Can a DIYer beat IKEA in price?

[@TheSwedishMaker]

For anyone concerned with the cost of labour. When me and my wife decided on building instead of buying - which is what this video is about - I would never go - yes but let's factor in my hourly rate and I would suspect a lot of other makers wouldn't either. And I think that comes with the fact that actually enjoy the making part - it's a hobby. With that said - hiring some other carpenter to do the job would cost a lot more.

[@WhoWatchesVideos]

My immediate thought reading the title was "as always with these videos, no, because time is expensive" but then I stepped back. As someone who's learning hobby electronics, it's the same conclusion you came to: if you're enjoying your hobby, you're already getting paid for your time. Heck, you're making a video - you're being paid to make your own furniture!

[@diyhard666]

Of course there's something wrong with IKEA. They're the leader in Non sustainability by growing big forests just to shred them to particle boards . And that's just the peak of the iceberg. So we don't have to compare prices. You did a good job.

[@HidekiShinichi]

​@@diyhard666and that particleboard is way more efficient to build a firniture than solid wood thats way more wastefull.

[@diyhard666]

@@HidekiShinichi i That ain't true. Solid wood can be reused no matter what size. Particle board hardly can be reused. If it gets wet, it's done. If it's done it's Hazardous waste. If solid wood can't be reused you can burn it and heat your place.

[@mikosoft]

Even if it's a hobby, when comparing with commercial products, labor costs (and costs of tools) need to be considered. Otherwise it will always be in favor of the DIY (if you're not comparing a super fancy wood to IKEA LACK).

[@tugaric]

As a guy who lived in small houses, small roomes no space all is life. Seeing all the tools and space these youtubers have always blows my mind

[@SeorkMaxx]

I made and still make things in a small space, just build where you need it.

[@demonicsquid7217]

In some cases it's like watching a video about maintaining your $5m yacht when all you have is an inflatable dinghy with a puncture fixed with chewing gum.

[@andrewj3177]

I am fortunate enough to make a decent living out of this hobby. What i did was bought a bigger cheaper land in a country side with loans, and sell my product online.

[@watershock9211]

tbf, he lives in Sweden, land is pretty cheap there and therefor so is space.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

​@@andrewj3177 it's not a hobby if you're making a living on it.

[@derfpa1]

My dad made some cheap tables for a party that consisted of an osb boards, a skirt and legs of 27x70 mm lumber. They were really sturdy and with a table cloth no one could tell they cost 370 sek/36 USD for a 2.4x0.9m table! Not heirloom quality, but they lasted for many year's and then the material was later reused in other projects.

[@JesperMakes]

Great video Pierre! Love the slider shot! Good call on the center piece. Make stuff you need that lasts - best thing I heard in a long time..

[@TheSwedishMaker]

thanks Jesper! I just broke down a pallet the other day and thought of you and how easy it looks when you do it. It was nothing like that when I did it 😂

[@alexbolt1227]

You speak to my soul when you say that you feel sick about the overproduction of goods that most likely will never be sold. I had exactly the same feeling when walking through a similar clothing store or a store selling cheap decorations. I feel you man! Nice job indeed, admitting your mistakes and making adjustments to get the job done!

[@matthewlaberge]

I am literally sitting at the Ikea table that serves as the inspiration for your design, and I too added a 3D printed drawer to the underside in the exact same spot as the one you added. Excellent video!

[@eriks2962]

I need to think about these small under the table drawer. That's an interesting idea indeed!

[@tombiggs4687]

My dad enjoyed woodworking and made many pieces for their house. But he took joy in making furniture for my brother, sister, and I, during our young adult lives. We had not much money to buy furniture, so this was a wonderful boost to our households. It was mostly simply designed pine furniture, practical to use. I've always had the opinion that furniture is here to serve me, I'm not here to serve it, so simple practical pieces were perfect for our life. And when our children came along, he loved making child-size play tables, cradles, stools, dollhouses, etc. Dad passed away in 1998; Our children are adults now and living on their own, but they still have fond memories of his gifts. I have always done basic wood workings, sufficient to maintain the house, or repair old furniture as needed. Only in the last 10 years have I gotten serious about woodworking. It does help to have purpose.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

Thanks for telling your story. It shows that sometime you make will not only last a really long time - it will keep its value to the people around you.

