Does Building Your Own Furniture Save Money?

[Trever Williams]

I know this is a probably loaded question with lots of variables, but generally speaking does it save money to build your own furniture? My wife and I are building a new house. When we move in we’re going to need to get a flat panel TV console like this one:
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj289/tall_texan/TVConsole.jpg

We went shopping for them and they cost about $600. My wife said “Why don’t you just build one?” Never mind that it’s probably above my skill level but it got me to wondering if it would really save money. I haven’t priced hardwood lumber yet but I know its expensive. About how much do you think it would cost to build it out of cherry or mahogany?

[Benoit Bissonnette]

For 600$, you'll be lucky if you can buy just enough rough wood for your project. You also need to factor in the hardware cost, finishes, some specific tools for the project (ex.: router bits), let alone the fact you need to already have some basic tools to do the work... Then you also have to build the project which can take a lot of time too depending on how much free time you have in your hands. You don't get into this hobby to save money but rather to enjoy the process or make your own creations.

Good luck!

[Jim Terrill]

Few things- depends on where you are going to get it from, depends if you have the tools already, how much your time is worth/if you would want to do it anyways, and if you can actually find what you want. I know that in my case, I split a deal with my parents where I would build them a few sectional sofas based on one that they already had from Pompanoosuc Mills. If they had ordered them, it would have cost close to 20K for what is a fairly simple style of furniture. Because I wanted the tools anyways and knew I was going to build a new bedroom set for myself as well as some other things, we split a deal where they would buy the tools and wood needed in exchange for me building the sofas. With the help of craigslist, I have assembled a shop with all the tools necessary for a reasonable price and if I turned around tomorrow, I could make money off what I have bought. For a single project it isn't worth going out and buying everything new, but if you know that you will be building other things in the future, you can come out ahead financially. As far as wood costs, mahogany is crazy expensive. Cherry isn't cheap, but without dimensions you can't really get an accurate price and local prices vary a lot, so it could cost more or less for materials where you live than other people.

The other thing to add is that when you build something, you choose the quality of everything. We have bookshelves built out of mahogany by my great-grandfather that are still very sturdy, and we have some from the orange sign place that are a POS. If you build it well, you could have a piece that is passed down for generations.

FWIW, This is where I get a lot of my ideas and inspiration from: http://pompy.com/furniture/

[Joe Mioux]

In a word, No.

[Will Overton]

It can, depending on the quality of your build, compared to what you are buying. A piece like you show, if made with solid wood, with properly cut joinery, would probably cost more than you can make it for. But if you build yours properly and compare it too the most beautiful piece you find at Ikea, it will be cheaper to buy. But, you won't have the same quality.

There is a cost of tools, but consider them toys, because you will be using them to have fun. Your biggest investment will be 'time'. I have wanted to furnish my house with stuff I built for many years. I only got started in earnest since I retired.

[Dave Gaul]

You have one thing right.... that is a loaded question!! The answer really depends..

Do you have sufficient tools for the job? If so, you could build a very nice stand for MUCH less than $600. If you need to buy some tools, obviously it will cost more, but you can make up for it the more you build, but then again, the more you build, the more tools you want/get!!!

You don't have to use hardwood, if you are unsure of your skill level, you may want to make something out of a softwood first. You can make very nice furniture out of softer, less expensive woods...

As far as cost goes for something like you pic, it first depends on what the prices are in your area for the lumber... do you have a way to mill rough lumber?

In my mind, even if you build it yourself, and you spend as much as or a little more than store bought, you are still way ahead of the game.. you built it yourself, the way you want it, and probably used much better methods and materials...

[george wilson]

To be worth the time and cost,you must have the skill,and raw materials to make museum quality furniture. Thing is,you will never develop the skill,AND TASTE,unless you devote many years to making furniture.

The taste is just as important as the skill. Probably more so. I have seen so many very skilled craftsmen who make well made junk.

[Andrew Joiner]

No, in most cases it cost more to custom build. Even if you had free use of a shop with all supplies and utilities paid.

Your time is worth something. Usually the cost of materials in small quantity is as much or more than the cost of completed mass produced furniture.

Now if you love woodworking and hoard low cost materials when you can it works out dollar wise.

I built all our furniture and it was the only way to get what we wanted at a reasonable cost. It is very unique custom furniture and I'm sure I would have paid some one 30 to 40K in labor to build it, so I guess I "saved" that much in dollars cause I had fun doing it.

[Ray McCullie]

The truth is NO. And you are fooling yourself if you think it will. It not only will cost you more money but also a lot more time then you think it will.

But when you build it yourself, you get exactly what you want, the size you want, the shape you want, the style you want. That's something you can't buy in a store. And that is why it's worth it.

[Victor Robinson]

In a nutshell, no.

Like everyone has said, even the wood may end up costing you more.

But, assuming a good amount of skill at woodworking, you might produce something that is higher quality and more of a custom fit to your tastes and needs.

Sometimes buying furniture versus making it boils down to how likely you are to find exactly what you are looking for at an affordable price. If you're just looking for "a decent looking TV console in a dark color" you'll probably find something cheap enough and good enough at a store. If, however, you need a TV console that is between 60" and 64" wide with particular amenities built in for ventilation and cable management, AND you want it with dovetailed drawers and sliding doors, AND you're opposed to buying anything made from particleboard cores, then it might be worth your while to make it.

I got into woodworking in part because I thought it could save money. Truth be told, for a lot of what I want to build, it WOULD save me money simply because much of the furniture we want/need would probably need to be custom-built by a furniture-maker. So in that case, it's my time, not his, and that's where there could be any potential savings. That being said, it does depend on having a certain level of competence as a woodworker, but developing that is part of the fun.

[Jim Terrill]

It not only will cost you more money but also a lot more time then you think it will.


I hate when people say this. Unless you are a professional, your time is working at your hobby. Do I look at how much is costs to go skiing as a function of time? No, because it's a hobby. People do woodworking because they like it. The time invested is no different from the time invested in other hobbies such as fishing or hunting or whatever, except that this time is spent working on something concrete. And if you do not enjoy working on projects and instead see it as a "job", why do it?

Well that is my philosophy anyways.

