given me inspiration about my welding work. Since the music work stopped, I had to get back into the designing/welding mode. I thought long and hard about the value of my work and realised I was underpricing myself.That was mainly due to me believing it was better to get the job, and earn something, than risk losing the job altogether..Yesterday, I was offered the chance to quote for some gates and rejillas for windows in a private house.I looked at their 'assets' (cars driven, size of house, etc. etc) and priced accordingly.I got the job, at a far higher price than I would have charged last year And I threw myself into the work, 23 hours nonstop, and finished the whole lot. (I am now painting them). I earned 2200 euros (about $2.600), in 23 hours!! They couldn't believe it when I rang them this morning, and told them I would be ready to fit them tomorrow.I got a productivity bonus!! They paid me $3000 today!! And more work to come. I am going to get the house finished this winter!! Yeah!!!! And maybe finish my Fiero!! Yeah yeah!!
Hmmm.I was going to post some pics, but PIP just decided not to work..oh well...guess you have seen enough of my projects anyway!!
Thanks. From the bottom of my...errr..pocket??!! Naaa...heart.
Nick
Ha! got PIP to work..sorry

[This message has been edited by fierofetish (edited 10-26-2006).]

The guys at Orange County Choppers started out in metal fabrication. Paul Sr used to tinker at building bikes in his spare time. The bike building took off. His one son runs the metal works, Paul Jr and Mikey work on the bikes and now have a following selling custom bikes for $150,000 and a TV show. There is a lot of skill required for metal fabrication.

If you work ~ 60 hours doing the fabrication, you may have the funds for Fiero work and other stuff.

How effective/costly would powder coating be for the metal work? Powder coating would hold up better in the long term.

quote Originally posted by fierofetish: And maybe finish my Fiero!!

My, this is good news.
Congrats Nick. Nice work by the way.
You know what's gonna happen don't cha? You will get the welding work going and the music business will be seeking you out at the same time.

Old Lar...powder coating? Whoa!! This Spain!! I doubt anybody would have the equipment to do these things!! As we have very little rain here, there is very little problem with these rusting away. I use a very strong paint, and seal all the welds and joins with polyurethane seam sealer.Some made 15 years ago are still pristine
cliffw...that happens every spring!! I just get things going, and the music beckons!! But, every year that goes by, I think it gets less inviting , because I am getting past prancing around on a stage!! But, it is an income, and it is a shame to have all my equipment, and not use it.. !!! That could be taken both ways!! And no doubt you will!!HAHAHA!!
Nick

Awesome work Nick.

Sometimes it can be difficult to sell something of higher value. We often times put our own situation on the folks we are selling too, and think, no one would pay that. I sell higher end bathroom fixtures and faucets, and it is amazing what people will pay for a toilet or a faucet, but they have the money, do not want what everyone else has, and will spend money on products.

Congrats on the sale and again, beautiful work! Now go sell a few more job!

Mark

Do you free hand or are you making jigs as you go? If you make a Jig each time the first one may take longer but then each one after that will take less time. Good job, nothing like working with your hands and having something to look at when your done for the day.

Good Job!

Thanks to you all.
I make the frame, and then make the rest as I go along. I don´t have ANY idea of what I am going to do..these were all made from scrap I had lying around. I just make it up as I go along..some sort of inate sense of proportion and scale and balance seems to lead me to the end I want, without actually setting out to make what it finishes up as. It works pretty well so far...I love creating things that are individual and unique.I now have over 20 gates and other types of steelwork in our little village, and everybody seems pretty happy with them
Mark, you are so rightªª I would never pay that sort of money for my things,,but maybe because I make them, and it doesnçt seem very hard to do. I suppose if you can´t do it yourself, then the value is higher then. Anyway, the client now wants me to build around 30 metres of metalwork to go around the front wall of their property.At the rate I charged for the first work, I guess it will be worth around 5000 euros, and take about 6 days to make and fit..gonna be a busy few days for me...and then I must finish the Spitfire, spray the Fiero, and do all the work around the house.I am going to be busy for some time yet...
Nick

Way to go Nick, there is another bonous from the productivity. Thats the good word of mouth advertising that you can't buy at any price. they tell thier friends and so on and so forth, and before you know it you have so much work that you can pick and choose. Again congrats.

Cheers Beers n Gearz. Joe

Very good, Nick!
People appreciate unique products, and the talent it takes to create them. And now they appreciate you!
Word of mouth travels quickly. I'm guessing that in a few weeks, you'll have enough work to keep you busy for most of the winter, and beyond.

