Does this price seem right?

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

But you can not charge $150/hr for polishing metal. No, the price is outrageous.

No the price was right.
No one else was willing to do the job.
The customer was willing to pay.
The job was done.
Supply and demand 101.

[ttex]

I charge $150 an hour for anything I do on a customers equipment.

10 min job is an hour pay

I'm booked weeks in advance.

I don't understand what y'all don't understand.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

But you can not charge $150/hr for polishing metal. No, the price is outrageous.

Shop labor per hour is what it is whether degreasing a part, holding .0001" tolerances or polishing. A customer has the option of excluding the polishing process if need be.
The pictures attached is a Parrot GPS tracing device. It is about the size of a large finger ring. There was a 1/2 hour of sanding from 320 to 1000 grit and a polishing compound. It's not a 4 finish as it was meant to only eliminate chafing the birds leg skin. It is still labor and needs to be billed as such.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Wotname

No the price was right.
No one else was willing to do the job.
The customer was willing to pay.
The job was done.
Supply and demand 101.

Sure that will work when fully booked. But you will loose customers because not only do you take advantage of labor shortages by overcharging for the work, you have long lead times as well. This is how a free market works.

Or not, I think new generations are on avg too stupid to do the work, so for the past 20 years I have been teaching myself everything so that I don’t need to be taken advantage of. Welding is one of the last skills I need, but I have managed to work around it because I couldn’t get a welder when needed.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Sure that will work when fully booked. But you will loose customers because not only do you take advantage of labor shortages by overcharging for the work, you have long lead times as well. This is how a free market works.

Or not, I think new generations are on avg too stupid to do the work, so for the past 20 years I have been teaching myself everything so that I don’t need to be taken advantage of. Welding is one of the last skills I need, but I have managed to work around it because I couldn’t get a welder when needed.

If it's TIG you need, there are many small Inverter TIG welders on the market today. IMHO, Miller makes the best. Local Colleges have good programs but want you to learn basics of welding first and can take up to a year to get acquainted with TIG. I can say TIG requires a lot of practice and humility in the beginning.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Yikes.
Some jerk on some other thread was saying that I only give them $40 an hour so I’m not sure how much they make exactly.

So...all along you have been asking the CF community to help you build your boat, read your prints, and render second opinions. Also, you have indicated that you're having significant issues getting the trades to work your projects.

Boat building projects always peak my interest so yes on occasions I have followed your posts.

FWIW, my father spent 20 years building his backyard boat from a roll of prints bought from an naval architect. He didn't have CF or internet. Wasn't invented yet. He was an engineer and a perfectionist and the finished product still draws a crowd. When offered help he won't accept it because he knew in advance exactly how he was going to do things because he did his homework.

I guess the point I'm making is that perhaps you should go a little easier on the folks that aren't as smart as you or as well informed as you. Your words above rub me the wrong way and leads me to believe there may be a reason why you are having multiple issues with your fabrication projects.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

If it's TIG you need, there are many small Inverter TIG welders on the market today. IMHO, Miller makes the best. Local Colleges have good programs but want you to learn basics of welding first and can take up to a year to get acquainted with TIG. I can say TIG requires a lot of practice and humility in the beginning.

Well yes, with my electronics background that includes lots of soldering, TIG welding appeals to me most, stick welding the least.

I like control, go slow for precision etc. but as much of what I want to weld is in plain view, I’m hesitant to even start the learning process

[alctel]

Others have already covered this but yeah, shop time is shop time, no matter what is being done.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Well yes, with my electronics background that includes lots of soldering, TIG welding appeals to me most, stick welding the least.

I like control, go slow for precision etc. but as much of what I want to weld is in plain view, I’m hesitant to even start the learning process

A lot can be learned from the Internet on Youtube. Luckly I have a friend that was one of the head TIG guys on the Lawrence Livermoore Linear accelerator. Then he opened his own business in Santa Cruz, Ca. I was able to sit in with him on numerous occasions and pick up tips. My first TIG welds looked like a bomb went off on the metal. Yet he would say..."Not too bad". What a liar!
He and I just welded up my Stainless water tanks and Aluminum fuel tank. We used a pulser to hasten the work. My dimes weren't as good as his but not bad. My lastest project for the Westsail 28 were new spreaders. As you pointed out, you can save buckets of money doing stuff yourself.

I have a lot of stick experience building two steel hulls of my own. It does a good job but geeez!...what a mess to clean and grind.

My aforementioned friend has a Miller 300/300 and an Inverter TIG to go mobile. I have a Miller 250/250 in my shop. Being mostly a Toolmaker/Machinist, it only gets turned on occasionally. I still cross my fingers when I get a paying job for it.

[Icarus]

A bit expensive, However, the machine shop most likely charges 130$/hr, material is about 100$.
Yes, you got taken advantage.
On the other hand you bought it and you can move on

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

A lot can be learned from the Internet on Youtube. Luckly I have a friend that was one of the head TIG guys on the Lawrence Livermoore Linear accelerator. Then he opened his own business in Santa Cruz, Ca. I was able to sit in with him on numerous occasions and pick up tips. My first TIG welds looked like a bomb went off on the metal. Yet he would say..."Not too bad". What a liar!
He and I just welded up my Stainless water tanks and Aluminum fuel tank. We used a pulser to hasten the work. My dimes weren't as good as his but not bad. My lastest project for the Westsail 28 were new spreaders. As you pointed out, you can save buckets of money doing stuff yourself.

I have a lot of stick experience building two steel hulls of my own. It does a good job but geeez!...what a mess to clean and grind.

My aforementioned friend has a Miller 300/300 and an Inverter TIG to go mobile. I have a Miller 250/250 in my shop. Being mostly a Toolmaker/Machinist, it only gets turned on occasionally. I still cross my fingers when I get a paying job for it.

TIG isn’t a trade. It’s art. I’ve never seen a bunch of guys oooogle anything, even strippers, like they do TIG. That’s real men, mind you.

Nice job.

[Allied39]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

TIG isn’t a trade. It’s art. I’ve never seen a bunch of guys oooogle anything, even strippers, like they do TIG. That’s real men, mind you.

Nice job.

I picked up a prime weld tig about 6 months back. there's a guy on youtube , search "tig tfs" He is really good and actually has a video with the primeweld.

Paid under $900 without the agron tank, already had it for my mig to weld AL with a spool gun.. OH MY GOD.....what an idiot I have been, should have bought a TIG 10 years back.

I have taken to it like a duck to water, first job was a Al fuel tank 8 ftx2ft. Over over 20ft of welding 1/8 5055 AL. No problem. Stainless, no problem. Knocking myself up two 12ft one inch 316 hand rails to replace IPE rails right now.

Al can be hard, does not really want to weld, steel is much easier.....but stainless.....oh, love welding stainless, flows beautifull.....wants to weld.

I was on an Amel a couple of weeks back, guy had a small TIG. Smart.

I think I picked it up quick because TIG is a lot like fusion welding with oxy acetylene....form the puddle and feed it. I used to do a lot of oxy acet work ages back,,,,,but the skill sticks.

I can weld stick and mig.....but love TIG.