Help. I think I accidentally started a business.

Cook dinner first - bleach poop chute after. Good plan.

to poop, margie, and duke: y'all just made my day.

Duke wrote: Cook dinner first - bleach poop chute after. Good plan.

Depends on what was for dinner, and who's doing the bleaching, but yeah, you get the general idea.

Dr. Hess wrote: No, Arkansas has a state income tax. Texas does not. Florida does not. What section of what IRS pub? When I say losses are not deductable, what I mean is hobby losses are not deductible against other income. If JG nets 1K from his mounts (gross sales - deductions - COGS), but can deduct 15% of his house/utils, car mileage, etc., and comes up with a 1K loss based on that, then if he has a hobby business, tough luck. If he is not a hobby, then that 1K can be deducted off his GRM salary income and he can have a lower tax liability based on that. Unless they changed the rules since the last time I read through that stuff. Small home businesses are always under the threat of being declared a "hobby" by our IRS masters for just that reason.

For some reason I thought you were in Florida.

I see your point, I totally misunderstood what you were saying!

As for the OP, I still think that for this handmade in USA item, $199 is a steal.

Patent, license, cash checks.

Timeormoney wrote: Patent, license, cash checks.

spend money on hookers and blow

I agree with what others have said, price is too low. I own 2 chop saws and would still buy at this price. You need to keep your workload down and your profits high if you want to keep going with this by yourself.

I have done a few parts myself for the 82-85 Supra and Celica. Customer service takes a lot out of you, people order and don't understand that you're just one guy in a garage building these things who already has a full time job doing something else.

It is quite rewarding when you see your product being used in the field by someone else, or on someones car in my case. Don't let it get the best of you and have fun.

Much above $90 and I start bumping into the price points of some other units of some big name manufacturers. I have some room to wiggle, though, and I intend to as the actual production evolves (I'm switching from a plastic deck to an aluminum one, for example, which will add a couple bucks). eBay will probably see the biggest price increase, as they have the stiffest fees. I'll probably try to keep the direct orders a couple bucks lower than the ebay pieces, since that saves everyone in the long run.

And not that I needed much of one to begin with, but I think this if finally the excuse to buy a powdercoating setup. Always wanted an oven in my backyard, just like the cool kids.

jg

JG Pasterjak wrote: Much above $90 and I start bumping into the price points of some other units of some big name manufacturers. I have some room to wiggle, though, and I intend to as the actual production evolves (I'm switching from a plastic deck to an aluminum one, for example, which will add a couple bucks). eBay will probably see the biggest price increase, as they have the stiffest fees. I'll probably try to keep the direct orders a couple bucks lower than the ebay pieces, since that saves everyone in the long run. And not that I needed much of one to begin with, but I think this if finally the excuse to buy a powdercoating setup. Always wanted an oven in my backyard, just like the cool kids. jg

Yeah but big name manufacturers generally have goods made overseas in a factory. Not with love and care by an individual touching and building the product... in the USA no-less.

I just spent $30 on a stupid 'modified' square because I thought it was unique, cool, and it's made by some dude in the USA. I was willing to toss that extra money around because I knew it would go into the pocket of a fellow american.

JG Pasterjak wrote: And not that I needed much of one to begin with, but I think this if finally the excuse to buy a powdercoating setup. Always wanted an oven in my backyard, just like the cool kids. jg

[smug smile]

I got nothing to add regarding protecting you and your proto-business from infant mortality. Looks like everyone else has that covered very well. I'm reading along and taking notes because my wife is doing her home staging and decorating business full time now and I've been using the "a"-word a lot lately.

However, I think I've figured out a way to get the dolly to grip the round rail at Daytona. What if you elongated the axles for the lower set of wheels and used a locknut (or wingnut) to lock in the amount of drop? Lowering the bottom wheels would allow them to grip the bottom of the rail with their top surface. At the very least, the upper inside corner of the wheels contact the rail.

That's a freebie.

Jerry From LA wrote: I got nothing to add regarding protecting you and your proto-business from infant mortality. Looks like everyone else has that covered very well. I'm reading along and taking notes because my wife is doing her home staging and decorating business full time now and I've been using the "a"-word a lot lately. However, I think I've figured out a way to get the dolly to grip the round rail at Daytona. What if you elongated the axles for the lower set of wheels and used a locknut (or wingnut) to lock in the amount of drop? Lowering the bottom wheels would allow them to grip the bottom of the rail with their top surface. At the very least, the upper inside corner of the wheels contact the rail. That's a freebie.

Given a larger diameter pipe, yes, that theoretically could work. Right now the unit can't physically collapse enough to get those vertical wheels close enough to each other. If it were able to collapse enough, you'd have no place to mount your camera.

