machining pricing

[Len Graves]

Is there anywhere I can get information on pricing for doing machining work? I get requests for small things like drilling and tapping a barrel for a vent, or drilling a barrel tang through to the trigger plate. Etc.. I don't know if there is a standard or not. I don't want to sell my work short, but don't want to cheat my friends either.

 

[welafong1]

i had a fab shop charge me $25.00 to weld my barrow he did a real good job on it .and had a machine shop grind down one side of two triangle files so i could dove tail my frount sights witch by the way i am haveing the same thing done on a smaller file hpoe to grind the one side of it till its one eighth of an inch wide if it could be done so there you have it $20.00 to $25.00
is about right for me for small jobs who knows it might be leser in other parts of the u.s.a.i would set up a small machine shop like i did with a lathe milling machine sander meatel saw look around the internet to see what to look for when you are buying a used machines or buy new the machines they dont cost to much i hope i am not trying to tell what to do just my two cents it dont cost a peeny to learn some thing new just time
Richard Westerfield

 

[Alphawolf45]

used to be- When you have piddly little jobs to do often its tough to find a shop who will bother with it..I have been ready,willing and able to pay 60 dollars an hour for work that would take a shop a couple days and I couldnt get it done in reasonable timeframe..Ended up I built a 60 by 60 foot building and installed a complete machineshop to do my own work....Now retired,I play building guns and whatever I please...

..Brownells catalog has long list of suggested charges they consider reasonable for basic gunsmithing / machining services.

 

[rafterob]

It is fair to have a minimum price just to cover the PITA (even for a so called little job). For the guy I go to that is $20. After you have used up what time you feel is covered by that minimum, then you should charge an hourly fee that makes it worth your while. I would think $20/hour would be an acceptable rate to charge friends, assuming you are not doing this for a living. If you are doing this for a living then there is no "friend" discount. In my opinion asking a friend (who happens to be in a service that you need) for a discount is dishonorable and demeaning to your relationship. One should honor one's friendship by treating that person with the respect accorded their profession. On the other hand, I am all for equitable bartering.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

:hatsoff:

I would think $20/hour would be an acceptable rate to charge friends, assuming you are not doing this for a living. If you are doing this for a living then there is no "friend" discount. In my opinion asking a friend (who happens to be in a service that you need) for a discount is dishonorable and demeaning to your relationship. One should honor one's friendship by treating that person with the respect accorded their profession. On the other hand, I am all for equitable bartering.

 

[MSW]

It is fair to have a minimum price just to cover the PITA (even for a so called little job). For the guy I go to that is $20. After you have used up what time you feel is covered by that minimum, then you should charge an hourly fee that makes it worth your while. I would think $20/hour would be an acceptable rate to charge friends, assuming you are not doing this for a living. If you are doing this for a living then there is no "friend" discount. In my opinion asking a friend (who happens to be in a service that you need) for a discount is dishonorable and demeaning to your relationship. One should honor one's friendship by treating that person with the respect accorded their profession. On the other hand, I am all for equitable bartering.

Ghettogun, i couldn't agree more! Well said!

 

[ohio ramrod]

I do most of my work "for friends" on a barter basis. But I don't need the money. If you expect to cover your tooling costs charge what you would if it was your "day job". For my machine work I am lucky to clear minimum wage, for my woodworking I am well short of that! But I am doing what I like .I once had a friend for whom I was building a rifle but was not making much progress since we where working a lot of overtime at the shop where I was working in the tool room. He asked me how much it would cost him if I just worked on the rifle instead of working overtime since he was in a hurry. I told him my wages at overtime rates and he quickly decided to wait until I had time to work on his rifle. :idunno: :idunno:

 

[John Taylor]

I charge $15 each for drilling/tapping holes like scope mount or other small holes. Dovetails are $15 each also except the oval ones used on Winchesters mag tube rings ($30). Shop rate is $75 an hour but I never charge that much.

 

[matt denison]

"In my opinion asking a friend (who happens to be in a service that you need) for a discount is dishonorable and demeaning to your relationship. One should honor one's friendship by treating that person with the respect accorded their profession. On the other hand, I am all for equitable bartering."

Real friends want their friends to be successful so they at least offer to pay. It is then your option to say how much or "oh don't worry about it" I've done jobs for beer, for nothing, for fair market value too. If it is a simple thing for a friend on his personal gun then I don't normally charge but I do collect a favor in the future (might need a ride or ...bail..?) If that friend is working on a project they are going to sell then I charge them for the work - they are making money so I should too.

