deereman75
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:drink:
Welding cost
- Thread starter J_J
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Ken45101
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If that was all you wanted, then you sure stirred the pot with all your other BS. You should ask your questions clearly if you want them answered.
wdchyd
Elite Member
I think the tough thing about "What is the actual cost" is basically a question about "what is your cost in overhead plus consumables"
That said, when I'm doing something on my own time with my own project my time and overhead is free (materials still cost the same)
When me or one of my guys is doing it during the course of the business day, they are part of my overhead, along with materials.....If I as the business owner take home 20% (hypothetically) of the actual gross receipts from the year, then extending a 20% discount on work done is breaking even on a project that is not for me personally.....as stated earlier in this thread, by passing up actual full paying jobs cuts into my paycheck in the end
After all having just a welder and consumables doesn't make a welding project work if you have no workshop, heat, elec power, asst power tools, another person to help, ect....
One of the problems I personally have is I make some projects look easy when somone is watching and counting the hours, they don't consider that I've been welding for 30+ years and these projects 29 years ago would not have been done as good and taken less time.....
One thing I've learned, it's better to take your time and do it right the first time instead of doing it half a$$ed and tick off the customer or cut it apart and start over again.....
Even if some of you guys could have done it in 30 or 40 mins as you say, will the customer say "Wow, that looks like cr@p but look at the money I saved"
Plus this project was 160" of weld......was it a root pass and cover pass, that's twice the job at 320".......Heaven knows we've all seen junky factory welds with wire-feed welders where they didn't have enough penetration and rushed it....yes/no??.....:confused2:
That said, when I'm doing something on my own time with my own project my time and overhead is free (materials still cost the same)
When me or one of my guys is doing it during the course of the business day, they are part of my overhead, along with materials.....If I as the business owner take home 20% (hypothetically) of the actual gross receipts from the year, then extending a 20% discount on work done is breaking even on a project that is not for me personally.....as stated earlier in this thread, by passing up actual full paying jobs cuts into my paycheck in the end
After all having just a welder and consumables doesn't make a welding project work if you have no workshop, heat, elec power, asst power tools, another person to help, ect....
One of the problems I personally have is I make some projects look easy when somone is watching and counting the hours, they don't consider that I've been welding for 30+ years and these projects 29 years ago would not have been done as good and taken less time.....
One thing I've learned, it's better to take your time and do it right the first time instead of doing it half a$$ed and tick off the customer or cut it apart and start over again.....
Even if some of you guys could have done it in 30 or 40 mins as you say, will the customer say "Wow, that looks like cr@p but look at the money I saved"
Plus this project was 160" of weld......was it a root pass and cover pass, that's twice the job at 320".......Heaven knows we've all seen junky factory welds with wire-feed welders where they didn't have enough penetration and rushed it....yes/no??.....:confused2:
5030
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In JJ's Defense and not predicated by my reply to him, this is about the only site where you can ask a basic question and get 100 WRONG answers to it. Then, the thread will lay around for a few months with no replies and all of a sudden, get dredged up for a second round of WRONG answers. Utterly amazing.
Some threads go on ad-infinum like the oil threads and the what is the best tractor thread and the oil filter threads. People don't ever use the search feature I guess....
Hopefully, the posters here don't represent a cross section of the country in general because if they are (a general cross section), we are in BIG TROUBLE......
In JJ's defense, he's usually to the point, just not this time and I'm pretty sure he feels remorseful for starting the thread in the first place. Must have been a Mallox moment....
EddieWalker
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In JJ's Defense and not predicated by my reply to him, this is about the only site where you can ask a basic question and get 100 WRONG answers to it. Then, the thread will lay around for a few months with no replies and all of a sudden, get dredged up for a second round of WRONG answers. Utterly amazing.
Some threads go on ad-infinum like the oil threads and the what is the best tractor thread and the oil filter threads. People don't ever use the search feature I guess....
Hopefully, the posters here don't represent a cross section of the country in general because if they are (a general cross section), we are in BIG TROUBLE......
In JJ's defense, he's usually to the point, just not this time and I'm pretty sure he feels remorseful for starting the thread in the first place. Must have been a Mallox moment....
I disagree. What makes this webiste great is that you get a wide variety of replies to a post. We all benifit from this.
If JJ got just the simply reply to his question, this would be a one page thread with just a view views. Fortunately, we got to hear from just about every possible angle, and viewpoint. That is just priceless.
It's disapointing that JJ took some of the comments personally, but other then that, it's been a great thread!!!!
Eddie
5030
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We are in BIG TROUBLE Eddie.......
Ken45101
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Some of the mc boards I'm on have a specific subsections for "never ending, recurring threads" :laughing: Oils and filters included....
johnk
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You should have Brought it to me JJ. I need the practice and wouldn't have charged ya!!
ya!!
OP
J_J
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Well now, interesting how some of you had to answer the way you did.
I do believe, in my first post, the last sentence was what I was asking.
Just how does one charge for welding, by hours, by inches of welding, time, type of material. What all is included.
The other data was the lead in. Some of you chose to whine about the other, and condescending in your remarks.
CONDESCENDING. : showing or characterized by a patronizing or superior attitude toward others
I sure thought the last sentence in my first post was very concise and to the point.
I do believe, in my first post, the last sentence was what I was asking.
Just how does one charge for welding, by hours, by inches of welding, time, type of material. What all is included.
The other data was the lead in. Some of you chose to whine about the other, and condescending in your remarks.
CONDESCENDING. : showing or characterized by a patronizing or superior attitude toward others
I sure thought the last sentence in my first post was very concise and to the point.
Last edited:
sandman2234
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Sometimes even friends make mistakes. I can think of a instance when I was selling someone some blower impellers, and although I got only what I paid for them, I always felt like the friend thought it was a good deal, right up to the time that I mentioned it was that price each. In retrospect, I realized that I bought them "new" and in reality he was shopping for them as "used". I never felt quite right about that deal and often wished I could have redone that deal.
As far as the welding, there are a lot of variables to a welding job price, something that can definitely be easily misquoted. Taking a quick look at a bucket, and giving a price probably would be a lower price than a price right after all that welding was done. In defense of your friend, there really is a lot of welding on a bucket, and that doesn't include the extra time needed to actually fit up the pieces to get them square and straight. Maybe that was also part of the problem which didn't come to light when the bucket price was set.
I did some welding on a trailer one time that ended up being the job from "7734". I spent almost three times the calculated time on it, got a 9inch grinder shoved into my stomach (yeah it hurt ALOT) and I had to finish the job hurting big time since it had a deadline. If I had to give that price after the fact, instead of as a bid in advance, the customer could could have bought a new trailer for my bill! He is just lucky that he had the forsight to request an up front price. Friends are friends and when doing business with each other they should put everything on the table because sometimes things get misunderstood. Probably due to your reaction to the price, which he thought fair, your friend wasn't prepared to explain his pricing and made a mess out of the explanation. He probably wasn't trying to rip you off, or overcharge you, just didn't explain why he had charged that particular amount.
Welding costs are figured by past experiences or current/projected bills. (maybe his electric bill came in at twice what he figured and he needed to pass some of it on, (just not as big of a percentage to you).
Enough rambling, David from jax