, etc) Subtotal of $2487.75 so round up to $2500.00 (your sale price. A gallery sale would add a large percentage on top of that) EDIT; Now that I've been to your website and seen your excellent work, add $250.00 to the day rate. Total $2750.00
First of all "and I'm not into that", best statement in the video. And as always, thank you for sharing your work, it's always inspiring. Now down to business, I'd put the price between $2,000 to $2,500.
In looking through the comments, my estimate is definitely going to be on the higher end of the scale. Your work is more than just a calculation based on time, materials and overhead. You have established yourself as a excellent and well respected craftsman/artist. A table made by someone like me using that slab of wood and with the exact same level of craftsmanship would not be worth as much as it is because you made it. Having something made by Mike Farrington adds value. With all of that said, I would estimated $4,500 to $5,000. (Please let me know if you decide on $1,500 or less like some have suggested. I will buy it immediately and I am not a person of means and have no need for a new table of any type!
HI Mike, another fantastic video, your skill levels are way above anyone else on YT. The table should be for sale between $2200 and $3000. Excellent piece of work.
Beautifully made table love the figure running through the top, and letting the table leg frames extend beyond the the table top is a nice detail. I think that this table should cost in the region of $6000 to $6500.
Very courageous to stir up the hornet' nest re: pricing! A very interesting experiment! Also wise for not including costs in my opinion. You need to know your costs so you are not losing money, but costs do not need to be directly related to price. Cost+ and value are not the same. Cost+ formulas may give you the minimum you need make to survive but have no relation to value and what some people who know and understand the value will pay.
That's a tough one.... its not a dinner table but it would probably be listed at $2200 here in Canada. In my region there is strong support for custom woodworking. My wife and I 9 years ago commissioned a country style all Western and Eastern maple Island and we paid $3200 CAD.
I'm surprised to see them so high. If it were me I'd just get a piece of plywood and screw some 2x4's to it for legs. I can't imagine spending 4K for a table. I guess that's the luxury of the rich.
I made a similar looking table in early 2020. It is not as nice as yours but looks great in my living room. Just as I was finishing the last buffing a passerby stopped and asked how much was I selling that coffee table ( I work out of a 2 car garage and my driveway..). I said not for sale sorry, He said I'll give you 3200 cash. I did not even think about it as the table was a 30yr wedding anniversary gift for my wife. My point is I'm just a regular guy that has fun building fine furniture for family and friends, You sir are a PRO with awesome tools that I can only dream of using. That table should go for a deal at $3800-$4200 IMO. Realistically, that is a $4500-$5500 Mike Farrington table.
What it should cost and what you should charge for it are 2 different numbers (usually). If you want to find out your charge, you'll have to do that on your own. You'll need your overhead numbers, your material costs, your time cost and your profit necessary. Get those numbers to me and I'll work you up a number. ;-)
@@MikeFarrington Thanks. I’ll have to give this a try. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’re able to sell the table for. It’s definitely a high end table
Hi Mike, Really nice table - let's go with $1,500. For your consideration and the long-term betterment of your body, I suggest wearing dermal protection (nitrile gloves) while applying a finish to your projects, even water-based. You could go even further by wearing a respirator while finishing, and especially during activity which creates lots of sawdust. I worked in the environmental industry and take this stuff seriously. I enjoy learning new tips from you and have been a woodworker hobbyist since high school - 46 years now. I miss Norm and The New Yankee Workshop, but your videos have filled that void. Keep your sense of humor and videos coming. Brian
What’s your point, though? $1400 is more than it would fetch where I’m at (central Indiana.) if this were a custom job with an existing buyer- MAYBE a grand. 1200-1400 on a really good day. There’s just simply too much competition out there.
Mike, I made a coffee table out of a large slab of walnut about 10 years ago that's kinda similar to yours. Mine was about 4 ft long and wider (but variable also keeping lots of live edge) and thicker (nearly 8/4). I made 4 legs out of 3x3 walnut with a walnut stretcher. It's much heavier looking than your table but also with lots of tremendous grain pattern. Finished it with a tung oil/urethane mix. If I were to sell it, I'd sell it for about $1500 (the slab alone was about $600). Nice job.
I can look at this in a couple ways. One the one hand materials and hours worked would sugest that it should be on the high side of pricey IMO. like $1200 On the other I can see people snapping it up in the $700 range. Personally I'd pay materials and sweat equity if I had access to a shop. . . but that's the maker in me. I say sell it for around a grand.
@@bowlchamps37 I own a small custom cabinet shop with a 5’x10’ CNC and all the overhead sanders, planers etc one could need. There’s no way i could or would build this and make any profit.
@@ericmac564 That's it! You can order it for half of the price online. You can decide to pay more for a local product or pay less for random. Same quality as the world isn't standing still around us. Epoxy tables also are in a ridiculous range. 300 for a table is normal. You can't beat this outside of a hobby.
Mike, love the design , especially the way you made the base slightly larger than the top. It does really accomplish your intent. Price is difficult to estimate as it tents to vary region to region and I rarely make anything for market, but I would think the $1600 to $2200 range would be appropriate. I always learn something from your videos and today was no different. Appreciate you posting and wish the best for you family this holiday season. Chuck
Probably $1750. Depends on how fast you want to sell it. The real problem is there's too many people who make cheap furniture. Cheap furniture is just cheap. Handcrafted beautiful furniture is not cheap. You usually get what you pay for.
