Could I break even

TomHay

TomHay

Best Tips For Less
Silver Member
I was thinking of just building forearms and Butt Sleeves with matching veneers and points.

I figure a good piece of quality 18" wood is going to run me $30.00 and the point wood and veneers maybe like another $15.00. Total $45.00.

Is there like a $50.00 per set market out there?

Thanks
 
Could

So for 5.00 you are going to put up with hacks that say the point blanks weren't even, and the wood quality was bad, and the veneer colors are
dull. Go for it.
 
you are asking for trouble

verl horn used to charge $75 and more back 20 plus years ago

prather builds them now

my guess is $150 would be a good price

the advice given above might be pretty good

if you make the best in the business and can do volumn it might work

in fact if you send me one of your best,i will pay quickly and show them to a few cue makers

quality to me consist of mitred veneers,long points and very close at the wrap area

if you have colors bleeding,you might use the black paper veneers

for me i want the original wide veneers and straight grain maple forearms

good luck
my guess is,if you can do this,you might as well make the whole cue
 
If you can make AND sell 6 a day, every day, that is approx a WHOPPING 21k before taxes.

I'm not that good at math though..
 
I aint looking at doing it to make a profit. I have money and am retired. It's for the love of both wood and the game. I wouldn't take orders nor returns and just make what I like when I like.
 
lathe

your going to find that changing that lathe to taper shaper and back is pain i know i went that route 10 yrs ago the first chance i had i bought a porper b and left the taper shaper as a taper shaper.
 
TomHay said:
I aint looking at doing it to make a profit. I have money and am retired. It's for the love of both wood and the game. I wouldn't take orders nor returns and just make what I like when I like.
Click to expand...


If you make something like that would you make it available to us little people to send to a cue maker or only sell direct to cue makers?

I have to ask because that sounds like the deal of the century on such blanks. I mean really.....fifty bucks?

Is there a market? If you make decent point blanks for that money there is more than a market I think.


.
 
TomHay said:
I aint looking at doing it to make a profit. I have money and am retired. It's for the love of both wood and the game. I wouldn't take orders nor returns and just make what I like when I like.
Click to expand...

Have you ever done splices before? I'm not trying to be rude, but if you are asking the community if there is a "market" and then say "when I want, no orders...no returns", then I don't see that as a market. What is the point of spending money on an inferior product that can't be used, regardless of how inexpensive it is? Then I can't return it if it is unusable?
 
The above comments by Cutter and Randy are very valid. At that point, if you can build very good blanks, then build your own cues and then you won't have to deal with idiots buying your blanks and blaming you publicly for their screwups. There are some people that believe, if you buy a blank, the cue just builds itself around it, like a plant growing in the garden. If that doesn't happen, they will blame the blank and maker of said blank. Just for that reason alone, you should charge double than what you think you should, just to cover backing up your product to idiots such as that. If you don't back up the product, like not taking back returns, then you will have trouble selling them, especially if someone that screws one up then badmouths you here because you wont replace it, etc..... it's a tough way to enjoy a hobby.
Just my thoughts,
Dave
 
I think I can answer 2 questions at once. I bought the first Porper B Lathe that Joe produced. This was the only time I had trouble doing splices as the feed bar on the first ones were a little wimpy and would sag during travel. Joe beefed them up since, that was I think in 1995, 1996.

To me if there are little people out there I am the smallest of the lot.

Not sure what I am going to do yet. I have a closing on a new Condo in 2 weeks. I thought I had many months as the short seller had to approve offer, then the bank and then the title search and paperwork. Strange economy.
 
Matching fronts and butts for only 50 bucks with veneers in both? My guess at this price is that they are either not very good or you really dont like making money. You stated what price it takes to buy the wood, you didn't mention the hours of work for gluing, turning, sealing, packaging and shipping. Also the price of machinery needed to make these blanks and the electricity to run them. Not to mention the time it would take to get the wood used to the climate around you so they dont warp when you send them to someone else in a different climate. If you do make great stuff ( I dont mean any disrespect at all so please dont think I am) then at 50 bucks for both pieces I would take everyone that you could make in your lifetime! ALL OF THEM! As stated by someone else earlier, you would have to ask for more money for all your hard work as 50 is not enough to cover all your expenses. Good luck to you!
 
I don't think so

TomHay said:
I was thinking of just building forearms and Butt Sleeves with matching veneers and points.

I figure a good piece of quality 18" wood is going to run me $30.00 and the point wood and veneers maybe like another $15.00. Total $45.00.

Is there like a $50.00 per set market out there?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Tom,
I appreciate your desire but I don't think you have thought about the situation fully. Yes you have a taper shaper, so do I. Maybe you have the skills to produce a top quality blank, I don't know. The machine doesn't make the man, or product. This is a tough market and in my opinion that one machine won't give you the desired outcome. It would take dedicate machines to do every part of the process. Set them up and go. I have not even ventured into your offer of $50. That price is a little low at best.
Marc
 
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