I am working on a "hanging" version, where the weight would be suspended under the rig, making it much more stable in just such a situation. should attach easily to the existing rig as well.

But speaking on engineering solutions, I'd love to have a better adjustment system than wingnuts. The plus is they're cheap, and hold tight when tightened by hand. The minus is that they're slow. I'd love to have a pushbutton style adjuster that just stopped wherever you wanted it to. Sort of like a bar clamp. Anyone have any thoughts on something that can easily be adapted for that application? Or an existing solution?

jg

What about the various locking mechanisms used on adjustable ski poles? I think that's the sort of thing you're looking for..

How about splitting the rail on one side and clamping it on the cross rods? Release the clamp and you can position it anywhere. You can still have short threads on the other side to snug up the cross rods.

Get some legal advice on the patent.

I believe you have one year to file even if you went public with it.

JG Pasterjak wrote: But speaking on engineering solutions, I'd love to have a better adjustment system than wingnuts. The plus is they're cheap, and hold tight when tightened by hand. The minus is that they're slow. I'd love to have a pushbutton style adjuster that just stopped wherever you wanted it to. Sort of like a bar clamp. Anyone have any thoughts on something that can easily be adapted for that application? Or an existing solution? jg

Winco has a few solutions that look PERFECT for your application:

http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section8/gn6303.1/index.html

http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section8/gn6336.3/index.html

http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section8/wn5335.5/index.html

Josh

congratulations, by complaining about your business you have successfully sold some more units!

in all seriousness, awesome job!

(i didn't see it anywhere so sorry if it's already been mentioned): Apply for a patent ASAP!

I'll be ordering one shortly!

Josh wrote:

JG Pasterjak wrote: But speaking on engineering solutions, I'd love to have a better adjustment system than wingnuts. The plus is they're cheap, and hold tight when tightened by hand. The minus is that they're slow. I'd love to have a pushbutton style adjuster that just stopped wherever you wanted it to. Sort of like a bar clamp. Anyone have any thoughts on something that can easily be adapted for that application? Or an existing solution? jg

Winco has a few solutions that look PERFECT for your application: http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section8/gn6303.1/index.html http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section8/gn6336.3/index.html http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section8/wn5335.5/index.html Josh

Quick release hand knob gave me a quick release hand knob. Nice find. I'll definitely be checking some of those out.

jg

EDIT: Yowch! Then I checked the prices. Well, I know of at least one that will have those on it (Hint: It's owned by a guy whose name is ME).

JG Pasterjak wrote: Quick release hand knob gave me a quick release hand knob.

I had to slow down and reread that.

CANOE!!!

JG Pasterjak wrote: Quick release hand knob gave me a quick release hand knob. Nice find. I'll definitely be checking some of those out. jg EDIT: Yowch! Then I checked the prices. Well, I know of at least one that will have those on it (Hint: It's owned by a guy whose name is ME).

Well, my machinist brain made the mistake of looking in the first place that I saw that sort of knob back when I was killing time monitoring the machine shop in college, flipping through all the neat parts catalogs looking for stuff I could build stuff with. Of course, a quick internet search reveals that Rockler sells almost an identical part, but at hobbyist woodworker pricing instead of engineer/machinist pricing:

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10411&source=googleps&utm_source=GoogleBase&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Google

The rockler part is probably not as well made, but I bet it's perfectly functional at a much easier price to digest. Bonus, you can probably go pick one up locally in one of their stores on your lunchbreak.

Also, the one bad review on that rockler part is pretty hilarious. It's the inverse of today's XKCD.

Josh

Those are awesome. My only fear is that the overall diameter is too large, but I ordered a couple to give them a shot. Sadly, there is no Rockler nearby the greater Daytona/Palm Coast metroplex. That's probably a good thing, overall. Harbor Freight already gets enough of my money for stuff I don't quite know how to use.

jg

fast_eddie_72 wrote: There's a real shady underground of patent lawyers and companies that don't make anything, but just buy and sell patents... and sue people. Probably a world you won't want to be involved in, but you may be very happy to sell them your patent.

Currently the big growth field within patent law is to sue the producers of products displaying expired patent numbers, on the grounds of "Blocking entrepreneurial development." My understanding is that the plaintiff does not have to prove that they have the ABILITY to apply the patent, just the DESIRE.

There are patent lawyers researching large corporations in violation of the law, then setting up sham companies, ideas, and "plaintiffs" to go after them. Solo Cup Company was one of the most famous first victims. My understanding is also that the settlements are split with the USPTO, who therefore is willing to participate in nearly every one of these cases.

JG Pasterjak wrote: My only fear is that the overall diameter is too large

TWSS (is this acronym accepted in place of "That's What She Said" yet?)