If I were making it, I'd probably ask around $600. Because you made it, I'd say around $1600, as you're far more than twice as good as me, but I'm trying to keep it reasonable.
Nicely done, pricing is so hard. People want to think that what they are buying is special and they want other people to think that it is special as well. One way to approach it would be to figure out your cost of materials, your labor and your cost of the shop. That being said since you want a number I would say 2750.00 dollars. Good luck with your sale.
I am at $1200-$1500. I think you could buy a solid walnut table of similar size for probably $800 at a high end furniture store. I would argue this warrants more for the joinery, small details (like bowtie), single slab top with live edge, and the ability for the customer to make some minor customizations.
I think more makers should tell the viewers how many hrs it takes to make items like this, definitely a under appreciated art! $1600 cnd is reasonable.
$500-$700, then again I've never paid such a price for a table. Just too many options available at thrift stores for me to justify paying that kind of money and I love to save stuff from going to the dump. Scored a nice cedar chest from the 60s for $30 a couple days ago. It now holds my 250+ vinyl records.
While walnut is expensive, it's actually a minor ingredient in this context. You are not just selling a walnut table, but rather your knowlesge, skills, experience, and workmanship that made it possible to create the piece. In addition to being a woodworker, I'm also a professional photographer. Some folks don't understand that most people are not capable of picking up someone's professional camera gear or high quality woodworking machines, and and delivering anything close to the quality that a skilled professional routinely delivers. Likewise, if someone walked into your shop and had access to all your machines, he/she would still be incapable of producing the piece you created. The pecision of your work, and your attention to detail is nothing short of envious. I would not suggest anything less than $2,000 for fear of insulting you, and would not be surprised if you sell it for quite a bit more. I thoroughly enjoy watching your videos, and find them to be quite addictive. Thanks for all that you do and for freely sharing your craft.
What an engaging video concept. The filming and pace are excellent. I just sold a less creatively designed table that can function as a desk, or hallway table, for $2,500 in Rockland County, NY, not a posh area. The top is a glued up panel of beautifully figured hard maple and mahogany, with a 30 degree inward bevel on the bottom to give it some lightness. The legs are tapered mahogany and the stretcher and apron are mahogany with maple inlay. Joinery is double floating tenons (Festool Domino) and I used z-clips to attach the top to account for wood movement. It sold at a charity event in a silent auction so the price may carry a philanthropy premium. Bids started at $1,500 and worked quickly up to $2,400, then the final bid came in just before the bell. Bottom line, I think your table is worth more because of the unique beauty and balance of your design, not to mention the exquisitely turbulent figuring of the walnut. If I were a buyer in a reputable gallery I gladly would have plunked down $5,000 for yours, especially if looking for something contemporary that my great grandchildren will someday enjoy.
I can build a table like that, but I'd pay to see your comedy routine. You are, by far, the funniest woodworker on youtube! Maybe the Woodwhisperer would be second?!
Mike as usual your work is excellent I would have no problems charging $1500.00 for this table and I usually have a tendency to under charge for my work . thank you for the great videos
3:03 l don't see a video for that kumiko lantern in the foreground. Do you have a link? I'd love to see at least how you bent the flower petals. Please show us how to do one flower. We can refer to your other videos on the rest.💖🌞🌵😷
I really admire your attention to detail. My price point would be $5300, which is more about what I think the market will bear in terms of competition for alternative products and your need to recover a slightly below-market cost of your time, as opposed to what I think your time and CapEx is actually worth. If I were pricing based on T&M and CapEx, the price would be about $8k. It really depends on how long you're willing to hold the inventory. I think it flies off the shelf at $4-5k, hangs around a little while at $5300, and hangs around a long time waiting for exactly the right buyer at north of $5300, but still sells eventually at less than $8k. Above $8k you keep it forever but it becomes a buyer calibration point/catalyst to sell other, more expensive inventory by providing a relatively high comparison point.
Depends on the area. I've seen tables like that in TN/KY for 1000, and towards 5000 and in between. It's a smaller size, but hand built so looks really nice. Probably somewhere in the middle on the higher side?
I own a small custom cabinet shop, we do lots of kitchens and built-ins, and a few times a year I get commissioned to make a dining table….I never end up making good money on them because I am not setup for making furniture so I spend a lot of time “engineering” how the table will be built. It’s hard to justify spending a week making a dining table when I could make twice the money building a kitchen…but it is fun to mix it up and make a table you know a family will use and hopefully hand down to the kids one day. I’d say $3500 for your table in Southern California. (I don’t do any wood finishing, so my finisher would probably charge $500) so $4000 total.
As my father says frequently: A piece is worth what someone is willing to pay. That being said. Personally I loosely use a formula to pricing my work. ANNUAL OVERHEAD (Rent/shop upkeep, tool wear/replacement, Transportation, advertisements etc.) divided by LABOR TIME out of available labor time in a year. Multiplied by physical, mental hours invested in piece (LABOR) + MATERIAL. Of course they can't all be gems. Not knowing the particulars of your shop, but claiming to know quality, I would shoot a number for a custom piece like this around $2100 +/- It's a beautiful little piece you've made here.
