RockingRuralMo
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2022
Posts: 138
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Post by RockingRuralMo on Sept 6, 2023 6:43:18 GMT -5
I've got a couple of slab saws and people are asking me more and more to do cuts for them. I've done them for warm fuzzies for guys I know or people in my rock club, and honestly I really do love just seeing what's in a rock. (And most of those guys have been willing to share - I've taken a slab here and there.) But now they're sending me referrals. I don't think I'm gonna get rich doing other people's cutting, but would like to get something out of my time, especially for people who are reselling.
If I take a share of rock, what share is fair? If I do an hourly rate for my saws (tricky since my big guy is gravity fed and variable in speed) what is a fair price? Do people charge by inches instead of hourly?
I'm willing to work for rocks. What is a fair way to work that out? I don't want to high-grade anyone's stuff, but don't want their dregs either.
How do you guys navigate this?
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 6, 2023 7:10:49 GMT -5
I've cut for several people...and always took rocks in trade. It would be 1/2 or 1/3 of the cuts depending on the person and the material.
For me, it really depends on the material. If someone wanted me to cut a bunch of Prairie Agates for them, it's not worth my time nor the wear on my blade. If it's "high grade" material, I'm likely only going to ask for a 1/3 of the cuts...and if it's "okay" material, it'd be 1/2.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller 
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,633 
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Post by RWA3006 on Sept 6, 2023 7:11:21 GMT -5
I got into this same situation and I did it for the warm and fuzzies. I was rewarded with some rough and it soon became apparent that the reward wasn't worth cutting. It wasn't because they were trying to cheat me, but my standards of what was worthwhile was different than theirs.
I resolved the problem by gifting the main individual with an older, smaller saw that he could rebuild and then he started to do his own cutting.
Now days I have a demanding career and I'm short on time, so I won't allow myself to get pulled into cutting for other folks. I just tell them I can't even find the time for my own cutting, let alone theirs. They seem to understand.
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Post by drocknut on Sept 6, 2023 10:16:01 GMT -5
A lot of the people I've heard of doing that will sometimes charge by the square inch but not sure how much.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Sept 6, 2023 16:36:06 GMT -5
These days most folks who are willing to slab for a share of average materials take every other slab. Years ago before saws, blades, oil and electricity got so expensive it used to be every third slab.
The last price I saw for slabbing for cash was $1 per square inch. Which would limit the practicality of contracting to have most average materials slabbed- which may have been the ultimate goal of the one doing the pricing/slabbing.
I have more material waiting to slab than I have decent weather temperatures and tolerable humidity to do so. So I don't slab for others. But even if that weren't the case I would still try to avoid getting shanghaied into slabbing for others. I prefer to have complete freedom to choose what and when I slab. I don't like slabbing certain materials like Brazilian agates, thunder eggs, or any of the very hard nodular shaped agates, and some of the harder agatized woods because these are the materials I have found more likely to be involved in a vise slippage that can damage a blade, or are so hard that they cause undue wear on power feed components. So to me a few agate slabs, or a dollar per square inch isn't worth the risk having an expensive blade replacement or saw repair.
Also I've heard of a couple of situations where people accused the person who did the slabbing for them of stealing material because the person having the slabbing done couldn't comprehend how much loss in sludge waste there is when slabbing. So if you do decide to do contract slabbing it would probably be a good idea to try and make sure the cosigner understands that.
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 6, 2023 17:12:41 GMT -5
Also I've heard of a couple of situations where people accused the person who did the slabbing for them of stealing material because the person having the slabbing done couldn't comprehend how much loss in sludge waste there is when slabbing. So if you do decide to do contract slabbing it would probably be a good idea to try and make sure the cosigner understands that. Yep! I had this happen to me. I had a local guy who asked if I would slab some rocks for him...but he quickly added material to the "pile". I was tolerant about it and didn't create a buzz. He had me slab a "higher end" material...amongst some lower end. When I gave him the cuts, he looked at me and said, "Is that all of it?" with an accusatorial tone. I explained the "loss" of doing cuts...and that was the last time I cut anything for him! I've cut for several people who aren't local...which I KNOW takes a lot of trust on their part... |
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Post by rmf on Sept 6, 2023 18:55:09 GMT -5
I have seen on line pricing from $0.75 per sqr inch to $1.5/in2. It seemed high. The problem with doing every other slab is many people bring junk you do not want.
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Post by HankRocks on Sept 7, 2023 4:52:34 GMT -5
I have only cut a few rocks for good friends so I did not mind doing it as we have helped each other out. I am too busy cutting my own material to look to cut something for a non-friend. It's not a business I would look to get into with all the expense and time. To discourage folks(not good friends) charge a high price per sq inch and take half, and reserve the right to select what you will cut - no junk rocks allowed. If someone does not like that they can go buy a rock saw.
