A letter to my local metal shop...

[Finnigan]

Dear so-called-engineering shop,

I'm sorry its taken me so long to write this, but I feel that a little bit of patience in life goes a long way -unfortunately in your case, a metric fuck ton of patience got me no where-. I understand that you may not understand exactly the look I was going for when I asked you to cut the rear hoop off my frame and weld on a new one, so it wasn't much of a bother to bring in 5 different photos showing every possible angle.

I also understand that "cut off the tab here, here and here" may not translate to your shop's fabricator, or who ever the hell you let near the angle grinder, so I don't mind coming in and showing you exactly what I would like to see. By the way: 'flush with the frame' doesn't mean take the paint off and leave half the tab on to make it look like a metal toothed woodchuck decided to have its way with it.

Oh whats that? You don't have the equipment to bend tubes? Not a big deal, I'll just order exactly what I need from Dime City Cycles. For future reference please don't act like a U-shaped tube of metal is the coolest and most innovative thing you've ever seen in front of your clients...its unprofessional and makes me feel sorry for you.

Finally I apologize for trying to plan ahead and schedule an appointment with another company that I want to upholster my seat before you were finished. It was wrong of me to assume you'd have done the work I'd asked you to do over 6 weeks ago and I would at least know the length of the seat I needed by now. For this, I am genuinely sorry.

To recap: I appreciate the mangled and half-ass mess you made of my once structurally sound frame. I have provided you with as many materials and help along the way but sometimes its just time to buy my own fucking welder and get shit done on my own.

...its not me, its you :'(

Finn

 

[Hoofhearted]

"on my own" The perfect answer to most if not all problems. Instead of depending on some dipshit who doesn't share your vision do it yourself. That way you know it will be done right and if you screw up you'll know why and have only yourself to yell at. I really hate depending on people to do what I can do myself. I'd prefer to do a mediocre job myself than pay through the nose and wait for someone to do it for me.

 

[Drewski]

Ya, I only let guys that I know and trust work on my machines. If I'm venturing into the unknown, I'll do it myself. If it's gonna get screwed up, I'd rather only have myself to blame for the mess!! :

Unfortunately, there are a lot of butchers out there. :'(

 

[stroker crazy]

And the advantage of doing it yourself is that when you screw up, you've learned something. When someone else screws up the only lesson learned is to do it yourself.

As Drewski says, exceptions are made for people you know and trust.

Crazy

 

[Cafe_to_go]

Lol good letter, hope it's read by the shop executives.

 

[reds]

Ya, I only let guys that I know and trust work on my machines. If I'm venturing into the unknown, I'll do it myself. If it's gonna get screwed up, I'd rather only have myself to blame for the mess!! :

Unfortunately, there are a lot of butchers out there. :'(

And the advantage of doing it yourself is that when you screw up, you've learned something. When someone else screws up the only lesson learned is to do it yourself.

As Drewski says, exceptions are made for people you know and trust.

Crazy

With that being said, educate yourself and know your limitations as a novice. You may blame yourself when your part fails as you did it yourself, but the person you hurt or hurts you because it failed will also be blaming you.

Not all fabrication shops are the same just because they deal with metal and have welders. Some specialize in structural, some industrial, some custom and prototyping.......
Not every welder/fabricator can replace the rockers or rear quarters of a car and do a nice or proper job of it. Always try to go to someone who knows and understands the basic concept of what you are trying to achieve. Basically, if the guy knows a bit about bikes and has probably tinkered with one vs some guy that doesn't even really know what he is looking at when you bring your frame in, I would have more confidence in getting it done right by the guy who is in the know. Good luck

 

[bradj]

first off it took me three hours to calm down enuff to post on this thread after i read it. fuck it here goes

here is a idea dont shit where you eat if your at a point in your skills where your asking for help with a rear hoop and a detab it may be a good idea to go get your bike and take it home and play nice with the locals. a year or two from now they may save your ass with a broken bolt or press work or what ever, dont fool your self into thinking your there biggest client most fab shop i know of wouldnt of even took your work. im not saying they where correct or just in the actions or lack there of but your in a spot where you need them more than they need you

if i got talked to in that manner i would lose my job and a frame would be reduced to a pile of scrap
im not tring to call you out by any means but blue collar guys dont work harder or faster if there
talked down to by someone using there money as a microphone

im a fab guy by trade and ive build things for dtt members befor and will in the future if you need something ill help but you may need to get over your self a little

 

[Finnigan]

bradj I'm not talking down to anyone. this shop promised me results and continue to disappoint. I put this funny letter up on the forum to let off some steam and laugh about the whole situation. If I had a garage or space to do this I'd invite all you guys over for beer and a kickback while we all learn how to weld a frame but when I take it to a "professional" I at least expect the bare amount of work to be done. I'm nothing but cordial to this shop and know that kindness goes further than the stupid shit in the fake letter. If you were local I'd bring it to you in a heartbeat but for now this just is what it is.

Didn't mean to offend ANYONE, after a while all you can do is shake it off with something innocent like this.

