what to charge ?

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i have small job replacing 4 studs on a part for a hot tub.....the work includes removing the stripped studs (that are welded in) grinding and preping the area then welding in the 4 new studs i was planning on tiging to make it presice or would mig be just as good ?i was thinking 35.00 cause its going to take about  2 hours !plus i have to drive 45 mins to get to the tig machine !!dawg
Reply:Dont cut ur self short, I get 55.00 per hr 1 hr min!!!But if u can live with 35.00 thats great
Reply:I can't really see 3hrs to cut 4 studs and weld 4 on.  Sounds more like about half an hour with the proper tools.  If it were me, I'd do it for the $35...however...you also have to keep in mind that if it's a part they can replace for $40, then you may not even make the $35 from it.  If it's a friend, or something, I'd go cheaper, or even free depending on who it is.  I understand that if you have to drive to get to a tig machine, it's time spent by you, but it's not really time spent on the guy's part so it's really not fair to charge him for it.  Granted, it may make it more trouble than it's worth for you, but that's life.  If you are comfortable with $35, and the customer is also, go with it.
Reply:yeah i might have over shot it with the time but  the guy told me that he could not get the part anymore and had had some one else repair it years ago...hell he is selling the house and the h.t. goes with it im going to charge 30.00  and im going to mig it !!dawg
Reply:www.spapartsltd.com      if the fix don't go well these people carry alot of supposed out of date parts
Reply:I tell that to farmers that bitch about my rates.  But I do get alot of repeat business so it must not be to expensive.My rates are;Minimum charge $20, If I have to stop what I am doing and fix something I want $20.  If you can buy it new cheaper than that stop wasting my time and yours.If the job requires standard materials, abrasives, 70S6 mig wire, 6013 7018 rod, etc;  I charge $75 an hour; all standard materials included.  I charge $75 an hour for travel time also.If the job requires non-standard materials such as hard surfacing rod, nickel rod for cast iron, etc.  I charge them for materials used.  I don't mark up materials I have to purchase, such as steel, aluminum, special rod or wire.  I will often include copies of my material purchases with my invoice.Don't give away you services and skills; if the average shmuck could do it he would.I was once told by a carpenter, you should only get about 2/3 of the business you quote if you get more you aren't charging enough.  I have proven to be good advice.Friends usually get charged favors, and I do call to collect.Goodluck,RonRon ShopFloorTalk Millermatic 350P, M-25, M-40 gunsDynasty 300DX, Coolmate 3, Crafter CS-310 TorchTrailblazer 302, 12RC, WC-2430A spoolgunSpectrum 2050Thermal Arc Plasma Welder PS-3000/WC-100B
Reply:I have heard this statement,, "I would do it myself but I dont have the tools and dont know how"  but elsewise I would do I myself,,,, hahahahahahahahwww.urkafarms.com
Reply:S, I believe that statement qualifys the customer for time & a half.If they already tried and failed, it's double time if they want it right quick.Extra charges also apply for having to grind their bird**** off before we can start.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:J-B Weld has to be one of a welders worst nightmares. If the part has that crap smeared all over it my price automatically doubles, no matter what.
Reply:Originally posted by John C J-B Weld has to be one of a welders worst nightmares. If the part has that crap smeared all over it my price automatically doubles, no matter what.
Reply:I use JB Weld quite often.  It has its place,  In the right application it is tremendously strong. A wire wheel on the 4 inch air grinder strips it right off.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:"I would do it myself but I don't have the tools and I don't know how" qualifies for time and a half? If the customer didn't try before realizing this, I'd look at the statement as the sign of intelligence I'd want in a repeat customer. One that knows his limits is usually easier to work for.'Course, if they tried anyway, its a sign of a customer that you can probably hit hard, and still get repeat business. (I have had customers in my sideline where every job the rate went up, and up, and up. I finally dropped a recurring customer last year after starting at$30//hr, upping to $50 almost immediately, $75, then when he said yes to $100/hr... I knew that it was going to keep being more trouble than any money was worth.)
Reply:So how did you tell him "don't go away mad, just go away"?
