Frequently asked Questions/ For your Information
What kind of projects/Products can you design and build?
Really anything that doesn’t require complex electrical involvement (complicated wiring and computer/PLC programming). But there are some practical considerations in which projects we take. For example: You might want a certain piece of metal furniture or shelving made, or maybe a custom intake or exhaust for your motorcycle, atv, or classic car. Yes we can make those products, but if you can find them for sale at an online or local retailer then it will cost less to buy it from them. We can’t replicate the metal shelving you found on Amazon for $35 and keep it close to $35. We won’t be able to fabricate headers for your 2003 Silverado for less than you can buy them from Hedman or Flowtech.
Usually, what you buy off the shelf at a retailer is made by the thousands or millions. There’s dedicated machinery, fixturing, and production tooling that a company invested thousands of dollars into to make just that one product at a rapid rate. We are making one with universal machinery, which is why it takes longer and is much more expensive. Likewise, we cannot compete with overseas labor and materials. The $35 shelving on Amazon that was made in China was produced with much cheaper material that we can obtain in the States and likely was produced with morally questionable labor.
Where we do shine: If you can’t find the shelving or products that you want anywhere, then one-off products and parts are economically viable for us to produce for you. Do you want long tube headers for the engine out of a 2003 Silverado that has been stuffed in a 1958 Ford Thunderbird? Good luck finding that at Summit Racing Equipment! Give us a call (and while you are at it we can probably make you engine mounts and a transmission crossmember for that LS swap). If you are looking for a log splitter, go to Tractor Supply, but if you are looking for one that automatically loads the next log from a magazine and splits it into four separate pieces of firewood each stroke, that’s something we can make for you. If you have designed something completely new, or a one-off bracket or assembly for production equipment in your factory, we can help you with that.
It doesn’t hurt to ask though, so regardless, feel free to give us a call and if we can’t pursue your project the worst that will happen is we politely decline your Request for Quotation.
Why are services so expensive? Do you really make that much an hour?
When looking at a quote, it might be hard to see everything that goes into the number just by looking at it. Labor might be quoted at $75 an hour for welding services, but no one here is actually making $75 an hour. Labor has to pay employees and also cover expenses. We have to pay to keep the lights on, the building warm, pay mortgage/rent costs, account for any equipment breaking, pay employees, and somehow turn a profit so that we can eat, enjoy life, and retire someday.
Materials are also expensive these days. Steel, paint, OEM, and even aftermarket parts aren’t cheap either. When you see the total on an estimate most, if not at least half of it, is usually material and parts costs.
You might find someone who does it cheaper and that’s okay, but you get what you pay for. When you purchase products or services from Carlson Diversified Engineering, you’re paying more for quality and attention to detail. You’re also recirculating your money back into the local economy and stimulating local business.