[Josiah Bartlett]

You may or may not save money, depending on how good you are at sourcing wood on the cheap and getting or borrowing the tools to do it. However, the satisfaction level of producing a piece like that that you see and use every day is worth it, especially if your wife has asked you to do it.

[Eric DeSilva]

Hmm... I think my perspective is different than everyone else's... I'd say "no," but it is only because no one building furniture themselves would built furniture as poorly as--and with as poor wood selection as--you see in most stores. Even with standardized production techniques, there is a reason that piece costs $600. It is made poorly and out of poor materials.

[Cody Colston]

About how much do you think it would cost to build it out of cherry or mahogany?

You could probably build it out of Cherry with a secondary wood like Poplar for $600 including hardware but excluding your time.

You are probably looking at $1000 if you used African Mahogany and $2000 or more if you use Honduras Mahogany.

Those estimates have a lot of variables, the biggest being where you live and the local price of hardwoods. Where I live, Cherry is around $8.00 per bf and Mahogany is almost impossible to find. I'd have to mail-order it or drive 200+ miles.

Building your own furniture is a great challenge and affords a lot of personal enjoyment but doesn't save money. Regardless of materials used, it's just not possible for a one-man shop to compete with production shops cost-wise. If you start comparing to stuff like Ikea furniture, it's even worse.

I am planning to replace all of our master bedroom furniture with period inspired furniture that I build myself from Walnut. It certainly won't be cheaper but the designs are timeless and I'm drawn to that style. I don't intend to do reproductions but rather interpretations of the various pieces, thus the decision to use Walnut exclusively. I can get it locally in abundance and reasonably priced. ;)

[Darius Ferlas]

As others said a lot variables:

tools - a couple thousand $$$ on a very thrifty side
lumber - $100 to $500 (depending where you live and what the prices are)
finish - about $50
hardware - $50

Since I already have tools and my cost of limber is low ($0 to $2 bf), I'd probably be able to make this for myself for about $150 to $250. If I were to build it for someone and hoped to make a dollar or two I could not compete with the $600 price tag. Not even close.

[Jeff Dunlap]

I think that as you can see from these posts the answer is all about perspective. I don't count buying the tools I need into the price of a piece I build or for my time because it's a hobby that I want to pursue and I enjoy it. I built a dresser and changing table for our new baby thats about to arrive, total both cost me 650 for all the hardwood, plywood and hardware. The two pieces I based them on were 1100 from Babies r us. they were veneered particle board mine was solid oak. maybe I saved 550 but then again I could have got a different changing table and dresser for the same or less but it wouldn't have been the style I wanted. Also red oak is 2.40 a bf here I also got the plywood for 50 a sheet so here I potentially saved money but if I were to make it from say Walnut or Cherry and used Blum motion slides I would have blown over the 1100. Also I had to dress the wood it was all rough cut if I would have bought wood that had already been dressed I would have saved no money. But one thing a do know is I spent more time and built it better than the disposable furniture you buy in stores so i look it as I get quality furniture for disposable prices, but to each he's own.

[Stephen Cherry]

We went shopping for them and they cost about $600...
About how much do you think it would cost to build it out of cherry or mahogany?

I don't think that it's easy to make a direct comparison. For $600, this will have a lot of MDF or Paritcle board, and very little cherry or mahogany. So, unless you like formaldihyde outgassing into your house, you will probably skip this. If you wanted to buy something like this made from solid wood, or even solid plywood, the price tag would increase several times over.

[Trever Williams]

I don't count the cost of the tools or the cost of my time either. I have a few tools but I would really like to get a descent cabinet saw. It looks like I can get one for about $1000 on Craigslist. If I can offset the cost of that by building stuff we're going to need for the new house then it will be like I'm getting the saw for free. Not to mention the pride of building it myself and all the other benefits people mentioned. I don't think I'm ready to tackle a project like the TV console yet though. Most of my experience is in building construction, not fine woodworking, but I would really like to get into it. I guess I need to find out where to buy lumber around Dallas and figure out how much it costs.

[Prashun Patel]

Unless you are a professional, your time is working at your hobby.

In fact, I feel that the time spent doing something I love is actually additional 'revenue', which ironically reduces the utility cost. Conversely, having to schlep out with my wife to shop for something I know I can make myself is painful, and increases the utility cost of the storebought item.

I'm with you, Jim.

[Louie Ballis]

I do not woodwork to save money, it is a hobby for me. That actually leaves you with something when you are done.

I also play golf, that too would be a hobby, but with out tangible results. F

That being said, one of my goals in woodworking is to loving create something out of a pile of wood that will outlive me.

The mass produced furniture of today (unless you go high end Henredon, Pulaski, etc.) is basically cr*p. You get veneer glued over MDF and what passes for joinery techiques would be some butt joined drawers, some glue and few staples and brads holding it togeather. This type of furniture cannot be handed down, because the poor techniques employed in building it also insure that it will end up in a landfill someplace in just a few short years. It is not solid wood and therefore very difficult to repair and will not be around long enought to develop a patina from years of constant use.

I love thet idea that I could build something like a kitchen table that could stay in my family for generations Which is why I take pride in burning my name in the projects that I create (in a nonvisiabe place). If I am not too happy with something I sign "Alan Smithee".

Could you imagine the coolness factor in having a small jewelry box/blanket chest, that one of your great grandfathers built?

[gordon mosher]

In most case, you always buy it cheaper. If you wanted it to last, then build it youself. The more stuff you build, the easier it will get. It will take time to build furniture, but it's better than watching TV or on the Computer. The best part is see the look on your wife face, priceless. To keep my wife happy I build atleast one piece of furniture a year and this way she don't mind me buying woodworking tools. GOOD LUCK

[Joe Scharle]

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/989/thumbs/View_Tables_004.JPG (http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/989/View_Tables_004.JPG)

I'll be contrary to the flow in this thread. I've got about $400.00 in this set and have been offered $3,500.00 from a neighbor.
So....unlike my golf hobby, this game pays me to play.

[Brian Kincaid]

My observations:
1) I am not able to make furniture cheaper than ikea / walmart unless I have access to free hardware or material.
2) I dislike particle board with veneer, so I don't want their stuff anyway.
3) I build things I (can not / could not / would not want to) pay for.
4) Real heirloom quality furniture I am able to build cheaper than a custom shop. You can too if you have a good lumber source, skill (or can learn from SMC), and your time is 'free'.
5) I take a lot of pride in the things I have made and that is something that cannot be purchased.
6) My quality is always better than ikea / walmart. On par or better than custom shops.

