Learning the Trade: Any Thoughts?

[Ggmac]

Well sometimes the work far exceeds the value of the firearm or what the manufacturer would charge . After all a one time set up or hand checkering a stock is time consuming and at my pre retirement labor rate of $40-60 per hour ( 10 yrs ago ) you could easily have $500 in a stock . Not counting the bedding , pillars , paint etc .
And God forbidyou make a mistake , time to start over on your dime .
Today I hade a call , wanted to know if I could remove a 700 factory barrel , I said sure , then he tells me his smith will thread it but doesn't have the tools to remove . What ? OK . $150 to remove , and be able to reuse a factory barrel , no marks . He got quiet , and asked why so much , I simply said I assume all the responsibility , so you can take it to someone who uses a die to thread the barrel cause he's cheaper ?
Go figure , guess who buys him a new barrel if it slips , rechambers it cut the threads reblue ,etc
Gary

 

[Ggmac]

The more I think about the original question , I think if I had to do it over , I'd be a plumber .

 

[hogpatrol]

The more I think about the original question , I think if I had to do it over , I'd be a plumber .

If I had to do it over, I'd be an electrician. Fifty bucks worth of hand tools in a leather pouch, a meter and you're done versus THOUSANDS of dollars in measuring instruments, tooling aids and tool boxes not to mention lifetime learning.

 

[shortgrass]

The more I think about the original question , I think if I had to do it over , I'd be a plumber .

Or an electrician, or a programer, or deeply into robotics, or............ The problem's not the work, I do enjoy it as I can 'pick and choose' what I'll do and what I won't. The 'pain' is the general public and their, often misinformed ideas, of what can be done and what should not be done. Tell any male around these parts that he doen't know what he's talking about when it comes to firearms and you'd get a lesser reaction if you insulted his manhood! Thank God for repeat customers and referals from them.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

My favorite phrase is "all you gotta do is..." Thats when im like chris christie and say here it comes!

 

[shortgrass]

If I had to do it over, I'd be an electrician. Fifty bucks worth of hand tools in a leather pouch, a meter and you're done versus THOUSANDS of dollars in measuring instruments, tooling aids and tool boxes not to mention lifetime learning.

Get deep enough in to electricity and it could turn in to a "life time of learning". SCRs, vector drives, stuff I never even heard or thought of........

 

[Ggmac]

And let's not forget the liability insurance long after you retire .

 

[savagedasher]

And let's not forget the liability insurance long after you retire .

I will tell you how to make a small fortune in gun smithing

Start with a Big One

 

[Cold Bore]

True 'gunsmithing' is much more than machine work. Your a machinist, a repairman. a metal finisher and a wood worker.

Excellent point.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

And let's not forget the liability insurance long after you retire .

That applies to many trades.

 

[savagedasher]

Excellent point.

Those skills are a thing of the past . Take a old gun to them that needs a part made and see the answer you get. Larry

 

[shortgrass]

Those skills are a thing of the past . Take a old gun to them that needs a part made and see the answer you get. Larry

Is the "old gun" worth making a part for, or just a piece of junk? That, and a price esimate will determine what happens next. If it's a piece of junk, and they 'push' me for a price, I'll price it so high they'll leave. I've told many, "sorry, not interested in working on that"."Grandpas' gun" is the worst. I don't do restorations. Besides, "Grandpa' must not have thought much of it, ,,otherwise, he'd have not used it to hold the door open on the chicken house, year round. If you can't educate them any other way you can certainly educate them throuh their wallet! One off, handmade parts need to be priced accordingly. I think one of the last I made was that screw with the thumb lever head that holds the sideplates to the frame/stock on a AyA 20g. Worth fixing. You can't buy it without sending it back to the factory in Spain. The gunsmith that hand fitted all the parts and assembled that shotgun made that screw with the thumb lever head . Each I've seen appears to be an "individual", no two identical. Those skills are not a thing of the past. They're taught every day in the accredited gunsmithing schools (Trinadad, Pittsburg, Troy,N.C., and several others). It's a matter of "want to" and how to approch the task. It's the kind of thing, few who'll learn on their own, will undertake. Many with a diploma won't undertake such projects after leaving school. It's all about the mindset of the individual. If it can't be made on a machine in 20 miutes, most Americans aren't interested in doing it. Patients,,,,,, and bit off know-how... That AyA was probably a $4500-$5000 shotgun,,,,,, worth a $250 hand made part to make it complete, again.

