Sandblasting & Powder coating prices?

ckasek

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Holy cow...I just took some stuff to a local shop for a quote:

3x midway coin doors
1x nintendo coin door
1x atari coin door (from Asteroids Deluxe)
2x over/under coin doors from gauntlet
1x Asteroids Deluxe Control Panel
2x AD marquee brackets
2x DK marquee brackets & bottom bezel retainer

The quote was around $420 with tax...I nearly fell off my chair. I would have been OK paying up to $200 for these pieces, but not a chance I can do $400+.

Does this pricing seem way out of line, or about right? I thought cabsr4pimps was doing coin doors for maybe 25-35 each, and I thought Phet had given some prices he paid that were far far lower...so that's how I kinda guesstimated $200.
 
I had this stuck in my mind:

I usually drop off 25-40 pieces including coin doors, door frames, marquee and bezel brackets, bolts, monitor mounts, control panels, joystick mounting plates, etc. This will be my third bulk lot drop-off and the first 2 averaged $75 per lot. I am assuming this load will fall between $80-100.

I don't think you can just say 12x30, as a marquee bracket isn't going to be the same cost as a coin door.
 
For that price you might be able to buy the stuff to do it your self. A small sand blaster, a powder coating kit you can get them at sears and eastwood and a electric stove and your all set.
 
That's about what I'd expect if the price includes both blasting and coating. In the Detroit area it cost me the same for a pinball playfield rotisserie (9 parts) last year, but spray-paint instead of powder. Didn't get a written estimate and the bill shocked me $75/hr * 8 hours. Were they billing me while paint was drying and nobody was working?? I'll never use that company again.

I got a $200 blast cabinet from harbor freight and a large air compressor started blasting things myself. So far, so good.
 
I had this stuck in my mind:



I don't think you can just say 12x30, as a marquee bracket isn't going to be the same cost as a coin door.

Yeah that sounds terrible. I have never brought in that many coin doors at once though. My shop charges a minimum of $75 for blasting and coating in basic black. They adjust based on how much you bring in after that original $75 fee. Usually I average about 4 doors/frames, 2 control panels, a coin box and 10-15 marquee brackets per load. The most I've paid has been an even hondo. My smallest load was 2 Nintendo coin doors, and they charged me the flat $75 for that one, which I thought was high.
 
yeah, i figured being that i was primarily bringing in coin doors, the price was gonna be higher....just wasn't expecting that high!

anyhow, might just look into getting the ~$200 sandblasting cabinet from harbor freight and a better compressor...because it's always fun to add more toys to the garage....and just stick to rattle cans for painting. Powder coating would be nice, but in a home environment it's not like the things are going to be getting too beat up.

For $400+, I bet I could ship the parts to phet, have his shop do them and ship them back, and still have a few bucks left over. :D
 
Holy cow...I just took some stuff to a local shop for a quote:

3x midway coin doors
1x nintendo coin door
1x atari coin door (from Asteroids Deluxe)
2x over/under coin doors from gauntlet
1x Asteroids Deluxe Control Panel
2x AD marquee brackets
2x DK marquee brackets & bottom bezel retainer

The quote was around $420 with tax...I nearly fell off my chair. I would have been OK paying up to $200 for these pieces, but not a chance I can do $400+.

Does this pricing seem way out of line, or about right? I thought cabsr4pimps was doing coin doors for maybe 25-35 each, and I thought Phet had given some prices he paid that were far far lower...so that's how I kinda guesstimated $200.

I can still do it for about half of that plus the return shipping.
Let me know,
Gabe
 
I'm running into the same thing right now. I just emailed off pics to a local place. I would love to ship these parts, but I think the weight would be a killer. I've got an over under coin door, a few brackets, and two other semi heavy brackets for the Paperboy handlebars.
 
I'm running into the same thing right now. I just emailed off pics to a local place. I would love to ship these parts, but I think the weight would be a killer. I've got an over under coin door, a few brackets, and two other semi heavy brackets for the Paperboy handlebars.