 

[bradj]

Kool man it seem i was under the wrong impression

 

[Finnigan]

No stress brother

 

[Hichhkrjo]

Here's my story that sort of relates:
I wanted to weld in some lengths of metal to cradle a battery and wiring (relocate the battery and clean up the body, you know how it is), and add a hoop onto the my frame. I went back and forth between buying a welder and doing it all myself or hiring someone else to do it, and finally I decided that since a strong frame is so integral to not disintegrating on the freeway, I would hire someone who actually knew what they were doing, instead of learning how to weld on something so important. Once I had settled on that, I set to finding someone I wanted to work on the bike. I had just moved to the area, so I had zero idea of where to go, or pricing for something like that. So I asked around where I work and came to learn that one of my co-workers' uncles was an out of work (due to the economy, not his skills) professional welder with years and years of experience and his own machine and tools in his garage, and would do the job super cheap for me, as long as I supplied the hoop. I figured this meant that this would be a friendly, you-scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-yours deal, so I agreed, bought a hoop (and paid extra so the round end 'flipped' up), and set up a date and time, and we agreed that it would cost somewhere in the $80-$100 range. Now, my bike doesn't run, and I don't have a truck, so transporting my bike to this guy's house meant I had to rent one. This meant I had to find and pay for renting a truck, pick it up, drive it to my place, load up my bike, drive it all down to this guy's garage, etc etc, and then pay for gas (I mention this to show how huge of a pain in my ass it was to rent a truck). I got to the guy's house and before I could even get the bike out of the truck (literally) he started spouting off about how, now that he could see the bike, the job would be more in the $250 range to do what I wanted, and it might take a couple days. Not only did I NOT have that money, I had only rented the truck for the one day. I was super pissed, obviously, but I had to choose to either take my bike back home (meaning I paid for the truck rental for nothing) or pay the extra money and get it all done. Eventually we settled on $160 for the work, done in one day, but only for the hoop, nothing else. So then I unloaded the bike and showed him EXACTLY how I wanted to hoop welded on (with the 'flip up' of the hoop- check out DCC's bikes for an example), we shook hands, and I was on my way to hang out with some friends. A bit later I got a text telling me the work was done, so I went to pick up the bike. That's when I (of course) found out that he had welded it completely wrong (it was flat, not flipped up, thus wasting the extra money I paid for the flipped up hoop), the work looked shitty, and I was not happy at all. But because I had decided to do this in some stranger's garage for cash money, I couldn't really argue it, so I just smiled and said how great a job it was, and chalked it up to a HUGE failure on my part. The flat hoop works, even though it wasn't what I wanted, and it sucks that I still have to figure out the battery box and whatnot, but in the end, it was a lesson learned, and this being my first build, I've wasted hundreds of dollars anyway, so what's a little more? In the end, I ended up spending like, $275-ish if I remember right. $160 for the welding, 80-ish for the truck, and 35-ish to fill the truck's gas tank up again. To this day I dunno if that's a fair price for a welding job, but fuck it, it's done now.
Anyway, I only mention this here to say I'm with you, man. It seems like you got even more fucked than me (six weeks?!), but in a few months it will just be a shitty memory.
Now, if I could only find someone to do all the electrical work, I'd be finished with this bitch. ANY TAKERS?? No? ...sigh...

 

[Finnigan]

Sorry to hear about that! I guess we all have a story like that, and even though they are expensive lessons we learn them and never make them again. I only wish I had someone to show me how to do this the first time around. I do as much on my bike as my studio apt will allow and when I bite the bullet and throw down some money (after saving up for weeks) its assumed I dont know what I'm doing and will settle for iffy workmanship or because I have cash I'm a chump

Oh well though, one day I'll have my own workshop and be telling these stories to some young guy who is trying to get into motorcycles. 8)

 

[axelcrypt]

Ever seen a Honda with the wings on backwards on a repainted gas tank? I have. Twice. You really do need to make sure when you go to a pro for work that they know something about bikes.

 

[neevo]

Hence why I choose to do nearly everything myself

 

[Autotek]

After a few rants myself, my fiance said to me, "why do you pay someone to do what you can do?" I decided to try a little harder. The straw that broke the camels back was carb work for me. A local shop had charged me 400 to clean a rebuild a set on a bike a few years ago and long story short, they filled them with grey sealing goo and the bike would barley start, until I cleaned them myself. There are still a few things I only trust to pros but for me it was a matter of just doing it, and once you have, the next time is easier. I tend to invest in tools and books and I spend a lot of time staring and trying to will things to work IMO welding is something every man should do, like hunting , invest in a welder and practice. It is incredibly fun and rewarding.

 

[smajure]

Hell, I will teach someone how to cook if they could "learn" me how to weld....
I need some work done right now and I am deathly afraid of what I may get when I go out looking

 

[Autotek]

Are you trying to buy a machine or find a person to weld? If you are looking for a machine I recommend a wire feed with gas, (not flux core no wire) it just works better and is worth the money. If you buy new you will need to spend 500-600 for machine and bottle. I have a small Lincoln that a have used the piss out of for 10 years now and it is running strong.

 

[smajure]

I was speaking of finding a welder in relation to the subject of this thread. I wish I was closer to some of you guys with welding experience so I could learn how to do the work myself. aside from that, welding in my apartment wouldn't be very conducive to keeping my lease.

 

[Autotek]

Yea sorry, I often forget about these type of limitations. I guess I take for granted having a working space.

 

[smajure]

I often dream of leasing a large garage and living in it. Just like Rutger Hauer's Garage loft in Wanted: Dead or Alive