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What are you making? [Artsy farts and craftsy asses]

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    tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    like ok, speaking with a freelance artist hat on for a moment
    Charging very low prices doesn't just devalue your own work, it devalues that of other artisans. People generally don't understand the labour that goes into these things, and by setting the bar this low you're telling them that it ain't no thing, and they will keep this expectation going forward.

    Ultimately you should do what you feel comfortable with, and I appreciate that this being something of an experiment makes you reluctant to price your work at market value. But do make them understand that you are doing them a massive favour. And if you sell the second one, price it properly!

    (Honestly in these situations I almost feel it's better to make a gift of it than to undersell yourself so severely. It removes the transactional element so they don't feel like they got a 'fair' deal, and makes it easier to charge appropriately if they ask you for more work in the future. Whereas appearing to raise your prices 400% can cause people to get sniffy. But that's only if you can afford to take the hit, and you REALLY like them).

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    Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    It's weird

    my dog died and the way I'm taking my grief out is by doing a crafting project

    namely, making a punk vest out of an underused carhartt jacket

    cutting off the sleeves, darting it, trimming the lining

    14 years of friendship will do that to a man, I guess

    especially a young man who hasn't lost anyone so close before

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    DedwrekkaDedwrekka Metal Hell adjacentRegistered User regular
    tynic wrote: »
    like ok, speaking with a freelance artist hat on for a moment
    Charging very low prices doesn't just devalue your own work, it devalues that of other artisans. People generally don't understand the labour that goes into these things, and by setting the bar this low you're telling them that it ain't no thing, and they will keep this expectation going forward.

    Ultimately you should do what you feel comfortable with, and I appreciate that this being something of an experiment makes you reluctant to price your work at market value. But do make them understand that you are doing them a massive favour. And if you sell the second one, price it properly!

    (Honestly in these situations I almost feel it's better to make a gift of it than to undersell yourself so severely. It removes the transactional element so they don't feel like they got a 'fair' deal, and makes it easier to charge appropriately if they ask you for more work in the future. Whereas appearing to raise your prices 400% can cause people to get sniffy. But that's only if you can afford to take the hit, and you REALLY like them).

    I generally don't feel that I'm up to craftsman prices. I'm a hobbyist, and I don't feel that I should be pricing myself the same as people who could do it faster or with better craftsmanship, but have to charge more due to larger overhead. I'll let him know it's a steal, but I was the one who gave the figure, not him. He knows this is a friend deal already though.

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    Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Dedwrekka wrote: »
    tynic wrote: »
    like ok, speaking with a freelance artist hat on for a moment
    Charging very low prices doesn't just devalue your own work, it devalues that of other artisans. People generally don't understand the labour that goes into these things, and by setting the bar this low you're telling them that it ain't no thing, and they will keep this expectation going forward.

    Ultimately you should do what you feel comfortable with, and I appreciate that this being something of an experiment makes you reluctant to price your work at market value. But do make them understand that you are doing them a massive favour. And if you sell the second one, price it properly!

    (Honestly in these situations I almost feel it's better to make a gift of it than to undersell yourself so severely. It removes the transactional element so they don't feel like they got a 'fair' deal, and makes it easier to charge appropriately if they ask you for more work in the future. Whereas appearing to raise your prices 400% can cause people to get sniffy. But that's only if you can afford to take the hit, and you REALLY like them).

    I generally don't feel that I'm up to craftsman prices. I'm a hobbyist, and I don't feel that I should be pricing myself the same as people who could do it faster or with better craftsmanship, but have to charge more due to larger overhead. I'll let him know it's a steal, but I was the one who gave the figure, not him. He knows this is a friend deal already though.

    Fair enough and you do you and everything, but $70 wouldn't even cover material costs here in Australia. Fuck, some decent quality hinges and stops for the lid would cost almost that much.

