Timbernation Platform Problems

In the past 12 months I have purchased a 4 shelf "custom" stand as well as 5 individual platforms....never had an issue.  Well made, well finished and packaged very well for shipping which is included in the price.   I would not hesitate to order from Chris and company in the future.

I have 3 pieces from Chris, I bought unfinished. Two were walnut, and 1 was maple for my amps.I just ordered 1 more 3inch by 15x18 they were flawless..

I build custom furniture for a living (and the occasional audio rack). Most of us craftsmen price our work honestly, only accounting for our time, after materials, which means one thing. You get what you pay for.

Take for example, the maple for a double wide, 3 shelf rack probably runs Chris $350-500, which means he’s making maybe $~900 in profit. Subtract freight shipping, and finishes, and you’re at $600-700. For a business owner with the overhead of a small shop, that’s maybe 3 days work.

Now, I could build you an audio rack in 3 days, and I can tell you it would be more utilitarian, than a beautiful piece of furniture. There simply isn’t enough time in 3 days, to take 85 bd/ft of rough maple and turn it into a finished audio rack, unless you forgo quality, and details.

As simple as the design is, it still takes an immense amount of time. The maple needs to be jointed and surfaced on 4 sides, glued up (allow 24h for the glue to set), then trimmed down to the final size. Then account for sanding everything, through 4 grits. Then begin work on the uprights, again, surfacing down the 4 sides, then notching out a nice tight fit for each shelf, then partial assembly, drilling the holes for the bolts, ensuring they all stay centered. After this, you usually begin the finish work, chamfering edges, double-checking for accidental nicks (which are steamed out), and ensuring there are no sanding swirls. Only then can you begin to apply the finish, which is a whole process on it’s own.

Most of these processes can be rushed, but then your work shows it.

If you want to spend $1300 on an audio rack, you’re going to get an audio rack made in 3 days. Personally, I charge for an extra 3-4 days work for a similar rack, and take the time to make it right. Both me and Chris probably make similar hourly, but it’s up to you to decide which you want to pay for.

I am very fortunate that I was able to assist in building my own maple rack. A friend of mine is a high end wood worker. He did all the "smart" stuff and I did all the "dumb" stuff like sanding and drilling. I will echo stewartlangwoodworks, quality takes a long time. All of my top and side finishes were a 7 step sanding process by hand. The bottoms were sanded to 120 grit. All surfaces must be coated with varnish to control the warping of the wood. If you choose to purchase your own wood, don't go to a lumber yard, they sell lumber (as in dimensional) you need to seek out a hardwood supplier that sells wood for furniture making. I was very fortunate to have an Amish sawmill close by and was able to purchase rough cut, live edge maple for a fraction of the price of a regular wood supplier. I couldn't be happier with my four shelf solid maple rack. It took most of the winter but we only worked on weekends.