Hey Mike, thank you for yet another terrific and highly entertaining video, it is always a buzz when I see you appear on my subscription list. I have been reading through the estimates in the comments and my only point would be, all the figures coming in would be for the North American market. There is no way you would get near to those prices in Europe, not on any scale anyway. Maybe if you were fortunate enough to have developed a personal relationship with a knowledgable and discerning client. In my country (France) I believe you would not sell this for more than about €800, so around about $900. There's only one caveat to this, which is of course if you were to be able to get it into a Paris/Lyon dealer showroom, then it would sell for a lot more, but you wouldn't necessarily see any more of that money. (they would see it as the kudos to the maker for having it sold through their gallery). I really hope you get what you want for this piece in North America - it's very pretty, but if I were the client, I would want some inches taken off the legs. Which in and of itself is another interesting topic - Can a client visualise a piece of furniture to be something other than it appears? Even the length of the legs? I can see a discussion in a showroom that goes along the lines "I really like this piece, but I think it's too tall, maybe we'll look for a different piece that's a little lower". Maybe that's a topic for another time. Thanks again, great work.
I love all the ways people attempt to calculate the cost. Some are hilarious, many are moronic, but my favorite was the labor rate based on Mike's T-shirt changes. Brilliant! The biggest mistake everyone makes with their price estimate is location--they only seem to consider their local area. If this table were sold in Colorado or Northern Canada or New York City, the price would range from $1,200 to $5,000.
Exactly. I look at most of these prices listed and they are completely unrealistic in my area. If you want to sell a coffee table here, it better priced in hundreds and not thousands.
My daddy always said there were two prices for everything: what you want and what you'll take. That said, if I had made that exact table, I'd want $6,000 for it. I'd keep it for myself if I couldn't get at least $4,000. Great work Mike.
Glad you explained the situation with the dye on your index finger. I was certain you had voted in an Iraqi election, and I was confused. Price for the table - 1,754,000 Dinar.
Karate dojo finishing techniques alone make this piece priceless.......I too learned some amazing finishing techniques in a Karate dojo, but mine were used more for painting fences and sanding floors...... $2,500 minimum for the table.
So just based on the video and not knowing material cost, hourly or day rate, listing fees (based on website), percentages added for sundries, delivery fees or anything else id say $2499 is a good starting point. Nice job Mike.
Great job Mike, my gut was $1600.00 to $2000.00, I live in the western suburbs of Chicago, I may be low, since you had some cost savings using the BIG sander! Kudos to u!!
Great video, as ever, and an amazing table. Looking at real estate prices in your area, where people are paying outrageous prices for houses, you may as well graciously allow them to pay handsomely for your outrageous pieces -- $2,800 or more seems about right. I'm new to Denver and have mostly used up the wood I brought. So today, speaking of high prices, I went to Austin Hardwoods. Any recommendations on where else in-or-near Denver I should visit for lumber? I am mostly a turner, so especially seeking rough, thick boards with personality.
Wow that table turned out beautiful. Workmanship is top notch as per usual. Price wise I have no idea as I usually struggle pricing my own work in the first place. Hahahaha Big thanks for sharing the views of your motorbike trip to Mike. Looked like it would of an awesome trip. 👍
Thank you. The screw holes were opened up at the bottom allowing for some pivot. This table could move 3/16 or so, meaning a little wiggle room is all that is needed.
Hey Mike, I spotted a big jointer at 21:23, is that something you plan on refurbishing in the future to replace your SCM F3A? I'm a big fan of italian machinery..
Hi Mike. I'm a retired cost engineer and I just finished a walnut coffee table gift myself for a family member. I know what walnut is worth and your price should be what you'd like to get for the piece and who you might sell it to. I could suggest anything between $1200 and $4795. The low pricing for good friends only.
I love the support shown in these comments. As a retired cabinetmaker/furniture maker/yacht joiner of over 40 years on the West Coast of Canada, I would say here in B.C. my shop would have charged around $2,500 CAD if built on spec or $3,000 CAD if built on commission. One thought when pricing - look around your beautiful shop just before you set the price and add a small percentage to account for the love, time and energy it took to set it all up and to keep updating it. Your clients will be happy to compensate you for that too, not just the piece itself. Your work is top notch and your whole vibe is passed on to your clients through your work. Big congratulations!
Mike, just a few things:
1. Excellent craftsmanship as always!
2. Unfortunately your sister is correct...
3. Statements like "nothing keeps a check in check, like a bowtie" are what make the English language difficult
4. Did I mention the design details are next level on this one?
5. If I were you, I wouldn't take a penny less than $2000 for this fine piece of furniture.
6. The lack of a song recommendation was concerning, please blink twice in the next video if you're being forced to leave them out against your will.
Thank you for all six points. I'll put a song in the next one for sure.
@@MikeFarrington eitherway, your voice is a song in most of our ears!
@@MikeFarrington anything less than "Your The Best Around" by Joe Esposito would be a huge let down for this vid.
$2000!!!, really? If you can sell that for 2k then I need to hire you to sell my furniture.
I agree with all points in Mike's reply with emphasis on the lack of a song recommendation.... nice work!
When I grow up I want to be a furniture maker. That much power is in the beauty of your craft! The talent plus the tools are in perfect harmony. Kudos!!
Thank you.
Mike and fishers shop have THE best voice overs 😂 cracks me up
Thank you.