[@MrSeanmcgall]

I'm proud of u reading that, my father was a builder, I consider myself a maker. It all starts somewhere haha

[@SteveBellCreates]

Your so right making things for yourself is so rewarding. Plus you can custom make them to suit your own home. When I was a younger with a family I made everything well almost everything as I couldn’t afford to buy then and some of those pieces are still in use today . Great video as always Pierre

[@davebauerart]

The tables look great and of course the satisfaction and ability to get exactly what you want is worth a lot.

[@tonyray91]

My daughter needed a custom size desk on wheels, after scouring Amazon & EBay for donor desks & who knows what the quality of the thing would have been I took a trip to Ikea. I found a table with steel legs angled like yours for £95, but it was 300mm too long and 100mm to tall but I realised I could cut it down and recreate the corner leg joints on one end. The quality of the steel was surprisingly good and yes the top is particle board but I was able to save the hot glues edge and reapply it on the cut end. She’s an artist so when it gets too scruffy I can do something else. I cut the legs down and 3D printed inserts to take 50mm castors. I think the thing cost me £125 but she got a custom piece in a weekend.

[@mymemeplex]

I've been getting old solid Oak table tops for free off local marketplaces. Old oak is not fashionable anymore, certainly not the brown oak from the 70's and 80's. A lot of people who boeg that type of furniture from that era are clearing out their house for one reason or another. Many thriftstores aren't even accepting them anymore cause they don't sell. Lots of good wood on those tables, and the dressers can be used for lumber as well.

[@SeorkMaxx]

Yes, sometimes it is even cheaper to buy a secondhand table for the wood alone. New wood is much more expensive, but not everyone can build…

[@rob1984]

Your videos make me smile. Your transparency in your process is lovely, inspiring and just reflect my own processes in making stuff. Self made things are priceless. Keep doing, thanks from Switzerland.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

thanks a lot! Appreciate it!

[@loadiam]

I don't think beating IKEA on price is really the goal. I think the reward is having three tables you built yourself in your home or barn in your case rather than three mass produced tables which have no soul, no character. Since moving to Sweden my home has been full of the crap for years, it could almost have been a catalogue photo or one of their display rooms from time to time throughout the years. I would just love to reduce the dependency or need to browse through the IKEA, MIO or Jysk products range and remove it from my home preferring to open up SketchUp or something similar and make ideas come to life. This is why we follow channels like yours, looking for inspiration and like minded individuals.

[@ETOE]

Woodworking problem in a kind of way I run into this week. I cut my wooden project with a laser. It was super hot this week, the laser got hot as well and after some cuts the performance dropped, the laser couldn`t cut through with the same settings, I cut again, forgot to copy all the shapes, cut again, had some bondo filler in the plywood which the laser wasn`t able to cut through in this particular spot, gave up for this day. Came in the next day with a cooled brain and a cooled laser. Did some cuts again and could finish the project after loosing half a sheet of plywood. What I learned: Heat melts brains and drops the performance of lasers. My advice: stay cool, but not too cool when working on projects where brain power and laser power is involved.

[@caspermakesthings]

I definitely liked the transportation vehicle that you used for the wood :D Your barn is so Swedish. I go to Sweden 2 or 3 times a year and that's lakes, green and red barns everywhere! Super awesome man. And of course... The lights at the windows every night.

[@Jellylazer]

The real value lies in your ability to make it and not rely on cheaply ready made goods. Nothing will ever beat a handmade craftsman.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

thanks!

[@okiwatashi2349]

Well said

[@DamianDArienzo]

Well made :) Well said. ​

[@jackdaniel2623]

Don't forget flexibility. Many of my DIY projects simply couldn't be bought in that size or configuration. Like matching an existing closet, room height or designing table to bear extra weight etc.

[@98godofwar]

Yeah keep telling yourself that to justify spending more time and money for the same thing. 🤡

[@ltpinecone]

Your tables turned out pretty awesome!

[@TheSwedishMaker]

Thanks so much!

[@lucasclauson3779]

The price comparison was really interesting. Another woodworker I followed had said that generally you wouldn't be able to beat Ikea in price for goods, but that generally shouldn't be the main reason to make something. That said, the price difference between the two is pretty stark. I'm going to need to furnish an apartment soon, and was planning on making a good many things myself if I could, so this is good to hear.

[@Worthoden2]

Great video and absolutly beautiful work. Your chanel is one of my favorites here on KZbin. Stay on :)

[@neilheslop5786]

Great looking tables, Pierre. Also interesting to see how the barn looked before, you Julia made it into a really great space!

