This is a custom piece that I did last week! I am working on a branch themed fireplace set this week!
This is 18 inches of 3/4" round tapered and textured. The leaves are 1/2" and 3/8" round and the towel ring is 3/8" round too!




Time to hit the shop!

Thoughts?

Nice unique design, I like it! Well done and thanks for sharing.

nice job ! i like it . how much did you charge for it?

Looks great! Can't wait to see the rest of the pieces. Thanks for posting.


Mitch

Good job Dave. You are coming along fast. Was it just something you did or was it for someone in particular?

Dave,

Nice concept. What are you using to bob out the countersunk holes for the screws. The holes blend in very well.

Peter

I just knew someone was going to HAVE to ask what I charged!!! I could have just payed the lady to take it! So everyone get ready to brand me......again!

$40.00

Ok so I don't learn so fast do I?

What really killed me was I didn't consider the fact that I had to taper 18" of 3/4" round bar. That probably took half of the total time! (about a half days work total!) A power hammer would have been a real help!

"Pete"
I used three punches for the job; #1 was a regular hole punch...just to get started; #2 was a dull round punch; and number three was a round edged square punch. I wanted a round endention, but I only had a square punch, so I rotated the square head punch at each blow and ended up with a round countersink!

Ok so y'all can kill me for undercharging.....again!

Dave/Sparky,

Nice towel holder. It looks really great. If you charge too little, thats up to you. It may upset some but ultimately it is up to you. Personally I think you are worth a lot more than you have charged.

Keep up the postings.

Mark<><

$40 for that! I would pay that in US funny money and ship it here for that price.

Don't sell yourself short.

Nice piece of work! I would expect to pay something like $150 - $200 retail for an item of that quality.

About half way through the tapering process on the 3/4" I was thinking $100 would be nice!

I'm trying to bump things up a notch but this was uncharted territory! Now that it's charted, maybe I want run myself aground on this type piece again! :)

What really killed me was I didn't consider the fact that I had to taper 18" of 3/4" round bar. That probably took half of the total time! (about a half days work total!) A power hammer would have been a real help!

Are you still in the process of building a tirehammer?

Well, I have a couple of the parts collected, but I may use those parts and build a variation of Rusty! The head system on the tire hammer is beyond my ability I think. I am going to use the drive system (motor and tire) of the tire hammer, the hammer system (leaf springs and pivot point,) of rusty, and the guide tube system of the inline treadle hammer! Probably run it around 50 pounds or so like the tire hammer.

As soon as I get done with this job I'm going to start constructing that. I'll probably have plenty of questions! I am wanting to run back up to the steel yard and get the 402 pound, 6 inch solid anvil base that I saw there yesterday and also get the base.....found a nearly 4' square piece of 1/2" that weighs nearly 400 pounds. There goes $200! :P

Well, I have a couple of the parts collected, but I may use those parts and build a variation of Rusty! The head system on the tire hammer is beyond my ability I think. I am going to use the drive system (motor and tire) of the tire hammer, the hammer system (leaf springs and pivot point,) of rusty, and the guide tube system of the inline treadle hammer! Probably run it around 50 pounds or so like the tire hammer.

As soon as I get done with this job I'm going to start constructing that. I'll probably have plenty of questions! I am wanting to run back up to the steel yard and get the 402 pound, 6 inch solid anvil base that I saw there yesterday and also get the base.....found a nearly 4' square piece of 1/2" that weighs nearly 400 pounds. There goes $200!

Another reason you are not charging enough. You have the quality of workmanship. Now you should start to see that you can not improve your shop on burgerflippers wages
Keep up the good work.
Rob

Dave that is a lovely piece of work, I would be happy to have that in my home, and yes, you are seriously selling yourself short. The vast majority of us are guilty of that at some stage, but please take the advice and you'd be surprised at how deep some people's pockets are. If a client appreciates your work and the skill that has gone into it they will be happy to remunerate accordingly!!! Your work that you post here just keeps getting better, so keep working at it!

A power hammer would be great. I have all the steel and parts to make one and I really wish I could set one up but I live in a residential neighborhood so I have to do all my drawing out by hand.

With proper technique it's possible to draw out stock with just hammer and anvil quite efficiently. I recommend watching one of Hofi's videos where he shows how to draw using the edge of the anvil together with the edge of the hammer face as fullers to move the metal fast. It doesn't take long to learn and you don't have to adopt his whole "system" to use this method. I would bet serious money that I could pull that bar out and round it up in less than 45 mins. I don't say this to brag. I'm nothing special. Just to point out that the technique can make a big difference.

