Buy versus build?

[Darius Ferlas]

Oh, you know the answer to that. They're not building the furniture I want.

They'll build the furniture you want. Any kind, shape, form and color.
Heck, they'll build the furniture you didn't even know you wanted.

[Jamie Buxton]

..They'll build the furniture you want..

No, actually production lines don't work that way. Production lines build lots of identical widgets. If that doesn't happen to be what you want, they can't help you.

[Darius Ferlas]

No, actually production lines don't work that way. Production lines build lots of identical widgets. If that doesn't happen to be what you want, they can't help you.

Who says you that all furniture you can buy must come from a production line?
Haven't you ever heard about custom made furniture?

[Jamie Buxton]

Who says you that all furniture you can buy must come from a production line?
Haven't you ever heard about custom made furniture?

Exactly. Custom furniture maker = me.

[Larry Whitlow]

So... to nobody in particular... if we buy stuff to save time why not buy the furniture we want and save even more time?

If you buy the furniture, it will give you more time to build jigs for the shop.

[Darius Ferlas]

Exactly. Custom furniture maker = me.

But now you know you don't have to be, and you can enjoy all the free time

[Jim Matthews]

+1 on exchanging money for time.

Time is the only commodity you can't replace.

That said, I try to work with fewer jigs and more in the way of handling my tools.

It sort of ties into the same idea; if I'm only going to make a single rocking chair - making a jig to route joint will take longer than using a backsaw, chisel and rasp.
Were I to make hundreds, a jig would save me time.

I think making a bench is a colossal waste of time when second hand benches of very high quality are commonly available on Craigslist.

I make furniture for family and other people to use.
I do know skilled craftsmen that are delighted to make shop tools, cabinets and fixtures.

I don't understand that approach in the least.

[Larry Browning]

+1 on exchanging money for time.

Time is the only commodity you can't replace.

That said, I try to work with fewer jigs and more in the way of handling my tools.

It sort of ties into the same idea; if I'm only going to make a single rocking chair - making a jig to route joint will take longer than using a backsaw, chisel and rasp.
Were I to make hundreds, a jig would save me time.

I think making a bench is a colossal waste of time when second hand benches of very high quality are commonly available on Craigslist.

I make furniture for family and other people to use.
I do know skilled craftsmen that are delighted to make shop tools, cabinets and fixtures.

I don't understand that approach in the least.

I guess I don't get this whole idea of saving time by spending money. For me any time I spend in the shop is not wasted. Tell me again why it is I need to save time spent in the shop. I want to spend as much time in the shop as I can. I work very slow and try to stretch out my projects as long as I can. That saves me money. Material is what costs money, not time, so the longer I can stretch out working with that material the less it costs me to enjoy my hobby. I would have the opposite opinion if this were my business.

[Chris Padilla]

Different strokes for different folks! Wouldn't it be boring if we were all the same?

Funny, it always comes down to a time versus money ideology and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Jim Becker]

It all comes down to time and what one's personal priority is...I do make things for the shop sometimes, but my biggest priority for the very, very limited shop time I get is...projects.