[@andreasbentz6106]

Hey, I can relate to the hesitation to start, that you mention at 07:18. Not sure if you know Adam Savage - on of the two Mythbusters. On his channel he spoke about "how to avoid the death-spiral of perfectionism" which is what keeps me being hesitant to start. In the end, thinking it over and over again in order to squeeze out any imperfections is always a theoretical exercise. I found, that in reality, there is always something happening, that you didn't think of, or where an assumption is proved wrong... Speaking of beating IKEA: I started doing that not because of the price, but because of the decline in quality, that IKEA took. We still own my first kitchen, I bought from IKEA about 35 years ago (when I didn't had a workshop at all). It has long outlasted the "25 years IKEA functional warranty", they gave those days and the material ist still in good shape (highly compressed melamin coated particle board for the cabinets, solid wood for the doors, glas shelves). The kitchen moved three times now, and the challenge (aka hobby) was always to fit it into non-standard situations. We did buy additional cabinets, but stopped doing that for the last re-build. It was about 10 years ago, when IKEA swapped out the old "Faktum" kitchen series to the new "Method". The quality was so shitty, and you could feel, that the only purpose of the changes was to save on material and weight (profit, logistics) and durability was definitely sacrified. Fortunately I could lay my hands on some spare cabinets, when they sold off the old Faktum material, since I know, there will be some changes to the kitchen still to come in our house. Our house is scattered with old IKEA furniture pieces. Well sought out (mostly massive still wood) and made to last. The only thing that we bought from IKEA recently, were new leather covers for our Poäng swing chairs. The old leather was worn out (three generations of cats did a great job on them) and IKEA sold the new ones at 50%, so I was afraid that they will discontinue them and come up with some vegan material. I still like their always up to date nordic design, but when it comes to quality, they lost me completely. When I decide to make a piece of furniture (or when we bought one in the early days) I put a lot of emotion into it. If it breaks, I fix it. If it is of no use for me any more, I give it away to someone who has use for it. And if that's not possible, I take it apart and re-use the material. That is why I cannot relate to the "fast-furniture trend". But I guess, I'm just a strange old guy 😉 Thnks for sharing your table-experience! Man I envy you for that barn 😍 Cheers Andreas

[@tonoosterhoff]

In my quest I ended up building violins (which is a special direction for a software developer), now almost finishing the second one. And the next step of course, taking lessons to be able to play that thing.

[@JonasPetri]

That's really cool!

[@63huggybear]

I really appreciate your approach and comments. It speaks to my thought process. Thank you.

[@tonikaic6695]

The best woddworking site in Sweden! Following all the episodes

[@charles1075]

Really enjoying the change in format of your videos. More honest.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

thank you!

[@MichaelTavel]

So true! It's not just about having a hobby, it's about having a purpose for the hobby that increases joy exponentially.

[@nutrox84]

I fully relate to your question regarding hobbies! Sadly with kids and everything the time avaiable is always to little. Always enjoying your content! Greetings from Lofoten(Norway)😊

[@jakobrosenqvist4691]

We made party tables using 2 sheets of OSB and some 2*2s. We made them so that you can connect them end to end with 2 stumps of 2*2 to make one rally long table. Then we use "bockar" to put the tables on and a single use table cloth on top.

[@fredriksvensson2797]

Great video! Nice to see a great swedish woodworking channel. Personaly as a swedish hobby woodworker I find it a little frustrating that we only got pine in our buildingstores. The americans seem to have endless choices when it comes to wood. Makes me a little bit jealous😉

[@IanPrest]

*Hold on to your hats* is also a common expression in English. I can no longer find edge-glued pine panels (of any decent size) here in the US... so I envy your lumber yard's selection! I used some for shelving 6-7 years ago, and they're *great* for shelving. So much nicer than plywood or MDF shelving, IMO.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

that's a shame. It's still really common in Sweden - but then again we don't have nearly the same selection of plywood as you guys do.

[@eriks2962]

That may depend on regions. I saw some at lowe's yesterday in Charlotte, NC.

[@TinusBruins]

6 years ago I made a similar-ish table, a bit beefier., The price was about the same. And it's out in the rain al summer long. Which an IKEA table will most likely not survive. But the benefit of making it my self, is adding the feature of easy disassembly by unscrewing a few wingnuts. So it can overwinter in the shed without taking up too much space.

[@c.a.chambers68]

Im loving the colour of that finish along with the sleek look of the build

[@TheSwedishMaker]

thanks!

