My wife bought a kitchen table and chairs. She ordered them from Amazon, free shipping. OK. I asked when it would be here and where it was coming from. New Hampshire??? Be here in 6 days. My concern is that the humidity in that state and the dry air here in CO will cause cracking problems. It came in today and I didn't have to worry about the humidity in NH.  It was made in Viet Nam. I've had some experience with the humidity there and I'm sure it is higher than NH. One of the chair seats already has a small  crack. I hope that is all the problems I have. It is built like most furniture, Allen metric screws and wood that I've probably never  heard of.  I put one chair together with the  wrong screws, but figured it out before I got very far. In case you haven't figured it out, I am not a fan of this type of furniture.

There may have been a time when I would have considered building something like this. Not anymore, I stick with small projects. You can't build much in half of a 2 car garage.

rumor control has it they're subcontractors to to china...

Edited October 7, 20169 yr by Stick486

Don't ask questions.  Just put it together as management says to.  Either way you are going to be wrong.  If you question it you will be labeled as a hostile employee/husband.

I'd suggest you demand a replacement seat.  Most of the Amazon vendors are super responsive.  There's a decent chance they'll send a complete chair kit and not ask for the old one back.  (I've had that happen.)  If you get to keep the extra, you can practice a butterfly stitch on the crack.

After working on lots of furniture from China, Viet Nam, Malaysia and Indonesia over the last 15 years, none of this surprises me.  In fact, later today, I have to go repair a relatively high-end dresser that the drawers won't open.  Almost always, this is because they have wood glides made of scrap wood that has warped or shrunk.  Raised panels with unfinished lines around the perimeter, shrinkage cracks, splits due to grain run-out, warped pieces, flaws in finish (including whole parts just missed) -- all just another day at the office.

6 hours ago, PeteM said:

I'd suggest you demand a replacement seat.  Most of the Amazon vendors are super responsive. 

I agree.  Amazon is very good about customer satisfaction.  Give em a call and I guarentee they'll send a new one.

if i can, i just build my own furniture.

My wife contacted the company and they are sending a new chair, without returning the old one. All they asked was to take a picture of the order. We are pleased it was  handled as great as it was.

i was showing a piece i made sometime ago (pic on internet), and got many compliments on it.  someone asked how much i'd charge to make it, if i was going to sell it.  i replied, they were shocked.  and that is why crud made overseas fills so many homes.  crud that won't last.  plastic veneer, dust and glue, allen wrench driven connectors, weird swedish names for simple things like a table.  people like the idea of handcrafted items, they do not like the idea of paying for handcrafted items.

I have been in Amish craftsman shops that made some of the finest work I've seen. People that come are sometimes shocked at the price. The solid Oak and other hard woods are costly. All the modern woodshop machinery is expensive. And to achieve the quality they achieve takes many hours.  Just like any quality wood working item, it takes a lot of time and money, whether it is Amish or in your shop.

some time ago i had someone ask me about making a cutting board.  i've made many over time, all different designs, mostly end grain.  so i got an idea of size and wood desired, knew what lumber cost, and quoted them a price.  they were shocked.  fine, go buy your own tools and lumber and make your own.  you will need a table saw, random orbital sander, planer, router, clamps at a minimum.  have fun.  i was asking about 4x material cost.

 

people think lumber is free.  it is if you own the tree.

40 minutes ago, DAB said:

people think lumber is free.  it is if you own the tree.

Don't forget Dab, gas for the mill, sharpening, labor to mill, stickering, space to air dry, etc. You may own the tree, but it still ain't free.

10 hours ago, kmealy said:

..., I have to go repair a relatively high-end dresser that the drawers won't open.  Almost always, this is because they have wood glides made of scrap wood that has warped or shrunk.  ...

Well a correction, it was a $2800 single vanity in a $2,000,000, 10,000 sq.ft. home (there was an indoor basketball court next to the master bedroom suite)

The ball bearing full extension glides were the cheapest quality you could imagine.  Let's see, six pairs at $3 a pair, $18 to get decent quality, but Nooooo.  Not to mention they had to pay me to go out and fix it.
 

yup.

 

i don't know about you, but all the trees i've seen do not grow in sizes and shapes of furniture and cabinets that someone wants.  work is involved.  either by me, or by someone i pay.  the customer is at the end of a long chain of wood handling.

 

i have a friend that makes knives from scratch.  beautiful work.  he charges hundreds of $$ for a knife.  just a chunk of steel. ah...but what kind of steel.  and how much handling has he done to that steel.  he tells a story of being at a knife show, selling his latest creations, and some guy walks up and says anyone can do that (make a knife).  so he offers the guy a starter kit:  a pile of steel plates.  you'll just need a forge, a hammer, an anvil, a grinder, some acid dip, and some talent.  go for it dude.  $50 bucks please.  

 

same idea.

Send them back. You'll have to break them down, glue the joints and put in longer screws in a year or less. And that will be about when they start creaking when you sit down. Good excuse to get a deeper countersink too.

23 hours ago, Ron Altier said:

without returning the old one

they have no use for it...

the importer doesn't care...

the manufacturer won't back it...

so they save the shipping..

19 hours ago, DAB said:

people think lumber is free.  it is if you own the tree.

how can that be..

tree to project wood costs...

23 hours ago, Ron Altier said:

My wife contacted the company and they are sending a new chair, without returning the old one. All they asked was to take a picture of the order. We are pleased it was  handled as great as it was.

Good job Ron!

On 10/7/2016 at 0:25 PM, DAB said:

if i can, i just build my own furniture.

And if you can't?????

and if i can't build my own, then i try to find someone who can build it out of solid wood using time tested joinery methods.  like my dining room table and chair set.  made by an Amish outfit about 15 years ago.