Project Specific Thread: Welding Shops

[TS-Off-Road]

TS Offroad,in the picture of your tubing racks,did you bend the arms out of tube and weld to some angle or channel uprights? I need to make some for my shop and I can't tell exactly what you have,but want to copy them. Thanks.

I sure did! - 1.75" x .120 DOM round and 2" x 2" x.120 square tube. I like 'em because they hug the wall nicely and have no sharp corners or ends sticking out to bang against.

[Pitalplace]

And here is my dream come true, 40 x 64 with 14ft. side wall. One 18x12 roll up. Second picture is of the main work bench area. I also like to try to clean up at night, but it don't always happen.

[HMW]

So I'm curious why you, and SSS, haven't shown any pics. Since SSS started the thread and all.

I will take some, had to go on vacation first. You know, most important things first Maybe take some next couple of days. Got a new digital camera so will have to see how it does. Some of the guys on here really have some neat shops, cool equipment and trucks.

[HMW]

This is the building I'm fixin to move into. when I get it set up I will post pics. Dave

Looks like that will make you a nice building

[fun4now]

dabar39
that looks like its going to be a realy nice shop.
good looking trailors getting built there, how do you manage to compeat with the big builders ?? i looked into building one onece and the parts and steel alown were about 2X the price of the ones on the market
i supose you just build a better trailor and sell to thouse willing to pay for quality???

[dabar39]

how do I compete?

fun4now, you ask how I compete, well fact of the matter is I don't even try.

I live and work in a relatively small town, with no real industry to speak of. There is only one other trailer builder in this area and he focuses on the enclosed trailers. I can't come any where close to the prices of the big guys' , but I don't worry much about that. If a customer tells me he can get a trailer I'm offering for 1600.00 in Georgia for 1100.00 I tell them to go right ahead. I also tell them to factor in the travel time and expenses and their bargain isn't such a bargain any more. Another thing in my favor is that I build each trailer to order and can easily make modifications to the buyers needs. In other words each and every trailer is a custom build to some degree, and my customers seem to appreciate the ability to have what they want built over settling for what the other guys have pre built on there lots. As for the price of materials, I spend untold amounts of time on the computer looking for vendors who are willing to compete and gain my business. If you build one at a time the price per trailer build averages about 600.00 in materials, if I order for 5 or 6 at a time the price per build goes down to about 400.00 for materials. It baffles me every day how prices fluctuate so much for each demogrphic area, for example I get my steel through a vendor who has to travel over 100 miles for about a third less than the local guys and also I get all my trailer parts from Arkansas cheaper (with shipping included) than I can from the big guys in the area. In fact if any one needs to get trailer parts let me know and I will pass my vendors info to them. Dave

[HMW]

If you dont mind dabar, who is your supplier? Do they sell Dexter axle parts. Brakes..etc? Thanks

[dabar39]

Hmw

I will send you some contact info through private message, and no, they can either supply you with their parts or buy one of their shop built axles. Same quality as dexter but better price. dave

[HMW]

Will the brake parts replace Dexter brake parts? I'll check them out I do more repairs than building new like you do so I'm always looking for replacement parts.

Thanks

[dabar39]

will they fit

They use the same flanges and backing plates as Dexter and the brake parts are all interchangeable. Check your private messages and give them a call, I don't think you will be disappointed with them. Dave

[HMW]

I finally got around to using the new camera. I built this building about 12 yrs ago. Its 30'x40' with 12' ceilings and a 14'x30' car port for the boat. Even though I do this as a side job its still not big enough [my real job is shop foreman for an electric utillity fleet repair shop] . I would like to add on 40'x40' with 16' ceilings. When i work on a Line truck or large piece of equipment it wont fit in the shop.I don't do alot of new fabrication like a alot of guys on here, almost all my work is equipment repair. Like the transmission thats sitting on the tool box in front of the shop has a crack in it. That sort of stuff. I also do hydraulic work. I have a press and stock some hyd hose and ends. The bobcat 225D in the pic, i use for outside work. I don't do any road work so it has wheels on it to move it around. I use the TIG most it seems. Almost always aluminum. Also have 2 migs, one with pulsed spool gun.

thanks to everyone for sharing their pics. Its cool to see all the ideas

[fun4now]

well i think HMW if proof that no mater how much space you have you seem to fill it up and want/need more. great looking shop guy, thanks for sharing it with us.
i just picked up a wood lath yesterday and it just pushed home the fact i realy need to get my 2 shops conected and get power and a floor in the new one.
just never enough time, $$, or space. i supose thats just life for us guys with shop's no matter who it is.

[HMW]

fun4now

And if your like me, its hard to sell anything. Especially a piece of equipment

[fun4now]

never sell a tool, bad, bad, no tool selling. sell the kids if ya have to but keep the tools.
i lerned a long time ago not to sell tools or lend them out, if you sell it you will need it the fallowing week for shore. if you lend it out, it eather woint come back or it will be broke when it dose.
if any one needs one of my tools and they are werthy of actualy lending too i will go with the tool and use it for them or atleast help and inshore its used right and comes home with me.
although most of the people i know that are werth helping eather have there own tools or dont know how to use them any way so i end up using it.
if its my older brother asking i know he will break it so i have to do it or just tell him no.

[reelmanKS]

shops

Kris here, I have a 30'x40' shop to work out of. small to medium fabrications. Been doing doing this kind of work for three years now and have had only one customer the whole time keeping me very busy for all three years. there was a thread awhile back about looking for extra work or customers, if you have a big manufactering company in your area, try getting your foot in the door for their maintance dept. they might be like the company that uses me and farm out projects because it is cheaper to have it built outside the plant then to pay their people to make it and have a ton of hours in a simple project. Here are some pics of the shop. Thanks for looking. Kris