Refinishing Ventus b Fuselage

Hey Nick,

It's an excellent question - some of us who have done more than 1 refinish have had a lot of time to ponder this question in the middle of every 4 hour sanding session :-)

Quick back of the envelope would be something like this:

- Routine full refinish of a standard class glider for a shop with the right tools, process and skills is around 450 hours (just as a baseline - YMMV)
- Rough SWAG suggests 25% skilled 75% un/semi-skilled
- Figure you want to charge the skilled labor at $60/hr and the un/semi-skilled at $25/hr (note - assume the owner/operator is the skilled guy/gal and that there is some margin on the un-skilled rate that goes to him/her as well)
- At those ratios and rates the labor for a refinish would be about:
* $6750 for the high-skilled
* $8500 for the un/semi-skilled
* Total labor around $15K +/-
- Add in another $5000 for materials and consumables, shop charges, other fixed costs
- You're at a $20K refinish +/- a few percent.
- You can argue around the margins a bit (say bill the unskilled out at $18/hr), but it's not going to end up with a $10K number.

Kind of explains why the only people refinishing 1st and 2nd generation glass are either DIY owners or clubs.

P3

And, just to be clear, this isn't suggesting that the current going rate in the US ($25K +++) isn't the right number given the current model (i.e. relatively low volume, "small business").

My estimate assumes that you can get the Earl Scheib model up and and running. "I'll paint any glider for $19,950 no ups, no extras". To do that, you need volume and a reasonable amount of cheap, semi-skilled labor.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 10:46:01 AM UTC-7, Papa3 wrote:
To do that, you need volume and a reasonable amount of cheap, semi-skilled labor.

And a building, lights, heating, power, water, sewer, any state or locally required air filtration, and a healthy appetite for risk.

Well, most people, especially new at the job, need to be supervised, Thats why there are supervisors and managers.

P3
Thank you for the cost breakout. That 450 hour hurtle is a high one. I didn't realize it was so high, I would have guessed half that to 2/3rds of that 450 number.
AS
I contacted both company's on your posting requested a quote for shipping from the East Coast USA and a complete exterior refinish on my LS3a.
I'll report back on what I find out at today's rates.
Luckily my 1980 LS3a is still in good shape gelcoat wise, I keep it waxed and hope for the best.

Those Egyptians built those pyramids with slave labor.
We need slaves and we need them now!

On Wednesday, 24 October 2018 18:37:37 UTC-6, Nick Kennedy wrote:
Those Egyptians built those pyramids with slave labor.
We need slaves and we need them now!

Are you volunteering your son?

On Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 5:37:37 PM UTC-7, Nick Kennedy wrote:
Those Egyptians built those pyramids with slave labor.
We need slaves and we need them now!

Nope, that's a myth.
https://www.usnews.com/science/artic...build-pyramids

No, they didn't.Â* It was aliens...

On 10/24/2018 6:37 PM, Nick Kennedy wrote:
Those Egyptians built those pyramids with slave labor.
We need slaves and we need them now!

--
Dan, 5J

27K to 35K for a refinish?!
Jeez the Fleet is in trouble, who's got that kind of money?

On Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 5:39:19 PM UTC-7, Nick Kennedy wrote:
27K to 35K for a refinish?!
Jeez the Fleet is in trouble, who's got that kind of money?

Sprayed hopefully the last coat of Vinyl Ester Fairing Primer.
Material specifications on the website.

http://www.craggyaero.com/ventus.htm

Richard
www.craggyaero.com