special project fixture & pricing

[KSnyder]

Hello everyone, I have a special project going that involves making special fixtures ( one of a kind) that probably wont be used again if ever.
My question is , should this be added to the cost of the engraving itself? There is going to be more than one (fixture) for this particular piece & will take some hours to make. Seems to me I should add this time to the cost but I'm not sure as this is a new area for me. I'm sure many of you have run into this, especially Tira with her memorial sauce pot.
thanks,
Kent

 

[Weldon47]

Kent,

Don't know if it's applicable for this particular project (and you may already know this trick) but here goes: I make good use of Bondo to hold oddly shaped items. Give the Bondo time to set up for a really secure grip & keep in mind that there is an exothermic reaction (producing heat) as it cures. If you apply wax to the item before embedding it should release easily. I use Johnson's floor wax for this part. Heating the item will also cause the Bondo to release its hold. Not sure about freezing, never tried it, but it may work as well. Bondo keeps me from spending huge amounts of time fiddling with a jig (sounds musical!) instead of engraving. Maybe you could use it for this project.

Weldon

 

[Ray Cover]

In my humble opinion, if you are working you should get paid for it. If it is a one of a kind fixture or a multiple use fixture you need to get paid for the time it takes to make it. The one off job needs to be absorbed in that one job. If is a tool you will use again you can spread that out over time the same as you do for your regular tools and charge a little on each job to cover it.

Speaking of that, it is a good practice to have a small percentage charge on each job to cover overhead like tools and equipment that you have to put money out for in order to be able to work.

People don't always think of that but it needs to be done. I found myself at fault one time when I was complaining about it costing $150 to have a sailboat lifted into the water. The man I was talking to rightly said, " Ya but you didn't have to put out the $150,000 for the lift nor do you have to pay the guy $25 an hour to run it."

Your tools are an expense that needs to be covered by money coming into your business. The only way that money comes into your business is if you add a percentage of their cost onto each job that goes out.

If it is a one time job and the tool never is used again then that job must pay the whole cost of that tool.

Ray

 

[KSnyder]

Thanks for the prompt replies, it helped me out!
Kent

 

[monk]

special jigs

surely payment for that is in order. weldon had an excellent thought about using bondo. i've discovered simply balling up large wads of aluminum foil can allow stubborn items to be precisely clamped in position. don't forget reuseable thermoloc. it's great also. grs sells this stuff. it will mold around just about anything, heats with a hair blo drier or heat gun. anyway, this should be discussed with the client, if they seem fussy about your price quote. most folks have no clue of all the steps required to produce an engraving.