-Brian

[Brian Kincaid]

I'll be contrary to the flow in this thread. I've got about $400.00 in this set and have been offered $3,500.00 from a neighbor.
So....unlike my golf hobby, this game pays me to play.

SELL!!! :eek: (nice work btw)
-Brian

[Van Huskey]

The answer is yes, no and maybe.

No, if you have to buy any tools and or tooling.

Yes, if you build something at a level you are VERY comfortable with. Point being, if you can work "above" the materials you are using. If you are building something out of hardwood plywood someone with a decent amount of skill can make a really nice piece that will be much nicer than most things bought built from sheet good and probably have less money in it. Now if you are using all nice hardwood your gong to have a pretty good selection of tools and a good bit more skill to outshine the better solid wood pieces you can buy.

Maybe, since none of the above will likely be the whole story.


One nice thing about building an entertainment center is that you can custom size and design something that you are unlikely to be able to buy.

[Troy Turner]

Trevor - Welcome to the creek! As you can see, you've certainly asked a loaded question :) The two woods you're asking about, is that because that's what the ad says they're made of? Truth, is, it's probably veneered mdf with pocket hole joinery and some kind of make shift drawers. Not even going to try an compare is it cheaper. Bottom line is, what do you or if you're married, she, want? That's the bottom line here. You build it, she loves it, everyones happy :)

I got started when I was looking for a shelf. The "kit" was $35. Saw the lumber was only $8, BUT...$$$$$ for the tools and all, and it came out to be about a $500 shelf. BUT, I still have the tools and keep on working along. Alot of my projects are done out of pine, so yes, I can build most anything my wife finds for cheaper. Plus, it's made in the USA :) :)

[Thomas Delpizzo]

I agree with many of the above. For the most part it isn't cheaper unless you can get wholesale wood and you are pretty adept to woodworking. However, it also depends on design , because if you want "college dorm" stuff (rough wood, etc.) that can be done fairly cheaply. In addition, most furniture purchased will not be built the way you will build it yourself. For example, you won't use particle board. You'll probably use good hardwoods, and other solid woods etc.
And yes, the philosophies stated above hold true: If you look at it as a job or something you need to get done, then you're defeating yourself. Just think when you look at it or others admire it how proud you will be knowing you created it!

[John Coloccia]

Hmm... I think my perspective is different than everyone else's... I'd say "no," but it is only because no one building furniture themselves would built furniture as poorly as--and with as poor wood selection as--you see in most stores. Even with standardized production techniques, there is a reason that piece costs $600. It is made poorly and out of poor materials.

Exactly. If you compare what I would build to what I would buy, there's just NO comparison in quality. It's difficult to save money over low end furniture. If you compare a $1000 Morris chair to one that you make yourself? Certainly you'll save money. A $2000 dresser compared to one you make yourself. Sure you'll save money. A $200 Ikea desk compared to what you'd make yourself? No way. Buy the Ikea desk.

It's like making my own salsa vs store bought. I'm sure it costs more for me to make a batch of salsa than it would cost to buy a jar of cheap salsa, but my salsa is in a different league entirely.

Same with reloading ammo. It's difficult to save money reloading over buying cheap ammo, especially nowadays. What you get is premium ammo at cheap ammo prices.

[scott vroom]

Trever, there's no simple answer. If your don't already have the tools, then you probably can't make cheaper than buying for comparable quality furniture. However, if you invest in tools with the intention of building a complete set of furniture/cabinets for a 4 bedroom house, then it's possible that building could be cheaper than buying furniture of comparable quality (amortizing tool cost over a wider range of projects lowers tool cost per project). There is also the time element. If you're not giving up any income and are building furniture in your spare time, then you would probably be considered an enthusiast or hobbiest and might consider not valuing your time as part of the cost. Most folks on this forum fall into this category.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Josh Bowman]

This thread is a little confusing to me (and if our wives get wind of it, it will be the end of life as we know it). I build my furniture from solid oak, cherry and maple and with large panels that aren't seen from hardwood plywood. I shop hard for my lumber and usually get it at reasonable to good prices. Every piece I've ever copied did not have the same quality wood I use, nor did it have the custom size or features. Now as far as my labor, I could very easily work at something else and pay for the piece. I never consider the cost of tools ;) That's my little (or big) reward.
Anyway to the point, I've alway been able to build a piece for 200 bucks in materials or less. $200 won't buy much furniture of any quality, so yes, I build to save money......and get tools!

[Jeff Monson]

I cant see why you could not build this from cherry for around $600.00 in materials. Woodworking is my hobby, and I love my hobby....I dont factor in tools and my time.

[Billy Trinh]

Building your own furniture might improve quality of similarly sold pieces but does not save you money. There's no way a hobby shop can be as efficient as commercial shops regarding material, tools, time...everything.

[Paul Greathouse]

Trever, if you decide to build that piece it would look great in Walnut. I'm building kitchen cabinets out of Black Walnut right now and using satin Laquer for the finish and the color is almost identical to your picture. Walnut would also be cheaper than Cherry or Mahogany.

[Frank Drew]

As others have pointed out, the only comparison that makes sense (apples to apples) is if you'd hire someone to custom make a piece of furniture. In that case, you probably could save money by doing it yourself.

[Thomas Delpizzo]

I think for this project to work properly you'll need to start with a new Unisaw (get the 5hp version!) A new Laguna 18" bandsaw, a Grizzly 8" jointer, 20" planer and don't forget the new sanding system and vac system. Then you'll need a lot of new hand tools. Lets start with some Japanese chisels........:D

If you think you'll finish it, go for it!! A lot of successful people ignored conventional wisdom. Good luck and tell us how it comes out!

[Glen Butler]

I couldn't beat walmart prices for a set of book shelves using using particle board, but I wanted shelving that could hold a lot of books. I have a lot of furniture that is clear coated particle board. I am all about function. The desk I am sitting at I built 8 years ago while in college. It is particle board faced with white pine, and birch drawers. It was way more expensive than other things I could get my hands on, but it is still here and will last the rest of my life unlike that furniture in a box, which I know is particle board as well, but thinner material and weak joinery. My point is, that regardless of how you want to tackle the cost issue you could always buy something cheaper. (until you get down to the walmart level that is.

