Dual Project

[cvmetalman]

This was created by CAD students and cut and cleaned by Metal students. I don't know if anyone would mine sharing. What would a sign like this would generally cost? The students are asking and all I have is the cost of material. It is 24" x 48" PA and the animals are ruffly 1 sq. ft. 14 Gauge.

[AnotherDano]

You'll find pricing to be all over the scale. Depends on where you live and the market.
Lots of 'galleries' around you? Prices will be high.
If like me, all you have is flea markets and garage sale places, don't expect much.

You'll find formulas helpfull, and you can plug in values. Then think about the market.

Cost of the steel (market price) in square inches x 2.
Price per inches of cut. Anywhere from $.05 to $.15.
Number of pierces. Anywhere from $.05 to $.25.
Finishing. Material plus shop rate.

And that is for 2 dimensional work. You've got more than that going. Add in more shop time.

Post your values for the above parameters and let's see how the cutters here would price it.
That ought to be interesting.

[cvmetalman]

Thank you for the insight. We have a large number fabrication shops that do primarily industrial applications. I will have to sit down or have the students figure out the number of pierces and inches. Actually it would be a great activity for estimating. A couple things they've been gaining since the purchase of the machine, is a more efficient use of material and the realization of how much goes into creating a product. It has been a great learning tool.

[AnotherDano]

Thank you for the insight. We have a large number fabrication shops that do primarily industrial applications. I will have to sit down or have the students figure out the number of pierces and inches. Actually it would be a great activity for estimating. A couple things they've been gaining since the purchase of the machine, is a more efficient use of material and the realization of how much goes into creating a product. It has been a great learning tool.

That's an excellent project for the students. My son has a MFA (Glass blowing). They taught him all about glass, characteristics and techniques, but not one class on the 'business side' or how to make a living at it.

I don't know your software, but they all should have some mechanism to display lines of cut. The pierces, I just count by hand. (Plasmacam). Clicking on a line changes it's color helping me not lose count.

[jmsrbrt]

What would a sign like this would generally cost?

As it sits, I'd probably sell it for $175-$200 but I'm not considering the time to weld the 5 animals and 6 letters to the larger piece. Bob

[north shore fab]

why does the big sheet in the back have that heated torch look? some sheets i get my from supplier are like that and others are not. the ones with that "effect" dont seem to weld as good. maybe im wrong. any ideas?

[BrianMick]

why does the big sheet in the back have that heated torch look? some sheets i get my from supplier are like that and others are not. the ones with that "effect" dont seem to weld as good. maybe im wrong. any ideas?

what you are looking at is probably an a-36 hot rolled sheet, A cold roll sheet will not have heat marks or the tell tale mill scale that the hot roll has, that is why it probably does not weld as well...
Brian

[plain ol Bill]

Cold rolled should weld just as good as hot rolled. I believe the "blued" areas in the picture are just areas that have been heated to turn it blue.

[cvmetalman]

Cold rolled should weld just as good as hot rolled. I believe the "blued" areas in the picture are just areas that have been heated to turn it blue.

Although I'd like to say we are creative at times we didn't do that, it is the way the metal came from my supplier. It is Hot Rolled sheet. Would you suggest that we switch to cold rolled sheet?

[BrianMick]

If you are finishing this pc it depends on what you want to do with it, I use hot roll mostly but cold roll is some times easier to clean up and I think can cut nicer.. for what its worth
Brian

[AnotherDano]

Another difference between 'Art' and 'just sumthin ya made'.

A bottle of wine that costs six bucks just tastes good.
The bottle for a couple of hundreds has a delicate bouquet with the hint of earthiness and carries with it the delicate texture of... blah, blah, blah.

Take a lesson from the folks who make a fortune out of teasing the audience with the emotional BS. The coloring on the steel has been left in a natural state to celebrate the original form of the elements and the complex chemistry that makes it what is is.

That sounds better than 'I was too lazy to grind off the rust'.

That ought to increase the price by at least a factor of three.