omegareef.com down =( can't find greg65, need a new Stand Builder!

[raddogz]

Slightly off-topic: I am not advocating to go or not to go with by-rite, but those puppies look like puppy-mill dogs to me.

For me I can't do business with someone who sells puppy-mill dogs.

Koden - Get a router table and some basic saws and start putting it together yourself if my advice. I have sat on a 120g for almost two years cuz of the stand.

This weekend I built the basic structure using half-lap joints and a router (I don't recommend this as you will spend an entire day hunched over and your back will kill you the next day).

The sides (skin) and the front will be removable. The skin will probably be red oak and held together with pocket screws.

 

[Kinetic]

I've been making the basement's stand for my fuge and prop tank with a regular saw and some lumber, but it's crude at best. I'll try to learn to use the router instead to get better cuts.

I'm guessing just get a good stand with legs built first, then make a "skin" or sides like you said that just fits onto it, screw them in with wood specific screws, and walla. I will definately try this. It will cost a lot more, since I need to buy a router table, all the lumber, knick knacks I'm sure, plus a lot of time. It would be fun. I've given up doing this quickly, which like everyone knows, "quickly" is not in the reefing vocabulary.

I'll probably DIM (do it myself, is that nerdy acronym?) =) Can someone give me a few specifics on what else I'd need in terms of tools, and what exactly each tool does?

Thanks!!!


also: i didn't look into their puppies, though you're right, looks questionable.

 

[JHipkin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6775023#post6775023 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bladze
How much they charge per sqft? I looked at the one at costco and i've been told it is not as good quality (?). I am looking to upgrade my hardwood.

Thanks.

Prices vary depending on what they have. the URL is lumberliquidators.com.

 

[greg65]

Against all my better judgment...........i guess i have to respond to this thread.

Mr. Koden,

"I talked to greg finally, but for some reason he declined to work on my stand. He told me it was too small of a project"

"But he never answered my last PM which was 2 weeks ago about why he rejected my project all of a sudden."

If im not mistaken, I believe the answer to , "why" , was already listed.......what further explanation is really needed?


"Is a $500+- stand too small of a project?"

Why would you ask this reefing community what constitutes a small or large project for MY shop????

"Is it usual for him to drop a project all of a sudden? Many people spoke highly of him, but he sort of turned a cold shoulder to me when he replied to me after I tried looking for him? "

Again, why are you asking this reefing community why i decided not to build a fish stand for you? What are you hoping to accomplish?


I simply gave you a nodd to go with someone else for the work you needed to get done. Nothing more nothing less.

For what its worth(and not directly aimed at you...just a statement)
I dont build stands and canopys just to make people happy. I DO need to actually make money .........all of us do.
People seam to get uptight when they find out what looks like a simple project is going to actually cost.
For a $500 stand +/- , there will be a hundred or two in materials (wood /hardware),
there is a finishing cost (spraying) that if done legally , as in "in compliance" with the bay area air quality standards (which is the only way Ill do it), simply costs ALOT!
Then there is the time to figure out what a customer wants/needs (usually several phone calls or emails). The time to draw out the project, get approval on it , cutlist the project, schedule the project, and oh ya............BUILD the darn thing.

Doesnt leave a whole lot of room to put food on my two kids plates now then does it?
Anyway........... as i said in my private message to you a few weeks back, I wish you the very best with your current tank and getting a stand built, or building it yourself. I dont know why you couldnt have just left it alone with that.
Greg

 

[Kinetic]

Greg: I simply PM'd you asking you why you decided to drop the project? perhaps it was a miscommunication, and I was just wondering if we could get it cleared up.

I understand the charges of $500+/-, and I was totally ready to pay that. I don't understand why you are upset over the $500 being a factor in why I'm going with someone else, or why I posted anything at all.

I would have much rather gone with your $500 quote than someone's $275 quote based on quality.

So bottom line is: I would go with your $500, and I think it is fair and reasonable for both of us.

You PM'd me back giving me the nod to go with someone else, but that was the first time you PM'd me back after I inquired about where you were and that I'd like to go with you. So I PM'd you back to see if you would again, build my stand, especially since I hadn't made a committment with the other builder yet. Again you seemed to shrug it off and then didn't respond.

So I was very confused, and I know people on BAR etc. know you, so was wondering what they thought of it.

I'm not trying to shortchange you to get a project done less than $500 for my stand, I just wanted to know why you wouldn't do it after quoting me. It's your own right to do so, but seriously, so many people talked highly of you I was worried it was just miscommunication.

Again I think you're offended because I'm telling you $500 is a ridiculous price, when In fact I always wanted you to build the stand from the beginning.

So don't take any offense, you're just interpreting the situation as if I'm trying to rip you off.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

~$500 is a great price for quality custom cabinet work by a pro.

 

[Kinetic]

yeah right? i'd feel much better going with his stand then the $275 =/

anyway, I guess the $500 is still too little of a project maybe? at this point he might have bigger projects to work on. That's what I'm guessing.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

If you're really stuck, send me your tank plans. I'll check if any guys I know are taking side jobs.