Do one saw clean out and I think that would encourage you to avoid cutting for other folks.
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,160
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Post by dshanpnw on Sept 8, 2023 7:58:09 GMT -5
I have only cut a few rocks for good friends so I did not mind doing it as we have helped each other out. I am too busy cutting my own material to look to cut something for a non-friend. It's not a business I would look to get into with all the expense and time. To discourage folks(not good friends) charge a high price per sq inch and take half, and reserve the right to select what you will cut - no junk rocks allowed. If someone does not like that they can go buy a rock saw. Do one saw clean out and I think that would encourage you to avoid cutting for other folks. I haven't cut anything for anyone yet, but this would be my #1 reason to not ever do it. |
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,495
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Post by realrockhound on Sept 8, 2023 12:51:49 GMT -5
$10 a cut is what I’ve charged. Or if it’s really nice material. I’ll take a couple of the nicer slabs. Blades ain’t cheap, electricity ain’t cheap, and most people just want a rock cut open, not a bunch of slabs.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,633
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Post by RWA3006 on Sept 8, 2023 14:02:20 GMT -5
Do one saw clean out and I think that would encourage you to avoid cutting for other folks. Ain't that the truth! |
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Post by HankRocks on Sept 8, 2023 14:25:17 GMT -5
Cutting rocks for other folks is almost as bad as someone wanting to borrow your chainsaw!! " It's just a few small limbs I need to cut up" the missing words " before I can get to the trees I want to cut down". What could go wrong!!!  |
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,495
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Post by realrockhound on Sept 8, 2023 14:48:16 GMT -5
I have only cut a few rocks for good friends so I did not mind doing it as we have helped each other out. I am too busy cutting my own material to look to cut something for a non-friend. It's not a business I would look to get into with all the expense and time. To discourage folks(not good friends) charge a high price per sq inch and take half, and reserve the right to select what you will cut - no junk rocks allowed. If someone does not like that they can go buy a rock saw. Do one saw clean out and I think that would encourage you to avoid cutting for other folks. I second your response to junk rocks. I’ve had people ask me to cut stuff and I’m like nah. I ain’t cutting that crap, I already know what it will yield. |
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Post by pauls on Sept 8, 2023 18:45:26 GMT -5
Also I've heard of a couple of situations where people accused the person who did the slabbing for them of stealing material because the person having the slabbing done couldn't comprehend how much loss in sludge waste there is when slabbing. So if you do decide to do contract slabbing it would probably be a good idea to try and make sure the cosigner understands that. Yep! I had this happen to me. I had a local guy who asked if I would slab some rocks for him...but he quickly added material to the "pile". I was tolerant about it and didn't create a buzz. He had me slab a "higher end" material...amongst some lower end. When I gave him the cuts, he looked at me and said, "Is that all of it?" with an accusatorial tone. I explained the "loss" of doing cuts...and that was the last time I cut anything for him! I've cut for several people who aren't local...which I KNOW takes a lot of trust on their part... Not so much sawing, which I do by the square inch, 20 25 cents a square inch, covers my time, oil and wear and tear. At least a bit. I have done faceting jobs which are nearly always high value material, and every time before I start I tell them the process will turn about 2/3 of their stone into dust, expect your stone will be only 1/3 the size of the rough, and that's if everything goes well. I have still had people accuse me of stealing part of their stone. I have had it with Opals too, so these days I will insist on them sitting there while I cut it. Really the hassle isn't worth it to me, I do this because I enjoy it, having someone accuse me of stealing kills the enjoyment really quickly. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 8, 2023 20:54:26 GMT -5
Yep! I had this happen to me. I had a local guy who asked if I would slab some rocks for him...but he quickly added material to the "pile". I was tolerant about it and didn't create a buzz. He had me slab a "higher end" material...amongst some lower end. When I gave him the cuts, he looked at me and said, "Is that all of it?" with an accusatorial tone. I explained the "loss" of doing cuts...and that was the last time I cut anything for him! I've cut for several people who aren't local...which I KNOW takes a lot of trust on their part... Not so much sawing, which I do by the square inch, 20 25 cents a square inch, covers my time, oil and wear and tear. At least a bit. I have done faceting jobs which are nearly always high value material, and every time before I start I tell them the process will turn about 2/3 of their stone into dust, expect your stone will be only 1/3 the size of the rough, and that's if everything goes well. I have still had people accuse me of stealing part of their stone. I have had it with Opals too, so these days I will insist on them sitting there while I cut it. Really the hassle isn't worth it to me, I do this because I enjoy it, having someone accuse me of stealing kills the enjoyment really quickly. For a long time, I've said there's two things a person can never get back in this life...time...and honor. Once they're gone, there's no getting them back. Period. Which is why it makes my skin crawl to be "accused" of something.  |
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