Doc Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Just seen this person on E-Bay selling piers and pier adapter plates if anyone wants one. />http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/astrotec-limited/m.html?_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6045347754830804052&item=320834773263&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trksid=p4340.l2562 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red dwalf Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 good spot Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bryndalf Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Is it just me or do most piers seem expensive? Im not sure what to expect but for a metal tube, a base and a few strips welded i would have thought it would be quite cheap?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red dwalf Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 (edited) they are expensive, i`ve seen them for over £500, if i could get a length of pipe i would have a go at making my own Edited February 6, 2012 by red dwalf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 Metal pipe is expensive to buy, maybe a lot cheaper from a scrap dealer but I've never looked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Most stockist will only supply full lengths, at 6.5 metres. It is expensive, and some are now checking steel prices daily, like they do copper for a retail price. What sort of diameter and wall thickness in steel pipe would you need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red dwalf Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 i think about 6" in diameter should do it, not sure about thickness but i don`t think it has to be too think, idea is to fill them with kiln dried sand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bryndalf Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Maybe If a few people are interested we can get a length and cut it down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 That's what Noel did - dunno who he's split it with but I was standing on it at last years summer bbq in his garden lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tweedledum Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I think this chap goes by 'STEELFIXER' on SGL. He does most small bits for free, he sent me a bar to convert my AZ3 to dovetail, with all the drilling etc and postage, made from my drawing. I did send him some beer vouchers ! Could not find a direct comparison for steel costs of 150mm but 2m of 139mm * 6mm is £80, then weld ,strut supports top plate and powder coat. So £275 is probably not bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 He uses 1250 x 150 x 6 Tube with one 300 mm diameter x 10 mm base and a 250mm diameter x 10mm top all drilled and welded with webbing and painted for £275 I think it's pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tweedledum Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Mods, I would suggest that Graham is someone we should ask to be an approved trader on the forum. Especially for his modding skills and turning out bits that you just cannot buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted February 7, 2012 Author Share Posted February 7, 2012 OK Damian I'll have a word with the other mods. How well do you know him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tweedledum Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 HI Mick, From SGL, he has done bits for others. Asked for quote to my drawing came back FOC did not even ask for postage (could not do that so sent some cash). Seems a genuine nice chap in my email conversations, I would put in the same bracket as Alan from Skies The Limit - he shipped me a 2" diag to South Wales before paying. Cheers Damian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bryndalf Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Ive looked into the pipe and your right its expensive! Cutting and welding (and getting it right) adds, so I stand corrected it does look a good price. Now to start saving....again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Graham Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Good morning Folks. I hope you do not mind but I have been reading through this thread with interest. It is great to get an inside view of what people think. Please allow me to give you the view from the other side of the fence. I find when looking at the cost of something everyone and that include 'me' fails to see the invisible costs involved. Things like - To create a round plate you have to pay for the square piece of steel it is cut out of. The cost of welding has gone through the roof in recent times - a bottle of gas for the mig welder is now over £90.00 for a refill. Mig wire is now over £40.00 a reel. Add to that the rent, rates and electric for the workshop. The wear and tear on tools ect. I actually make about £50.00 on each pier. Which when you divide that by the number of hours it takes to make one works out less than the minimum wage. I hope this gives you a better understanding of what is involved. Many thanks. Graham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bryndalf Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Hi Graham, of course your very right, its all about perception. In my head it was me doing the work with 10 year old prices for metal and welding supplies Coupled with the fact that when your selling them you have to make sure they look good as well as being functional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Graham Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Hi Bryn. Thanks for that. The real killer in all this has to be the fact that the price of steel has gone up over 40% in the past couple of years. In fact it became so bad it was cheaper to construct buildings using Oak than steel. The situation became so crazy a couple of years ago the price I was getting paid for the scrap was more than I was paying for new steel. This didn't last for long as the new stock price soon overtook the price of scrap. Where it will all end I have no idea. The joke of it is the Chineese buy up our scrap turn it into goods and then sell it back to us for less than the price of what we can buy the steel to make the same goods. Sorry this is turning into a rant I will stop before I give myself a coranary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tweedledum Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Hi Graham, Folk often have a percieved cost, anything now that has any type of material cost has rocketed. Most scrap goes to China, paper to India & China. There's nothing 'green' about having a £100,000, 9mpg vehicle picking up a tonne of paper on a 52 mile round trip, shipping it halfway across the world for it to be sold back to manufacture . (large catalogues the worst offender)! Thats better, second rant.. Oh noooo And don't even get me started about running shipping (redundant tankers) onto the beaches of western india to be scrapped.... I still want a pillar !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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