Johnson refinishing...why so expensive?

[Tom Clarke]

You need to see one of these to appreciate them!

73 de Tom
----- Original Message -----
From: "soundnmind" <soundnmind at RICA.NET>
To: <BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV>
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2000 11:46 PM
Subject: Johnson refinishing...why so expensive?


> Hi,
> Is this price so expensive because labor rate is so high ??? I don't know
> how many hams can afford such a price. It is more expensive than a clean
> working radio. Just curious.
> de K6??
>
> My reply
> Sorry you cant see the value here. But I have an aversion to working for
> nothing! It IS very costly to do this right. (have you looked at my
> home site to see samples?) Anybody can spray can paint, I used to, and
> sometimes still do. The color and finish often is less than desirable.
> Sometimes it comes out ok. I start by spending $35 ea on cabs just to have
> them stripped(bead blasted at machine shop). This is necessary to hold the
> paint from chipping & falling off from the strange metal Johnson used 40+
> yrs ago. A special self etching primer is then used ( costing $70 per
gal).
> Then comes the main work, filling imperfections & scratches / gouges that
> come from yrs of knocking around. The paint I use on panels is THE BEST.
Not
> really anything you have used before unless you are a professional auto
> painter. (Btw, on that note, did you know that the $600 paint job we used
to
> pay for our car is now more like $2500 or $3000.?) The DuPont basecoat /
> clearcoat system cost (just the paint) in the neiborhood of $160. per gal.
> There are 4 differant coats of paint on those panels. Before the clearcoat
> the silkscreening has to be applied. After clearcoat applied they have to
be
> buffed out to bring panels to perfection. Now consider the cost of the
> artwork & silkscteen. The Valiant silk screen, for example, cost me $350.
> This week I paid for the artwork for the Ranger 2 logo....$40. All
computer
> regenerated to original crystal clear lettering, etc. The cost of the
screen
> for the logo, is mabe another $50. This last winter I built a new spray
> booth & bought 2 new paint guns. I have new double air filters feeding
those
> guns. Oh yes, I have to have a sizeable compressor. And these new pints
are
> very hazardous to ones health. Money has been spent & will continue to be
> spent on OSHA approved protection equipment. Yes its expensive!  But the
> results, so far is VERY HAPPY customers over the finished product. Often I
> get panels & cabs w / holes that have been drilled in them. You try it
> sometime & fill all those holes & wrinkles so they disappear in the
finished
> product. Sometimes I have to "talk the Ham thru" dismanteling & assembling
> his radio. I dont mind doing this, its part of my service to you all. But
it
> takes time. Right now I have a shop full of work including panels & cabs.
> Every month I get refinish work from hams that take pride in their
> boatanchors & want them not only to work well but look new also.
> Yes, its expensive, and not everyone will see the value of spending  this
> kind of money on boatanchors. But I do appreciate the opportunity to serve
> you all with what I do. So keep those panels & cab coming! I will do my
best
> to return them to you looking better than factory.
> Warm regards
> Dee
> http://home.rica.net/soundnmind/
> Patty & Dee's Marina  534 W. Main St.
> Waynesboro, Va. 22980
> (540)249-3161 fax (540)249-5064