Scratch Build Cost?

[Izzy]

For me the hobby is the build process - I sell what I build so that I don't have a ton of stuff laying about or to fund the next build. I do try to keep things reasonable but my interest in what I could do sometimes gets me in trouble..

for example - I had pulled some favors and had that grill made for the 20000 Freightliner for Freddy - if I had wne to a local machine shop and had that made it would have cost well over $2K since it was about 20 hours on a CNC wire EDM - not something we can do..... but since it was aspecial one off thing I had some favors built up and the guy was interested in doing it as much as me - therefore it got done. Unfortunately he left for greaner pastures and I have changed postions.....but the opportunity was there.


I know that cost is always a factor - but if you spread it out, barter for things and generaly be patient a custom build is rewarding - and like said previously - you will be lucky to get out of it a bit more than the materials you have put into it.

Chris