I have a Fed Ex account, I think I get a good shipping rate. About $23 for return shipping on a 50 pound package. Let me know if you change your mind.
 
Wow...that's a great rate! Let me see what this local guy gets back to me with. Ever tried any of those chrome finishes? Paperboy's handlebars are nickel plated. I'm having a tough time finding a place around here for under $175. Do you know how that chrome turns out?
 
i was just going to say gabe or somebody here was doing some nice powercoating for very fair prices..


if i could ever come across a big enough electric oven for cheap i will start doing my own. The powwder doesent cost too much and i think a harbor freight powercoat gun would get the job done
 
ahh cool, I didn't realize ya were doing powdercoating again. last I saw you were taking a break for health reasons. Maybe i'll have to throw this box on a scale and see how heavy it is.
 
Wow...that's a great rate! Let me see what this local guy gets back to me with. Ever tried any of those chrome finishes? Paperboy's handlebars are nickel plated. I'm having a tough time finding a place around here for under $175. Do you know how that chrome turns out?

If I were you, I'd hit up Mike Chestnut, who's very popular over at rec.games.pinball and see about doing them in actual chrome plating. I know nickel is original, but suspect chrome would look close and be more durable.
 
Wow...that's a great rate! Let me see what this local guy gets back to me with. Ever tried any of those chrome finishes? Paperboy's handlebars are nickel plated. I'm having a tough time finding a place around here for under $175. Do you know how that chrome turns out?

The chrome powder is pretty cool looking but not the same when light hits it, I have only done one set of rims in chrome powder.
Side Note: I can do nickle plate also, but I don't do it offen because I never get enough at one time to fill a rack and it takes all day.
But, Honestly for $400, I will do a whole tank of nickel, that will be about 6 sets of pinball legs.
If you don't have alot of parts you want done cheap and you can wait alittle while. I have a guy that is local to me talking about doing a full tank of guns. I will just add it to his order.
Let me know I'm sure we can work it out.
Gabe
 
ahh cool, I didn't realize ya were doing powdercoating again. last I saw you were taking a break for health reasons. Maybe i'll have to throw this box on a scale and see how heavy it is.

I did quit and I was not going to do anymore. During the holidays, I was in the hospital several times. And it really delayed orders, some member had to wait over a month to get parts finished, I still feel bad about it.
But if someone on here, is wanting something done and is it having trouble getting it for a good price let me know and still knock it out for you.
I have been feeling pretty good lately, I have only been in the hospital 1 time in the last 50 days.
Gabe
 
Usually when I ran some powdercoating parts to the guy, I did it by project. Every piece of originally powder coated metal. I usually sandblasted all the parts myself. Cost was usually around just under $100.
Unfortunately the guy I usually had do my work has retired and some bozo runs it now and has ruined a couple parts for me. Costed me a few hundred to have to buy a new happ coinbox complete. The other powder coater locally has no idea or interest in making the part look good as long as it pays well.
But if you have a guy that is good, it does sound like you took an awful lot of parts to him to be done at once, which I understand your intention. But it's better to test him out first with a small amount of parts to see if he's any good rather than ruining all your parts at once.
 
Bringing in stripped parts is always gonna be cheaper. Parts that have powder coat on them already that need to be stripped will cost more as the powder is harder to get off. Painted stuff is not that bad. One powder coater I use is about $50-60 a door - stripped powder coat and satin black powder coat. So, for around here (chicago) the price you got isnt that bad consdering what youre having done.
 
Bringing in stripped parts is always gonna be cheaper. Parts that have powder coat on them already that need to be stripped will cost more as the powder is harder to get off. Painted stuff is not that bad. One powder coater I use is about $50-60 a door - stripped powder coat and satin black powder coat. So, for around here (chicago) the price you got isnt that bad consdering what youre having done.

Takeman:

Do you recommend a place for powder coating in Chicago? I'm still on the fence if I should spray paint or powder coat. I'm in the process of stripping some pieces this week.

Thanks!
 
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