Reply:i just wrapped it up, took me 15 min and i got $20.00 for it.so i cannot complain, i might of used about 1ft of wire if that.............wish that  they were all that easy dawg
Reply:Any money is good money for me if i work for family.... I just got though building 2, 15' gates and hanged em on the 4 inch post i set in concrete 3 ft. in the ground... finished off with 3/4 mile of barb-wire fencing and what did i get payed? and ASTOUNDING 0 dollars an hour...  But thats just my dumb a$$ grandpa for ya... Today he went and got a hobo in town and brought em out to pull grass out of the flower beds and payed him 35 dollars for it... But he wont pay me for ruining the entire farm.... Such is life..                                                 John Deere
Reply:Yeah I got it rough my grandpa paid me $50 for cutting wood and stacking it for two days.
Reply:Man............ I just dont know how you make it Dman.. My hat is off to you...                                              John Deere
Reply:15 min $20 sounds fair to me.  Don't forget travel time should count too.Originally posted by arcdawg i just wrapped it up, took me 15 min and i got $20.00 for it.so i cannot complain, i might of used about 1ft of wire if that.............wish that  they were all that easy dawg
Reply:JD,1) I would not pay you for "ruining" the entire farm either.2) As fas as payment you should not accept it for the education you are receiving in Agricultural Science.3) Your Grandfather ought to kick you *** for bad mouthing him on the internet.  And then you Father should kick what Grandpa missed.4) And for the second time tonight; watch your spelling, grammar, and syntax.Sincerely,ShadeOriginally posted by JohnDeere Any money is good money for me if i work for family.... I just got though building 2, 15' gates and hanged em on the 4 inch post i set in concrete 3 ft. in the ground... finished off with 3/4 mile of barb-wire fencing and what did i get payed? and ASTOUNDING 0 dollars an hour...  But thats just my dumb a$$ grandpa for ya... Today he went and got a hobo in town and brought em out to pull grass out of the flower beds and payed him 35 dollars for it... But he wont pay me for ruining the entire farm.... Such is life..                                                 John Deere
Reply:Originally posted by JohnDeere Any money is good money for me if i work for family.... I just got though building 2, 15' gates and hanged em on the 4 inch post i set in concrete 3 ft. in the ground... finished off with 3/4 mile of barb-wire fencing and what did i get payed? and ASTOUNDING 0 dollars an hour...  But thats just my dumb a$$ grandpa for ya... Today he went and got a hobo in town and brought em out to pull grass out of the flower beds and payed him 35 dollars for it... But he wont pay me for ruining the entire farm.... Such is life..                                                 John Deere
Reply:Yall dont understand.... Hes not my famaly.... He adopted my Dad... Treated my dad like complete crap.... He dident tell my dad he was adopted... My dad had to figure out he was adopted from my "uncle" My dad cant stand the man... I cant ither... We boath take care of the farm that he has becase he cant and nither of us get anything from the man.... He tells us we should pay him becase " we f everything up ".... Yall sencerly do not understand the situation.....                                                                     - JD
Reply:I might have more sympathy for you if you spoke/wrote proper english.  With the way you portray yourself, your grandfather, might be right.  Oh, and adoptive parent(s) (refering to your father's and grandfather's relations) is/are still family, legally and ethically.Ron ShopFloorTalk Millermatic 350P, M-25, M-40 gunsDynasty 300DX, Coolmate 3, Crafter CS-310 TorchTrailblazer 302, 12RC, WC-2430A spoolgunSpectrum 2050Thermal Arc Plasma Welder PS-3000/WC-100B
Reply:sounds like a off topic subject if i ever heard one !
Reply:arcdawgAre you bucking for forum moderator?