 

[shmrck1]

Len,
This is the experience I had: Bought a .17HMR
Golden Boy Henry.Got a 3x9x40 Bushnell scope I
wanted mounted. Now this is where it goes crazy!
First gunsmith I called wanted $45 to tap the first hole for the mount.Total cost he estimated
would be $75 and would take 4/6weeks :shocked2:
Second one I called told be to call back
in a month but I was looking at $60+.
Third I called said $40.I said "Deal". Took
it in to him.When he saw I had all the hardware
and paper work he changed the price to $35.
Picked the rifle up 6 days later and it has been a nail driver at 150yds since.
If I had to offer any advice,it would be,just be fair,and never :nono: offer to deliver something you can't.
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I charge $15 each for drilling/tapping holes like scope mount or other small holes. Dovetails are $15 each also except the oval ones used on Winchesters mag tube rings ($30). Shop rate is $75 an hour but I never charge that much.

That sounds quite reasonable. I think a flat rate for simple jobs works well. When it's something more involved I have trouble. I don't really want to make money off my friends but then again I have money invested in tools and materials and replacement costs to consider. It's time to renew my FFL, I need a cylinder of oxygen, need to replace some broken drill bits, taps are getting dull, etc. Point being there are expenses which one can't attribute to any one particular job but they are expenses just the same and you need to have them covered or it's all out of pocket.

 

[Len Graves]

I appreciate the replies. I will look up Brownell's pricing. I am in aggreement with you all. I will do the little jobs for friends no charge, knowing I will be reimbursed in one way or another down the line, or just because he is a friend. There is one fella who seems to like to push his friendhship a little too far. He is always asking if I will build him a gun, or horn, Etc. When I explained I have two gun on my bench right now for other people he "just wanted a couple of holes drilled-Then tapped. Oh and could you counter sink the patch box screws ,and also the sear isn't right could I check this out"? All this is on the rifle I didn't have time to build for him. I thought I might let him know what a "real gunsmith" might charge for those petty little jobs. You have given me somethings to think about. Thanks

 

[matt denison]

:rotf:

screw up some of those "little jobs" for him.

Countersink those screw holes crooked, break off the tap in his trigger bar assembly,lose a part or two, say "uh oh" and "oh sh*t" a few times. He'll stop coming around. :rotf: :rotf:

 

[Philip Lebow]

Dear Colleagues,

I realize i am weighing in on this topic a couple of days late.
However, as a professional 'smith, I would like to throw in
my humble opinion.
I have been in business, successfully, for 19 years, because I
am not afraid to charge for my work.

The hourly rate depends on the area the shop is in. I'm in
Los Angeles, which is all know is an expensive city.

I'm among the highest priced, because I offer full machine
shop service. I charge $25 a hole to drill and tap.
If possible, I do your job in a vertical mill, and get your holes
square and located where they are supposed to be.

My hourly shop rate varies from $175/ hr to $250/hr.
Don't faint. It's how much i need to charge IN LOS ANGELES
to keep the doors open and the lights on.

I have a $25 min for any machine work. Jobs that require
building tooling, and welding, and finish machine work,
get the higher rate.

Jobs that we do day-in day-out like barreling bolt action
rifles, have a per-job price rather than a hourly rate.
Adding a job to the production schedule, is far easier than
building tooling and fixtures for a "this'll just take you a
minute" job that takes 2 days.

My friends know that we will trade work for work. If they
don't have a skill or service that I need, I either put them to
work at the shop, or they buy me supplies and consumables
up to the agreed amount. It works. Some of them learn shop
skills this way.

Customers i don't know, pay per schedule, and so do the
agencies we work for.


Up front I tell them: I'm backordered a year on the sniper
rifles, and at least several weeks to a couple of months for
everything else. Helps to control the ones out for cheap
work, fast.

I guarantee my work for 90 days.

I'm not trying to brag, but to show, that charging for your
skills and tool collection is fair business, especially if your
work is good, and you are honest and competent.


Phil

 

[Len Graves]

Thanks Phil: I agree with your pricing> I also would never balk at paying a smith what you are asking. My thought is because I am a "Hobby" gunsmith some feel they can ask for favors no matter how large. I will do what jobs I feel capable of doing for friends depending on how I am asked. In some cases it seem the the person asking feels doesn't really know what they are asking of you, or some do and don't care about your efforts. My original question has been answered and I now have a reasonable reply as to how much my work is worth. Thanks to all for your replies.

 

[John Taylor]

I always thought I was a little low on my prices, Now that the wife can't work anymore I may need to raise them a bit. My stepson says " if you have plenty of work coming in and are struggling to pay the bills, you are not charging enough". He may be right.

 

[Tinker2]

I always thought I was a little low on my prices, Now that the wife can't work anymore I may need to raise them a bit. My stepson says " if you have plenty of work coming in and are struggling to pay the bills, you are not charging enough". He may be right.

He’s right. Charge what the market will bear.


William Alexander

 

[StewartLeach]

My favorite gunsmith- for both modern and old timey- is far from cheap. In fact, his man-machine-hour rates are pretty steep. But I have never had to take anything back! There is a lot of value in done right the first time, every time.

White Fox