[@morrismurray3621]

A friend wanted a cupboard/shelf hallway unit with 5 doors, the unit was 1800mm long and 520mm high and 360mm deep. I made it for Australian $1000 using 90mm wide Tasmanian Oak edge joined to make all the panels with 450 biscuits and glue. I had fun, they got a unique self-designed unit, the closest commercial one made out of solid decorative wood was 4x that.

[@Eskatologist]

I made my own desktop, it's solid beech though made from shorter pieces glued together. It was sold as a counter top for a kitchen. It was more expensive than the Ikea desktops... by a considerable margin. But it's solid wood, and looks (when not cluttered in junk like now) pretty good. It's on Ikea legs because I don't have much in the way of tools or work space to actually make goo looking/useful legs (though I would given the choice). My dad has the space and the tools but wouldn't let me use his things without taking over the job... which I hate him doing. He may have the skills (he used to make custom hardwood window frames) to do so, but if he takes over I would never learn how to do it myself... also he's in his 70's and in poor health. Nice informative video. :)

[@olfertpoelen]

lovely project, nice video and a very nice design. We have the exact table but massproduced, bought in a sale for 444€ it was the cheapest (back then I didnt have the tools and workshop to make it, neither had I seen your video, otherwise I would have constructed it myself for 150€ 😲 But our outdoortable will be like these ones, home made

[@Hog-g2z]

Good morning 🌅, I have used the shelving for sitting my HiFi on , the shelf sits on metal rails, , about 2 months after installing the 5 shelves I had noticed that there was a gap in one of the shelves, then when I looked at the rest of the shelves 4 out of 5 shelves had come apart, a waste of money, when I finish my electric in my work shop , I will be building a new HiFi cabinet/storage unit in Ash with a contrasting colour in it, I love your barn , that would make a great work shop, and art gallery/studio, and if there’s enough space allow kitchen and dining room and probably somewhere to sleep, 😂, look forward to seeing and hearing your next project, stay safe, from France.

[@bobs12andahalf2]

When selecting that stuff see if there's a date on the packaging and try to choose from the oldest pieces. Where I am they are a bit of a lottery. I find that taking fresher stuff from the store more often results in warping and cracks.

[@mfrenzik]

Amazing space. Tables are nice too.

[@klavspr]

When carrying that Bosch saw, set the angle to 60°, keep the right hand on the same place, but the left hand on the behind of the arm. Do not forget to lock the "slide" and "rise".

[@katerinachuranova8435]

We have the NORDVIKEN IKEA table you showed as a last one and similar to your construction. It looks quite nice and the extensibility is amazing for parties and family gatherings. On the other hand, the table top is extremely soft and dents when you look bad at it, and if you look at those pictures, you can see that there is a gap between two halves of that tabletop - it's quite big and really annoying for things like board games, things easily fall through it.

[@jimrosson6702]

Great video and the tables turned out great.

[@hassleoffa]

No ... but a DIYer isn't going to build a bookshelf out of hardboard with a corrugated cardboard core wrapped in a laser-printed photo of wood.

[@bmacaulay18]

That's a good thing.

[@IAteFire]

Currently building 16 bookshelf units twice the width of a billy with plywood… it’s a task! But somehow still cheaper than if I bought billies….

[@gigaphonicon]

I have never seen a fest tool table saw before interesting. I love the digital read on the bevel change

[@TheSwedishMaker]

It's quite the clever little machine actually.

[@danielrisberg2112]

Thanks for a great video, as usual! I like the added angles on the tables. Ser fram emot nästa video! P.S. Jag tycker dina bord ser bättre ut i din miljö än IKEA's

[@nickmagma7745]

Great work, really like the colour and angled legs!

[@SeorkMaxx]

I love to buy or find secondhand stuff, tables, chairs etc, you can buy good quality for less. Also secondhand wooden table tops are a good wood source and often cheaper than new ones. The best par5 about diy is building how you want it. I build lots of things over the years and still have a lot of wood in my shed to use if need be.

[@Svan.innovation]

I actually did an official cabinetmaking course in high school, after that I couldn't buy anything but ikea, so now I'm a trained production technician. But today I have a job as a maintenance technician, but I'm a handyman who won't fall into the Festool trap... Right now I'm building my new surface where I can house my machines so I can be creative, I'll keep an eye on you

[@glassigast100]

i have the same miter saw, it is soooo much easier to carry if you put in full miter angle. Took me a while to figure that out, almost broke my back a couple of times before that.... =)

[@dylanreynolds47]

I really enjoy your channel and your work. Also watching you develop is great! One thing you have neglected though is your time in the calculation. You can bet that Ikea has factored this into their cost. I too build things (play houses, bedroom cupboards etc) and everytime I get past the core build and into the details where the real time is spent, I wonder how much I have saved if I factored in the time. Having said that, and as you quite rightly say, this is your hobby and your purpose, and perhaps there isnt a reasonable price for that. Well done! 😊

[@Berlin-Woodworker]

I always wondered if one can build a table cheaper than ikea 😅 awesome video! Regarding your lack of hobbies question I think the same way. Before I started woodworking I had hobbies that kept me occupied but nothing really filled me or made me as happy as woodworking. I am really happy I gave it a shot!

