Making ammo!

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Stiggy

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One down, 11 more to go!

I was asked if I could make some 60mm replica mortar shells for a WW2 re-enactment society.

Made out of treated Spruce, sanded to 120 and sealed with sanding sealer ready for the society to paint and put the flights on.

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I like that alot ! I quite like military stuff. Wonder if you'll feel as enthusiastic after the 8th one :)

Coley
 
Looks like you're having a blast with those ... I'll get my coat.
 
My dad owned and operated a large specialist prop supply company. He was asked by foyles war to supply 200 large field gun shells to decorate a explosives factory. The job fell through but I was setting up to glue 4 bits of 3"x3" to make up 6" blocks then have them cnc turned.

Adidat
 
Met with the gentleman today who tried to haggle on the already cheap £10 each I was charging. He reckoned he could get them for £12.50 complete and painted - muttered something about buying them from China and seemed surprised when I refused to drop my price and politely reduced the order from 12 - to two!

Since getting home early for a doc's appointment I have been looking online to find a website selling the same thing but with fins and painted for £35.00 each!

He's collecting the two shells on Monday and I shall tell him there was actually an error in my pricing and any future shells I produce will cost more since they will be supplied totally finished. I have sourced a cheap and easy way of reproducing the fins myself.

It sounds like I'm cutting off my nose to spite my face, but hindsight is a marvelous thing and I'm using it to my full advantage in this situation!

:D
 
He puts up fencing as is well known for pleading poverty and never being happy with whatever price is quoted - no matter how cheap, so to be honest I'm not sure why I was expecting anything else!

Still, it's let me practice my copying skills and shown me that there are many more objects I can make other than pots and bowls!

:D
 
Tell him that in the interests of realism you've inserted a small charge in each one. Defusing comes extra :twisted:
 
Very Nice job on the Rounds, Totally empathize with the "customer" situation, I have done custom work for a similar crowd "war gamers". With re-enactment being toy soldiers, but on a different scale. *)
The main issue I found was that people do not comprehend or choose to ignore, that it does take a lot of time and skill to replicate items such as this. Especially something as bespoke as a 60mm mortar round replica, as such they tend to want the moon on a stick and at half price.
That is my main reason for explaining the processes involved and it's time requisite per unit when quoting for work of a similar nature.
( casting in metals and resins usually)
I think they may find Customs would have a dicky fit when they arrive on that slow boat from china.


Someone brought a live P.I.A.T round into work a couple of years back, which they found whilst walking the dog, that was an interesting day.
 

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