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    KakodaimonosKakodaimonos Code fondler Helping the 1% get richerRegistered User regular
    If you have a good woodworking shop with all the tools - radial arm saw, table saw, jointer, table router, shaper, full sprayer setup, hinge jigs, a ton of clamps - you could bang a box like that out pretty quick.

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    CalicaCalica Registered User regular
    I knit a lot, mostly for myself. On the rare occasion I "sell" something, I send the person an invoice that makes it very clear they're only paying the cost of materials and shipping. I don't charge explicitly for labor, since charging even minimum wage would put the cost of most projects beyond what people are reasonably willing to pay. I leave it up to the recipient whether and how much to tip me for my time, and generally they do.

    It helps that I only do this for people I know and like, of course :P

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    Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Is it ok to ask another selling question?

    So I've been painting a bunch of stuff pretty much for myself - I've got well over a dozen gaming related paintings in the basement at this point. The issue is that I'm moving by winter and frankly I'm not sure how many I want to bring with me. Would it be in bad taste to maybe sell some as part of a yard sale or maybe at a flea market or Craigslist given that I know they are still fairly amateurish? I mean, might someone other than me see the value of a large painting of Donkey Kong?

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    DedwrekkaDedwrekka Metal Hell adjacentRegistered User regular
    Is it ok to ask another selling question?

    So I've been painting a bunch of stuff pretty much for myself - I've got well over a dozen gaming related paintings in the basement at this point. The issue is that I'm moving by winter and frankly I'm not sure how many I want to bring with me. Would it be in bad taste to maybe sell some as part of a yard sale or maybe at a flea market or Craigslist given that I know they are still fairly amateurish? I mean, might someone other than me see the value of a large painting of Donkey Kong?

    I don't see any problems with it. I'm assuming (since you asked about local options) that you don't want to deal with shipping costs on it?

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    Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    Dedwrekka wrote: »
    Is it ok to ask another selling question?

    So I've been painting a bunch of stuff pretty much for myself - I've got well over a dozen gaming related paintings in the basement at this point. The issue is that I'm moving by winter and frankly I'm not sure how many I want to bring with me. Would it be in bad taste to maybe sell some as part of a yard sale or maybe at a flea market or Craigslist given that I know they are still fairly amateurish? I mean, might someone other than me see the value of a large painting of Donkey Kong?

    I don't see any problems with it. I'm assuming (since you asked about local options) that you don't want to deal with shipping costs on it?

    Yeah - first I don't see them to be good enough to put on the net for sale vs real artists (but that could just be me) but second some of them, like DK or Duck Hunt Dog are pretty big and shipping seems tricky. I figure if someone buys them in person they know what they're getting much more clearly than online.

    Along with that - how would I consider setting a price? I basically would like to get my costs/time back - but I have a hard time saying "Big Donkey Kong $75" without feeling awkward.

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    simosimo Registered User regular
    depends on the venue

    i don't think i'd hold out much hope of getting fair value back for original artwork at a yard sale

    bugss2.jpg
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    Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    If you have a good woodworking shop with all the tools - radial arm saw, table saw, jointer, table router, shaper, full sprayer setup, hinge jigs, a ton of clamps - you could bang a box like that out pretty quick.

    Yeah, but then you have to factor in the cost of a workshop space big enough to fit all that stuff in, and the cost of buying all that machinery too. Like, I could build a sweet display box by hand with nothing more than a tenon saw and some 30 grit sandpaper, but that will take dozens and dozens of hours. Or I could do it in a couple of hours tops with a sweet workshop full of gear, but that's like $30k just to get started...

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    NightDragonNightDragon 6th Grade Username Registered User regular
    Guys I am the BEST at beading, here let me show you:
    Best_Beader.jpg
    That is a few hundred brass findings that I dropped all over the floor, including 2.5mm spacers and like 1mm crimp beads. I managed to find between 98-100% of everything, hilariously.

