While $120 maybe a lot for this, it's not out of line. I've been
fabricating for most of my life and I'm here to state that NOTHING like
this can be built in 10 minutes as a "one off". Even if you have the
tooling to punch out the metal and all of the materials at hand it can't be
done in 10 minutes. I have a very well equipped welding/machine shop and if
a customer walked in the door right this second and ordered one of these,
I'd estimated at least 2 hours to gather materials, layout and plasma cut,
punch holes, tack weld bolts and make a gasket. And if I don't have the
right metal, bolts, gasket material, etc. on hand then add the time for a
trip to pick them up. If I plan to make 50 of these then it's a different
story, but then I have to stock them and suffer the loss of use of that
money that is tied up in materials and labor until they are sold. The true
cost of building anything is far more than the cost of the material. I have
a heap of money in machinery, shop building, utilities, etc. that have to
added to the cost of everything that I sell. Otherwise, I just lose money.
I would charge at least the same amount to make one of these.
When someone says to me, "it will only take you 10 minutes to do that" (and
I've heard that often)...I say, "There's the shop. If you can make it in 10
minutes it's free, otherwise you pay me double shop rate"
Quinton

"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:sNN7c.132$pM.28@lakeread04...
WOW!!! $120 for a 6" aluminum plate, 8 bolts and a ring that I could
turn out in 10 minutes with $8 worth of material. I need to stop
selling anchors and spend more time in the shop!

Douglas Nikkila wrote:
Check out http://www.seabuilt.com/noflash.html. They make great access
plates. Even if you don't want to buy you will get some good ideas.

Douglas

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com