Comments on: To Build or To Buy?? http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/ Education and Entertainment for the modern woodworker. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:43:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Frank Kovach http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/#comment-55828 Frank Kovach Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:41:51 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=10008#comment-55828 Me? I'm stupid and won't let my wife buy anything that is related to wood, has wood in it, has ever been made from wood in a different century, looks like wood, would look better made out of wood, or if it is spelled with the same alphabet that supplies us the letters W, O, and D. Or R, K, and E. Or any other letter used in the name of a species of wood that I have ever heard of. Then, because I am not God and don't command the fabric of the space/time continuum and my flux capacitor keeps breaking down, I break down and buy SOME, I SAY AGAIN, SOME items that I think are above my skill level or just don't matter all that much when my wife gets impatient. Me? I’m stupid and won’t let my wife buy anything that is related to wood, has wood in it, has ever been made from wood in a different century, looks like wood, would look better made out of wood, or if it is spelled with the same alphabet that supplies us the letters W, O, and D. Or R, K, and E. Or any other letter used in the name of a species of wood that I have ever heard of. Then, because I am not God and don’t command the fabric of the space/time continuum and my flux capacitor keeps breaking down, I break down and buy SOME, I SAY AGAIN, SOME items that I think are above my skill level or just don’t matter all that much when my wife gets impatient.

]]> By: Jonathan Crone http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/#comment-48231 Jonathan Crone Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:30:31 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=10008#comment-48231 Yeah: I know this whole feeling. Going through it at this exact second, with a complete kitchen re-build in progress... Looked at the kitchen cabinet "off the shelf" choices at Home Depot and Rona (Canadian "Lowes" equivalent) and just went "yuck" at both styles and pricing... Plus building it myself, I'm still ahead on costs (just as one doesn't factor in any value for my own time.... sigh) and it "justified" a Festool TS55 from Dan at Ultimate Tools in Vancouver for cutting all the sheet goods for the kitchen cases... "whee" (and a domino... because.. well... ok, I wanted a domino... ) Furniture for the kids has been another battle of the "build vs buy" My wife and I ended up going on the "build" rationale for the reasoning of "passing it on" The kids have ended up with very "adult" furniture, but they'll be able to take it with them when they grow up. That being said: wife and I went through the "build vs buy" decision for an entertainment unit for the family room, and we ended up thinking "Ikea" rather than build our own. HUGE mistake. The finish scratched the first time I dropped a remote on the shelf, the junk shelves have warped something spectacular (over one inch in a 3 ft span), and because of the way the ikea stuff goes together, you can't even flip the shelves over to counter the warp. Completely wasted money... Its going to be a long time before I "buy" anything else. It takes longer to 'build' but at least it will last more than a year. (this is where my wife speaks up and says "but will it take more than a year for you to make it...") Yeah: I know this whole feeling.

Going through it at this exact second, with a complete kitchen re-build in progress…
Looked at the kitchen cabinet “off the shelf” choices at Home Depot and Rona (Canadian “Lowes” equivalent) and just went “yuck” at both styles and pricing…

Plus building it myself, I’m still ahead on costs (just as one doesn’t factor in any value for my own time…. sigh) and it “justified” a Festool TS55 from Dan at Ultimate Tools in Vancouver for cutting all the sheet goods for the kitchen cases… “whee” (and a domino… because.. well… ok, I wanted a domino… )

Furniture for the kids has been another battle of the “build vs buy” My wife and I ended up going on the “build” rationale for the reasoning of “passing it on” The kids have ended up with very “adult” furniture, but they’ll be able to take it with them when they grow up.

That being said: wife and I went through the “build vs buy” decision for an entertainment unit for the family room, and we ended up thinking “Ikea” rather than build our own.
HUGE mistake. The finish scratched the first time I dropped a remote on the shelf, the junk shelves have warped something spectacular (over one inch in a 3 ft span), and because of the way the ikea stuff goes together, you can’t even flip the shelves over to counter the warp. Completely wasted money…
Its going to be a long time before I “buy” anything else. It takes longer to ‘build’ but at least it will last more than a year. (this is where my wife speaks up and says “but will it take more than a year for you to make it…”)

]]> By: Derek Sikes http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/#comment-48099 Derek Sikes Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:31:01 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=10008#comment-48099 Glad to see I'm not the only guy that's been down this road! Glad to see I’m not the only guy that’s been down this road!