[@TheSwedishMaker]

Couldn't agree more! Woodworking fills that void. Thanks for watching Jannis

[@2greenify]

Good video, like the part about purpose and how kuch time it costs to prepare, get materials etc.

[@gustavemoreau151]

hey there! I'm new to your channel. Found you through Jesper Makes. My problem is 45 degree mitre cuts... they never seem to meet correctly..... my terrace project didn't help when nothing was @ 90 due to existing funky conditions.... but that anomaly aside.... would love help with mitre joint solutions that end up with gaps. Cheers and thanks for sharing your barn project!

[@olestampevestergaard4746]

10:38 i wonder what your thoughts are on having left a small gap on either side of the small strip, instead of gluing?

[@ploefff]

it's difficult to clean in between small gaps and it isn't uncommon with spills with a dinning table so I'd go glue every time

[@V3LOXy]

If you factor in the tools, transport, time and space needed to DIY a table it quickly becomes unachievable for a lot of people. Especially when there's a certain quality expectation one puts on themselves that they can't achieve without some degree of experience. Then there's also the designing phase and knowing/researching what makes a piece of furniture long lasting and sturdy but still keeping it low cost and actually buildable. I'm still expanding my tool collection as I go, luckily my dad has a lot so I can just go and lend a track saw or something when I need it. Love building and designing stuff, but I'm running out of space to put everything. Guess one of my next big projects is going to be a shed/work space 😅

[@eriks2962]

Experience is a real constraint. And if you are going to buy tools for the sole purpose of making a single table, then I agree with you. But tools aren't as expensive as you think. To make what he made, you need a table saw, a power drill, an orbital sander, a handful of clamps, and that's about it. I do this kind of things out of my 2-car garage. And I still park the cars in the garage all year long. When I woodwork, I take one car out for the 3 days it takes to make the project. And park it back inside afterward. The biggest tool I use is the table saw. I use a job site saw so it folds when you don't use it. The cheapest one (which is the one I use) is under $300 from home depot. teh drills and stuff you may add an other $300. If you aren't going to DIY anything else, then yes the upfront cost is steep and you won't have the experience needed to do it right. But if you do this kinds of things regularly, then the tools amortize somewhat quickly.

[@Interiormaker]

Self made, is well made. 🙂

[@forestbirdoriginals4917]

Love the project and the effort you put in to see if DIY make sense from a financial standpoint. Small comment, can you please consider loading the ads at the beginning and end of the video only. These multiple mid-rolls are just... frustrating.

[@jmwoodcraft7842]

I spotted 2 hidden messages and started watching the walls around you instead of what you were doing 😂 gonna have to re-watch it, good way to up the views 🧠

[@leiwa100]

Two? I only saw one. I have to rewatch too.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

haha I considered adding more messages and then thought exactly that - what if people just end up looking for messages instead of the actual content 😂

[@oyuyuy]

Nothing beats self-made but the pricing comparison still bugs me. There are several solid wood options at IKEA around $80-$150 per meter (Pinntorp, Norråker, Nackanäs) - as compared to yours which are ~$73 per meter. No, they're not the same - but they [hopefully] don't take 3 weeks to assemble either.

[@HawkXe]

Labor is the most expensive part of any build unless you're using some exotic material. I was going to build a built-in for my living room, but it made more sense to go with IKEA HAVSTA combo's rather than doing the work myself.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

I decided not to add the cost of labour as we tend to not do that when we enjoy the making part, but as soon as we don't we decide to buy or hire in help I guess.

[@IAteFire]

Cabinets are a pain in the ass, so I get that. But if you know what you’re doing and time isn’t a factor, making havsta style cabinets from scratch is way cheaper

[@simplestuffmatters]

@@TheSwedishMaker TIME CHALLENGE: Wife or friend: Driving to IKEA, picking a table, surviving the restaurant, locating flatpack, getting the flatpack into the car, driving it home, unloading, assembling it; (cost would have to include the useless crap you never wanted but also bought). Meanwhile, Swedish Maker get the wood, builds the table.

