What to charge to thread a rod

[davidyat]

I normally don't charge friends or family to do something for them. However, a neighbor asked what I would charge their school to thread 24 rods with 3/8 - 24 threads at each end. And she will not let me do it for free. Any idea what I should charge?
Grasshopper

 

[larryg]

$20, Let her feel that she paid a fair price. That said, be careful that she doesn't supply you with some bastard material that will consume you and your tooling trying to do the job.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[davidyat]

I guess I should be more specific. 3/8-16 on both ends of 24 rods. 48 threadings. What would someone charge.
Grasshopper

 

[jkimberln]

It is still hard to determine the answer. Do you have to order and cut the material to length? Is it steel or aluminum, or what? Do you have a self opening die head for your lathe? I can see that job taking around a half hour or 3 hours, depending on various parameters. So anywhere from $25 to around $100.

 

[davidyat]

Thank you for your answers. If I'm lucky, it will be malleable steel. They are providing the rods. I'm just trying to figure out, will I use my 3/8-16 die or have to cut them on the lathe. I have done both. But at least you are giving me a starting point. I'm retired and this is a way to get through the boredom of Covid!!!
Grasshopper

 

[SmithDoor]

I would to a photo of part and your lathe.

Figuring the is simple

1) cost of die
2) cost new rod
3) labor to cut the rod
4) labor to thread rod

FYI. Fine threads are easy they do not spring chuck like course threads.

If was this course thread it will turn in a lathe chuck now three ways to stop rod from turning.
1) single point the thread over sizes and use die to finishing the thread.
2) use a collect
3) single point the thread.

I hope this helps
Dave

I normally don't charge friends or family to do something for them. However, a neighbor asked what I would charge their school to thread 24 rods with 3/8 - 24 threads at each end. And she will not let me do it for free. Any idea what I should charge?
Grasshopper

 

[kwoodhands]

I normally don't charge friends or family to do something for them. However, a neighbor asked what I would charge their school to thread 24 rods with 3/8 - 24 threads at each end. And she will not let me do it for free. Any idea what I should charge?
Grasshopper

I threaded 8 rods 5/8-11 . 1" on each end . Die cost about $15.00 . Had to turn down to .5625" x 1.032
on each end first. Then champher the end and thread with the die. Took 5 hours. Charged $ 100.00

 

[davidyat]

Thank you all for a lot of good advice.
Grasshopper

 

[Apprentice707]

Could she buy threaded rod from Lowes or Home Depot, in that way you would just need to cut to length and face. The stumbling block may be the 24 tpi, I don't think that is a stock thread.

 

[SmithDoor]

Could she buy threaded rod from Lowes or Home Depot, in that way you would just need to cut to length and face. The stumbling block may be the 24 tpi, I don't think that is a stock thread.

Yes it is 3/8" NF and is off shelf.
Some want just threads and the end only.

Dave

 

[Drawfiler]

With jobs like this remember that although it is your hobby this is still a business transaction. If you charge too little you will be expected to be a cheap source in the future, too much and you won’t get further work.
look at it like this, material + tooling + time, never work for less than 3x material cost and have an hourly rate that you expect to earn. Work out the time to do one component, I would face and chamfer all the ends, partly screwcut and finish with a button die in the tailstock under power. Change the component between operations not the tool, it is quicker that way. Time per end say, 5 minutes x 48 ends = 240 min or 4 hours. X your rate plus material +10 percent for scrap.
When you fix the rate just think what a commercial shop charges (think about a garage for instance) dont be frightened about asking for a reasonable price, probably no one else wants the job. Good luck

 

[Richard Hed]

I normally don't charge friends or family to do something for them. However, a neighbor asked what I would charge their school to thread 24 rods with 3/8 - 24 threads at each end. And she will not let me do it for free. Any idea what I should charge?
Grasshopper

How long are the threads? I wouldn't hesitate to take government $$ as they take too much from me, and I, being a liberal, believe in paying taxes, -- just not too much.

 

[goldstar31]

How long are the threads? I wouldn't hesitate to take government $$ as they take too much from me, and I, being a liberal, believe in paying taxes, -- just not too much.

In the words of the Queran:-
A small contribution to the tree that giveth forth food and shelter.


And If you believe that- Heaven help you.

 

[Richard Hed]

In the words of the Queran:-
A small contribution to the tree that giveth forth food and shelter.


And If you believe that- Heaven help you.

In order to have the roads, airports, sewers, water, electric we have to pay taxes, however, we have to pay taxes for fools whohave no business being in government, an overweaning beauracracy, police and military that do too little for too much--I for one want to pay less taxes for metal that's only purpose is to be blown into little bits so some military-industrial company can stay in business

 

[goldstar31]

But Richard, you forget that I'm over 82 years of age which was when conscription ended in the UK. As you said- I was 'blown to bits' and it only tool another 70 years for the Government to get me a pair of hearing aids. Being a technical man, you will appreciate that ear defenders should have been mandatory.
I didn't get any-= and in any event, the British ones were made out of ---WOOD.

Rule Britannia- verrry fine chap

 

[ian99]

For a small semi-friendly transaction like this I normally charge "a case of beer" and telling them that the next transaction will be at normal commercial rates.
If they object to alcohol, then to hell with them.

 

[MacKendrick]

Ask her for a not to a exceed price. If she gives it to you charge a little less. You will both be happy.

 

[awake]

This may not apply to anyone else ... for me personally, I refuse to charge for machine work because I want to keep this a hobby rather than letting it become a job. That also allows me to be more selective in what I take on, and how long I take to do it. I do have some friends who insist on bringing me some expensive coffee beans or other such gifts as a thank-you.

Again, just my personal thoughts: If someone in a school context were asking me to do this, I would hesitate simply because threading 48 rod ends is not a very enjoyable task for me. On a CNC lathe or a turret lathe or some other production equipment, it would be a 15 minute job. For me on my manual lathe, it could take a few hours depending on whether the rods needed to be turned down or trimmed to length. Even if I charged a full job-shop rate - let's say that's $100 - it frankly would not be worth it to me for the amount of time it would take me. Thus, I would only want to do it as a way of giving back. IF I decided to move forward with it, and she insisted on paying, I would charge the full rate, but then I would insist on discounting it on the bill as a charitable gift.

 

[tornitore45]

This job is for a school, consider it a donation to a civic cause.
If she wants to reward you in some way ask for a fruit basket or something similar.

My daughter is a science teacher, I have done lots of work for her class, if it raised some kid interest for science it was well worth it.

 

[Apprentice707]

Or get her to make an appropriate donation to your favourite charity.