I guess it depends on many factors. Do you have pride in ownership? Are you going to be there for a long time or a short period? Is quality and durability important to you? Or is price the main factor? There are many others only the homeowner can determine. I have built whatever the client requested, but if I was asked, I always recommended 3/4 inch plywood boxes. You don't have to have it, you can get 1/2 inch particle board boxes at a big box store that will get you by. Just don't ask me to install them, it will cost you more.

Hi Trin!-- artichokes leaves should be tight; sometimes they are discolored in spots which indicates frost damage, but that's ok because it does not affect the fleshy part we eat. They should feel heavy for their size and apparently the smaller ones are a bit better. I cook them plain, boiled in a couple of inches of water with lemon juice squirted over them; they take quite awhile to cook--I'm guessing @45 minutes or so. To check whether they are done or not, you should be able to pull out a leaf easily. Before cooking, trim the bottom stem end and trim each leaf (1/4-1/2 inch) to remove the thorn. At the top, I just slice off the pointed part. It's what you dip them in that makes them so yummy, imo! We use sour cream and curry powder, but most people use a mayonaise-based sauce.

I can understand the 200.00 down for a special order table. My husband and I had a shop before he got to ill to work in it, and at first, we didnt ask for a deposit, but, after a couple people ordered things, then never came to pick the item up after it was done, and we would have to put it out with the regular stuff to sell eventually, we started to charge the downpayment. It assured us that they would come to pick it up, and if they didnt, we werent out any money, until we sold it to someone else. Those materials cost a lot of money, and when you order something, the person making it, has no idea, if you will ever show up to pick that item up, or, if you will pick it up promptly. The deposit, takes care of the out of pocket cash that would have gone for the materials.

I'm in CA and used a local large custom-ish cabinet maker that does a baked on conversion varnish. We will see how it holds up, but they were (of course) confident in their product and contractors had good things to say about them too. Most people I talked to seemed to think as long as it was a heated finish rather than just painted it would wear well, regardless of where it was manufactured. I'm not an expert and have only had my cabs for less than a year though, so time will tell!