Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - how much $ to charge
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gsb
07-17-06, 08:25 PM
Thanks for any advice. A family friend asked if I could refinish/paint some rattan swivel chairs that were in bad shape (not sentimental pieces, just items given to them). They had been left out in the elements: dirt and mold in some areas, peeling paint and varnish etc. So far I've worked on one, cleaning it up, stripping off the old paint/varnish by hand with a metal scraper-not fun or easy (didn't want to use harsh chemical stripper, found out about more gentle Citristrip afterwards!), sanded the item, filled cracks and repaired the bottom 1 inch of one leg that had rotted with wood filler, primed and applied layers of paint and polyurethane. I have no idea how much to charge per chair (since I work pretty slowly don't want to charge by the hour). Out of curiosity how much would a professional charge? I don't want to undercharge and definitely don't want to overcharge since this is a family friend. --Thanks
gsb
07-17-06, 08:59 PM
Sorry, forgot to mention in the title that I'm asking about refinishing/painting (specifically about how much I should charge per chair) thanks
gsb
07-18-06, 07:55 AM
I've decided to give this first chair as a gift and any amount of money (hopefully it's a small amount) they give me I will accept for doing the other three chairs (from the experience of working on the first one I think I can finish the other chairs faster and more easily now.) Doing work for a family friend is too awkward and uncomfortable a situation...
mako
07-22-06, 08:42 PM
If you are just learning the process (which is the fun part) then don't try to charge them a pro fee. But DO CHARGE THEM. Friends are nice but they are also like kids--- once you spoil them....well...you know. You'll eventually have to spank them.
Personally I think a good place to start with charging, since you don't want an hourly charge, is $25-45 per chair PLUS cost of materials (that includes: stripper, gloves, goggles, brushes, scrapers, stain, varnish, thinner, trip to the ER in ambulance... oooh, wait, that might not happen to you).
Make a few bucks but be generous if you have the time since you are learning.
BTW, harsh strippers are THE STUFF!
I get the harshest I can find, which seems to be aerosol cans of paint stripper, sometimes sold as "aircraft paint stripper".
It will remove nearly anything in a hurry. Use in a well ventilated area or outside. It WILL work. Use one can per chair or two. Makes life a LOT easier, I can tell ya!
Personally I think a good place to start with charging, since you don't want an hourly charge, is $25-45 per chair PLUS cost of materials (that includes: stripper, gloves, goggles, brushes, scrapers, stain, varnish, thinner, trip to the ER in ambulance... oooh, wait, that might not happen to you).
Make a few bucks but be generous if you have the time since you are learning.
BTW, harsh strippers are THE STUFF!
I get the harshest I can find, which seems to be aerosol cans of paint stripper, sometimes sold as "aircraft paint stripper".
It will remove nearly anything in a hurry. Use in a well ventilated area or outside. It WILL work. Use one can per chair or two. Makes life a LOT easier, I can tell ya!