It is refreshing to hear a Tuber recognize how much glue is adequate. I'd say that such a table (I like it very much) would be worth $3,000 right off the bench if there was an eager buyer standing right there. On the other hand, if there was still such a thing as a successful gallery right across the street accepting such work, their cut would be at least 40% of the retail. In that case, the table's price would have to be $5,000 for both you and the gallery to realize the necessary price. On the third hand, having no gallery capable of selling such work for that price, the task of finding a buyer is yours to accomplish. Your channel is probably the very most efficient way of accomplishing that. With the intention of profiting from all your work and investments while supporting successful retailers or the additional cost and effort of finding a buyer on your own, the cost needs to remain $5,000.
18:10
Very beautiful Mike! I just delivered a custom pulpit (African Mahogany) to a local client and can appreciate how much time and work goes into this type of project. Its a very nice piece, $3500 - $4500 is where I would place it. Thank you for sharing your project and video, always enjoyable and a learning experience!
Thank you.
I would personally charge $4,200 USD for this one of a kind hand crafted beauty. Excellent work and beautiful craftsmanship as always!
Thank you.
I am so thrilled you posted a video! You are my favorite maker.
Thank you Sam.
Depends really..
Do you enjoy making this type of work more accessible? Are you purely after the highest margin?
The fact that you use your CNC as a planer doesn't help the machining cost/time.
You could sell this for 2250 to the right person with the right wallet.
You could also make this from an offcut in a day with some modification and the right setup and still make a profit on a lower price.
It really depends on your business model and workflow..
this channel is like a modern day New Yankee Workshop one of my favorite shows I'm happy I found this channel
Thank you very much. That is the highest compliment I can receive.
I love all the techniques you share Mike. Thanks for taking the time to include them in your videos. I'd say $2800 - $3400 for the table. Cheers!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder . Beauty is assessed by how something fulfils your needs .
I would not buy this table for even one dollar UNLESS I intended to resell for a profit .
Why? I have zero possible use/application for it in it's size, color, purpose.
Mike , you are a top notch craftsman/artist . YOU should not waste your time making generic items .
Put yourself out there as a designer of 'commissioned only' projects . Name your price and reap what you deserve .
Thank you.
I love the bridle joint sitting in the subtle shallow dado, very nice touch. Your attention to detail top notch as always. I'm honestly surprised to see such low numbers for the cost, I wouldn't let this go for less than $4500-$5000.
Thank you.
Simple and elegant. It's a lovely piece
Thanks Mike.
@@MikeFarrington you're welcome. Love watching you work.
Great job. I also use (and love) the No 80 cabinet scraper - thoroughly recommended.
This is simply gorgeous. A real inspiration.
Thank you.
Beautiful details, Sir. As always. I'd sell this for 3500 if spec'd by a client. 2000 if selling from inventory. Yes, in my experience, there's that much of a difference!
Thanks for sharing
So Mike, this was pretty rad to watch this from material selection, which inspired the design, dripping in small details of the making process. I’m from Buffalo, NY which is very close to East Aurora NY which is where the Roycroft Campus was founded, which I think was a movement in answer to the industrialisation of making factory line junk, bringing the focus back to craftsmanship and design around the turn of the 19th century. It wasn’t just craftsmanship style furniture, it was also metal work, pottery, a whole movement, pretty cool. Maybe you know all this, Ida know…my wife has the brains in our operation, I’m just trying not to embarrass myself, know what I’m saying?
One quote from a visit there stuck with me, “People know the cost of everything and the value of nothing” or something along those lines. Word up
That being said, I don’t know how much you typically charge for your pieces, and sadly at this point in my life I’m not in a position to invest in bespoke, original solid hardwood pieces, so I’ll take a crack at it, and I understand there is a a hike in timber prices at the moment.
Really nice piece, solid design, terrific craftsmanship, really like the Burl in the surface, love walnut…
$2,800
Bro I know this looks like it took you a while, my best estimate, apologies if you think this is lower than your pro pricing estimate, or if that’s too high for broke people like me to consider
Mike's Sanding Disc is THE BEST on the market. Super high quality... I love mine... Next time leave in the reaction when setting mallet into the epoxy.. It's nice to see even Superhero's make mistakes...
Mike, beautiful piece. The joints came out amazing. $3800 immediately came to mind. Amazing work from one woodworker to another.
Thank you.
4:40 Love that Knife Hand Strike technique….I tried it a few times on some scrap 2x4 but I can’t get that perfect line in your video….in fact I must be weak because my timber wouldn’t cut at all. Now my hand is bruised and sore so I’ll have to wait before trying my next chop, but seeing a master carpenter do it gives me confidence. It’s all in the technique..right!
make sure you're perfectly square to the cut
12:44 If only they'd make this machine in a portable hand held version! Imagine the possibilities!
Great build, Mike! The base looks very elegant, and the top looks awesome too!
That would be cool!
Looking at the materials, you have roughly $350-$500 in walnut. Then the consumable shop materials (finishes/sanding/etc), which I would price around $50-75. So in physical cost your at almost $575. I also have a shop cost on larger project usually a flat fee of $100 ( all them pretty machines aren’t free). Then there is the tangible cost (labor). I typically charge between $50-100 an hour depending on the skills involved in the work being preformed. Milling lumber vs hand cutting bow ties vs finishing. I am going to guess you have about 24 hours (3 tshirt changes in the video is my metric for this guesstimate). So that would be about $1200-2400 in labor. For this I would say $1800. Then your profit margin. I use 10% as my margin, so about $250. So about $2700 would be about the price for a one of a kind solid walnut table.
Thanks for not saying "materials times three"... That pricing method is a bit sophomoric.
Why do you use 10% as your margin?
nicely reasoned.
