Build or Buy?
- Thread starter Thumper68
- Start date
countryroad82
Well-known member
It always depends on what it is and how much time I have. Being that time is at a minimum for me I tend to just buy instead of build. Another one of my reasons is I get lazy with the finish work and just make it work and nowhere close to aesthetically pleasing.
I can understand that, Time is one of the major factors in any build/buy decision.
I can also understand the get it done enough to work and have been there many times myself, hence the reason why there is no corner trim on the shop, just never made time to do it.
I found that one thing that really helps me finish a project is to have everything on hand before I start, paint or what ever finishing touches it needs, then I don't have the excuse for not finishing.
Richard Cranium
Well-known member
Sorry thumper, the video is not working right now. I will try again later. Rich
countryroad82
Well-known member
I couldn't help but chuckle about having the materials to finish a project. Countless times I've told myself I have everything, no excuses...... only to make it work and be quasi happy with my results. My problem is final fitment and paint.
It's like a little while back I built a stand for my sheetmetal shear, the shear itself could use some rust removal and a fresh coat of paint to look as nice as it is, the stand was built from C channel I had laying around that had at one time been painted with (ugh) latex paint along with probably 20 other coats of various paints. What did I do as I welded it together? Ground off enough paint to get a good weld and ignore the rest
. I have the grinders, wire wheels, sandpaper, and crazy amounts of paint that I could make it look totally bada$$. It's the fact I have paying customers' cars that I took the time off to build this stand lined up that I should have been working on. Eventually I'll scrape the old paint off of it and do it right, it's just hard for me to force myself to do it when I've got paying jobs waiting for me. When I am slow, I would rather spend time with my girls which what I'm hoping for is my youngest to want to spend time at the shop with me when she's a little older, then I can put her to doing things such as that while I work on the money jobs. Or I can just wait until I retire........I guess that's my biggest problem, the fact my shop is a working/money making shop that I can't stand to stop and make look as nice as it could be. Heck the concrete was barely dry when I rolled the first totaled truck in there (only had a few lights operational along with most of the wiring unfinished) when I first built the shop!! It's been like that for the last 16 years that I should have done in the first place, finish out the shop then go to projects. Oh well, maybe one day I'll get it the way it should be!!
sberry
Banned
It isn't a hobby for me, I price it and even factor time on a lot of it. I had a spot where I was cash poor, I actually spent a year building equipment as I needed it. I tried to save 200 a day or more if I could. I cleaned a lot of materials as I went or prior to fab work.
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I couldn't help but chuckle about having the materials to finish a project. Countless times I've told myself I have everything, no excuses...... only to make it work and be quasi happy with my results. My problem is final fitment and paint.
It's like a little while back I built a stand for my sheetmetal shear, the shear itself could use some rust removal and a fresh coat of paint to look as nice as it is, the stand was built from C channel I had laying around that had at one time been painted with (ugh) latex paint along with probably 20 other coats of various paints. What did I do as I welded it together? Ground off enough paint to get a good weld and ignore the rest
I guess that's my biggest problem, the fact my shop is a working/money making shop that I can't stand to stop and make look as nice as it could be. Heck the concrete was barely dry when I rolled the first totaled truck in there (only had a few lights operational along with most of the wiring unfinished) when I first built the shop!! It's been like that for the last 16 years that I should have done in the first place, finish out the shop then go to projects. Oh well, maybe one day I'll get it the way it should be!!
I can see the need to put paying jobs in front of making a tool or tool accessory look good, I also agree that spending time with your kids is way more important then polishing stuff, as they get older you will have more time to finish stuff I know I have, my youngest almost 16 enjoys working on stuff in the shop as well, the hard part of that for me is not taking over his projects, I have to say to myself, point him in the right direction, answer his questions and leave him to it.
I guess I wasn't quite clear in that yes building stuff is a hobby for me but it is also my job I am lucky that they mesh so well.
I suppose it depends on what I'm building or buying. . . and the old adage, when you have time, you don't have money and when you have the money, you don't have the time.
...or however it goes.
...or however it goes.