]]> By: Brian Kooshian http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/#comment-48076 Brian Kooshian Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:12:51 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=10008#comment-48076 How does the quiz apply to building your own tools, like a downdraft table, a disk sander, or a router table? Maybe there should be a modified quiz for tools! How does the quiz apply to building your own tools, like a downdraft table, a disk sander, or a router table? Maybe there should be a modified quiz for tools!

]]> By: Goldenleaf http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/#comment-48068 Goldenleaf Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:20:32 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=10008#comment-48068 OK, Mark is sitting at the table jotting down data... The lovely Nicole is Patiently waiting for the results.... So my question is.... Which dog took the picture? OK,
Mark is sitting at the table jotting down data…
The lovely Nicole is Patiently waiting for the results….
So my question is….
Which dog took the picture?

]]> By: Danny Hellyar http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/#comment-48055 Danny Hellyar Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:53:15 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=10008#comment-48055 Jim, If your planning on making solid wood doors using a stile and rail bit on your router table I would suggest you purchase them, especially since you have a lot of doors. It's a lot of work with a 3 Hp router table set up and would be much easier if you have a shaper. Even with a shaper it's a lot of set up that you have to be very precise and careful about. Do you really want to do all that glue up ,planning and sanding on the door panels? The only thing you have to fuse over, if you order them made, is getting the sizes right. Jim,
If your planning on making solid wood doors using a stile and rail bit on your router table I would suggest you purchase them, especially since you have a lot of doors. It’s a lot of work with a 3 Hp router table set up and would be much easier if you have a shaper. Even with a shaper it’s a lot of set up that you have to be very precise and careful about. Do you really want to do all that glue up ,planning and sanding on the door panels? The only thing you have to fuse over, if you order them made, is getting the sizes right.

]]> By: Jim Jones http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/#comment-48044 Jim Jones Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:31:22 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=10008#comment-48044 Marc and Nicole, Jane and I love the pic of the kitchen in your new house. Beautiful and looks very practical. Nicole's look is choice! We are pondering an update to our kitchen cabinets, keeping the carcases and changing out doors and drawer fronts. I am still vacillating on building or buying them, including adding some drawers in place of some of the lower cabinets... Problem is, there are a **LOT** of cabinet doors. For me, good timing on the quiz. Marc and Nicole, Jane and I love the pic of the kitchen in your new house. Beautiful and looks very practical.

Nicole’s look is choice!

We are pondering an update to our kitchen cabinets, keeping the carcases and changing out doors and drawer fronts. I am still vacillating on building or buying them, including adding some drawers in place of some of the lower cabinets… Problem is, there are a **LOT** of cabinet doors. For me, good timing on the quiz.

]]> By: Jonathan http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/#comment-48040 Jonathan Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:50:08 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=10008#comment-48040 Great article. For every piece of empty house, this question pops into my mind. Great article. For every piece of empty house, this question pops into my mind.

]]> By: steve hargan http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/#comment-48026 steve hargan Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:04:25 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=10008#comment-48026 O.K., I'll be quiet, but you didn't answer my question... BTW, I scored 18.1428. And I'm posting my results on Oprah's web site. O.K., I’ll be quiet, but you didn’t answer my question… BTW, I scored 18.1428. And I’m posting my results on Oprah’s web site.

]]> By: Chester http://thewoodwhisperer.com/to-build-or-to-buy/#comment-48013 Chester Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:17:03 +0000 http://thewoodwhisperer.com/?p=10008#comment-48013 Woody - If the cost of materials ... and the new tool I will need is less than the cost of new, I almost always go DIY and reap the benefits of owning a new tool. I am a lucky one, however, kuz my main squeeze is totally supportive of that line of thinking. Woody -
If the cost of materials … and the new tool I will need is less than the cost of new, I almost always go DIY and reap the benefits of owning a new tool. I am a lucky one, however, kuz my main squeeze is totally supportive of that line of thinking.

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