What do you guys Think

[wvdad]

I have been reading this site for a few months learning all I can. These are numbers 3 and 4 of my creations. My first 2 are nice,but not like these.Made from solid 2.500 inch cold roll and with a bore of 1.070 I made them a little heavier than need be. The trunions are solid rod pressed thru the back a little more than a inch behind the bore. I love shooting these things and thank Double D and Cat Whisper for the site and all the info.

[Cat Whisperer]

WVDad -

WELCOME to the board.  Clean lines!  We NEED to see some pictures of smoke and fire now!

[wvdad]

Thanks, I was a machinist in the Navy for four years and a tool and die machinist for 7 years. Now I work in Plant and have my own machine shop that I do side jobs in and tinker with these things.They have more taper than those pictures show. I sold one of them for 200 bucks. Do you think I got took.

[BoomLover]

Hey, wvdad, don't worry about "getting took", you do good work, and you can just be happy with shooting them! This forum seems to be more about the pleasure of making and firing mortars, howitzers and cannons, than what they are worth! The value is in the use of them, and the fun shooting provides! Whatever they cost, they make up for it in noise, smoke and fire! Welcome to the forum! BoomLover

[GGaskill]

I sold one of them for 200 bucks. Do you think I got took. 

When the seller thinks he sold for too little and the buyer thinks he paid too much, the price was probably about right.  That's how capitalism works.

As a seller, you have to account for the material cost, the shop cost and the labor cost.  After you subtract the first two from the $200, how much is left.  Divide that by the number of hours you spent making it to figure your hourly rate.  Then throw in something for the entertainment value of making it and see how the math comes out.

I value my recreational time as highly as my work time so the prices I would charge generally discourage potential customers.  And I really don't want customers anyway.

[brokenpole]

WVDad -

WELCOME to the board.  Clean lines!  We NEED to see some pictures of smoke and fire now!

Hey wvdad...welcome to the boards.

Did you ever notice that these people are NEVER satisfied.  You post the pics of your mortar and they scream for fire and smoke.

But uh...yeah...where is the fire and smoke   

[Cat Whisperer]

There are (at least) three methods of establishing a price (value).

1. Comparable recent sales (as in realestate - another 2 story 3 BR 2 bath with garage in a similar neighborhood).

2. What it costs + profit (George's good explaination).

3. The emotional value - "That was my grandfather's cannon, then my Dad's, and I really hate to sell it but ... ".

All three play a role in buying/selling guns.  Good salesmen manipulate them - either way.  "Oh my goodness, this gun has seen a LOT of use!"  etc. etc.

[Double D]

I saw your guns and thought, well that won't work the trunnions are to small and they will bend.  Then I realized those are not trunnions, those are elevation rods.  Clever approach. 

Now the mantra...SMOKE AND FIRE!

[Cat Whisperer]

...
Now the mantra...SMOKE AND FIRE!

...SMOKE AND FIRE!

...SMOKE AND FIRE!

...SMOKE AND FIRE!

(to the tune of ....)