The joy of woodworking is not about saving money, though you could in acute instances. Woodworking is more a love of wood, technique, and creation.

[Bill Geyer]

This is kind of a silly question.
Follow your heart and build something money can't buy.

[mark kosse]

In a word, No.

Thank you Joe!.. It is , unfortunatly, true.

[Don Alexander]

its amazing to me that anyone would even equate store bought furniture prices with something you build yourself (unless you build it with the same trash they do) thats like comparing apples and horseapples if you know what i'm saying :D

any grade schooler that is paying any attention in math class knows that when you solve equations you first have to get a common denominator

gotta make sure you are comparing apples and apples or the conclusion has the distinct possibility of being flawed

[Don Alexander]

also the time equals money argument is not always as cut and dried as it might appear at first glance :rolleyes:

[Joe Chritz]

Apples to apples it does. Apples to oranges not so much.

Joe

[Steve Rowe]

Like Jeff, I am building a changing table/dresser (for my soon to be delivered grandson) out of cherry and using the Blumotion slides (not my choice for an heirloom piece but that is what my daughter wants). I am veneering my own panels. Last fall I purchased the 8/4 cherry and it was $6.50/bf and Blum slides are somewhere in the stratosphere. My estimate for this project which looks to be the same size as your entertainment center is $700 - $800. If it was African Mahogany, it would be less, if Honduras Mahagony it would cost much much more.

I doubt that handcrafted TV stands, entertainment centers, coffee tables, etc. will ever be considered heirloom pieces by generations 200 years from now. If you can buy it ready made and it is what you want with the quality you want, it is cheaper to go ahead and buy it.
Steve

[David Helm]

Building your own furniture isn't about saving money. It's about doing it your way, using the wood you want to use, and not having what everyone else has. Building your own is about using your skills to make something that you really really want.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Building it yourself
$600 worth of lumber and tools (amortized over multiple projects)
buying it
$600 to purchase
$2000 to hookers to get the same amount of pleasure building it and enjoying it after it's finished
guess it's cheaper to build it ( and wife approved!)

build it and have fun! Make the first one simple--maybe pick a simpler style or look for good plans or find a hospitable cabinetry class . . .

[Randal Stevenson]

As several people have said, while the general answer is no, lets break it down.

Cost of your tools, amortized over the products you make, over your lifetime, and their useful lifetimes. (they cost less if your grandkids will be using them)

What is the item made up of? Comparing particle board furniture to solid wood, is not a comparision. What is your time worth? (would you be better off making money, or does being in the shop, cause you to spend less then if you were not working).
Are you going to keep this item forever, or is this a build that your going to use for five years?
Where do you live? How much would it cost to be shipped to you? Can you build it another, cost effective way? (for an example of this, google knock off wood) My sister found that site and something she liked (aka, build it for me). It shows it can be done, but it isn't a apples to apples comparison. (heirloom pieces verses, build to use)

[Tom Walz]

Sure it will.

When I work with wood I really enjoy it. I like the planning and the material selection. It always seems to mean at least one new tool which is fun. When things work out exactly as I thought they would it is a rush. When they don’t work out exactly right (more common) I enjoy figuring out how to fix it. When I am done having all this fun I have something I didn’t have to pay for and that is really cool.

Same thing with fishing and hunting. I spend time doing something I really like and at the end I sometimes have free food.

So put me down squarely on the hobby side.

I manufacture tools. We do production and custom tools. Even when we use the same materials and equipment a single custom tool is still more expensive a single tool from a production run.

When we develop an entirely new tool the cost can be huge. Our first 10 x 40 ceramic tipped saw blade cost about $10,000 to build. We had the teeth custom made. Had to order special diamond wheels. Took a huge amount of grinder time.

[Kevin Barnett]

Or you could do the math this way...
15 weeks in the shop = 0$
Lumber and raw materials = $300
Tools needed depreciated over 15 years = $400
Total = $700

Or

15 weeks on the golf course = $1500
Cabinet purchase +tax+ship = $700
Total = $2200

[David Hostetler]

My best answer is, it depends...

I'll give you an example. I built a simple queen sized pine headboard to dress up a roller framed bed for one of my in laws. It was a simple post & rail with a bead board center section. Posts were pine 4x4s, rails were pine 2x4s (all planed / jointed mind you) and the bead board was simple 3/8" pine bead board. All sourced from the local lumber yard. I think a total of $40.00 + the cost of the stain / poly on it... So I had maybe $60.00 total materials in it, and 4 hours time. Being expensive on my time, let's call that $40.00 / hr. So I had $160.00 worth of time in it... Total investment of $220.00

A similar headboard, was being sold by a large furniture store near me using the same materials, and ran $600.00

The biggest part is, do you have the tools, and do you have access to the materials you want / need on the cheap? Many people do not. Some do. Craigslist is definately your friend, as is reclaiming discarded lumber. Honestly finding discarded oak, walnut, cherry etc... is a rare thing. Again Craigslist. There are a LOT of small urban loggers out there that are making some bucks milling and selling lumber that comes from local trees in many areas...

If you are already outfitted with tools and a shop, and if you can get reasonable prices on lumber and hardware, AND you are fairly comparing quality to quality, then YES you can save, quite a bit by building your own. If you are however thinking I can make this for less than I can buy a particle board and vinyl cheapie at Ikea or WalMart, forget it, you will be frustrated...

I would not recommend anyone dive into woodworking thinking it is a way to save money on furnishings. However if you LIKE woodworking, find it theraputic, and want TOP QUALITY stuff and are willing to put the time, labor and love into it, then compare that to the cost of pre made furnishings, and a therapist, then yes, woodworking IS a HUGE money saver...

[Don Alexander]

However if you LIKE woodworking, find it theraputic, and want TOP QUALITY stuff and are willing to put the time, labor and love into it, then compare that to the cost of pre made furnishings, and a therapist, then yes, woodworking IS a HUGE money saver...


:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

i particularly like the therapist part hehe

[Kevin Begos]

Don't know if you have kids, but let's put it this way:

In 30 years do you think they'd care if you leave them
an old beat up piece of store bought furniture -
vs. leaving them something you made with your own hands.