Looks like I am underpricing my work
@@toddschriver9924 you might be. I was for a while.
Awesome! A new video from MR Farrington on my birthday. Best gift ever :) As always, great work there MR Farrington.
makes me want to go outside and make something out of scrap like I have done in the pass. great workmanship Mike cannot give you a price because I can do the same table with less tools. your workshop is a true craftsman workshop good video m8
Thank you.
really impressed with your many projects 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 all the best from Denmark 🇩🇰
Thank you very much.
Hi Mike. So how much did you end up selling your table for? Was the price higher or lower than what you would have asked had TH-cam comments not been involved? I'd also be interested in hearing about how you price your work. I imagine for commitioned work you have to estimate the hours you WILL spend, but in this case you know how many hours that you DID spend (plus material and markup, of course).
U have a awesome shop my friend keep it up and have a good holiday
Thanks, you too!
Based on cost of walnut and the work put into it, I would sell something like that for between $2200-2800
great table mike! I love your dry humour.
Ha! Thank you.
I count at least eight different outfits. ("Be kind, re-wind" being my favorite) So, if we figure roughly 8 days of 8 hours each equaling roughly 64 hours. In my parts (I am a G.C. in Chicago and pay my high end finish carpenters $45/hr.) I would say after time, material, overhead and creative license $3,000.00. Granted I paid $20.00 for a soup and sandwich at lunch today so economies of scale should be considered. I subscribe to many a woodworker channel on TH-cam and you are my favorite. I have major shop and tool envy watching you however, totes jelly.
$2400-$3800. Out here at the west coast prices are catching up with skill and craftsmanship it takes to pull something like this off. This thin top could be a selling point for some, a welcome step away from the many heavy slabs that are popular right now. Thanks for another mighty video, you captured the shop fun and feel with the legs coming out of the sander shot. I myself when alone can not pick up a screw gun without shooting my trusty ray gun.
Thank you. I also take practice shots with my impact driver.
An issue I have with most live edge furniture is that it usually feels like the live edge slab and whatever legs someone screwed to it weren’t meant for each other. I like that the slight dado makes the two parts feel custom for each other.
Me to, but I solved that by using a second slab, cut to height and offset to 10 degrees to make live edge legs to, it worked amazingly, but.....
It's now a 2 slab table, n is now expensive as a result!
But it looks amazing!
$150
Me to, should have sliding dovetail it instead of dado+screw. Or hidden sliding dovetail if you dont want the ends to show.
Wake up
Time and materials plus 70%. I would normally say a lower percentage but you yourself added the “one of a kind” modifier to the table. It’s beautiful.
Thank you.
Hard to tell pricing without knowing how many hours you have in it or the cost of material. I will take a stab at it though...
Day rate of $750 for an 8 hour day = $93.75 an hour. Lets say you have 20 hours of work into it that's $1875.00.
Hard to figure material as cost differ a bit area to area. Let's go with soup to nuts, wood, glue, fasteners. $450.00
So subtotal of $2325.00.
Add 7% for infrastructure overhead. (electricity, heat/cooling, etc) $162.75
(You could add 5% for business infrastructure, website, marketing, etc)
Subtotal of $2487.75 so round up to $2500.00 (your sale price. A gallery sale would add a large percentage on top of that)
EDIT; Now that I've been to your website and seen your excellent work, add $250.00 to the day rate. Total $2750.00
First of all "and I'm not into that", best statement in the video. And as always, thank you for sharing your work, it's always inspiring.
Now down to business, I'd put the price between $2,000 to $2,500.
Thanks Jim.
In looking through the comments, my estimate is definitely going to be on the higher end of the scale. Your work is more than just a calculation based on time, materials and overhead. You have established yourself as a excellent and well respected craftsman/artist. A table made by someone like me using that slab of wood and with the exact same level of craftsmanship would not be worth as much as it is because you made it. Having something made by Mike Farrington adds value. With all of that said, I would estimated $4,500 to $5,000. (Please let me know if you decide on $1,500 or less like some have suggested. I will buy it immediately and I am not a person of means and have no need for a new table of any type!
Thank you. Check my website in a week or so. I will average out the comments and list it for sale.
HI Mike, another fantastic video, your skill levels are way above anyone else on YT. The table should be for sale between $2200 and $3000. Excellent piece of work.
Thank you very much, thats kind to say.
Beautifully made table love the figure running through the top, and letting the table leg frames extend beyond the the table top is a nice detail. I think that this table should cost in the region of $6000 to $6500.
Thank you very much!
Beautiful desk Mike
Thanks Scott. Hope you guys are going well.
Very courageous to stir up the hornet' nest re: pricing! A very interesting experiment! Also wise for not including costs in my opinion. You need to know your costs so you are not losing money, but costs do not need to be directly related to price. Cost+ and value are not the same. Cost+ formulas may give you the minimum you need make to survive but have no relation to value and what some people who know and understand the value will pay.
Nice one! Love your subtle humor too 😅👌🏼
Ha! Thank you.
That's a tough one.... its not a dinner table but it would probably be listed at $2200 here in Canada. In my region there is strong support for custom woodworking.
My wife and I 9 years ago commissioned a country style all Western and Eastern maple Island and we paid $3200 CAD.
Beautiful! Well done!
Thank you very much!
