Ripoff or not?

[The cranky hermit]

Is this empty CP a good deal for $170 or not? The price reflects S&H:
http://www.slikstik.com/nav/class_blnk.jpg

When all the parts are put in, it looks like this:
http://www.slikstik.com/classfeat.jpg

How much do you think it would cost to hand build an empty CP like that?

[AX]

20 bucks.

[TacoSmuggler]

$20 for the wood and screws(if you have all the tools and plans already)
and about 3 Hours of cutting...routing and drilling!

It really depends on how good you are with woodworking.

[Silverwind]

Yeah.. if it's empty.. then you've just taken most of the cost out of it [for the controls/keyboard encoder/wiring/etc]

I built mine out of one sheet of wood.. it was about 22 bucks..  maybe less than 10-15 for everything else.. (wood glue, screws, had to buy new saw blade, couple of hinges)

I did purchase some crystallite (it's like lexan) for 28 also.. to overlay on top..

Guess to answer your question. is it a ripoff??  Yeah I think so.  If you don't have any tools.. abyssmal woodworking skills.. no spare time.. then it might be worth looking at.. but if you want to go the pre-made route there are other alternatives also..

[SNAAAKE]

Or you could always ask people to do empty panels for you..hint hint !  
Yeah $170 for empty wood box IS a rip off
Your cost on that would be atleast $50.ya gotta buy certain tools like holesaw and other shizies to make something like that slikstick box(thats why atleast $50).
Its quility stuff so you wanna build a similer box then yeah...need some extra tools like laminate cutter(or the laminate triming router bit).
Or you could use black melamine wood(very hard to find).

[TacoSmuggler]

Or you could use black melamine wood(very hard to find).

Home Depot...Closet shelving section...only problem is the largest sheet they have is 36" x 24"  
$21 I believe

[shmokes]

If the price includes shipping than it's a reasonable price.  The unreasonable thing is you deciding to have a giant empty wood box shipped to you.  Find one locally or build or even have one built if you want more bank for your buck.

edit:  Yikes!  Never mind.  I assumed it was a full-size cabinet that had been emptied out (note to self:  click on those damn links before commenting on them!).  That thing shouldn't cost so much to ship.

[paigeoliver]

http://www.slikstik.com/classfeat.jpg

Who uses their left hand on the trackball? It looks like you would have to with that panel, as the mouse buttons are to the right of it.

[SNAAAKE]

Or you could use black melamine wood(very hard to find).

Home Depot...Closet shelving section...only problem is the largest sheet they have is 36" x 24"  
$21 I believe

You know whats funny...my local home depot(2 of them) dont carry any black melamine !
Too funny !  
I dont care that much because I will never use plain black for CP but just saying why not ?
Atleast things could have been easier with my cabinet.instead of laminating the whole thing black.Oh well  

[shmokes]

Yeah...I wanted to use black and it took some serious detective work.  Not only did my home depot only carry white, they said that they couldn't order black.  My local lumber yard said that they could order black if I ordered 70 4'x8' sheets instead of 3.
I had nearly given up when I thought to try a local cabinet maker.  He didn't have any, but he was able to order it at any quantity I wanted, albeit for nearly twice the cost of white.

Simple supply and demand stuff.  Very little demand for black melamine means that little is made so there is it is in short supply.  Little supply means no economies of scale which means high price.  Or something.

[TacoSmuggler]

Simple supply and demand stuff.  Very little demand for black melamine means that little is made so there is it is in short supply.  Little supply means no economies of scale which means high price.  Or something.

LOL

Stick to cab building!(leave the economics alone)

I had to hunt for black also...actually stumbled over it(literally) in the closet shelving section of Home Depot as I was looking for the runners for a keyboard tray. It is totally on the other side of the store as the lumber. Small sizes though.