$40:00, what that about £25.00 or so?

I'd be interested to know what the UK smiths would charge for something like that, as I may well be falling into the same trap.

Very nice work Dave

Dave, you are really picking up the pace. Like the others said, don't sell yourself short. You are a good smith. Good luck with your new hammer build. It will make a big difference for you. I know that I use my tire hammer a lot. Keep up the good work and keep posting those pics. :D

Let's see, half days forging PLUS getting the job to start with PLUS design time PLUS delivery PLUS other time...

Looks like about $5 per hour. For skilled labor.

Tell ye what, how about you come work for me? I'll pay you 6$ per hour under the table. (I'd have to pay you $8.40 per hour according to Oregon law, if you wanted things like workman's comp, unemployment insurance, and other bottom-level protections.) I'll even let you sleep on a cot in the corner of the shop. How 'bout it?

Very nice towell holder, by the way.

$40:00, what that about £25.00 or so?I'd be interested to know what the UK smiths would charge for something like that, as I may well be falling into the same trap.Very nice work Dave

Steve, I'd start something like that at around £60 - £70 range, maybe more depending on the client and whether I was doing multiples. Hard to guess without making one first, looks like a couple hours work, quicker if you have a power hammer. It also depends whether you sell directly to customer or to trade. If to trade you can expect they will double that for retail. Pricing is always that funny one. A lot depends on the market.

If someone at that steel yard likes hand forged ironwork,(I don't know who wouldn't) you might want to offer a trade. The owner or manager of the steel yard might be very willing to make a trade and cut his price in half to get a nice hand forged item. Bartering could be heavily lopsided in your favor considering your the one with something that looks like jewelry compared to his steel pieces piling up all over attracting only a "once in a while" inquiry. One never can tell. Good luck and by the way, excellent job. Spears.

Let's see, half days forging PLUS getting the job to start with PLUS design time PLUS delivery PLUS other time...

Looks like about $5 per hour. For skilled labor.

Tell ye what, how about you come work for me? I'll pay you 6$ per hour under the table. (I'd have to pay you $8.40 per hour according to Oregon law, if you wanted things like workman's comp, unemployment insurance, and other bottom-level protections.) I'll even let you sleep on a cot in the corner of the shop. How 'bout it?

Very nice towell holder, by the way.

Some of you guys are really good at making me feel like I might be undercharging by a bit! LOL

I'm trying....I'm trying!

The fireplace set is comeing along really nice! Pictures of it tonight or tomorrow!

Maybe on your next project post some info about it here before starting so you can get some pricing ballpark before selling for cheap?
Rob

Money Money Money. You're young, have fun, work on your craft, the $ will always be there. You are doing it right pal. The overhead is low (or zero). You could be paying big bucks at an art or craft school for the privilege of a acquiring those skills. Instead you are a self starter and are getting paid a bit to learn. Those peeps are called patrons. Treat them well. It seems you charge what you feel. Good. Keep it up man, the work is progressing great! Thats what it's about, not the cash. A lot of guys don't make nice stuff because no one is paying...

My experience in pricing art work out are more in calligraphy, as I'm just getting into blacksmithing, but one of the best advice I've read/heard is this. Price things out for how much they are worth. So $30-$50 an hour or whatever the going rate is (those are the "standard" rates for calligraphy). If you don't think the client will bear that price, and you are just getting started/it is your hobby etc. let the client know what you would normally charge or what the price should be. But tell them since you know them, or they are like a patron, or they work with you, or whatever your reason is, that you won't charge them that much but will only charge them $40 dollars, etc. because of these reasons. This accomplishes several things, first it builds a good relationship with them and they understand that they are getting a tremendous deal. Second they don't EXPECT a low price every time. Third, it doesn't create customers with expectations of the industry you are in of finding cheap things. AND it doesn't make professionals as mad at you for undercutting their work, because eventually you will charge the same, but for now you are charging people "hobby" rates for patrons. For example, in the work I've sold I charge about $15 per hour plus materials (at least $30-70 per project) instead of $30-50, but I let people know they are getting a deal. One, I don't feel bad about charging them that hourly rate and tracking all of my time as calligraphy is my hobby and I might not be as fast as a professional, and it compensates me at about my day jobs hourly rate.

Just my two cents about the whole pricing thing.

Lucas