Swinging Power & Air Reels

[bad_idea]

That is a high cost for the average home owner. Being that many of the people who would have use for that are the kind of person who say "I could make that". I would suggest you sell a series of kits. The first kit being just the ACAD drawings, the second kit being all of the "specialized widgets" so the average guy could cut and weld the square tube and still make it on their own.

I don't know what kind of profit you would make, but if you could mail me a "kit" that I could buy the square tube and make it myself I would probably pay $100. I mean no insult as I realize your price to make one is $435. I am just voicing my 'average working stiff' budget. Would you still make a fair profit by making the specialized parts and instructions available in a kit?

 

[cnc-me]

When I made these I took notes, and made some sketches with the intention
of making drawings to sell as a kit like you were saying.
I know my price is a to steep for most guys, but I have enough other stuff to do,
and don't care to make any, unless I get a good price for them.
Sometime after the first of the year, I will make up the drawings, so hang in there.

 

[e-tek]

Georgeous!!!
But too much for my budget!

 

[gahrajmahal]

Hi CNC-ME, putting on my old " engineer" cap this is how I would reverse engineer this. This design is what I would call "stick built". Doing it the way you did is perfect for one or two pieces.
The negative aspects of doing it this way is too much labor. The other is no dedicated fixture for positioning for welding. Dissimilar materials also add to the cost, flat stock, angle and square tube. You also have cutting, drilling and machining. I did not check, but I bet you have different size bolts and fasteners.
To salvage your stick built design, you can minimize the different material shapes. Have some of the stock cut to size. You have to find out what quantity this makes sense. Standardize your stock size where you can. Get a handle on your welding supply costs. Your welding supplier can help you there. Minimize your machining requirements. Build a fixture to hold the loose pieces while you weld them. This type of engineered part works well for a production of around 20 units or so. I'd like to see your material cost point around the 50$ mark. Add your labor hours at your hourly rate. Don't forget to add in some overhead for the shop, electricity, rent and a sandwich for lunch! With that as your cost, I usually double that for my sales price.
A better way is a redesign using the concept and dimensions. This would be for more of a expected volume around 100 sales per year. Your main investment will be your engineering hours spent redesigning it, like one of the previous posters said. Made from flat stock, laser cut and formed by an outside source. Pre-painted and assembled by you. This will get your price to the customer down and should increase the volume. But now you need to do a good job marketing this cool product. You are spending time doing that, and not spending time workin in the garage.
Just my .02 worth, and how I presented these proposals to my clients in the past. Whatever you do, have fun and keep solving those problems in a creative way.

 

[Responder]

Very nice work! As e-tek and others have stated, a bit pricey for the average home shop. BUT, this unit definately has a place in a commercial shop and it is much easier to justify a cost like that. At the $425 + shipping, I doubt that you would have an issue supplying tire shops, heavy duty repair shops etc.

Maybe making one and putting it up at a local shop with your telephone number would get the ball rolling......

I did read that you are busy enough and don't want to build them unless you can make some money at it. Looks like you have great fab talent and people like yourself are worth their weight in gold.

Let us know how the plans are coming along.

 

[sberry]

I agree with re-design to make it a lot cheaper and mig to speed the welding.

 

[JayL]

The work of a Pro.

 

[jocool1585]

Like Responder said - your price point is right on for the commercial market. PM me - I have some contacts at a US company that manufacturers all types of similar equipment.

 

[bobadame]

I'm sorry, I just don't get the point of having one of these. What is the $400 advantage over simply mounting the reels on the wall?

 

[mdbeck1]

I'm sorry, I just don't get the point of having one of these. What is the $400 advantage over simply mounting the reels on the wall?

You mount the jig on the wall next to the door. You can use the reels in the garage but if you need to work on the drive you can swing it around and point them out the door (it's a pain to pull the hoses around the corner and you have the potential to damage them on rough corners).

Personally I think it's a neat idea (that I might steal).

 

[sberry]

I think its a good idea. I have a reel out front so I don't have to open big doors in front of building in inclimate weather but my side door I use in better weather is served by the reel I post in the pic, use the same reel in that area inside, one does it all.

 

[bobadame]

I guess if I needed reels outside I'd just mount them outside. $435. for a bracket would buy a few Chinese reels. In the end, they're still Chinese reels. I guess thats why I just coil my hoses and up cords in big loops. Seems to me less to fight with.

 

[sberry]

Believe it or not reels have their place. As good as the intent is to hang them up something about a reel is such a huge asset even if it is psychological for the most part, my hoses were always on the floor and tripped over till I got reels, even though it can be done other ways when the reel is available people tend to use it.

 

[Redpower]

CNC-Me, Did you ever get around to making the CAD drawings? I'd really be interested in buying a set when you've finished.

 

[skulldrinker]

Looks like something you'd expect to see in an Eastwood catalog. I really don't have room on my walls to hang a reel. He's my primitive alternative method in use at the moment.

 

[steel 35]

This was hard enough, took me months just to get started. & yep those were practice holes in the wall

 

[sberry]

I have done this before, its harder than it first looks.