Anything welding

Betchya won't do that again..

Might be worth it to get some leathers.. They've saved me from a shitty burn many, many times..

I like to wear a heavy arc welding glove on my left hand, and a light MIG glove on my right.

 

That really sucks. I prefer not doing business with friends. A couple of, I'll do work for, but they understand that time is money. I put them to work on some of the more simple task so we can get done sooner

 

I'm still chasing a "friend" around for $50.. did some modification and welded on a set of Trail Gear sliders.

I knew there was a reason why I never loaned money to friends. Taking this as a learning lesson; no one gets "special pricing".

Unless they have boobs. And a vajayjay...

There's no way I'd ever think of pricing a bumper that low - friend or not. Shit, you're probably just barely covering your materials with that price! Screw that. My equipment wasn't free, and neither is my time!

 

My contribution from the last couple of days......

 

Now that my friend is a no no you need to learn how to say no to T&A, how often is it your effort is reciprocated? Very rarely? make thay bitches work for they shit!!!!

 

Haha, yeah - I figured I'd throw that in there.. Just like tonight - buddy bought a drink for a couple of cute college girls - they flirted for about 10 minutes, then walked away. I woulda been pissed if I welded a set of sliders on..!

Even at this stage, if someone balks at my price - they can go to someone else. Seriously.

 

Exactly! I used to get my girl to get drink for me

My boss needs to learn this lesson, always underbidding and guess who it falls on

 

sub'b cause welding is awesome

 

Look at it this way,

You said you haven't really used the bender and notcher much before this. I'd consider yourself lucky you're getting to learn this stuff basically for free.
Most people have to learn on their own stuff most definitely not for free.

 

Are you using tubing? It may just be the pictures, but it looks like you've got some kind of a black oxide coating or something on there..

If I'm getting burned out on a project, I'll find a good stopping point and walk away for the rest of the day - rather than knowing I'm burned out on it, and make stupid mistakes and poor workmanship..

Found that works the best for me.

 

That's what she said..

 

Yep just like everyone else says, no crazy deals for friends and "my price is my price". Definitely have to stick to that to keep from feeling like you're getting burned or taken advantage of. Sounds like you're learning that quick.... Took me a little while!

 

Haha, I see this and it's so familiar. I've lost my ass on more projects than I can count, mostly from low-ballers and I find a way to justify it to myself as "advertisement" the person or buddies will buy more later and nothing ever comes of it.
My biggest losses come from "so & so is $$$ cheaper than you, can you do it for this price"?
Turns out the competition does shit work, in a shit hole with no overhead, no liability insurance in a cheaper part of the country etc. I can't compete with those guys so I don't try.
Put out a quality product, back it up an charge a price that's fair and allows you to make a living, you are entitled to a profit, that's why you do this.
The customers that are more concerned about quality than saving $25 on a $1500 job are then ones you want anyway.

Edit: remember, you bid it, it's your loss and your fault, not the customers so they are entitled to your best work regardless. It's easy to get frustrated on a loser job and let that show in your work.

 

Sliders with steps?

I dig it. He didn't want to chop, or you didn't?

 

Spent my first full weekend fabbing and working with the welder, and I must say I have even more respect for you guys that do this for a living. This is some time consuming back breaking at times shit!

Here is what I have come up with for a bumper, chopped the cross member and capped the fram, and then added some mounting points that will sandwich the bumper mounts, held in place with 4 grade 8 1/2" bolts.

 

I lost one of my shackle mounts for most of the weekend, so I didn't get the main crossmember/mounting piece complete as I had hoped (turns out I used the mount to support the body from the frame after I removed the body mounts and forgot I put it there until I was putting everything back together last night )

Anyhow, here are some pics of the crossmember and shackle mount, I pierced the tube and welded from both sides as well as to the plate on the back, all 1/4" tubing and plate.

 

you need a new rear cross member!
Honestly, you shouldnt have cut the old one out before welding a new one in even. I've seen the rear frame section narrow by about 3/8" by cutting that crossmember out. I spread it back in place and welded in a new piece, but it was certainly crazy to see it narrow up that much when it appears to still be decently supported a little farther up by the track bar mount/spare

 

I feel your pain. I usually charge 75 an hour for people I don't know. I give most of the local TW guys a discount at 50 an hour. Local asked in the AZ BS thread how much to weld on sliders. I told him depending on slider types 2-3 hours in labor 50-75 an hour. Three locals, only one of which that fabs (I think), start berating me over the coals for that quote. Being that I am not currently hurting for money after he showed me pics of the sliders I told him 100 bucks, should only take me two hours.

Welp he shows up, I'm ready to test fit, mark, grind (which I'll make him do), and then put back up, and weld on. I take the paint off the mounts, throw the sliders up and the forward mounts are hitting the cab mounts while about an inch of the sliders is past the forward fender well opening. SOB! Can't put them on like that, look at him and tell him I can chop these off, we can then throw them up get the mounts in a better location to then move the entire assembly forward. He ok's it and I go to town. Damn near four hours later I am finished. Being that I told him 100 I stuck to that agreement. However, from here on out it's 200 to do weld on sliders.

They were trying to get me down to 70 bucks, at four hours in labor that is under 12 bucks an hour. Don't know how some of these shops stay afloat with those kind of bids. Shit that would not even cover consumables.

Bumper looks good BTW.

 

I'm on it, there is still the one in there from the spare tire carrier as you mentioned, I also checked the spacing before and after I cut and will match it. But yes, I will be adding an additional one welded in. It is definitely pretty flexy back there with it removed, I was pretty surprised, also that the frame is only 1/8".

 

I don't enjoy building bumpers.