A friend suggested that I explain how my prices were set. I've written this on the furniture pricelist page and thought I would also put it in my blog.
A word about how my prices are set: because of the shaped (carved) nature of the furniture I make, I use almost exclusively 2 inch (8/4) stock. I buy this rough sawn, as it comes off the mill, at a saw mill in Kingston, N.H. They have consistently the lowest prices and steadiest, high quality, supply of any lumberyard I've found. It takes me 3 hrs. round trip to get the lumber I need. Lumber bought this way is measured and paid for by the board foot. 2" X 6" X 12" = 1 bd. ft. You may get a little more waste buying it this way but I can get more of the figured lumber that I want. It takes about 30 bd. ft. to make a chair (with waste) for an example. Black walnut costs $10/bdft, cherry is $7.20/bdft, white oak is $7.50/bdft (quarter sawn), $5.50 plain sawn.
As an example, a rocking chair (30bdft) in walnut costs $300 in lumber. It takes 200 hrs. to make the chair, so at the price of $5950, I'm making $28.25/ hr. It costs me $20/ hr. to run my shop- investment in tools and the cost of parts for maintenance, electricity, blades and bits, sandpaper, insurance. I know it seems "pricey" but this is not production run, factory furniture. This is one of, custom built furniture. I really have to be doing this because I love it.