Gobbo Makes Stuff

A recent commission for a work table to hold an "egg" bbq and pizza oven

Finished these two racks today, and I'm really pleased with the way they came out.

Cat bunk beds

More dog feeders and two very happy customers

Finished off a parcel deposit box today. Has a security flap to discourage casual pilfering from porch pirates

made another hedgehog house for a client and she sent me a photo of it in situ. The hydrangea will eventually shade the house

Made a beer caddy for a friend this week (I even supplied the beer 😉)

I scratch built this end table from plywood and pallet wood. Love the Danish oil finish.

Bug hotel. A fun build and great for keen gardeners. £10

Last throw back post from before my absence. I made this unique planter for a little sweetheart of a girl who hopes to grow carrots in it…

A mud kitchen commision I finished a few months ago for a special girl’s birthday

Still got work to do - wood shelves, proper ventilation and more tool racks but essentially the workspace is finished.

Hedgehog house!
A nice rainy day project. Antechamber to keep hoglets safe from predators and shingle roof, insulated floor and damp proof membrane to keep hibernating hedgehogs safe for the winter. Sensible offers please x

So, from the time of the post waaaay back when I said I was upgrading the workspace, this is what we've got - a 12x8 sound insulated workshop with dust extraction. Progress... thanks to missus Gobbo and master Gobbo for helping me build this thing, the only thing we didn't do was the electrics. I will be adding a video walk through soon.

This is the old workspace I had - a cramped 6x8 shed and my back garden with a Black and Decker work mate. Out of respect for my neighbours, due to the noise of my tools, I have upgraded to a bigger and sound insulated 8x12 workshop. This means I'm no longer dependent on the weather and can enjoy woodworking throughout the year. My next post will show the new build and then I can show you what has come from that.

I made this handy little step stool some months ago, so missus Gobbo could reach the top shelves. Rustic farmhouse style.

Wow its been over 2 months since I last posted! Unfortunately this was due to unforseen circumstances including a period of long term illness, among a number of factors. Thankfully things have stabilised a little and this little miss is adding some joy into our lives, I can start showing some of the things I've been busy with.

Apologies for the lack of content recently, but I’m currently upgrading my work space on top of writing essays and the day job. Hopefully I’ll be posting up new things in the next few weeks as well as a tour of the new workshop.

A recent commission for a double dog feeder. Hopefully the beautiful young pup will grow into it...

I've been experimenting with creating pattern plywood recently. This small cutting board/cheese board is 34cm x 18cm x 2cm and yes the edges are straight but the chevron pattern creates a wavy line optical illusion - pretty cool huh? What do you think?

Phone stand - dark walnut stain.

I think a lot about “pricing”. Whenever I make bits to sell, I worry about how much to charge people for the stuff I make. I’ve watched lots of YT vids of other woodworkers and hobbyists who sell their work and the various formulas that they come up with and the prices make me shudder. So how much should I charge? how much do I value my time?

Well the wood I use (mainly) is pallet wood or reclaimed timber, so that’s free, right? Why should I charge for free stuff? Because “free” timber is never really free, sure I don’t pay for the wood but because it is often dirty or broken or rough sawn it takes a long time to prepare to make it fit for purpose. A recent piece I’ve been working on has taken 5 hours of preparation (breaking down the pallet, cleaning, sanding, jointing) just to get it to the point that I can start to assemble it, add another couple of hours for that and applying finish and it’s a days work!

So how much is my time worth? Minimum wage for the UK is £9.50 per hour, times that by 7hrs is £66.50 add a finish to that plus hardware (fixings and such) and you’re looking at £80 for a planter! So I don’t charge that, instead I undersell my time and charge around £30 and still I feel guilty… the point of this post, i guess is just to highlight that I don’t pluck a price out of thin air, I think long and hard about it and then I undervalue myself and my time, so as not to appear like a con artist. In exchange you get a hand crafted and unique item, that is not mass produced and factory made by exploited children in a distant land. This goes for all those things you can buy from hobbyists, small businesses and crafts people, who work hard to produce tailor made products for you, that are often much better than what you can buy in mainstream retail. Please just bear that in mind, I have a whole new perspective and appreciation for the individual over the mass produced.

If you read this far, we’ll done and I thank you.
Andy

Upcycled pallet recipe book/tablet lectern. Just needs some kind of finish.

One very satisfied customer! And her human is happy with it too…