And if you don't have kids, which do you think YOU will
feel fondly about in 20 years - the store bought or hand made?

I cherish a little Shaker cabinet my dad made - because he made it.
(and because he did a very good job, too)

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Absolutely it does. Whel, let me qualify that statement. You can buy comparable furniture for tons less than you can build it but without a work shop you might need psychiatric care to deal with your life issues. Building furniture takes your mind away from the real world long enough to be real therapy. Now, when you add the cost of the store bought furniture to the doctors bills, you save $$$$$.
fmr

[Warren Huisman]

Depends on what you are building Vs what you are buying. I just completed a new front door out of QSWO. I figure I have a little more than $1000 invested in it. Price out QSWO door and frame...way more than what I have invested. Plus, it is kind of cool to be able say you made every piece!

[Paul Ryan]

I am going to go against the grain and say YES. But as with most the answer is it depends.


If you dont own tools no it doesn't pay. If you own the tools than in some cases yes it does. Currently I am working on a mission style king bed for my wife and myself. I will have a total of about $250 worth of materials into it. The furniture store I bought the matress set from wanted $1099 for a queen size head and foot, just the wood no fabric. So if you consider I wood work for therapy so I don't go postal. I will be cutting wood no matter what, so my time is free. In this case it saves me tons of money. In the end though if you build it, you can make it exactly how you want it. What wood, what color, what finsh. It really has its benifits, and 9/10 times the quality of your build will be far superior to the factory made furniture. But in many cases it will cost you more. The dresser my children use right now was much cheaper to buy than build. However in due time will will build 2 dressers just because I can.

[Nathan Callender]

If you don't consider labor and cost of tools, and you shop around for good prices on materials (ie, good quality stuff, but maybe not crazy expensive items like quilted maple, etc) you can very easily save money when compared to an item of similar quality and design. Then, compare the cost of commisioning a piece to your own specs and you will be able to save money while factoring in your time and tools. :-)

If you are trying to compete with MDF pressure formed with veneer and cheap finishes, well, you actually might be able to save money there too but probably not.

But, one thing is for sure. Don't do it to save money. Do it because you want to build something that you'll be proud to have in your house. The savings, if any, are just icing on the cake.

[Don Morris]

The real pros put in a quality cabinet system during a whole home renovation. There were a couple niches still to be filled in. I asked them what it would cost to duplicate their design in each niche. $1500.00 in ea. I said I'd do it. I did for around $400.00. ea. Took me months, re-dos, lots of saw dust, learning, etc. I had fun, but when the contractor came over the other day to show someone his work, I showed him my built-ins and he was impressed. Of course he didn't know about the re-dos, months of saw dust, etc. I enjoyed doing it. So, yes, and no to the question. I can't match a production shop in quality/time/ but I have more fun/time. And my labor is much less/time.

[Karl Card]

As some of the others have said it depends on how and why you are building it. If you are building it to know what you have and assure the quality you probably cant beat building it yourself.

plus when you have visitors come over, you get braggin rights...lol

[scott spencer]

Building our own results in us having better furniture than we could otherwise afford, plus it's made just the way we wanted....'cept for a few deviations here and there! When you toss in the cost of tools, the furniture savings diminish a bit, but on the flip side of that argument, I still have use of the tools, and the inherent value of both. Quality tools maintain value pretty well too!

Not to mention that I really enjoy my shop, so "it's all good"! :D

[Jim Becker]

No, building your own furniture doesn't generally "save you money" over what's available on the market when you take into consideration the cost of good materials, good tools and your time. That said, building your own can be immensely satisfying and allow you to have both the quality and the unique design flexibility you can't often get from "affordable" stuff at the stores.

I both build and buy. The latter for utility and expediency when necessary and the former for the pure enjoyment.

[Mike Archambeau]

I think a good way to answer this question is by thinking about "out-of-pocket" costs. You can hang onto more of your money if you do things for yourself. You contribute your labor to the endeavor, and avoid parting with cash to pay others to do things for you. The cash is the out-of-pocket part of the equation. I find that the money I put into tools makes me more self sufficient. The tools I buy improve the quality of my work, and allow me to get more done (raise my productivity). Those tools always end up doing more than one project. Good tools last a lifetime and then some.

That 600 dollar piece of furniture is from your net pay. You have to pay your taxes on your income before you net the 600 dollars to buy that piece of furniture. Perhaps you had to earn 1000 dollars of income to net 600 dollars?

I own a large home made of wood. It requires a lot of work inside and out to keep it up to snuff. I have learned to paint, install hardwood floors, install crown mouldings, rebuild porches, replace exterior trim, rebuild shutters, make doors, the list goes on and on. If I had to pay someone to do all these things for me, I would have run out of money long before my work was done. The materials and tools are a fraction of the cost of me paying for other people to do all this work. And at the end of a productive day, I can enjoy a glass of wine and admire the days accomplishments

I am now building furniture for my home. Those same tools stand ready for the next phase.

I am largely self taught. Necessity required that. But I grew up in a home that my father built with his own hands. Only one he ever built and neccessity is the reason. My parents lived in that house for more than 20 years, and raised four children in it. The family that bought it has owned it for more than 30 years and they love it. My father is justifiably proud of what he built and it still brings him great pleasure 50 years later.

I think that watching him tackle whatever needed to be done as I was growing up, cemented the idea that you figure things out and get on with taking care of your affairs.

Today there are many excellent ways to acquire the knowledge you need to take care of your needs. This forum is an excellent example.

So if you want to move towards self sufficiency and keep more of the hard earned cash in your pocket, go ahead and build that first piece of furniture. You and the people you look after will be glad that you did. And the money still in your pocket, because you did it yourself, will take care of you are yours later in life.

BTW.....I for one look forward to your next post showing the furniture that you built yourself. Make it as beautiful as you can and enjoy it over and over again!

[Mike Hollingsworth]

The mass produced furniture of today (unless you go high end Henredon, Pulaski, etc.) is basically cr*p.

Even those aren't much to brag about anymore.
I wanted to cry when I last visited a showroom, seeing all the imported cr*p, thinking about our lost furniture manufacturing expertise in Grand Rapids and in the Carolinas.