Edit - Joe beat me to it. Sounds like he's thinking the same thing.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 10-26-2006).]

quote Originally posted by fierofetish: Hmmm.I was going to post some pics, but PIP just decided not to work..oh well...guess you have seen enough of my projects anyway!! Thanks. From the bottom of my...errr..pocket??!! Naaa...heart. Nick Ha! got PIP to work..sorry

Nice work Nick, really nice.

Great to hear you are finally getting paid what your work is worth. I am very happy for you, and proud to say I know you.

Your work is artistry, working with steel is a lost or loosing art( if that is even the right way to say that).

I have worked with steel all my life in one way or another and know an artist when I see one.

I don’t think though that these are by any stretch some of your best work. I have seen many of your gates and said in the past you are undercharging in the past.

You see it all the time, people not getting paid what they are worth. Now I think you are finally getting paid what you disserve. Your work is a form of Artistry that is getting lost in this stamp and pump them out world.

You have seen it yourself and shown it here in a staircase you lost to a local, who charged more than you bid and did some of the worst work I have seen in a while.

Again, Great Work Nick.

------------------
technology is great when it works
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

quote Originally posted by fierofetish: I make the frame, and then make the rest as I go along. I don´t have ANY idea of what I am going to do........ I just make it up as I go along..some sort of inate sense of proportion and scale and balance seems to lead me to the end I want

Sort of like making....ummmm. Ellie must be a very satisfied woman.

Finished and fitted (I'm not going down that road, cliffw ) Oh, Steve, it is sold already perforated in 6ftx3ft sheets


Nick

[This message has been edited by fierofetish (edited 10-27-2006).]

I hate to say I told you so about your pricing, Nick, but I TOLD YOU SO!!

(Actually, this is one time I don't mind it at all!)

Congrats and I knew you could get a far more fair price than you'd been asking before.

John Stricker

quote Originally posted by fierofetish: given me inspiration about my welding work. Since the music work stopped, I had to get back into the designing/welding mode. I thought long and hard about the value of my work and realised I was underpricing myself.That was mainly due to me believing it was better to get the job, and earn something, than risk losing the job altogether..Yesterday, I was offered the chance to quote for some gates and rejillas for windows in a private house.I looked at their 'assets' (cars driven, size of house, etc. etc) and priced accordingly.I got the job, at a far higher price than I would have charged last year And I threw myself into the work, 23 hours nonstop, and finished the whole lot. (I am now painting them). I earned 2200 euros (about $2.600), in 23 hours!! They couldn't believe it when I rang them this morning, and told them I would be ready to fit them tomorrow.I got a productivity bonus!! They paid me $3000 today!! And more work to come. I am going to get the house finished this winter!! Yeah!!!! And maybe finish my Fiero!! Yeah yeah!! Hmmm.I was going to post some pics, but PIP just decided not to work..oh well...guess you have seen enough of my projects anyway!! Thanks. From the bottom of my...errr..pocket??!! Naaa...heart. Nick

Ah!! JOHN!! Missed talking to you recently Guess you have been busy
Yes, you were right, and your's, and others' advice have played a big part in me having the temerity to ask a more realistic price.And I was, I admit, surprised at the ready acceptance of a price that I had to force out between gritted teeth, expecting to get knocked back with a sardonic laugh from the prospective customer! !! I came to realise that it is MY skill at changing ordinary pieces of steel into a servicable item that demands the price, not the cost price of the materials themselves. Because I find it easy, it suggested to me that it wasn't worth much money.But so many people have expressed delight in the things I have made, I began to realise that my skills, such as they are, are a service that people are prepared to pay good money for.
Now to try to make up for lost time and income...but I WON'T become greedy, I promise!!
Nick

quote Originally posted by Raydar: Edit - Joe beat me to it. Sounds like he's thinking the same thing.

You know what they say about great minds!!!

Joe

That really looks nice against the wood door Nick.

A good rule about "Word of Mouth"

10 people will be told about your good work
100 people will be told about bad work.

I haven't seen your work up close, but I think you can certainly charge that much. Jesse James, now a world-famous hot rod and chopper builder with his own TV shows, wasn't making it very big at first. He said one of the turning points in his career was when a wealthy businessman told him that "people want to be charged!". That's something I can attest to.

I usually lowball just a bit with my PC repair and services, so people usually pay me a bit more than I ask and feel generous about doing it. I always feel sorta guilty charging what most people think is fair, but if you charge too little they think something funny is going on. Anyway, Jesse James upped his prices, got rich, and now he has this tattoo on his palm as a reminder: Pay up, Sucker!

[This message has been edited by FieroGT42 (edited 10-29-2006).]