custom chainsaw bar #2

[Homelite410]

Thank you. I just wanted to do something different!

 

[awol]

Just take one of these bars to a gtg on a nice saw, and the crowd that gathers around it will help make any price feel a little lower!

 

[Homelite410]

Happened to Clint!

 

[KenJax Tree]

When its marketed at the PSP's no price is outta the question[emoji1]

Pretty sweet though[emoji106]

 

[CR888]

work done too cheap loses its value in the mind of the buyer, your price seems fair, if anyone could do it, they would/will, artistry that is valued by others will always command a premium

a customer looking for the cheapest price also looks for reasons to complain about the work in my experience

take concert ticket sales as an analog
the best seats will sell at any price and the nosebleeds will always go half empty

A few weeks ago l was dressing some bars with a h/held die grinder with a 'scotch brite' abrasive/polishing pad. One of my Tsumuras had patches of clear coat flaking off so l decided to remove what was left and give the bar a bit of a polish up. Turned up the variable speed and held on to the thing tight and it left swirls in the metal that looked pretty cool but not in a MONTH of Sundays could l get a perfect pattern and finish like Mike does with that fishing lure effect. You need to know what your doing and have a certain skill set that's for sure.

 

[Homelite410]

here is the next one, stripped it with a belt sander and it actually looks good!!

 

[Derf]

Well friends, I certainly want to firstly appreciate my awe at Mike's interest in using his professional skills to apply to his hobby. I love pictures, and sharing ideas. I'm not trying to knock his work in any way, and I'm happy to see that there are people interested in his work, procuring his services for their own, and paying him what both parties agree is a fair price for the work.

That said, I simply disagree on the price for the work.

Yes, a shop charges $100+/hr but pays the employees significantly less to turn a profit. As an example, a shop may charge $120/hr and pay the employee doing the work $20/hr. It would seem the shop is making out with $100/hr. But the shop has lots of "hidden expenses". Rent, insurance, electricity, trash removal, workers comp, machine equipment, tooling, equipment repairs, shipping costs on supplies, everything down to the light bulbs, printer paper and coffee in the break room. So at the end of it all, they aren't turning $100/hr profit, maybe $40.

If Mike, or anyone else, owned their own shop and simply charged shop rate, I would agree that is what it is and I'll apologize and shut up. But from my perspective, if you're just an employee and using someone else's shop for your hobby, you don't need to charge machine shop rate.

Also, while I agree custom prototype work is always more than mass production, keep in mind this is all done on a CNC mill, which is semi automated production. I would think that 40 minutes right there was just waiting for the tool to do its job. Similarly, 4 coats of gun blue at 15 minutes is an hour of work mostly spent twiddling your thumbs.

I do agree that jobs need to be fairly priced for them to be worth doing. But charging full hourly rate on something that is mostly setup costs is up to negotiation for agreement between a buyer and seller.

I agree that when directed at PSPs there is no price too great. Unfortunately not all of us have the same deep pockets. Luckily some of us have access to the tools required to do porting or machining ourselves and can DIY.

 

[Homelite410]

Well OK....

 

[Philbert]

Someone help me with 'PSP'?
(I found 150+ definitions on line, none of which make sense in this context).

Thanks!

Philbert

 

[GPX433Todd]

Someone help me with 'PSP'. (I found 150+ definitions on line, none of which make sense in this context).

Thanks!

Philbert

. I'm with ya there.

 

[USMC615]

PSP...Ported Saw Punisher...I believe.

 

[Marshy]

Thanks for your opinion @Derf. Now that that is out of the way lets return to the show at hand.

@Homelite410, please show me how you make the scallop finish. I have never seen this done and am interested in learning how you make it so nice.

 

[Marshy]

PSP...Ported Saw Punisher...I believe.

Or for the shelf queens it could be ported saw polisher...

 

[Philbert]

Homelite410, please show me how you make the scallop finish. I have never seen this done and am interested in learning how you make it so nice.

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/custom-chainsaw-bar.279859/

Philbert

 

[nstueve]

here is the next one, stripped it with a belt sander and it actually looks good!!

Is that an old wide nose Stihl? Where did it come from?

 

[KenJax Tree]

HuskStihl is the PSP...Ported Saw Punisher

 

[Homelite410]

Is that an old wide nose Stihl? Where did it come from?

No its a Canadian Windsor.

 

[Philbert]

. . . its a Canadian Windsor.

I thought that that was a brand of whiskey?

Philbert

 

[GPX433Todd]

I thought that that was a brand of whiskey?

Philbert

Touché

 

[SawTroll]

Or for the shelf queens it could be ported saw polisher...

Specially made shelf queens leaves a bad taste to me, they should be old saws that earned their retirement, and not refinished in any way.

Just an opinion, others can do as they like.....