[@fredmercury1314]

Unless you're working evenings and weekends, there is no labor cost. You weren't doing anything anyway.

[@DeathCoreGuitar]

I personally hate particle boards, that's why I've started to make my own furniture out of plywood, pretty cheap and sturdy. Also I've made an enclosure for my 3D printer out of used storage plywood, it was 5 sheets 110x110cm ~18mm, it was 22$ with delivery, a little moist and warped after drying, but it's still very good for stuff like that

[@davidrandall4001]

As others have mentioned, what would the cost of LABOR brought the final cost up to. Yes, I realize that when we DIY we usually don't factor labor cost into the equation, but time still has great value for it is the one coin you can only spend once. Love the look of the tables and so should your grandchildren.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

I agree - the labour would be a major factor in price. I figured that we all calculate this way as long as we enjoy the making part. As soon as we see making part as labour - it will factor in our decision to buy or hire someone to do the job :)

[@pridler85]

When you did say 30 people i was thinking raw sheet (råspont) 4,8m boards, glued or nail gunned together. Then cut to length adding sawhorses style legs to this huge sheet (2 tables). Maybe more work than what you did but just my straw in the hat. Price around 60 USD or around 610 SEK.

[@GeometryBuild]

I was not able to fix one thing ))) a junky table saw. but i tried. I poured epoxy on the top to make it flat. Then had to re do the fence. But when I realised that trunnions were wobbly - that was it for me. I wish i filmed it back then. 😂 but i do have a short with results. 😂

[@floatypiet]

16:46 what were we talking about again?

[@TheSwedishMaker]

I keep forgetting 😂

[@TernaryHound]

It’s hard to see handwork be devalued by society. But as this video shows it’s not too late for individuals to choose differently!

[@TheSwedishMaker]

true that! thanks for watching!

[@TAB_100]

i can't afford anything better than the cheapest from ikea and i don't follow trends i use everything until it falls apart

[@franklingroseclose1203]

Hand making the top is the only way to do it cheaper. Pine 2x8 8’ length are $8 US. To make a top about that size is 30-40 US but the tops you use look way better!

[@florihae]

Did you protect the wood at all? My diy log benches fully rotted away after 4y and I want to build new ones that might last a bit longer. I did not remove the bark, was that maybe the problem?

[@bernhardfelixstich]

What are these connectors you use at 12:23? Can´t find them anywhere.

[@r7boatguy]

Figure 8 connectors. Amazon US has them

[@felixdietzCGN]

13:37 thought for a moment you were cutting your finger 😂

[@malcite]

Adding the cost of the tools needed to do the job might change the challenge, but from what i saw, it is possible to do most cuts (apart from the mistake which we do not need to count) with hand tools. Takes longer but gets the cost still below ikea. 🙂 Personally i hate going to ikea. They follow trends but do it cheaper than most other furniture stores which means we (the consumers) still need to accept the trends they sell (the compromise) or pay a higher price for something else. Getting used stuff can get us closer to what we want in the style we want but may demand more travel and much more time to find it. I am myself making a dinner table for our new house and i'm actually milling down lumber using tools my grandfather got but never used. I'm also using his ancient tools to make the finished material. One of the things we use is an over 100 year old planer that pretty much gives a nice finish right of the bat if we could use it after leveling. For our design we can't since we don't want a live edge table (i do, my girlfriend doesn't, but happy wife, happy life 🤣) Bu my point is that, yes there is hard work involved, but not only do i get to spend time with my dad who helps us with the build (i still need a bit of learning to do what he does), but i get to work with wood which i also love and i feel more connected with something i help make than i ever could with something i just bought. Keeping costs to near zero is also a nice bonus of course since we have enough to think about with a newly bought house and quite possibly also getting a new car. But the best thing i can say since finding this channel is that i can relate to so much of what you are saying in this video (and other ones) and its nice to see what you make and what you do. 😊

[@pshadyyx]

There, I think, is one particular problem that can only be done one single way. That is if you aim for 100% guarantee or perfection. Which I think is important in this case. The problem of drilling perfectly square and straight long holes for the floating shelf made of a solid wood slab. For that, you simply need a drill press, which I do not own. My first floating shelf was just hand-drilled and it took me twice the amount of time to widen those holes, because they were not straight, not square, all going some other direction, and my rail with almost straight long pins, which the shelf was supposed to slide on, was not willing to go in. One more problem that can be solved in two ways, but the second method means a lot of manual work, more time, and more material loss: milling a log into slabs. It has to he done with a mill, either the big sliding one, or "home made" out of a chainsaw. But a mill it has to be. You could split the log into slabs using axes and splitters, but it has the above-mentioned problems, so I do not consider it an option (for special cases, e.g. twisted-growth or other complications in the wood grain, this might not be an option at all). And guess what? I have some nice cherry and oak logs, but no mill...😅 But in general, yes, I agree: 99% of tasks or problems can be solved in multiple ways. That's the reason I do not have and need a track saw (I only have a circular and a table saw), a miter saw, a band saw, etc...

