Opinions Needed....

[todd johnson]

These are pics of cabinetry built by a guy I know for a local hardware/sporting goods store. He's very good but is down on his luck. He has no options right now but to continue to work where he is at. Meanwhile, the business is taking advantage of it and paying him minimal for his work. All he needs is someway to get himself established and build up customer base. He has no digital camera or computer anymore. I told him that I would help him out with those items. I took some pictures of some of the stuff that he has built them. I know some of you guys here on this board do this professionally and am wondering if you could give me a ballpark figure on what you would charge for the same work. I'm going to print and post the pictures for him to help him out. I told him that I would also ask some of you guys what you thought of his work. Thanks for any assistance. There are to many pictures for just one thread so I'll put them in several threads with like items together. Once again, thanks for any assistance.

These first pics are of cabinets made of red oak. He also did the walls with rough cut red oak planks.

[todd johnson]

These are pics of a bow rack made with red oak and a split cedar tree as the main support on the ends.

[todd johnson]

These are obviously a canoe rack built with pine. He's built several of these.

[todd johnson]

These are cabinets built of pine and finished with poly.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I'm going to be brutally honest here. After looking over all 4 set of photographs, I see not cabinetry, but rather cabinets and work done by a carpenter. I realize the limitations posed by materials like construction grade plywood, framing lumber, and #1 or #2 common pine...I've been there myself. I'll also assume that the rustic look was what the shop was looking for. I'm going to assume that the home construction industry is as down in your section of the country as it is elsewhere. I think your friend needs to look for a job in construction unless he's willing to start at the bottom in a woodworking, millwork, or a cabinet shop. His workmanship appears to be just fine, but it is unsophisticated and his joinery is that of the carpenter rather than a cabinetmaker. As for the hourly rate, I'd guess somewhere between $15 to $20 per hour.

[tom tangie]

looks more like carpentry then furniture making

[todd johnson]

Thanks to whoever fixed my posts and put everything in one thread. Guess I should have thought of that myself. As for his work, yeah, the rustic look is what the owner was wanting. I guess I don't fully know the actual definition of cabinetry (still learning). His hard times that he's fallen into isn't due to the economy, more along the lines of a bad divorce followed by loss of everything, etc. Others here probably know of the same old story. At least that's what he's told me. Thanks for the input.

[Craig Hemsath]

I'm going to be brutally honest here. After looking over all 4 set of photographs, I see not cabinetry, but rather cabinets and work done by a carpenter. I realize the limitations posed by materials like construction grade plywood, framing lumber, and #1 or #2 common pine...I've been there myself. I'll also assume that the rustic look was what the shop was looking for. I'm going to assume that the home construction industry is as down in your section of the country as it is elsewhere. I think your friend needs to look for a job in construction unless he's willing to start at the bottom in a woodworking, millwork, or a cabinet shop. His workmanship appears to be just fine, but it is unsophisticated and his joinery is that of the carpenter rather than a cabinetmaker. As for the hourly rate, I'd guess somewhere between $15 to $20 per hour.

Dave, I'm curious as to what in the photographs is giving you this impression (besides the obvious of being a sports stores cabinets made out of some atypical materials). I guess I'm not seeing the joinery, and unsophistication you're indicating. To me, they look great and fit in well with the store.