💰 Turning Project Cost Calculator

Enter your blank cost, additional materials (finish, sandpaper, hardware), turning hours, and your hourly rate to see the total cost of a turned project.

Blank cost ($)

Other materials ($)

Turning time (hours)

Hourly rate ($)

Three numbers, added up

Only the labour line involves any arithmetic; the rest is a sum:

labour = hours × hourly rate
total  = blank cost + other materials + labour

The defaults - a $15 blank, $8 of other materials, two hours at $20 - come to $63.00, of which $40 is your time. That split is worth noticing: on most turned work the hours outweigh the wood, so an hour saved changes the total more than a cheaper blank does.

Filling the boxes honestly

Blank cost is what this piece's wood cost you. Cut it from a board and it is that board's share, not the whole plank.
Other materials covers what the piece consumes: finish, abrasives, glue, hardware, packaging. The lathe and the gouges are not per-project costs and do not belong here.
Turning time should include sanding, finishing between coats and cleaning up, which is usually longer than the time at the tool rest.
Hourly rate is yours to set. Enter 0 and the total falls to $23, your out-of-pocket cost with your labour treated as free.

This is cost, not price. Nothing here covers workshop overhead, sharpening, blanks that cracked or blew apart before they were finished, selling fees or any profit. If one blank in five is lost, the wood cost per finished piece is really the blank price divided by 0.8.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to make a wooden bowl?

With the page's defaults, $63: $15 of wood, $8 of finish and abrasives, and two hours at $20. Change any box and the total moves with it - the answer is entirely the four figures you enter.

What should I charge for a turned piece?

The calculator does not say. It gives the floor beneath which you are paying to work; overhead, breakage, market stall or online fees and your margin all sit above it, and you add those yourself.

Should I include my own time if this is a hobby?

Put your real rate in if you want to know what the piece is worth making, or 0 if you only want the cash you spent. Both are useful, and comparing them shows what the hours are actually worth to you.