[@jukkahuuskonen]

How did you get so straight construction lumber? Anything I buy is bowed twisted...

[@expatmoose]

Before I watch this, I’m guessing maybe not cheaper but definitely better/sturdier

[@talbech]

As always - great content.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

thank you!

[@V3ntyl]

yes and now factor in to the price festool table saw and all other equipment you had to have.

[@huntliba]

Only the tabletop (same size and wood) costs over 90€ over here, so I don't even try to cheap it out :D but nevertheless - nice tables and it was nice to see, that you put little boss to work too :D

[@TheSwedishMaker]

ouch - that was expensive. haha yes - she ended up getting paint on that dress and I was of course to blame for that 😂

[@huntliba]

@@TheSwedishMaker but even after the blame - it was worth it... letting little ones do things and learn things is priceless!

[@marcelinio300]

Nice Tables, I want to build my own next Year. but i dont have the tools ....

[@randomtrooper6102]

solid wood tables that are custom made for your needs is hard to beat with ikea stuff, the cardboard tops and porus mdf of whatever they use isnt gonna last as you said.. knowledge is key but also having a arsenal of festool machines wont come cheaply :D and having the space to do the building isnt a luxury everone has.. i can see someone having shops precut for a project and assembling at home to achive a more premium product than ikea with less tools, and eventually the tools pay for themselves. its mostly up to being interested enough to take on a project like this? your tables turned out nice id say very stylish in my opinion!

[@vandergulden]

Hello back @ 0:00:56. Now I wonder if that is in every video.

[@ScandinavianHandcraft]

Vart köper du Milliput (svart)? Vore intressant testa. Jag har kört en del stubai woodsticks. De torkar på sekunden med aluminium så är ganska nöjd med det.

[@r7boatguy]

That looks like a fun space! Are you able to heat it for the autumn months? It reminds me of a friend's ranch in Montana where he has an old barn dance hall on the property.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

unfortunately no heating - too big of a space and un-insulated. Dude - a ranch in Montana sounds like a dream over here in Sweden :)

[@VikaVikingWoodWork]

were did you buy/get the pockethole mall? iv been looking for one for ages

[@KimmoJaskari]

Of course, if you factor in your own labor time and cost, your tables will probably surpass IKEA prices. But yeah, nice work, looks like the guests will be able to get in and out of the party without the tables collapsing and dumping food on them, which is a plus.

[@dcmotive]

Observant enough to know there havent been any updates on that barn, ha ha. I just did concrete in half of mine and now starting electrical. As far as a hobby, yeah they are fun, but really the enjoyment comes from being productive and creating something. Joe Bob doing construction gets the same satisfaction each day in work if everything goes good and he has a level of pride in his work. Why do you think there is so much depression today aside from chemical imbalance, meaningless jobs and a lack of hope in the future. Im thinking the party was a wedding or anniversary.

[@Darkralos]

I bet you can make some toys with wood for your children!! I want to share a thought with you and you tell me what you think. I've seen among many makers that they make something and at the moment they have it in their hands or test it they find some error and have to redesign and rebuild. Sometimes they iterate a lot. They make some mistakes that are easily detectable in the designing process. I think the reason for that is that they have the tools available to manufacture and its easy for them to produce, so they rush intro production or don't give the necessary thought. I'm a industrial designer by trade. In my company we subcontract manufacturing. Manufacturing is expensive and more importantly takes from days to months, so you have to give a deep thought to everything before launching production. Does this make sense? I'd love to have enough space at home to have tools and a workshop for projects! Keep doing your projects and sharing! :)

[@zaprodk]

There is no STL for the pull-out drawer?

[@TheSwedishMaker]

www.printables.com/model/1002927-under-table-drawer

[@superboysdad]

This was just recommended to me, I clicked it because I thought this was Rhett from Good mythical morning lol, loved the video tho

[@Hugatry]

If a table can't take a good old-fashioned beating, should it even be called a table?