[glenn bradley]

I build and buy depending on what it is, my time frame and enjoyment of building a certain style. Removing the tools and supplies from the equation except for lumber and hardware; you can build a dresser, for example, for less than I would charge you to build a dresser of like quality. You can build that dresser for less than you can buy one of like quality. You cannot build it for less than a commercially produced product but, you can miss out on the enjoyment of building it. My .02

P.s. Do not let anyone who influences your tool and material buying see this thread :D

[Paul Johnstone]

We went shopping for them and they cost about $600. My wife said “Why don’t you just build one?” Never mind that it’s probably above my skill level but it got me to wondering if it would really save money. I haven’t priced hardwood lumber yet but I know its expensive. About how much do you think it would cost to build it out of cherry or mahogany?

I'm guessing it is roughly 4' x 2' by at most 3' high (most TV stands are not that high)..

So, let's rough estimate.

One sheet of 1/2" plywood for drawer insides.. $20-50
One sheet of 1/4" plywood for drawer bottoms and back.. $20
One sheet of 3/4" plywood for sides.. $50-100
Drawer fronts, face frame, top.. solid wood.. Let's say 25-30 board feet.
This cost is highly variable, put it's probably between $1-6 per board foot for cherry.

So, yes, if you have the tools, you could definitely build for less than $600 (at least in my area), and have some plywood left over for other projects.

EDit: add in the cost for knobs and drawer slides if you are using commerical slides.

[Phil Phelps]

Building your own furniture isn't about saving money. It's about doing it your way, using the wood you want to use, and not having what everyone else has. Building your own is about using your skills to make something that you really really want.

We have a Bingo!

[Paul Johnstone]

I don't count the cost of the tools or the cost of my time either. I have a few tools but I would really like to get a descent cabinet saw. It looks like I can get one for about $1000 on Craigslist. If I can offset the cost of that by building stuff we're going to need for the new house then it will be like I'm getting the saw for free. Not to mention the pride of building it myself and all the other benefits people mentioned. I don't think I'm ready to tackle a project like the TV console yet though. Most of my experience is in building construction, not fine woodworking, but I would really like to get into it. I guess I need to find out where to buy lumber around Dallas and figure out how much it costs.

Don't be so scared to try this out.
It's not that difficult.
Look online or in magazines, there is detailed instructions.
The first thing you make isn't going to come out perfect, but it will be "good enough".
We all started with that first project "that mattered".

If it makes you feel any more comfortable, build a shop cabinet or two before building this.. but you dont' need years of practice to make a relatively simple TV stand. The picture you posted is pretty straightforward.

If cost is a concern, consider building out of oak instead of cherry as someone else suggested.

[Brendan Plavis]

Building your own furniture might improve quality of similarly sold pieces but does not save you money. There's no way a hobby shop can be as efficient as commercial shops regarding material, tools, time...everything.

Actually, low budget hobbiests can save money when it comes to making use of all materials.... I am *still* building a desk(waiting on someone with a stacked Dado....) and, thus far, I have managed to make a small shelf(desk top) out of the excess, I have also used excess material for other school related projects, et cetera. So while it may seem like you have a high amount of generated waste, that waste can be used later, where as most commerical shops send it to the landfill.

[Jason White]

I have a shop full of tools acquired over a period of several years while renovating my house (and am saving lots of money doing it myself). Because I already have the tools, my only investment is time scrounging for free wood or buying roughsawn on the cheap and milling it myself. So yes, you can make your own furniture for less if you're thrifty and already own the necessary tools. Jason


I know this is a probably loaded question with lots of variables, but generally speaking does it save money to build your own furniture? My wife and I are building a new house. When we move in we’re going to need to get a flat panel TV console like this one: http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj289/tall_texan/TVConsole.jpg We went shopping for them and they cost about $600. My wife said “Why don’t you just build one?” Never mind that it’s probably above my skill level but it got me to wondering if it would really save money. I haven’t priced hardwood lumber yet but I know its expensive. About how much do you think it would cost to build it out of cherry or mahogany?

[Joe Wallace]

I also think that comparing the cost to make vs. buy cabinets (kitchen cabinets / built-ins) is a huge difference (outside of the time / joy of making arguments). Assuming that you can build of similar or better quality (including the finish which is probably the most challenging to replicate) if you compare the price of something like Wood-Mode cabinets I think the cost of materials to make would be much much less. I suspect at least 50%-65% less expensive from a materials perspective.


Joe

[Rod Sheridan]

In my opinion you can't build lower end furniture for less money than you can buy it.

So you're not going to build Ikea stuff for less money than you can buy it, and the TV cabinet you indicated is the higher end of low end furniture.

You probably can't make that for less money than you can buy it.

Once you get into more expensive furniture, then you can save substantial amounts of money.

I tracked a lot of the furniture I built for my house as follows

- Morris chair, $2,700 to purchase, $940 to build

- matching footstool $400 to purchase, $95 to build

- Stereo cabinet $2,100 to purchase, $700 to make.

So yes you can save money building higher end stuff, however whenever one of the kids wants me to make an Ikea piece, I offer to pick it up and help them assemble it. I can't buy the wood and hardware for what Ikea sell the complete product for.

Now, as others have said, if you need a custom TV stand because nothing else will do, then it's an obvious choice to build.

One last comment, this is a hobby, it's supposed to cost money, the fact that you get furniture out of it is a bonus.

Now quit trying to analyze your hobby and go buy a Felder combo machine to make your wife a birdhouse.........:D

Regards, Rod.

[Aceline Fenton]

It saves the money and time both also.

[David Sloan]

I have built furniture since I was a teenager and am now 63. If you are able to buy rough lumber and have a jointer and planer, you probably will end up paying a little more than buying low end junky furniture but not much more. It is certainly faster to buy something. We recently bought a couple of $500 beds and they look nice but they are junk.Your console will be the same. I have made most of my furniture and those pieces have stood the test of time. My wife really appreciates the pieces I have made and people visiting the house always think that is special; she loves to point out the things that I have made for her. I have one piece made by Stickley and I love it but it cost a fortune. I made a mission desk out of cherry to match using a Fine Woodworking plan. Material costs using rough cherry were a fraction what such a desk costs from the Stickley company but it also took forever to build! Good luck!

