The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

I just got a quote from a local fabricator,
of $200-250 + GST for welding on some tabs, as well as
touching up some of the weld on my centre pillars/beams.
$200-250 for just some tabs would be ridiculous imho, I figure you'd all say.
Perhaps they would have quoted me around $100 if I only wanted some proper tabs.

There's 2-6 areas missing lengths of weld ranging from 1.5-4 inches on my roobar.
Thought it'd be worth finishing them for extra strength if I'm already welding tabs to it.

So if you think you can beat that price (and good at TIG of Al ) I'd like to hear from you
or perhaps do it as a favour to me, and I'll gladly repay the favour; case(s) of beer, a big dinner, footy tickets etc.

2nd Hand Yank wrote:I just got a quote from a local fabricator,
of $200-250 + GST for welding on some tabs, as well as
touching up some of the weld on my centre pillars/beams.
$200-250 for just some tabs would be ridiculous imho, I figure you'd all say.
Perhaps they would have quoted me around $100 if I only wanted some proper tabs.

There's 2-6 areas missing lengths of weld ranging from 1.5-4 inches on my roobar.
Thought it'd be worth finishing them for extra strength if I'm already welding tabs to it.

So if you think you can beat that price (and good at TIG of Al ) I'd like to hear from you
or perhaps do it as a favour to me, and I'll gladly repay the favour; case(s) of beer, a big dinner, footy tickets etc.

Yeah thats ridiculous. If no1 here can do it i'd say try a boatbuilder, theyr aluminium n i reckon $50-$100 for cpl tabs & few welds would be fair.

That's why I explained what I wanted quoted.
I don't think their reply was unreasonable, but I might be able to do better.

Maybe pricing it at that much because he doesnt want to do it
Sounds pricey to me - even from all the way over here in England.
Or
Maybe he's the only ''Tigger'' in the area so he thinks he can charge what he likes !

Pity your not here mate - that sounds like a footy ticket and tinnies job to me !:rolleyes:

Good Luck !

1111giles wrote:Maybe pricing it at that much because he doesnt want to do it
Sounds pricey to me - even from all the way over here in England.
Or
Maybe he's the only ''Tigger'' in the area so he thinks he can charge what he likes !

Pity your not here mate - that sounds like a footy ticket and tinnies job to me !:rolleyes:

Good Luck !

Wow, this forum is international.
Hello from "across-the-pond." (Canadians say that, do Aussies? )
Have you been to Australia?

I appreciate your post. Halifax UK is a bit of a far journey, else I'd swing by.

Sadly most of the shop owners down here are like that, they seem to think everybody works at Worsley or Boddington so it is open season on prices.

I got a quote to weld a hole up in my headers.

it was going to cost 110 dollars to remove the headers, to see if they could get in to the spot that needed welding. then another 40-50 dollars at least, to weld a 20-30mm crack up.

the owner was really good about it, saying I was better off finding a gas axe and doing it myself.

It seems around 100 dollars an hour is the going rate for labour costs in Bunbury O_o

TOONGA

That is a huge amount for something so minor. If I could tig Aluminium I'd do it for the cost of the welding rods

if you dont get an answer on here, keep an eye on this thread.

http://www.perth4x4.net/forum/showthread.php?t=43242

Yes, big audience, and thankyou Giles for the back packer youtube last week from Asylum in Cairns. Keep sending them , and a little further south too please. What was her name ?? Katherine Howard?

1111giles wrote:Maybe pricing it at that much because he doesnt want to do it

I think thats exactly it...charging what will make it worth his while.

Its a pretty quick job to do...how bout finding someone up in Perth to do it while you wait.

TOONGA wrote:Sadly most of the shop owners down here are like that, they seem to think everybody works at Worsley or Boddington so it is open season on prices.

I got a quote to weld a hole up in my headers.

it was going to cost 110 dollars to remove the headers, to see if they could get in to the spot that needed welding. then another 40-50 dollars at least, to weld a 20-30mm crack up.

the owner was really good about it, saying I was better off finding a gas axe and doing it myself.

streuth.