[@TheSwedishMaker]

Im not sure anymore 😂

[@alimp_designs]

The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend, haha. Kudos on kicking ikea's asses.

[@patrickwasp]

How many hours to did it take to design and build?

[@steveferguson1232]

Tables look good and hope party was a success

[@TheSwedishMaker]

thanks!

[@mellie4174]

Wow! Impressive!

[@kubakurasinski394]

Love it, but let’s be real-the most expensive part is the tools, especially when you’re rolling with Festool! I mean, it’d be awesome to know how many masterpieces I need to churn out just to break even on these bad boys. Also, it’d make explaining to my wife why I absolutely need that table saw a whole lot easier. 😅

[@TheSwedishMaker]

True! I just wait for a honey-do-list task and then explain what I need to achieve it :)

[@bmacaulay18]

Just buy the tools and tell you wife "It was on sale, it would have cost us money if I didn't buy it."

[@Ekuahx]

Biltema hobbyplate represent 😎

[@dennisolsson3119]

People saying time is money: for each hour you spend at the cinema you have to pay about 100SEK/$10, so the longer it takes the more you save compared to cinephiles :)

[@magomat6756]

I hate the world where everything is once use and trow away.I live the old stuff you can rebuild or repair.😊

[@regispriqueler8745]

You have to add part of the tools price, because the Festool SYS 50, is nice machine, but not a cheap one, for example.

[@joshua_lee732]

Color me weird I collect free furniture thats left by the roadside. Of course it takes some willingness to break it down and sort the pieces and I soend probably 3 times sanding compared to usual. But free is free.

[@SeorkMaxx]

Same here, free is free ❤

[@DaveDeVault]

I designed a few things in Fusion360 to 3D print and sell on eBay. Woodworking gives me anxiety. Years ago, I rented a table saw to make 2 simple pull out drawers for DVDs under my entertainment system cabinet. It took me two days and I kept cutting the wood too short, so I had to keep changing the final dimensions. By far the worst was when I installed a floating vinyl floor. I bought quarter round trim for the existing base boards. I started in the hard corner that had a door frame that would need a couple pieces cut. They were less than 3 inches each. I cut them and went to put them in. The 45 degree angles I cut wouldn't line up. I spent an hour cutting up a few pieces trying to figure out what was going on. Turns out I grabbed trim that was quarter round on one side only. The other side was something completely different so none of my cuts would line up. Nightmare.

[@TheSwedishMaker]

oooh that sounds like a tough time. Good story now though 😃🙏

[@HuntersOA]

I mean - it CAN be lowered. But than you need way more work to be put into it. I've recently built a shed and my new favourite material is roofing lath (if my translation is correct). Those are pieces of wood 5m x 3cm x 5cm or similar. In my case they can be bough it packs of 9 for about 50 euro if I remember correctly. They are nice pieces of wood, but they are rough. I cut thin strips from it on a table saw for edges, sides, for the creation of the door frame. If you plane or sand them they are completely Ok wood pieces. They are the absolutely cheapest usable wood I could procure that is not reclaimed wood. But - like I said. To make a table, you have to cut it properly. Plane all sides. Glue. Plane again. Cut to size. Yes, it would be cheaper - but the work you put in just makes it not at all worth it. So for every one - I'd suggest adding work hours needed for the project as well. Otherwise the material cost is not enough to have a clear picture :D You can also save on materials buy directly purchasing raw wood from a lumber mill. When we did the porch roof we had a lumber worker who did just that - and he has a mill at home, cut up the raw wood, planed it, etc. Much cheaper material cots wise but it was about 2 weeks of work time for 2 people :D

[@HuntersOA]

So - to simplify. Whenever I do woodworking projects, I try to minimise my time involvement in the project. I know my own rate and I can now quite well estimate what hours something would need from me (for preparation, sanding, glue, etc) and now I always factor it in. So if I can buy something for a little bit more money that saves me 1-2 days of work, almost all the time, the project comes out much cheaper than if I were to do it. Woodworking is just a hobby / home improvement for me. Next to a full time job and a toddler + newborn, my time value went up by a lot :)

[@TheSwedishMaker]

I agree that for a true comparison work needs to be factored in. I just figured for anyone who would decide to make it instead of buying it - the making is part of the experience and some fun. But as soon as we dont enjoy the making of it - we tend to buy or hire the help. Good tip on the roofing lath - might have to look into that for future projects.