Is there a carpenter who is not also a plumber?

Hi everyone!

I am hoping to get a prototype of a desk made. I have some interest by furniture boutiques and I need a few of them made. (Hoping to be able to sell it later to a bigger buyers)

I didn’t want to deal with china as I have no knowledge or experience with outsourcing like that. plus I think it would be very expensive for just a few of them and anyways, I would really love to work with someone in the US to get them made-a real made in the US product.

I have been looking for months now and can’t find the right person. a carpenter with “CAN DO” attitude that is not also a plumber/electrician/etc. Areal master of their crafts.

I spoke to furniture manufacturing companies but non of them were interested in such a small project.

How does one gets their furniture made? any advice? recommendations? suggestions?

here is a link to the project: http://www.netalihernandez.com/75503/34 … -work-desk

Please feel free to contact me anytime here or at: netalihernandez@gmail.com

Search “studio furniture + big city near you”. You should find a lot.

If you are in Chicago, any of these guys could do it, http://www.cfdainfo.org/

Or you could look for a retail fixture manufacturer. Again, in Chicago, these guys could do it, http://www.555.com/

Search for “Cabinet Maker” or “Custom Cabinet Maker” in your area.

Thanks guys! I have been talking to a couple cabinet makers. They all told me they don’t have all the equipment to get it done the way I want it. Some CNC is needed for some of the radiuses ( and I don’t want to compromise) some told me they can’t paint it the way I want it, and some just said they don’t want to do such a project… I need someone with adventurous attitude… All new suggestions are appreciated!

If nobody wants to make it, your budget is probably unrealistically low.

Only took a quick glance at your project, but are you implying that all of those radiuses be bent plywood? It looks like the desktop bends could be faked with some serious routing, bondo, and sanding work… but the exposed bent wood parts are looking almost unmanufacturable, at least by traditional carpentry means. Maybe the more important question is how would this be made if it were mass-produced?

It’s a pretty solidworks file, but I have serious reservations if that could be affordably built… even if you were dealing with much larger numbers. Why not redesign it so it could actually be manufactured?

Why not redesign it so it could actually be manufactured?

But, that would be industrial design! But as far as affordability goes, he didn’t state his MSRP.

BTW… post images instead of links please. They promote discussion. :wink:

Perhaps the top could be solid surface like Corian or one of the many similar materials? You would probably have a much easier time having that fabricated.

I hate to ask, but what’s stopping you from figuring this out yourself? Why not break it up into components and source all of them separately? Is there someone who can do the plywood on the base? Another for the top? Another for the drawer? Another for the steel work on the legs? Think about this more than just being able to hand this off to one person and have them figure it out for you. You should be the one with a great idea of how this could be done using existing fabrication methods. You clearly don’t have the budget to fund tooling for bent plywood or for developing some revolutionary process (or paying someone to come up with that process).

Like Eddie said, it’s a pretty model, but it’s going to be a tough one to build affordably. And it’s in your best interest to find a way to make this affordably for yourself. These boutiques haven’t paid you anything, and you’re speculating that a larger company will want to buy/build your design. Any money you put into this is loaded with risk. Keep that in mind.

You see stuff with those kinds of corner radii in mid-to-high end furniture stores (e.g. Bo Concept, Limn, heck even IKEA) but most of the time its particle board wrapped in veneer. And your radii are on the tighter side.

Thanks everyone! I was thinking of corian as well for the top piece and I am also checking into break it down to pieces and sourcing them individually. I have to admit that this is the first time I am trying to actually make my own product and I am learning a lot as I go.

Update: right now I am talking to a couple of couple of cabinet makers in my area that say they could help me with the bottom parts (the legs and drawer) and I am looking for a place that can help me with the light fixture ( suggestions are welcome!) I am going to have to see about different materials for the top part and since the light fixture is part of it I will have to wait until I figure out how in order to decide what will be made first.

I am happy to hear any more thoughts and suggestions from you who are willing to give them and I appreciate any tips!

Thanks again and have a great week!

You can wrap veneer over radii that tight, it just needs to be thin enough. If you were using 1mm veneer it might crack depending on the grain direction, but you can get pretty thin (under .3mm).

The way you’ve drawn that pullout will require a 3D membrane veneer press (because you have curvature in two directions). That will be very expensive to do in low quantities (less than 1000 pcs), and it may not be possible at all with such a deep draw and tight radii in the corners.