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I am remodeling my kitchen using junk cabinets from Lowes. They look nice and they work, but it is the cheapest of everything. If a single junk cabinet costs roughly $150 to $200, how much am I spending to build my own?

I am building one cabinet. I opted to use BLUM under-mount soft close for the one drawer and BLUM soft close hinges for the door. I paid $4 each for the door hinges and I do not remember what I paid for the drawer runners. If I simply call it $50 for hardware, which I am pretty sure is high, that leaves $100 to $150 for the wood, screws, and finish.

I opted for furniture grade 3/4" plywood. even using wood that is not the cheapest I can still break even since I used plywood for the carcass. If I did a lot of this then I would probably find a better price for the wood (and similar). But, the cabinet that I built is much stronger than what I purchased. Many others use an even cheaper plywood (I assume cheaper because some use 1/2", but if it if prefinished that adds to the cost, but saves finish time and cost later).

The big hit, of course, is the time that I spend finishing the product (I am slow).

So, I will spend about the same, but I also have better hardware. Their drawer slides are junk as are their hinges. Mine are top shelf.

The general consensus seems to be that you should do a kitchen remodel once.... and then pay a professional to do it the second time :eek:

[Biff Phillips]

We went shopping for them and they cost about $600. My wife said “Why don’t you just build one?” Never mind that it’s probably above my skill level but it got me to wondering if it would really save money. I haven’t priced hardwood lumber yet but I know its expensive. About how much do you think it would cost to build it out of cherry or mahogany?

It depends.. If you are doing this for fun and don't count labor cost.. then yes, you can maybe save money if you already have tools.
I can't see the picture, but if you are willing to use cherry plywood instead of making it solid wood, you can save time and money.
Obviously, you can design it so the edges of the plywood are covered with solid wood or something else pleasing.
Solid wood furniture is awesome, but it takes a lot longer to build, more expense, more skill required too.
I am assuming this is one of your first projects, based on the question you ask.. I would recommend making a few things out of plywood first.

Another thing.. if you build it yourself, you need to be willing to accept a few flaws in your final product. Just about everything I build has a minor mistake.. luckily they are not really noticable to the causal viewer.
The causal viewer can't even tell the difference between plywood and solid wood, or even between wood species.. Just a note.. don't let the drive for perfection ruin the fun.

[Morey St. Denis]

Suggest you might consider the potential economy of using hardwood veneered cabinet-grade plywood for the build. I'm not presently able to view that image posted to see exactly what style you're looking for... Also I recall seeing a WoodSmith Shop TV segment where the guys showed how they fabricated a flat panel display and entertainment center. WoodWhisperer among others, have other designs as well. These could potentially be worth reviewing for useful ideas. Believe I recall some may have employed matching hardwood inserts to exposed plywood edges and of course, the expeditious and pervasive Kreg pocket screw joinery.

[John M Wilson]

It saves the money and time both also.

Valid opinions from all... 6 year old thread revived by first-post member.

[Bob Cooper]

I see a wife who may be willing to let you buy into a hobby

[glenn bradley]

Great example of an older thread that still has value and can stimulate new conversation. As to saving money on making your own, this will vary with skill level, the value you place on the enjoyment of making things and other factors.


The general consensus seems to be that you should do a kitchen remodel once.... and then pay a professional to do it the second time :eek:

Amen to that. I know what I do poorly and I know what I can get by doing. Kitchen cabinetry is an art form when done by those who do it well. I am not one of those people. The incredible mark-up on kitchens makes this very tempting but, my few forays into plywood cabinetry have taught me where my weaknesses reside.

I build things with little details, exaggerated joinery, hand made pulls and weird bits of detail for interest or to satisfy my own whims. None of those skills translate well to sheet-good cabinetry for me. I may just be a klutz.

I have a friend who does this sort of work. He is nothing short of an artist. If a client wants a dresser or a buffet, he send them to me. If someone wants their bathroom or giant walk-in closet pimped out, I send them to him.

[Jim Dwight]

I think the key is to have either an awful lot of skill immediately or to have patience enough to start with simple things and move up to more complicated. I built furniture of construction lumber and shelving boards when we were first married. Joints were glues and screws - plugged when they showed. We used some of that furniture several decades. My first dresser required drawers with tapered sides because I built the shell crooked. But we still used it. The next one was a lot better. Gradually I have added skills and tools. After about 4 decades building furniture and cabinets I am still a lot less skilled than a lot of you but my cabinets are pretty consistently straight and my drawers are usually half blind dovetails. I do mortise and tenon pretty well too. I have a 1 car garage pretty full of tools - but still less than probably most of you. But I have what I need to do what I do.

I've also repaired purchased furniture many times and am not at all impressed. Even some fairly expensive pieces were not well made.

If you are patient enough and don't count on everything going right the first time as you start, then I think you can make your own furniture. But if you think you can go out and spend several thousand dollars on tools and they will make you instantly capable of making any furniture you or your wife like, I think you will probably be disappointed. Good workers can make great furniture with crude tools. Poor workers can destroy good wood with expensive tools. In other words, don't concentrate on tools, concentrate on what needs done and how you can get it done. If you don't have the money for the expensive tools, don't quit, find a way to do it with less expensive tools. That sort of thinking will make it possible to save money doing it yourself.

[Jon Endres]

Some threads, like this one, still have value when dug up from years past.

I have been a hobbyist woodworker since age 12, in junior high school. Probably even before that, I caught the bug. Because I am a hobbyist and not a professional, I consider my time to have no monetary value. It's a hobby no different than working on cars, fishing, playing golf, etc. If it's enjoyable than there's no point in assigning a dollar value to it. For that reason I built my own house, my own trim and flooring, and built all my own kitchen and bathroom cabinets. I looked at the cabinets as a straight-up material cost, which was of course a huge savings over buying custom plywood and cherry cabinets. I consider a kitchen just another workshop, with different materials. So behind the nice cherry faces, they're all just plywood, utility drawer slides, and held together with glue and pocket screws.

I also plan on building a lot more finer furniture pieces once I have my new shop built. Again it's not about the money because it would be a lot cheaper to just buy a houseful of custom furniture than to build a shop and buy lumber and spend years of my life building things. However, then I'd have to find something else to fill up my time and I don't want to do that. I love my hobby and intend to continue it until I'm not able to do so anymore.

