You are right, my bad. I had the semi gloss finish done, not full gloss. Its just right IMO.
Timbernation Platform Problems
I recently bought a 19" x 19" x 2" maple platform from Timbernation. The plan was to use this platform with my Zoethecus amp stand for supporting my ARC Ref110 amp. When I received maple platform one of the sides was not properly planed down. The surface is irregular and rough. I will try to post a photo or two soon.
When I contacted Mariah at Timbernation via email here is the response I received: "I showed Chris the pics and he said that it will fit into your stand just fine. Did you try it yet? You will be able to put the unfinished side down into your stand and the finished side will be facing up."
I expected a maple block that was of high quality and not one that has significant imperfections on one side. Has anyone had any similar experiences with Timbernation? Should I just accept this? Any input or advise is appreciated.
When I contacted Mariah at Timbernation via email here is the response I received: "I showed Chris the pics and he said that it will fit into your stand just fine. Did you try it yet? You will be able to put the unfinished side down into your stand and the finished side will be facing up."
I expected a maple block that was of high quality and not one that has significant imperfections on one side. Has anyone had any similar experiences with Timbernation? Should I just accept this? Any input or advise is appreciated.
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I don’t remember who, but someone is making racks using Baltic Birch plywood instead of solid maple or other woods. Anyone with metal racks (such as those of Solid Steel) can have a local woodworker cut a sheet of Baltic Birch ply into shelf-size pieces, using them in place of the stock MDF shelves. |
I received a custom rack from Timbernation and also had a prior purchase of a turntable platform. The good: 1) Very competitive pricing when compared to others, some were 2x or 3x the price. 2) Easy to assemble and provides a solid surface. The negative: 1) Took a long time to receive 2) Some minor quality issues, I would give it a B+. I would purchase from Chris again since the price is so competitive. |
Hi Stereo We don't use Maple (with the exception of Tuning Bars sometimes), but I wanted to address the size comment. The more refined the wood platform business gets the more your going to see platforms graded by tone. A lot of times to get the lower tones you go with a bigger board and different thicknesses. So, some of these guys are going to look a little "too big, chunky" but that might be on purpose to achieve a certain sound. The whole science of mechanical transfer is a blast. Michael Green www.michaelgreenaudio.net |
@stewartlangwoodworks As the the owner of a TimberNation rack and a part time woodworker I can say without a doubt TimberNation did an excellent job on my rack. It is easy to second guess your competitors, but it is another thing to actual produce something that is built well and looks good. You may or may not produce good work, but Chris has hundreds of satisfied customers and some of us know good craftsmanship when we see it. |
Well. Before reading this thread I discovered timbernation. I’m now in the cusp of filing with PayPal for reimbursement. The post do not align properly, which makes the shelf unstable. I’d expect this quality from Ikea. I sent end a email requesting a refund. Here is there response—- “Sorry this has happened and we are here to help! Here are instructions that will fix this up very simply. Loosen the screws a little bit and push down on the top- that will seat the top down to the bottom of the posts. Hold it down and tighten the screws up. And if there's still a little gap tap down on it while the screws are tight. You can tap the top down on the post w/ a block of wood or something that will not mark the finish. You could even use your bare fist.” Ok. Let me get this straight. Worse case scenario I should use my fist to align the legs for a proper alignment. You gotta be kidding me. A well crafted piece should align with no effort. We all know this. If I do not receive a refund I will personally take this company down. STAY away from timbernation. Save your money it’s not worth your money nor time. |
Received my new rack from TimberNation today. Awesome piece of furniture. Wonderful craftsmanship and hassle free! See photos here - https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XHvw-Pjor7jPjOd-Mb2NIhX2ZxYLQ4qK |
@joecasey While I am happy that your rack met your expectations, the maple platform I bought from Timbernation was a horror show and I am definitely not some illogical troll. IMHO, the person at Timbernation that did the work on that platform should be fired. There were at least 4 runs in the finish and they cut the platform through a big black and ugly knothole which covered the entire side of the platform. To add insult to injury, pieces of the knothole kept falling out. Definitely not a quality product, more like a piece of crap. Biggest waste of 240.00 ever. |
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. |
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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. |
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I am a happy customer, got a custom stand 4 levels for my PS Audio Stack and I enjoyed the quality. Yes, my top side is better polished, but the bottom side is invisible. I literally had to look it from the bottom of my stack to notice it. So yes there may be much better quality racks at $8k but mine was $1,500 with heavy wood, cones etc. It's a year since I got the rack and it has no problems with coloration, wood, cones etc. Would I buy again from Timbernation? Yes, I am. |
Hi Pilrem, just had a similar situation with Timbernation. I ordered an 18X22X2 inch platform for a VPI Prime table, when it arrived I observed similar issues. Unfinished side, obvious seam joints, blotchy finish, a gouge and 1 3/4” thickness. This was the second platform I had purchased from Timbernation, the first platform purchased last year was flawless. After speaking to Mariah and sending pics, they sent a return label which was used to return the platform. Two weeks after returning, I recieved the replacement, which as it turns out was the returned platform only refinished. The gouge was still present along with some blotchy finish on the bottom. Good enough to use but still some disappointment given their price point. |
Did you post negative feedback? If not, then how will the rest of us know how poor this business is? I will report back later today once I receive the platforms I ordered last week. I would have not ordered them if the seller had all kinds of negative feedback over the last nine years. I looked and it was all positive over the last nine years! |
You can add me to the disgruntled list. I purchased a 24 x 18 x 4 maple platform, finished with a varnish and when I received it, there were runs on the sides of it and a big ugly knothole that was cut through on one of the sides. Pieces of the knothole kept falling out. Shame on me for not complaining to Chris about it. I tried painting it black laquer to cover the knothole but that's another story in itself. It is now sitting in the closet, 300.00+ wasted. |
@geoffkait "Timbernation has long history of disgruntled customers." I've never dealt with the company, and for that very reason. Many threads over the years regarding the complaints against this outfit have come up. When I saw this thread sitting here my first thought was, oh boy, another one? I guess the owner mostly gets it right, as he's kept up the operation for a long time. But he's obviously gone through several periods where things go mostly (and very) wrong. And these are not the onesies and twosies most companies encounter. Folks seem to like the product all in all, but for me, I've read too much to go near it |
