Does this price seem right?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Wotname

There is your answer ^^^

No one wanted to bother with the job (for whatever reasons) but one guy thought - Hey I'll add 50% (or 100%) the price and see if the customer is really willing to pay that much. You did and he is happy. He probably figured he wasn't interested in any repeat business.

Wow. If this is the case, this really sucks.

[Benz]

I get sticker shock every time I have something made. I just had an aluminum stern rail made to the tune of over $3,000, and three tiny titanium plates machined with simple slots for $500. It's why I try to fabricate all my own stuff when I can. Even if those are going rates, I really have to limit what I send out.
And like you said, half the battle is finding someone willing to even do it.
I've been kicking around the idea of starting a cruiser's co-op, where the co-op has commercial accounts with materials and hardware suppliers, and members can buy at cost plus 10% for administrative costs. The co-op would buy resin and fiberglass and rope and G10 and paint and canvas and fasteners in bulk for the benefit of members, and have connections to local tradesmen/welders/machinists so that they didn't have to meet a new customer each time there was a small job--it would come from the co-op.
Anyway, probably not practical or finacially viable, but on my distant radar nonetheless.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Benz

...
I've been kicking around the idea of starting a cruiser's co-op ...

A great idea, if one could make it work.
An early question, to answer, would be where to base the co-op. Ideally, it [or they] might be located in several locations, 'round the world.

[Chotu]

With the way marinas have been going, I’ve been considering the same in that department.

One project (or rather the 10 I have going at once right now) at a time for me. LOL. Must limit myself.

[zstine]

You paid $100 for material and $500 for labor to do what would take you 1 hour to do. When it comes to labor, DIY if you are cost conscious... unless it is made in Asia.

[cal40john]

Jedi quoted prices from Online metals which is where I go to. Their original shop is here in Seattle. Their business model is dealing with handling small custom jobs.

[sail sfbay]

This site has a Classified section to sell stuff.

As far as price what does a competitive product sell for and where can it be purchased?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by zstine

You paid $100 for material and $500 for labor to do what would take you 1 hour to do. When it comes to labor, DIY if you are cost conscious... unless it is made in Asia.

That’s what I was afraid of.

[Franziska]

If a shop does not have the right size material, they are sometimes required to get a full size rod.
They than put the complete rod on the clients bill and sell him the short pieces for the full price.

"Free" material for them to use on a different project.

Honest shops communicate that to the client upfront and ask if they should go ahead.
Better ask for a firm offer before.

[Rumrace]

The price seems right on. The pair prolly destroyed a 150$ in cutting tool wear.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Franziska

If a shop does not have the right size material, they are sometimes required to get a full size rod.
They than put the complete rod on the clients bill and sell him the short pieces for the full price.

"Free" material for them to use on a different project.

Honest shops communicate that to the client upfront and ask if they should go ahead.
Better ask for a firm offer before.

Maybe that’s it. On the receipt, it was the materials that were the most expensive part.

They didn’t seem to charge for polishing at all, and they charged $150 to drill the four holes.

I guess the next stuff I buy from them I will have to clamp down pretty hard on the pricing.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Thank you. This is really helpful actually. Having a frame of reference is good.

The tolerance is awful. 1/8”. It rattles around. However, since it’ll be under massive tension, I was going to glass the bushings in with the bushing seam facing away from the side the pin will be pressed hard against.

It won’t be rotating. What it does is something like the attached pic. The bushings go in the fiberglass and the pin passes through the bushings. You clip the shrouds on to the very center of these and that’s how the shroud load is transferred to the fiberglass - or how you can also lift the boat with a crane.

I’d have got another quote but talking to 4 other places, no one would do the work.

Question: Would you consider doing the metal work? I’m trying to get the bow tube/beam done in t6061-t6 and 316. There are several parts to make. I have all measurements and proper engineered drawings, including actual life size drawings.

Also looking for someone locally to visit onsite to do a splice on my mast using aluminum sheet and a brake. It’s even possible to do that remotely because I have the exact profile of the mast I can send. If done remotely, it could be done using lots of screws that I install here.

This has been SUCH a battle. I was supposed to finally sail this thing this winter and I can’t now because it’s taken months to get these metal things. Been trying to get this done for 4 months now with no one willing to work on it. 5 fabricators contacted. There are no more places around here. The one that actually did the work (and I guess overcharged me) is 5 hours of driving to go visit.

Not sure where you are located. There is a spar guy here that I have known for many decades. ...Ballenger Spars Systems https://ballengerspars.com/ . He has done spars on all the "Fast is Fun" boats on the West Coast. Give him a try for the mast splice.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Franziska

If a shop does not have the right size material, they are sometimes required to get a full size rod.
They than put the complete rod on the clients bill and sell him the short pieces for the full price.

"Free" material for them to use on a different project.

Honest shops communicate that to the client upfront and ask if they should go ahead.
Better ask for a firm offer before.

This is quite possible. Many places have a minimum material size they'll charge for, as when they cut down pieces smaller than that, it could be a year or 2 before they have a use for the cut-offs.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Not sure where you are located. There is a spar guy here that I have known for many decades. ...Ballenger Spars Systems https://ballengerspars.com/ . He has done spars on all the "Fast is Fun" boats on the West Coast. Give him a try for the mast splice.

I’ll give them a shot. I’m located in Florida. And I don’t mind shipping these things if I can find the right person to work with. By design, the stuff is not heavy.

[bcboomer]

I've had good luck with machining costs by hunting out a small machine shop that is happy to do small jobs and only charging their actual time.

For example, I had pulleys made to convert to a ribbed belt for 1/3 of the price of the kits on the market.