[Rod Sheridan]

It depends.

About 15 years ago I built a pair of Morris chairs and foot-stools.

It cost $2,000 in materials for $7,000 dollars in furniture, so yes I saved money.

It's been the same on everything I've built, substantially less than half price to build traditional Arts and Crafts furniture than to buy. I only own one piece of furniture that I haven't built (aside from 3 IKEA bookcases), and it's a Stickley so it wasn't exactly inexpensive.

Of course it helps that Diann does the upholstery and stained glass for the furniture.

If you're trying to build low end furniture in the $600 dollar range I doubt if it's worth it aside from the personal satisfaction aspect, which can be the over-riding parameter.

Regards, Rod.

[Pat Barry]

The real answer is no, unless you are talking some sort of log / rustic / cheap and dirty something or other. In all other cases it will be more expensive to build a one-off piece. Either you don't care that you are not getting paid to make your own and /or you aren't counting the 'real' cost of tools and equipment, etc. Even in the example given above, I doubt that you could sell those Morris chairs (as nice as they might be) for the retail cost of the equivalent item purchased from Stickley.

[Rod Sheridan]

The real answer is no, unless you are talking some sort of log / rustic / cheap and dirty something or other. In all other cases it will be more expensive to build a one-off piece. Either you don't care that you are not getting paid to make your own and /or you aren't counting the 'real' cost of tools and equipment, etc. Even in the example given above, I doubt that you could sell those Morris chairs (as nice as they might be) for the retail cost of the equivalent item purchased from Stickley.

Pat, I doubt I could sell them for the retail cost of a Stickley, however they saved me from purchasing four pieces from Stickley, so yes the cost savings was there.

I don't need to account for the tool cost on four items, I have a household of furniture I've made over the years............Regards, Rod.

[Glenn de Souza]

I'd say the answer is both yes and no, depending on a few big factors. The biggest in my opinion is a question of how much enjoyment and satisfaction do you get out of woodworking. If you're doing it as a hobbyist, it's one thing to say your time has no value, but I tend to think time is a non-renewable resource and there's an opportunity cost to how you spend it. If you really enjoy woodworking and could think of few other things you'd rather be doing, then the opportunity cost is low, but if the woodworking becomes a chore, then invariably there are a lot of things you'd rather be spending the time doing, and therein lies the cost.

However, if you do indeed get a lot of enjoyment and fulfillment out of the craft, then it's hard to put a value on the sense of satisfaction you get (over and over) from something you've built, if you're wired that way.

On a less esoteric note, your proficiency and experience are a factor in the direct cost too. For all but the most experienced it's easy to make a second left hand side or a Z shaped dovetailed drawer or any other mistake in the blink of an eye and guess what, your material cost (and time) just went up.

It's a good question and topic

[paul cottingham]

I think you save money over the long term if you think like me.
for example:

I build almost everything out of white oak, although I am beginning to use more maple an cherry. So I use strong, solid wood that will last forever. I also use good, sound joinery, mortise and tenon, (usually pegged) dovetails, and I look forward to trying some staked furniture in my next project. Of late, I have been fooling around with chair joints that rely on moisture content, and the nature cross-grain joinery to hold furniture together when glue fails as well. My point is, I build stuff to last.

I figure if I was working at my last job (my business) and I wanted to buy a 850 dollar piece of furniture I had to work 10 hours to buy it. And likely I would be buying another one in 10 years, and I think that's being generous.
I would much rather have spent $600 on wood, and built a piece of furniture that is actually well made, and fits my strangely (and generously!) proportioned body and that my daughter could hand down to her kids. Even if I had to buy a specialty tool for it, I'm still ahead of the game. I hate the fact that my $850 is watered down so much that some poor schlep in the end was probably paid minimum wage to make a substandard piece of junk, when I could have spent that cash on some wood and maybe a new tool made by a boutique Canadian (or American) tool maker.

before folks can get all huffy, I think Schwarz takes himself far too seriously as well, and I was thinking along these lines a long time before I had ever heard of him or Aesthetic Anarchism, although I suspect that is pretty close to what I am.

Long and short of it. It's ultimately cheaper to make. Especially if you use fairly generic forms that don't go out of style, and are well made. You will only have to make one.

[Jon Endres]

Here's another thought - whether or not it saves you money - what are you ultimately trying to accomplish? My wife likes what I call American Country furniture - more or less rustic pine with milk paint, punched tin, wrought iron hardware etc. Not sure if it has a formal "style". I can bang out crap like that in a weekend for half the price of buying the same thing from one of the local shops, and it's not held together with staples and drywall screws. Rustic does not have to mean poorly constructed. So I have an advantage there in being able to build the style she likes and still build quality into it.

I, on the other hand, an a big fan of Shaker and Colonial styles. To buy a large piece, such as a hutch, sideboard or dining table from a quality maker (because you will not find it in the average furniture store) will run thousands of dollars. Cherry and occasionally maple are typical of the Shaker style. But what if I want a chimney cupboard made out of ash? Maybe with walnut panels? Something different yet with the right lines and style? Good luck unless you are willing to double your costs and actually find a maker who can produce it. What's it cost for a guy like Christian Becksvoort to build a 6' wide china hutch out of solid cherry anyway? Ten grand? While I am a genuine admirer of his work, there is no way I can afford to buy any of it. So the other advantage is being able to make furniture (or cabinets) that are exactly what you want. For example, knowing the price of a certain piece was $800, but instead you spend $300 on lumber and $500 on a new tool for your shop, and in the end you still get the same piece of furniture (and the satisfaction of building it yourself), I call that a win.

[Andrew Gibson]

For me it comes down to quality and design. I can buy furniture for less than I can make it. But if I wanted to buy the furniture I make, I would not be able to afford it.
Also I have no idea where I would find the stuff I make for sale.
Here is a quick pic of my latest project, A live edge slab coffee table for my living room. The slab is locally salvaged Red Eucalyptus and I am involved with the company that cut it so I was able to get it for a good price.
the base is walnut with eucalyptus wedges. I am sure If it were a commissioned piece I would not make it for less than a few thousand dollars.

One day I will live in a house with only furniture of my own making.
337340337341

[Keith Outten]

Andrew,

That's a beautiful table. Thanks for sharing the pics.