Lathe Time in your Area

[Geezer in NH]

Most insurance policies do not allow non employees on the shop floor. Around power equipment renting the machine out to a non employee will be certain cancellation when the company finds out.

[john.k]

The ones round here relied on liability releases ,like what you sign before they let you on a racetrack in the Volvo.....Unfortunately ,these things dont fly,and a good? lawyer will clean you out anyway if someone has a claimed injury and takes case to said lawyer.

[GregLaROCHE]

My shop rate is $130 per hour but my book keeper said I need to rase it at least 10%. Now if I could charge for all the time I spend talking to customers like a lawyer does I could do OK. When you have $80,000 tied up in tools and still try to make a living at working a shop you got to get something for your time and tooling. The only way I can keep my prices down is to keep my overhead low. Was looking at my supply of chamber reamers and at todays prices it wold cost over $20,000 to replace them. When I first started as a hobby I could take a night class at the local community collage for $10 and use their bluing tanks but that was almost 50 years ago.

I once knew an aircraft engine rebuilder, who was really good. He had so many calls for advice, that he didn’t have time to work. He put in a 900 number that equaled his shop time cost. Less calls, but the ones he got were serious and ready to pay for his lifetime of experience.

[targetfreak]

Considering the potential damage to a machine (lathe, miller, grinder, etc.) by a know-nothing operator, I think the OP's original prices to be quite fair. Guaranteed that an experienced operator must be present, who wouldn't be donating his time for nothing. Which, on reflection, justifies some of the "exorbitant" prices charged for machining services.

[john.k]

Wouldnt be any worse than apprentices......at least hobbyists are motivated to do well ,unlike 50% of apprentices.

[Ed K]

.I don't have a Lathe or Know how to use one. I have been reading some posts about going to machine shops to make parts. . Living around NY, Nj. I went to a shop . Very hard to find one. . I asked about making some parts. . I was shocked to find out the cost

I know you've already got an earful. Don't even know why I've read the entire thread - guess I can relate: last month I paid $450 to get 3 pieces of delrin (4"x8"x.75") with two grooves machined into them. Here goes:

1. This is 2019. Most of us are 50, 60, 70. Stuff costs a lot more than when we were 30. Almost nothing under $500 is even repairable. Everybody's self-employed rate is expensive: Carpenter $75, Plumber $125, Accountant $175. We live in a world where an unwed mother with 2,3 children needs to make $60K to better federal/State/County aid. I don't like it one bit.
2. Those machine shops may have been trying to chase you off with those rates but are probably closer to "high" than ridiculous.
   This is a hobby. Not much that we do (casting, hand loading, pet projects) is cost effective. I have done what many others have here and that is to simply purchase the equipment. Don't try to justify the cost, this is a hobby.

Oh, the delrin? It is a business need and the business expense is in line with the project which is 2019 high. If your parts are business related then all I can say is hold your nose and pay up. Otherwise remember this is a hobby - the number won't make sense.

PS With some young people recently while buying $1.49-1.99 candy bars I mentioned I paid 5-10 cents at their age. One accused me of lying - this is 2019!

[John Taylor]

2019 now.

[Hossfly]

Hobby yes, why buy something for $10.00 when you can build it for $100.00.

[Ed K]

Proves I really am old, living in the past