You never know until it's too late....

[Scott Shepherd]

Had a call from a potential customer, they asked us to quote a really simple part, basically just a small acrylic square. Material cost was .04 cents each, takes about 6 seconds each to run. I quoted .65 cents each (it's a fair number of them). I called the quote in and they guy says "Your prices are more than fair, we were making them in house and they were costing us $9 each, so let's go ahead and get them ordered".

I thought at .65 cents each, I might be too high because it's just that simple of a job and we'll make great money on it. All you can do is quote a fair price and submit it, but you really hate to leave money on the table...

Rats ;)

[Mark Sipes]

Hard to compare your costs and fair price to an inside job.

I had a customer ask me if I could make clear nameplates that were paper thin with all black text.......Oh you mean an overhead slide made on a laser printer/copy machine.......Ya that's it!...........Our current supplier is charging us $15 each. WHAT!!
I can get 6 plates on a sheet of clear acetate for $0.26....... and I only charge them $5 each.........We are both real happy!!!!

[Scott Shepherd]

Well, the job just finished running. 1000 took just under and hour and I had a couple of interruptions during that.

Hopefully he has a lot more like this ;)

[Doug Griffith]

Let's hope they didn't forget to mention perfectly vertical cuts at high tolerances.

[Scott Shepherd]

Let's hope they didn't forget to mention perfectly vertical cuts at high tolerances.

Nope, I have an official drawing with tolerances and everything, so we're all set!

+/- .008" :D

[Doug Griffith]

Eight thousandths should be a walk in the park. That's a good job.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Gravy brother :)

[Mike Audleman]

And its stuff like that that will get you more jobs. I am quite sure if they have another project, they will call you. And I suspect they will mention your service to others. You make some money and you get some really good PR for not trying to stiff someone.

[David Somers]

Scott,

Forgive me if this is asking for a trade secret....don't hesitate to say "go away!" <grin> But to a wood butcher with a wood lathe like me, a tolerance of 8/1000 of an inch is a tad difficult to achieve with a hand held gouge. Even if I skip the coffee in the morning!

What is involved in achieving that kind of tolerance on the laser? Or is pretty much a matter of being sure your alignment is good all the way through, your focus is as clean as you can get it, and you account for the kerf, hopefully just in your graphics program? In other words...am I making too much of an 8/1000 inch tolerance?

Thanks!!!

Dave

[Scott Shepherd]

Hi Dave, it's actually .016", as it was +/- .008". To hold tolerances like that requires nothing. I'm not sure anyone makes a laser that won't hold that. That's considered sloppy in the machining world. I'd safely cut stuff with a .002" total tolerance ((+/- .001") and do it all the time).

[Gary Hair]

Hi Dave, it's actually .016", as it was +/- .008". To hold tolerances like that requires nothing. I'm not sure anyone makes a laser that won't hold that. That's considered sloppy in the machining world. I'd safely cut stuff with a .002" total tolerance ((+/- .001") and do it all the time).

I know, believe it or not, yoyo manufacturers that keep .0005! They stop working in the late afternoon because they can't control the temp well enough to keep their aluminum from expanding/contracting too much and blowing tolerance. Way beyond my pay grade!

[Scott Shepherd]

I know, believe it or not, yoyo manufacturers that keep .0005! They stop working in the late afternoon because they can't control the temp well enough to keep their aluminum from expanding/contracting too much and blowing tolerance. Way beyond my pay grade!

I worked in super high speed machinery world in my machinist days. We had many things that had .0002" tolerance on them. It took me years of working with very talented people to be able to work at that level.

Just for clarification, as I didn't say it well earlier, we hold .002" on the lasers all the time.

[Scott Marquez]

$390 per hour and $24 in material for 600 units, if my math is correct, I think you did OK.
You made money and he is happy, it's a win win situation, enjoy it.
Scott

[David Somers]

Thanks Scott! .016 sounds doable without giving up on the morning coffee! Even on the wood lathe! <grin>

Gary. Glad I dont work in the Yoyo manufacturing world. The ups and downs of that industry would get to me quickly! I would have to walk the dog a lot to relieve the stress. (snick snick)

Dave

[Ray Scott]

Forget the laser... Now I want to go buy a new yoyo.. just to take it apart and measure it.