I’m surprised to see most of the prices so low. With the amount of work and detail you put into this I would think $3500-$4500
I'm surprised to see them so high. If it were me I'd just get a piece of plywood and screw some 2x4's to it for legs. I can't imagine spending 4K for a table. I guess that's the luxury of the rich.
@@cbalan777 you could always try making more money to afford nice things instead of plywood and 2x4's
I made a similar looking table in early 2020. It is not as nice as yours but looks great in my living room. Just as I was finishing the last buffing a passerby stopped and asked how much was I selling that coffee table ( I work out of a 2 car garage and my driveway..). I said not for sale sorry, He said I'll give you 3200 cash. I did not even think about it as the table was a 30yr wedding anniversary gift for my wife. My point is I'm just a regular guy that has fun building fine furniture for family and friends, You sir are a PRO with awesome tools that I can only dream of using. That table should go for a deal at $3800-$4200 IMO. Realistically, that is a $4500-$5500 Mike Farrington table.
Thank you very much.
What it should cost and what you should charge for it are 2 different numbers (usually).
If you want to find out your charge, you'll have to do that on your own. You'll need your overhead numbers, your material costs, your time cost and your profit necessary.
Get those numbers to me and I'll work you up a number. ;-)
Have you watched Mike for long? He is well aware of what he is doing. He is just asking for fun. He doesn't need our help etc.
@@smackenzie1340 Hence the "wink face" at the end of my comment.
Shoot, for a Mike Farrington original? Priceless.
Ha! Thank you.
Hey Mike, does attaching the top like that allow for wood movement? How wide a table do you think that method would work for?
It’s a beautiful table.
What I didn't show in the video is the the bottom of the screw hole has been opened up allowing for about 1/8" movement per side.
@@MikeFarrington
Thanks. I’ll have to give this a try. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’re able to sell the table for.
It’s definitely a high end table
Hi Mike,
Really nice table - let's go with $1,500.
For your consideration and the long-term betterment of your body, I suggest wearing dermal protection (nitrile gloves) while applying a finish to your projects, even water-based. You could go even further by wearing a respirator while finishing, and especially during activity which creates lots of sawdust. I worked in the environmental industry and take this stuff seriously.
I enjoy learning new tips from you and have been a woodworker hobbyist since high school - 46 years now. I miss Norm and The New Yankee Workshop, but your videos have filled that void. Keep your sense of humor and videos coming.
Brian
Thank you very much.
Mike, your videos are incredible and have inspired me to begin woodworking so thank you! My best guess is $1,400 for the table.
Second this!
Dry & mostly flat, that's a $3 - $400 piece of wood in most larger cities.
What’s your point, though? $1400 is more than it would fetch where I’m at (central Indiana.) if this were a custom job with an existing buyer- MAYBE a grand. 1200-1400 on a really good day. There’s just simply too much competition out there.
Mike, I made a coffee table out of a large slab of walnut about 10 years ago that's kinda similar to yours. Mine was about 4 ft long and wider (but variable also keeping lots of live edge) and thicker (nearly 8/4). I made 4 legs out of 3x3 walnut with a walnut stretcher. It's much heavier looking than your table but also with lots of tremendous grain pattern. Finished it with a tung oil/urethane mix. If I were to sell it, I'd sell it for about $1500 (the slab alone was about $600). Nice job.
Thank you.
I can look at this in a couple ways. One the one hand materials and hours worked would sugest that it should be on the high side of pricey IMO. like $1200 On the other I can see people snapping it up in the $700 range. Personally I'd pay materials and sweat equity if I had access to a shop. . . but that's the maker in me.
I say sell it for around a grand.
Thank you.
Insanity. $1200 is insulting. Maybe $1200 for some garage hack that isn’t running a business.
@@ericmac564 $1200 seems about right unless material was expensive. It´s just a table, a fast project.
@@bowlchamps37 I own a small custom cabinet shop with a 5’x10’ CNC and all the overhead sanders, planers etc one could need. There’s no way i could or would build this and make any profit.
@@ericmac564 That's it! You can order it for half of the price online.
You can decide to pay more for a local product or pay less for random. Same quality as the world isn't standing still around us.
Epoxy tables also are in a ridiculous range. 300 for a table is normal. You can't beat this outside of a hobby.
I can't wait for the video on the "new" jointer in the background
Probably no video. I don't like it, some I'm going to sell it.
Mike, love the design , especially the way you made the base slightly larger than the top. It does really accomplish your intent. Price is difficult to estimate as it tents to vary region to region and I rarely make anything for market, but I would think the $1600 to $2200 range would be appropriate.
I always learn something from your videos and today was no different. Appreciate you posting and wish the best for you family this holiday season.
Chuck
Thank you.
Beautiful design and build!! It looks gorgeous!
Thank you so much!
Probably $1750. Depends on how fast you want to sell it.
The real problem is there's too many people who make cheap furniture. Cheap furniture is just cheap. Handcrafted beautiful furniture is not cheap. You usually get what you pay for.
Thank you.
It’s a great looking piece
Thank you.
If I were making it, I'd probably ask around $600. Because you made it, I'd say around $1600, as you're far more than twice as good as me, but I'm trying to keep it reasonable.
Nicely done, pricing is so hard. People want to think that what they are buying is special and they want other people to think that it is special as well. One way to approach it would be to figure out your cost of materials, your labor and your cost of the shop. That being said since you want a number I would say 2750.00 dollars. Good luck with your sale.
Thank you.
