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Bowser Locomotive Kit Question

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  • Member since
    August 2010
  • From: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 145 posts
Bowser Locomotive Kit Question
Posted by parts323 on Monday, April 21, 2014 12:12 PM

Hello Guys,

I have a question for everyone. I good friend of mine has given me a Bowser T1 to put together for him. He is an older and his eyesight is failing. He stated that he wants to pay me to put the kit together. It is a later verison of the T1 with a pre-drilled boiler and cast tender body. It also has the full super detail kit. What do you think I should charge him to assembe and paint the kit?

  • Member since
    July 2002
  • From: Jersey City
  • 1,925 posts
Posted by steemtrayn on Monday, April 21, 2014 12:21 PM

Doesn't sound much like a "good friend" if you're gonna charge him for it.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 21, 2014 12:29 PM

parts323
What do you think I should charge him to assemble and paint the kit?

Nil, nada, rien, nichts, keinen Pfennig, no cent, other than any material you have to buy to assemble and paint the kit. That´s what friends are for!

Professional model builders charge about $ 10 to 15 the hour. You may need about 50 hours of work on that job. Do you thing he´d be willing to pay $ 500 to 750 for your work?

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Monday, April 21, 2014 12:52 PM

parts323
good friend ... He is an older and his eyesight is failing ... What do you think I should charge him to assembe and paint the kit?

At most charge him the cost of the paint and glue that it costs you.

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • 4,368 posts
Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Monday, April 21, 2014 5:24 PM

parts323
He stated that he wants to pay me to put the kit together.

I would only charge for materials, and then it's his choice if he wants to pay you more for your work.

The T1 is an interesting model to assemble. One thing I would recommend is to use the tubing connecting the motors. The drive wheels track better, and the two mechanisms won't fight each other so much. It does help to use a more flexible tubing then what's provided, though.

_________________________________________________________________

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Eastern Shore Virginia
  • 3,290 posts
Posted by gandydancer19 on Monday, April 21, 2014 5:41 PM

I am not going to tell you to charge your friend, but I base my building rate on the cost of the kit, or 2 times the cost of kit and additional parts and materials.

Elmer.

The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.

(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.

  • Member since
    August 2010
  • From: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 145 posts
Posted by parts323 on Tuesday, April 22, 2014 6:25 AM

Thanks for all the information guys. I guess I should have included some more information in the original post. This will be the second locomotive that I have put together for my friend. The first one was a K4 that I did entirely for free, and now this time around, my friend feels like he owes me something in return. That was the real reason I was asking everyones opinions. Thanks for the advice about the flex tube drive Darth.

  • Member since
    November 2013
  • 2,774 posts
Posted by snjroy on Tuesday, April 22, 2014 8:04 AM
Interesting dilemma. I would charge the materials and add a "I can borrow it from time to time" clause.

Simon

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