 

[sfsuphysics]

As much as it is against my better judgement I'm replying now...

I think the first thing you should do is stop commenting about those people who didn't make you a stand for whatever reason. Whether or not you want to express your grief or not it comes off a bit as if you're trying to make a personal attack or whining, again not saying that you are but if you've noticed threads that have been locked by mods they have treaded on this fine line especially when they get out of control.

But as to your inquiry $500 really is a small job custom work for a guy who owns his own shop. Now if it was some guy who was excellent with wood working out of his garage that's fine. Just to give you an indication, I got my oak kitchen cabinets (just the face) from Home Depot and they cost a touch under 5 grand, and I'd hardly call these custom made (probably "custom made" in china and sent over on a boat)

Now about your stand, is it detail you need? A center piece for a room? I'm great with structural work, but I don't have the patience or room in my garage for tools to do detail work. So I could give you some pointers on how to build a stand to withstand a 9.0 earthquake, but if you want detail work that's something you need a true craftsman. But the good thing with stands is often can do them in pieces, build the structure (sometimes needs to be onsite for larger stands) then get the detail work done off site by someone who can do it, or just as time permits and your skill level improves. I'm a bit of an old school person when it comes to woodwork, I like hand tools for detail work, but if you have a good jig on a router table you can often practice with cheaper wood to see if it looks good, then go to harder wood (oak, or whatever you want), this isn't very useful with hand tools though since softwoods are easier to gouge out your shapes etc.

 

[reefboy1]

Hi Art,

I think the point Greg is making is that even at $500, his margins are too low to take the time to do it. I've seen Greg's shop and it's definitely designed to work on BIG projects and a little aquarium stand would get lost inside of it. I get tool envy whenever I go in there

I think you're very lucky that Greg has gone thru the design stages of your stand with you - you've benefited from his expertise and he's cool enough to let you take that away...

Try doing it yourself. You'll be surprised how nice you can make it look if you're willing to take the time on the details

Good luck with it,

Art

 

[Mr. Ugly]

True, $500 is a small job.

That's a typical cost for a single wood cabinet we might purchase from a laboratory supplier doing large production runs of a standard design. Small custom shops can duplicate the designs for us, but it still costs about that much, and they're not making one-sie two-sies.

The stuff we have going into our labs isn't all that great either, as far as craftsmanship.

 

[bookfish]

And since I'm not known for my tact I'll say it straight up. You have no right to complain (yes, that's what you did!) about Greg in a public thread. Perhaps he read the thread about how you got someone to work on a sump for you and then didn't follow through or even have the courtesy to let them know you'd changed your mind. If I was Greg and knew even a little of your history I wouldn't do business with you either. As far as miscommunication goes, do you think craftsmen get very far in life by "miscommunicating" with customers? I know Greg and he's a fine fellow. I've seen his work and it's top shelf. Sorry if this seems like it's just a slam but I honestly hope you learn a bit from it regarding how to work within a community setting. Greg is a respected member of this community and whining about him in public does nothing but hurt your credibility going forward.
Sorry for being so straightforward but at least there's no "miscommunication"!-Jim

 

[Kinetic]

It seems like the main point he was making was that even a $500 is too small for him, and he realizes that now and can't take the order. He never really said that, and I was just wondering. I couldn't get in contact with him through PM's, emails, etc where I asked the same questions. Just wondering about those here on the board knew a little better, and hey he found the thread, and I'm glad it's clear. Thanks to those who helped figure it all out, and who's offering to help with the stand. I think I'll look locally or else I'll take another plunge and invest in some tools to work on it myself.

Jim: thanks for your opinion. Again didn't mean to offend or whine, I just wanted answers. And of course any post can be taken anyway, and there's no helping that. It's just a risk I take when asking questions. You don't really know me, nor my history, and sure you've seen posts here on RC, but you could never judge someone by forum posts, you don't know me in real life. I can say anything here, and it can be interpreted in any way, if I'm not careful. It gets out of hand, sure, but I'm not here to **** everyone off. But it sure does =P anyway, I'm not saying greg is bad, nor attacking him, i'm s ure he's great, everyone says so. And I won't judge him by any of this, because again, I don't know him in real life, nor his real situation. Some were able to help me understand that. Thanks.

Coming back to the point of the thread:
I'll probably buy a router table at costco, they seem to have a pretty good one. The price for it is the same as a similar one I found at Home Depot. Any recommendations on brand of router table?

Also what other kind of saws etc would I need?

thanks!!

 

[greg65]

Now that this is ..................all cleared up............ ahhhmm.

I would ask PLEASE that this thread be closed as my company name as the title of this thread is NO place to be asking about brands and quality of router tables.

Thank you SINCERELY for those who spoke up , and again Koden, i wish nothing but luck to the success of your stand and tank.

Greg

 

[mhurley]

Thread closed. Please take this dispute off line if you want to continue it.