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    tapeslingertapeslinger Space Unicorn Slush Ranger Social Justice Rebel ScumRegistered User regular
    My eyelids won't stop twitching now, just having seen this, ND

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    SilverWindSilverWind Registered User regular
    That looks like something I'd do more than once if I ever gave in to my crazy magpie desires and started beading as a hobby

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    Switch: SW-7603-3284-4227
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    NightDragonNightDragon 6th Grade Username Registered User regular
    edited March 2015
    The best part was that this happened after I'd spent an entire evening warning my boyfriend to be careful around the box

    And you see the tile in the photo? That's the bathroom, because I had just finished dip-polishing everything, rinsing it, drying it, and re-sorting each piece one by one back into the proper compartments

    And I thought "hey, I should let these air-dry more, probably" and promptly hit the edge of the box on the door frame as I was coming out

    I stood there with my mouth ajar for a good 10 seconds

    and then said, "welp, I guess this is my evening now"

    #aintevenmad
    #morehilariousthananything
    #hashtag

    NightDragon on
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    Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Did you pick them all up the hard way, or just give in and break out the vacuum cleaner?

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    DaMoonRulzDaMoonRulz Mare ImbriumRegistered User regular
    Or a magnet on a stick?

    3basnids3lf9.jpg




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    QuantumTurkQuantumTurk Registered User regular
    I thought the same but google says brass isn't magnetic :(. That was always the fun part of cleaning up projects with dad, waving a bar magnet around for all the metal filings and nails.

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    CaptainBeyondCaptainBeyond I've been out walking Registered User regular
    Guys I am the BEST at beading, here let me show you:
    Best_Beader.jpg
    That is a few hundred brass findings that I dropped all over the floor, including 2.5mm spacers and like 1mm crimp beads. I managed to find between 98-100% of everything, hilariously.

    I once did this with a tray of ~1000 resistors, of something like ~30 different grades (?) It took me five days to sort out. Was amazing at the colour codes for a while though.

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    XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    I bet you all thought I forgot this!

    22389_10153146670113279_2437451160156526323_n.jpg?oh=e573a2acf3931e28e395edb2919f1905&oe=55B7E3C8&__gda__=1433513503_f70082e9291889fabce603cdf972eebe

    Today for the first time in ages I had both daylight AND non-subzero temperatures!

    Since the rest of this table has to be done outside, I had a good long break.

    My helper =)

    11081309_10153146670118279_4084999955284215269_n.jpg?oh=c124cb4651cc2becd72c3dc073db1c86&oe=55A27528&__gda__=1433678198_6cfed761626aca2c65495bd8793d3366

    It will take 10,000 hours, but I will make the whole table look like this!

    17637_10153146670098279_6564242580332915560_n.jpg?oh=f3f6de81a3d32028d369041bca4c08d2&oe=55BADADF&__gda__=1436793877_d699db6fcacfa8079de4c647de537ca8

    I'm seriously debating an angle grinder with a sanding attachment. That poor fellow in the first picture is not cutting it at all.

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    FoolproofFoolproof thats what my hearts become in that place you dare not look staring back at youRegistered User regular
    Nerd alert.

    I went into the woods today and cut an oak quaterstaff. I've needed a new walking stick for mushroom hunting and watching the walking dead last night got me excited to get it happening.

    It is a little late in the year but I like a little sap in the wood even though everyone says that is the wrong way.

    I may even work out a log bench to hold it so I can draw knife it down. I'd like to crank these guys out until I can make a perfect one. Rest assured that I'll want to show it off if one turns out.

    I would like to know if osage orange makes a good staff, I may go get a blank tomorrow.

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    Typhoid MannyTyphoid Manny Registered User regular
    Xaquin wrote: »

    I'm seriously debating an angle grinder with a sanding attachment. That poor fellow in the first picture is not cutting it at all.



    yeah if you get a cheap angle grinder and put a flap disk on it, that'll remove material fast enough to be useful but not so fast you can't control it. annoyingly flap disks are like $8 at home depot, but they last a good long while

    that thing is gonna be gorgeous when you're done with it

    from each according to his ability, to each according to his need
    hitting hot metal with hammers
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    XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    edited March 2015
    thanks!

