Ok guys, Had a guy on facebook asked me what I would sell these log cars per each without trucks. I never really sold stuff like this after I built it, so what should I set a price at?. I have about two hrs time maybe in each car. Need yer opinions fellas… thanks…
Travis, I guess that depends on; do you want to sell them? Do you want to end up making more to sell to the next guy who wants some?
2 hours per car, plus materials. What is your time worth?
Big problem. (In my estimation…not worth it). If he is a modeller then he can easily make them himself.
Probably a “chequebook modeller” ( I get loads askng me to build their lighting for a model aircraft ( a 10 yr old can do it)…so I don’t…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Yes, if I build something, its for someone I know, and with the caveat that I do not want to see the thing again. It would be a job to build models for a living, even if it was just a side job. I don’t need another job. My hobbies are my relaxing time, if they become a job, then I probably wont enjoy them anymore.
Travis,
From personal experience, I don’t recommend doing it. I did a similar item many years ago, and even though the model was not even hobby related, I didn’t touch my hobby for about 6 months. Took all the enjoyment my hobby provided away.
My suggestion is … if it is a business, treat it like a business. If it is a hobby, treat it like a hobby. But I don’t recommend trying to mix the two.
My Tuppence…
Bob C.
Nice job, Travis. I built twelve and a pal has four of 'em. They often feature on my Shay movies on Youtube. Cedar here in yUK is about as expensive as making them from gold bar, so I used basswood and painted mine.
Great thing about them is being able to make a couple in a single evening - if you are so inclined.
As for making them to sell, well, if a klutz like me can sling a couple together in a single evening, so can anybody else - present company excepted. They are not exactly rocket science to build, right? No fancy joints - in fact, not a single joint of any kind.
However, a hand-crafted artifact using cedar wood and brass - even without the trucks, has just GOT to be worth fifty bucks of anybody’s money…try out your pal with that and see what he thinks. 
tac
Ottawa Valley GRS