Reply:Way the Dawg goes to snarlin and nippin that wouldn't be a good idea.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-oh come on FRANZ ...... the dawg wasnt in the right frame of mind this past week (but anywhoooo)it felt really good doing a side job and the guy ended up throwing me a $5 tip for such a nice job !!dawg
Reply:You are in the big leagues now bud,,, dont spend it all in one place.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:Originally posted by JohnDeere Any money is good money for me if i work for family.... I just got though building 2, 15' gates and hanged em on the 4 inch post i set in concrete 3 ft. in the ground... finished off with 3/4 mile of barb-wire fencing and what did i get payed? and ASTOUNDING 0 dollars an hour...  But thats just my dumb a$$ grandpa for ya... Today he went and got a hobo in town and brought em out to pull grass out of the flower beds and payed him 35 dollars for it... But he wont pay me for ruining the entire farm.... Such is life..                                                 John Deere
Reply:JDeere, you're causing me to have flashbacks.  I was raised on a small family farm in the 40's & 50's.  Small farms went through some really hard times back then & in about 1950 Dad converted us over to a small dairy operation.  At the time I was 6 & my brother Larry was about 12.  We were put in charge of milking 5 to 30 cows, morning & evenings.  The number of fresh cows varied by season with around 30 to milk during the school year down to as few as 5, 6 or 7 in the summer;  this arrangement allowed us more time to work in the fields in the summer, you see.  So every morning in the fall, winter & spring, we were up at 5am & off to handle the morning milking, followed by breakfast, a quick scrub & get dressed to catch the bus.  We repeated the routine as soon as we got in from school.  And of course, cows don't take a day off so this was 365 days a year. We were both small kids; I might have tipped the scales at 50 pounds in 1950 & Larry at 75 or so,  so I got the light part & he handled the old Surge milking machines.  My job was to put feed out in the stanchion, let the cow in, latch her in place, belt her, scrub her udder off with a hot anti-bacterial wash & if she was a kicker I would have to hobble her.  If a cow had any kind of injury or infection in a quarter, I was also in charge of first-aid & so forth.  Larry swung the machines which weighed only 30 pounds or so empty but considerably more when full.  It was a challenge for him the first year or two but gradually, he grew a little and adapted to it.  He also bore the responsibilty of seeing to it that it was done by the book & that everything was sterilized.It was a pretty tough job for a little kid, even by the standards of the times.  After all the cows were milked, he handled washing up  the machines & scalded them while I hosed down the milking area, meaning I did the ****work while he did the cleanroom kind of stuff.  By the way, the only running water or hot water we had at the time was in the dairy barn.  Had a hand pump & kitchen stove in the farmhouse until '55 or so.But for this work & this work only, we were paid 5% of the milk check every two weeks.  Dad made Larry split it with me 50 - 50 which I always recognized was a raw deal for him.  That meant we usually split $20 to $30 in the winter,  twice a month & maybe $10 in the summer.  When I was 6 years old, I really didn't have much to spend that kind of money on, so I was actually the richest member of my family.  Case in point:  on Sunday mornings my father frequently would borrow 5 bucks from for the church collection plate and yes, he always paid me within a day.or two.  This went on until Larry was a senior in high school & one fine spring day we came home to find an empty farm - not a single cow to be found, not even a steer.  Dad had sold the herd because he was about to lose his top hand to graduation. In our free time during & after the dairy operation, there was plenty of work to keep a crew busy.  We got Sundays off, period.  We were working the crops, or building & repairing fences or if there really was nothing more urgent, we hauled rocks out of the fields.  This seemed like a pointless winter chore & we groused about quite a bit.  Dad said that if we ever got them all cleared out, he had a backup plan:  on Saturday mornings we could dig a hole & on Saturday afternoon we could fill it back up.  So we expected to work;  we irrigated cotton & alfalfa, hoed the cotton and baled the hay.  We had dryland wheat, grain sorghum and a garden most of the time.  The two of us did most of the actual farming because the fact is, the farm didn't really support the family.  Dad worked at something else all those years to make up the difference.  He was a wheat harvestor for 14 years & drilled irrigation wells with an old Fort Worth Spudder for most of his adult life.  For at least 6 years, he operated a little roadside country garage.  And he built things, tractors, welders - you name it & he might try it.But for all that farm work aside from the dairy, we were the unpaid help, same as you.  All my friends that lived "in the country" were raised the same way, even the wealthier ones.  