It seems around 100 dollars an hour is the going rate for labour costs in Bunbury O_o

TOONGA

I was just quoted $65-75/hr + materials at another welding fabrication shop in Bunbury.
I think that is a fair rate, for a seasoned, skilled welder as long as they are great at TIG of Al...
(and they don't spend too much time mucking around )
including the general cost of running their shop and not doing other clients work at the time.

I can't imagine a two tabs of aluminium,
maybe 5mm thick and maybe 4cm wide, 7 cm long would cost very much.

Electrodes? It might only take 1-2 to complete the entire job.


But yeah, I'm open to saving it for a trip to Perth.
I consider anywhere south of the Pinnacles Desert/Cerventes and west of Albany to be "Southwest."

If you can fit it into a Perth trip, try Custom Aluminium in Osborne Park. I haven't used them for welding, only bought materials there, but their service and prices have been pretty good .

I wouldn't bother getting those welds on the bullbar patched up. Remember it's only aluminium, so you can have the strongest welds in the world and on impact the tube will just bend right next to the weld. The bars on my cars are only stitched in places.

Dane.

The bars on most cars are stitched. this is so they collapse when they sqwoooosh what ever they hit. thats the whole idea of a big metal bar on the front of a car. it is like an extra crumple zone.

TOONGA

TOONGA wrote:The bars on most cars are stitched. this is so they collapse when they sqwoooosh what ever they hit. thats the whole idea of a big metal bar on the front of a car. it is like an extra crumple zone.

TOONGA

Ah, so maybe it's better just to get new tabs and leave the rest?

My bar is better-than stitch welded. I'd say the joints are 80+% fully-welded.

GOD wrote:If you can fit it into a Perth trip, try Custom Aluminium in Osborne Park. I haven't used them for welding, only bought materials there, but their service and prices have been pretty good .

I wouldn't bother getting those welds on the bullbar patched up. Remember it's only aluminium, so you can have the strongest welds in the world and on impact the tube will just bend right next to the weld. The bars on my cars are only stitched in places.

Dane.

Thanks. I'll give them a ring before commiting to getting work done here, if someone on AUSubaru specializing in TIG of Al doesn't speak up first.

Or try "the guru" at Quality Sheet Metal in Railway Parade welshpool. I can't remember his real name but he used to have his own shop called Guru Welding and he is a magician when it comes to tig welding. He did all the welding on a custom alloy motorbike frame for me and it was better than the factory welding.

He was so good he got so busy with his own shop that he couldn't cope so chucked it in and went to work for someone and work normal hours....

I haven't been there for a few years so not sure if he still works there but worth a try - and pretty sure they won't charge like a wounded bull.

glad i have my own oxy and mig, got to pull the exhaust on the lseries tomorrow has developed a hole in the forward muffler. at least they are easy to remove, just unscrew from the heads and rear joint and drop rubber mounts, buggered if i am going to try welding while fitted. too old for that. note that if the bar is fitted to the car you must disconnect the battery or risk blowing the alternator and/or electronics.

tony wrote:glad i have my own oxy and mig, got to pull the exhaust on the lseries tomorrow has developed a hole in the forward muffler. at least they are easy to remove, just unscrew from the heads and rear joint and drop rubber mounts, buggered if i am going to try welding while fitted. too old for that. note that if the bar is fitted to the car you must disconnect the battery or risk blowing the alternator and/or electronics.

Thanks for that.
Been there, done that perhaps?

TOONGA wrote:The bars on most cars are stitched. this is so they collapse when they sqwoooosh what ever they hit. thats the whole idea of a big metal bar on the front of a car. it is like an extra crumple zone.

TOONGA

Like that MONSTER black bullbar on Your brumby Jules. Pretty sure if you hit something with that thing the brumby is gonna crumple around it... LOL

niterida wrote:Or try "the guru" at Quality Sheet Metal in Railway Parade welshpool. I can't remember his real name but he used to have his own shop called Guru Welding and he is a magician when it comes to tig welding. He did all the welding on a custom alloy motorbike frame for me and it was better than the factory welding.

He was so good he got so busy with his own shop that he couldn't cope so chucked it in and went to work for someone and work normal hours....

I haven't been there for a few years so not sure if he still works there but worth a try - and pretty sure they won't charge like a wounded bull.

Just remembered the guys name is Louie if anyone is interested in using him.