I am at $1200-$1500. I think you could buy a solid walnut table of similar size for probably $800 at a high end furniture store. I would argue this warrants more for the joinery, small details (like bowtie), single slab top with live edge, and the ability for the customer to make some minor customizations.
Thank you.
Two videos in one week 👌🏻 very nice
Yup. Trying to step up my game.
I think more makers should tell the viewers how many hrs it takes to make items like this, definitely a under appreciated art! $1600 cnd is reasonable.
Pat would be proud. Nice work.
$500-$700, then again I've never paid such a price for a table. Just too many options available at thrift stores for me to justify paying that kind of money and I love to save stuff from going to the dump. Scored a nice cedar chest from the 60s for $30 a couple days ago. It now holds my 250+ vinyl records.
While walnut is expensive, it's actually a minor ingredient in this context. You are not just selling a walnut table, but rather your knowlesge, skills, experience, and workmanship that made it possible to create the piece. In addition to being a woodworker, I'm also a professional photographer. Some folks don't understand that most people are not capable of picking up someone's professional camera gear or high quality woodworking machines, and and delivering anything close to the quality that a skilled professional routinely delivers. Likewise, if someone walked into your shop and had access to all your machines, he/she would still be incapable of producing the piece you created.
The pecision of your work, and your attention to detail is nothing short of envious. I would not suggest anything less than $2,000 for fear of insulting you, and would not be surprised if you sell it for quite a bit more. I thoroughly enjoy watching your videos, and find them to be quite addictive. Thanks for all that you do and for freely sharing your craft.
Very kind and very thoughtful, thank you.
i would probably end up somewhere between $1650 and $2250.
Thank you.
What an engaging video concept. The filming and pace are excellent. I just sold a less creatively designed table that can function as a desk, or hallway table, for $2,500 in Rockland County, NY, not a posh area. The top is a glued up panel of beautifully figured hard maple and mahogany, with a 30 degree inward bevel on the bottom to give it some lightness. The legs are tapered mahogany and the stretcher and apron are mahogany with maple inlay. Joinery is double floating tenons (Festool Domino) and I used z-clips to attach the top to account for wood movement. It sold at a charity event in a silent auction so the price may carry a philanthropy premium. Bids started at $1,500 and worked quickly up to $2,400, then the final bid came in just before the bell. Bottom line, I think your table is worth more because of the unique beauty and balance of your design, not to mention the exquisitely turbulent figuring of the walnut. If I were a buyer in a reputable gallery I gladly would have plunked down $5,000 for yours, especially if looking for something contemporary that my great grandchildren will someday enjoy.
Thank you for the kind words.
Oh my men the shirt at 5mins legendary great choice !!
Beautiful work as always, you karate kid you!
Ha, thank you.
I can build a table like that, but I'd pay to see your comedy routine. You are, by far, the funniest woodworker on youtube! Maybe the Woodwhisperer would be second?!
Ha! Thank you very much.
Nothing less than 2k for sure. Your skill and craftsmanship is superb. Death to IKEA!!! Bring back the American craftsman movement!!
Thank you very much.
Gorgeous work as always, Mike. My formula: material cost + (hours spent x $150) + (50% of your wife’s next small/medium size project)
Ha! Thank you.
The base and top have a great ratio, and craftsmanship 100 as always. I think that for the thickness of top, two console tables would be nice
Thank you very much!
great work!
Thank you! Cheers!
Mike as usual your work is excellent I would have no problems charging $1500.00 for this table and I usually have a tendency to under charge for my work . thank you for the great videos
Thank you.
Mate, I'd give you the gift of a big hug and a kiss. After that life changing thrill I'm sure you would hand that bad boy over pronto 👌
Thank you. I bet you're right.
3:03 l don't see a video for that kumiko lantern in the foreground. Do you have a link? I'd love to see at least how you bent the flower petals. Please show us how to do one flower. We can refer to your other videos on the rest.💖🌞🌵😷
I'll try to make a video on that process at some point.
I really admire your attention to detail. My price point would be $5300, which is more about what I think the market will bear in terms of competition for alternative products and your need to recover a slightly below-market cost of your time, as opposed to what I think your time and CapEx is actually worth. If I were pricing based on T&M and CapEx, the price would be about $8k. It really depends on how long you're willing to hold the inventory. I think it flies off the shelf at $4-5k, hangs around a little while at $5300, and hangs around a long time waiting for exactly the right buyer at north of $5300, but still sells eventually at less than $8k. Above $8k you keep it forever but it becomes a buyer calibration point/catalyst to sell other, more expensive inventory by providing a relatively high comparison point.
Thank you very much.
Depends on the area. I've seen tables like that in TN/KY for 1000, and towards 5000 and in between. It's a smaller size, but hand built so looks really nice. Probably somewhere in the middle on the higher side?
Thank you.
$2k would be a steal. That bridle joint came out tops for strength in a Fine Woodworking test, from memory. Good work Mike.
I own a small custom cabinet shop, we do lots of kitchens and built-ins, and a few times a year I get commissioned to make a dining table….I never end up making good money on them because I am not setup for making furniture so I spend a lot of time “engineering” how the table will be built. It’s hard to justify spending a week making a dining table when I could make twice the money building a kitchen…but it is fun to mix it up and make a table you know a family will use and hopefully hand down to the kids one day. I’d say $3500 for your table in Southern California. (I don’t do any wood finishing, so my finisher would probably charge $500) so $4000 total.
Thank you, good input.