 

[savagedasher]

Is the "old gun" worth making a part for, or just a piece of junk? That, and a price esimate will determine what happens next. If it's a piece of junk, and they 'push' me for a price, I'll price it so high they'll leave. I've told many, "sorry, not interested in working on that"."Grandpas' gun" is the worst. I don't do restorations. Besides, "Grandpa' must not have thought much of it, ,,otherwise, he'd have not used it to hold the door open on the chicken house, year round. If you can't educate them any other way you can certainly educate them throuh their wallet! One off, handmade parts need to be priced accordingly. I think one of the last I made was that screw with the thumb lever head that holds the sideplates to the frame/stock on a AyA 20g. Worth fixing. You can't buy it without sending it back to the factory in Spain. The gunsmith that hand fitted all the parts and assembled that shotgun made that screw with the thumb lever head . Each I've seen appears to be an "individual", no two identical. Those skills are not a thing of the past. They're taught every day in the accredited gunsmithing schools (Trinadad, Pittsburg, Troy,N.C., and several others). It's a matter of "want to" and how to approch the task. It's the kind of thing, few who'll learn on their own, will undertake. Many with a diploma won't undertake such projects after leaving school. It's all about the mindset of the individual. If it can't be made on a machine in 20 miutes, most Americans aren't interested in doing it. Patients,,,,,, and bit off know-how... That AyA was probably a $4500-$5000 shotgun,,,,,, worth a $250 hand made part to make it complete, again.

Those are skills of so called gun smiths don't have. Now all it takes to be a gun smith is a lathe and a mill with a dro. It's ashame but a fact. Larry

 

[Ggmac]

Sorry to disagree , a smith if he , she wants to make money , must be well versed , or he will fail . Be it in court or financially , a parts Manufact is not a smith , a parts installer is not a smith . With all those that call themselves smiths and open shop , I ll bet money that , in my lifetime I'll see the proof houses and mandatory testing , before any one can call themselves a smith . I never thought I would agree with that but the more I read in forums and see what people bring in , I can't help to consider it .
It happened to the automotive trade . It can happen if we don't self govern .
Gary

 

[Bully]

In case any body cares, I am in process of buying a barrel. It's a Savage take off. So, I won't be chambering/threading the chamber end. I will be, however cutting and threading the muzzle end. I feel a bit better about that than going so big to start. I'll build what I want and get the $$$ together for doing the rest of it a bit later.

 

[savagedasher]

Sorry to disagree , a smith if he , she wants to make money , must be well versed , or he will fail . Be it in court or financially , a parts Manufact is not a smith , a parts installer is not a smith . With all those that call themselves smiths and open shop , I ll bet money that , in my lifetime I'll see the proof houses and mandatory testing , before any one can call themselves a smith . I never thought I would agree with that but the more I read in forums and see what people bring in , I can't help to consider it .
It happened to the automotive trade . It can happen if we don't self govern .
Gary

Gary When I was younger a gun smith had A certified license above his desk.
My trade I was a mechanic we had to repair and make things work and find out why they didn't.
Like the old gun smiths.
Now we have technicians and they are certified . But are nothing but part installers Just like most of the so called gun smiths.
Larry

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Gary When I was younger a gun smith had A certified license above his desk.
My trade I was a mechanic we had to repair and make things work and find out why they didn't.
Like the old gun smiths.
Now we have technicians and they are certified . But are nothing but part installers Just like most of the so called gun smiths.
Larry

Larry, your funny. If I could work on classics all day I would in a heart beat. Rebuilding calipers and carburetors, wiring schematics that take up a single page, HA. That was basic stuff. The average guy could do most of his own work. Now, its a whole different job. You would be totally lost. And who are all these parts installer smiths you speak of? Kind of like slapping a Savage together and selling it for 3k?

 

[savagedasher]

Larry, your funny. If I could work on classics all day I would in a heart beat. Rebuilding calipers and carburetors, wiring schematics that take up a single page, HA. That was basic stuff. The average guy could do most of his own work. Now, its a whole different job. You would be totally lost. And who are all these parts installer smiths you speak of? Kind of like slapping a Savage together and selling it for 3k?

A classic to me is one that had poured rods or a cork clutch . And over size bearings you had to scrape fit. HaHa Larry

 

[X Ring Accuracy]

If I had to do it over, I'd be an electrician. Fifty bucks worth of hand tools in a leather pouch, a meter and you're done versus THOUSANDS of dollars in measuring instruments, tooling aids and tool boxes not to mention lifetime learning.

If I had it to do all over again, I would marry a rich old lady