    I had no idea what to look for for a sanding attachment

    Lowes has a Dewalt angle grinder for $70 that has nigh 100% great reviews

    I'd also like to get something to shave off nail heads for when I make pallet furniture so it'd be a good investment I think

    edit: plus I can take out a couple of those other branches I don't want in there

    Xaquin on
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    Typhoid MannyTyphoid Manny Registered User regular
    edited March 2015
    so in between working on a commission for @Xaquin (which is coming along swimmingly by the way, we'll have some more pix for you tomorrow), I been working out how to make corkscrews:

    1CcIqTX.jpg

    it was a pain in the ass figuring out how to do it, but once i did i'm able to knock one out in like half an hour.

    while i was carelessly burning the shit out of my fingers on hot 1/8" round bar, my partner made this:

    8c1ZCpt.jpg

    which is a little resin skeleton lady set in some viking knit. she is happy with how it turned out, and i am continually amazed that all that fiddly wire work doesn't drive her insane

    Typhoid Manny on
    from each according to his ability, to each according to his need
    hitting hot metal with hammers
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    JihadJesusJihadJesus Registered User regular
    Xaquin wrote: »

    I'm seriously debating an angle grinder with a sanding attachment. That poor fellow in the first picture is not cutting it at all.



    yeah if you get a cheap angle grinder and put a flap disk on it, that'll remove material fast enough to be useful but not so fast you can't control it. annoyingly flap disks are like $8 at home depot, but they last a good long while

    that thing is gonna be gorgeous when you're done with it

    Yeah, I had a hard time figuring out the most basic rule: use the right tool for the job because my dad had three tools in the shop, and that meant if #1 and #2 weren't working then by God #3 was going to get it done come he'll or high water. What finally got through to me was a similar strip and finish job, on an old cast iron tub.

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    XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    @Typhoid_Manny, everything that I see coming out of your shop looks incredible.

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    Typhoid MannyTyphoid Manny Registered User regular
    thank you!

    $70 is too much for an angle grinder. you can get a perfectly serviceable one from harbor freight for $15 which won't last as long as the DeWalt, but even if you have to replace it yearly you'll still probably come out ahead

    from each according to his ability, to each according to his need
    hitting hot metal with hammers
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    XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    oh hmmmmm

    will it suffice to rip off hundreds of nail heads?

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    Typhoid MannyTyphoid Manny Registered User regular
    yeah, stick a cutoff wheel on there and you can cut all kinds of steel, i use mine all the time

    but don't fuck around re: protective gear. safety specs at the very least, preferably a face shield, gloves, long sleeves, ear protection if you're working in an enclosed space

    and never take the guard off. grinders are tremendously useful, but they will fuck you up if you let them

    from each according to his ability, to each according to his need
    hitting hot metal with hammers
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    XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    I can handle that

    I don't have an enclosed space, so the neighbors will get to hear my table being made =)

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    Typhoid MannyTyphoid Manny Registered User regular
    one more thing

    cutoff wheels are very thin and spin very fast. with just nails you won't have to worry too much, but be careful to keep the wheel straight when you're cutting. if you put too much pressure not in line with the plane of the wheel it can explode without warning. if you have the guard on the grinder you'll miss the worst of it, but make sure there aren't any kids or pets around while you're cutting

    from each according to his ability, to each according to his need
    hitting hot metal with hammers
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    XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    edited March 2015
    =(

    Maybe some kind of drill bit could be used

    Xaquin on
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    FoolproofFoolproof thats what my hearts become in that place you dare not look staring back at youRegistered User regular
    edited March 2015
    get a magnet roller to pick up the nail bits if you're going to do it where you mow grass. Maybe a metal detector.

    i know with grinding wheels you can fill the pores up when it is warm and when it cools the stone will crack from shrinkage. I don't think that would be an issue but I'll put it out there.