As my father says frequently: A piece is worth what someone is willing to pay.
That being said. Personally I loosely use a formula to pricing my work.
ANNUAL OVERHEAD (Rent/shop upkeep, tool wear/replacement, Transportation, advertisements etc.) divided by LABOR TIME out of available labor time in a year. Multiplied by physical, mental hours invested in piece (LABOR) + MATERIAL.
Of course they can't all be gems.
Not knowing the particulars of your shop, but claiming to know quality, I would shoot a number for a custom piece like this around $2100 +/-
It's a beautiful little piece you've made here.
Thank you very much.
Great video Mike! I put this at $2795 FOB Board Room | Mallet recommendation: Puddle of Mud, Control
Thank you Cory. That is a great song.
Hey Mike, thank you for yet another terrific and highly entertaining video, it is always a buzz when I see you appear on my subscription list. I have been reading through the estimates in the comments and my only point would be, all the figures coming in would be for the North American market. There is no way you would get near to those prices in Europe, not on any scale anyway. Maybe if you were fortunate enough to have developed a personal relationship with a knowledgable and discerning client. In my country (France) I believe you would not sell this for more than about €800, so around about $900. There's only one caveat to this, which is of course if you were to be able to get it into a Paris/Lyon dealer showroom, then it would sell for a lot more, but you wouldn't necessarily see any more of that money. (they would see it as the kudos to the maker for having it sold through their gallery). I really hope you get what you want for this piece in North America - it's very pretty, but if I were the client, I would want some inches taken off the legs. Which in and of itself is another interesting topic - Can a client visualise a piece of furniture to be something other than it appears? Even the length of the legs? I can see a discussion in a showroom that goes along the lines "I really like this piece, but I think it's too tall, maybe we'll look for a different piece that's a little lower". Maybe that's a topic for another time. Thanks again, great work.
Thank you. I totally agree about customers not being able to visualize a lower table. Thats a good point.
I love all the ways people attempt to calculate the cost. Some are hilarious, many are moronic, but my favorite was the labor rate based on Mike's T-shirt changes. Brilliant! The biggest mistake everyone makes with their price estimate is location--they only seem to consider their local area. If this table were sold in Colorado or Northern Canada or New York City, the price would range from $1,200 to $5,000.
it's true, most people don't think very hard
Exactly. I look at most of these prices listed and they are completely unrealistic in my area. If you want to sell a coffee table here, it better priced in hundreds and not thousands.
Thank you Pat. I agree about the location. Fortunately, this table is easily shipped, and I will price it with shipping to the lower 48.
My daddy always said there were two prices for everything: what you want and what you'll take.
That said, if I had made that exact table, I'd want $6,000 for it.
I'd keep it for myself if I couldn't get at least $4,000.
Great work Mike.
Thank you.
Glad you explained the situation with the dye on your index finger. I was certain you had voted in an Iraqi election, and I was confused. Price for the table - 1,754,000 Dinar.
“It could launch that piece into my face and I’m not into that” Your comments are the best Mike.
Ha! Thank you.
Karate dojo finishing techniques alone make this piece priceless.......I too learned some amazing finishing techniques in a Karate dojo, but mine were used more for painting fences and sanding floors...... $2,500 minimum for the table.
Haha! Love it. Thank you.
So just based on the video and not knowing material cost, hourly or day rate, listing fees (based on website), percentages added for sundries, delivery fees or anything else id say $2499 is a good starting point. Nice job Mike.
Thank you.
Great job Mike, my gut was $1600.00 to $2000.00, I live in the western suburbs of Chicago, I may be low, since you had some cost savings using the BIG sander! Kudos to u!!
Great video, as ever, and an amazing table. Looking at real estate prices in your area, where people are paying outrageous prices for houses, you may as well graciously allow them to pay handsomely for your outrageous pieces -- $2,800 or more seems about right.
I'm new to Denver and have mostly used up the wood I brought. So today, speaking of high prices, I went to Austin Hardwoods. Any recommendations on where else in-or-near Denver I should visit for lumber? I am mostly a turner, so especially seeking rough, thick boards with personality.
Thank you. You can check out Paxton lumber, but its not much different than Austin.
Wow that table turned out beautiful. Workmanship is top notch as per usual. Price wise I have no idea as I usually struggle pricing my own work in the first place. Hahahaha
Big thanks for sharing the views of your motorbike trip to Mike. Looked like it would of an awesome trip. 👍
Thank you very much.
Incredible. Really nice details. Is there an allowance for movement at the ends? Is that necessary on a table of this size?
Thank you. The screw holes were opened up at the bottom allowing for some pivot. This table could move 3/16 or so, meaning a little wiggle room is all that is needed.
Hey Mike, I spotted a big jointer at 21:23, is that something you plan on refurbishing in the future to replace your SCM F3A?
I'm a big fan of italian machinery..
I actually do run a karate dojo and have used the exact same analogy... Well done buddy, the table and video look great!
I love it! But I can't help think or dare I say imagine that a great white took a chunk out of the table surface. Lol
Hi Mike. I'm a retired cost engineer and I just finished a walnut coffee table gift myself for a family member. I know what walnut is worth and your price should be what you'd like to get for the piece and who you might sell it to. I could suggest anything between $1200 and $4795. The low pricing for good friends only.
Thank you very much.
Yet another fantastic piece of precise wood butchery, as for the cost i,m with the majority $2500 minimum
Thank you.