That was just life.  And to tell you the truth, those were the easiest & happiest years of my life.  I wouldn't want to repeat them but there is no price I could put on the experience.Now I really can't tell if your life is harder than ours was, or maybe harder for you to stomach because of the family situation but the fact is, you have to play the cards that you are dealt.  Sure, a lot of your friends & classmates probably have  easier lives but millions of your contemporaries are growing up in ghettos, too.  From what I have been able to read from your posts here, it sounds like you have access to tools and are acquiring valuable skills that the city kids don't even know exist.  You will come into adulthood with abilities and a work ethic that they won't have.  By comparison, they might luck out & have some experience as sackboys or burger flippers but you will be able to repair & operate machinery, build those gates or "ruin" your own farm.  The ghetto kids will still be stuck because all they are doing is what Cosby said last week - they are "practicing for prison".  Growing up on a working farm is a university unto itself.  You are learning to farm, to build things & to live on your own in nearly any circumstance.  Farm skills have lots of applications in related business, too.  Try to buckle down on this spelling and grammer thing;  it's more important than you seem to think & you do not want your lack of communication skills to limit you later in life.Cowboy up, kid.  You've got a lot more going for you than you may think you do.  Regards, cutter
Reply:Sounds like my teenage years. In the summer My folks would ship me off to my uncle "pearly's" dairy farm up in Yankee land (Massachusetts). Twice dailly milking, and all that goes with it brings back fond memories. between milkings there was haying, cleaning the pasturizer, shoveling up the "residules" from the cows. And a thousand other jobs. Looking back I enjoyed those years. Shortly after I went into the Navy He had a big fire, lost most of his herd, and sold out the rest. Pearly Died a few years later. Back in 93, before my Dad passed away we went back up there. The old dairy had been a housing development for years.
Reply:we just lost a big chunk of the family homestead a few years back some cousin sold it off,they went in and stripped out all the soil broke some zoning laws while they were at it then sold it to someone else that put in 150 condo units 20% low income ! and thats how they were able to beat the zoning issues,next went my great aunts place, more condos..my dads got the last 5 acres out of 75 that were purchased in 1907 dawg
Reply:Hey cutter, Thank you for that post.... I really appreciate you taking your time to say everything that you did....  We farm 150 acres and their is all ways something to do, just as when you where growing up on the farm you where at... Where tillage farmers so their is all ways plenty of plowing to do to keep 1 man busy...  And when its not that theirs the brush hogging all the ditches, farmstead and corals.... Taking care of 3 acres of yard... And now just recently Ive been fencing the whole property and are probably fixing to get cattle....  Then theirs the repairing and up keeping of all the farm equipment...  My dad is my go to guy when i need a second opinion on something to make sure its right... He works all the time so its pretty much left up to me to take care of the rest....  I know what its all like...  The day after labor day I'm starting a 36 hour a week job doing carpentry for a guy,  so i will then be doing that and farming to..... So yeah, thats most of my time, I know i don't have it like you had it but at least if i got thrown out into the world as of now i would stay alive, something I'm not to sure i could say about 99 percent of the people my age that i know.... So any way thanks again for the post cutter i appreciate it... Have a good one......                                                                 - John Deere
Reply:DAMN good post, cutter! my kids are being raised as city kids BUT! they ea think they are part-owners in my bius. and are expected to help whenever possible! not on the same par as you & JD but when they need something its "got any invoices coming in, pops?" not wait untill friday and hit up the old man for part of his paycheck! if they dont learn ANYTHING else, they`ll learn HOW our money is being made, and WHAT it takes to make it!best i can do.......it never hurts to look,unless they`r WELDING!
Reply:Originally posted by JohnDeere Hey cutter, Thank you for that post.... I really appreciate you taking your time to say everything that you did....                                                                   - John Deere
Reply:Originally posted by kllrjo DAMN good post, cutter! my kids are being raised as city kids BUT! they ea think they are part-owners in my bius. and are expected to help whenever possible! not on the same par as you & JD but when they need something its "got any invoices coming in, pops?" not wait untill friday and hit up the old man for part of his paycheck! if they dont learn ANYTHING else, they`ll learn HOW our money is being made, and WHAT it takes to make it!best i can do.......