    Foolproof on
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    Typhoid MannyTyphoid Manny Registered User regular
    if you're cutting steel the pores in the wheel don't really get shit in them. that does happen when you're cutting aluminum though. the wheel gets gummed up so you push down harder and then it gets much easier to twist the wheel and blow it up

    @Xaquin really if you're talking about cutting off the heads of regular nails, it'll be pretty quick to do with a hacksaw. i didn't mean to scare you off the grinder, just trying to impress upon you that you need to be careful with them

    from each according to his ability, to each according to his need
    hitting hot metal with hammers
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    FoolproofFoolproof thats what my hearts become in that place you dare not look staring back at youRegistered User regular
    edited March 2015
    i worked at a pallet factory and that wood is poison. don't use it as a cheap resource or fuel. the sawdust alone is hazardous.

    a wood burnt HT (heat treated) mark means it is intended for international use and it could have anything from anywhere on it. they spray them at many times.

    that's why I am looking to harvest saplings and make staves and to ready small logs for turning. I could get unlimited pallets but they scare me more than the chemicals in fresh wood (which is also death on wheels).

    Foolproof on
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    UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    Re: grinders/cutoff wheels

    Glasses + face shield

    Trust me

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    DedwrekkaDedwrekka Metal Hell adjacentRegistered User regular
    Know your tool's RPM rating, and don't get an attachment that is rated below your tool's rpms. If a cutting wheel says max 500 rpms, don't use it on a 700 rpm tool. Those numbers are an example, tools will have significantly higher rpm ratings.

    The cutting wheel safety has to do with knowing what can happen. At high speed, if the wheel breaks pieces of it will fly off. These aren't going to go through anyone*, but can cut your skin or your eye if you don't have protection. If you have eye protection and a guard you are fine. Wear gloves to protect your hand from the sparks or slag from cutting metal. The guard will catch most of this and direct it away from you, but your safety is your number one priority and no one else's, so play it safe.

    If you're cutting nails you won't have to worry about this, but don't cut or grind aluminum with the same wheel you use for other metals. Aluminum conducts heat differently, it absorbs more heat while metals like steel and copper conduct it. Any amount left on the wheel will cause the wheel to fracture when used to cut higher heat conducting metals like steel as the aluminum absorbs the heat from the steel and expands quickly.



    *This changes at more "industrial" RPMs.

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    Typhoid MannyTyphoid Manny Registered User regular
    @Xaquin another option would be to get a small pair of bolt cutters, cut the heads off as far down as you can, and then use a cheap grinder with a flap disk or grinding wheel to clean up. this way you don't have to use a cutoff wheel

    i love flap disks. they remove material almost as fast as a stone wheel, even the coarsest grit will leave a smoother surface, and they're way safer

    from each according to his ability, to each according to his need
    hitting hot metal with hammers
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    Erin The RedErin The Red The Name's Erin! Woman, Podcaster, Dungeon Master, IT nerd, Parent, Trans. AMA Baton Rouge, LARegistered User regular
    So! I have decided that I'm going to build a new frame for our bed. I am not exactly... crafty normally?
    I found a set of instructions to follow that seems like it will work. Waiting on some of the bits and bobs to come in from amazon.

    But here's the first part of my process!

    I got some wood from the hardware store near here. Luckily it is all 8 ft long and... so is the inside of my car apparently!
    HD0cB7l.jpg

    Lined it all up and measured a bunch of things and then cut it down to the right sizes
    7OYw1fH.jpg

    Got some help from my wife to stain it the color we want.
    hVOq1qG.jpg

    So there's still the part where I have to use the Kreg Jig thing to drill some holes in the wood so the screws fit well and then also have to seal the wood and then assemble, but I'm making slow progress!

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    XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    It'll look boss when it's done!

This discussion has been closed.