Keeping a time book on builds

[mountainman70]

Hello all, any of you keep a day book, or time log of your builds?
I have intended to on the last 5builds and didn't for one reason or other, just too lazy. However----
I have a 54  maple late Hawken halfstock well along. I got the precarve, inlet stock from Pecatonica, and the appropriate parts from same.
As I have some problems with carpal tunnel and ol arthutitis, I didn't want to go through the plank. Have done that.
Anyway, I have been keeping time on this one, and to date, the rifle is functional, and complete cept the rear sight, and some beginning shaping of butt and lock well along.
I have 39 hours in it so far, and now have a good idea what different operations take in time, such as fitting under rib and pipes, etc. I find this really interesting.
Not in a hurry to finish, as I am working on the silver flinter for my son/g son.
Have a goodun y'all. Dave

[dogcatcher]

In my past life I was an accountant, my time on a clients caseload was billed by 1/10 of an hour.  Every minute of my work day was basically accounted fpr 6 minutes at a time.  After few of those years on the job I started to keep track of my hobby time and other "endeavors".   It had become a habit, and in the end it was nice to know how much time I worked on something, didn't matter if it was a fishing rod I made or a cabinet for the bathroom.   I have been retired almost 18 years, and I still keep track of some of the times of some projects. 

[Mauser06]

I did fory current build till about 40-50hrs. I was doing a general breakdown...6hrs to fit the buttplate...4hrs cleaning castings or whatever.

Paper got lost and covered in inletting black...lol. Figure I will be 120-150 on a precarve lol.  Lots of setbacks. Stuff I've had to do multiple times. Learning!! 

[Robby]

I don't. What about design characteristics that you are thinking about when you aren't even the shop. But then I'm retired and time is not of the essence, God I love it!
Robin

[BOB HILL]

I’ve always have intentionally not kept track of my time. I was afraid it would make it feel like a job and take the pleasure out of it for me.
Bob

[flehto]

When I was a tool and diemaker all the dies and molds that I built  had time estimates which I was supposed to beat and usually did, so in my shop now, it's a pleasure when building LRs and wouldn't even think about "keeping time" . Why "screw up" a good thing?.....Fred

[Turtle]

 I learned to build guns before retirement intending to supplement my retirement income. I made the mistake of keeping track of time on one build. I would have made much more working at McDonalds! I'm just too slow. Now I look at it as a labor of love and a legacy.

[Nordnecker]

I have sorta mentally kept track of time on projects. Last gun took me about 45 hrs to build from a plank. Making the patchbox and inletting it, making the springs and getting it all to work took just as long as the rest of the gun. Of course, I don't count all the time just staring at stuff or laying awake at night thinking about it.

[WKevinD]

I don't. I would hate to see on paper that when I sell a gun I make $2.00-$3.00 an hour.
Right now I enjoy my time in the shop even when it's a frustrating problem solving day.

Kevin

[Mike Brooks]

15 to 20 years ago I kept track of time on every gun I built then quit  doing it. I kept track again on the last gun and the current gun and found I slowed way down.....

[t.caster]

I used to keep track of hours, but not any more. I bet I spent near as much time studying books and pics, as on the build but I never kept track of "research & study" time. You can't charge strictly by the hour for a build anyway, no one could afford it. It's kind of a subjective thing where you charge by the results of the finished product and what the market will bear, mostly.
That said...it usually took me 80 to 120 to build an early rifle from a blank, when I was counting hours. A few rifles took 200 hrs! Usually took an average of 40 hrs to get a shootable gun in the white, but still very rough.

[PPatch]

Currently I have two SMRs on the bench, I was keeping records of my time spent on the builds but quit when the hours exceeded 550. No way I could make a living at this, too slow...

dave

[ltdann]

I have a time card app on my phone that I use.  Last build took 55.24 hours.  Gives a nice report and you look at the times and see what days you were"on a roll"

[Mike Brooks]

I used to keep track of hours, but not any more. I bet I spent near as much time studying books and pics, as on the build but I never kept track of "research & study" time. You can't charge strictly by the hour for a build anyway, no one could afford it. It's kind of a subjective thing where you charge by the results of the finished product and what the market will bear, mostly.
That said...it usually took me 80 to 120 to build an early rifle from a blank, when I was counting hours. A few rifles took 200 hrs! Usually took an average of 40 hrs to get a shootable gun in the white, but still very rough.

Unless of course you're doing this for a living for real. I have always figured my pricing by a dollars per hour rate. Was " ball parking" it for all those years when I wasn't recording time, some of my customers may have gotten quite a bargain!
 I can still do a poor boy  finished in 25 hrs., but all the extra dodads add up pretty quickly. I have found a brass patch box adds considerably to the price since I have been keeping track again.

[Bill Raby]

I have sorta mentally kept track of time on projects. Last gun took me about 45 hrs to build from a plank. Making the patchbox and inletting it, making the springs and getting it all to work took just as long as the rest of the gun. Of course, I don't count all the time just staring at stuff or laying awake at night thinking about it.

On my first build from a plank I probably spent about 45 hours just inletting the barrel. First patchbox made from a sheet of brass took even longer than that. But it did turn out pretty nice.

[ddoyle]

You can't charge strictly by the hour for a build anyway, no one could afford it.

If they cannot afford it you should not build it. Building a toy for free for a stranger is odd philanthrophy. Meals on Wheels, Red Cross and Big Brother's always need volunteers

[FALout]

I have to keep track of my hours on jobs at work, this stuff is for fun, so I'm never gonna do that. 

[Mark Elliott]

I have been more or less keeping track of my time on spreadsheets for years.   On most of them,  I forgot to record a lot of work.  I finally got very complete timesheets on the last two guns I built.   I pretty much do everything myself, by hand, and  I am slow.    I put about 350 hours each into the last two guns I built.   I know it doesn't necessarily look like it, but that is the time recorded in 15 minute increments.    On the last rifle, I spent 16 hours preparing the lock (which includes engraving).   I spent 18 hours inletting the barrel and tang.   I can't conceive how you could build a gun in 25 hours.   

[Turtle]

 I do regret not numbering my guns and keeping track of them. I don't know how many I have built!

[Daryl]

I once built a "edited" pistol, lock, stock and used a piece of rifle barrel, in just under 25 hours -
included browning the barrel and finishing the stock.  It wasn't pretty, but was functional.
This was in Taylor's basement - he has real tools and properly shaped chisels, not just sharpened screw drivers for inletting.
I used a hatchet for roughing out the stock, then Stanley Shurforms. That maple stock was the best part of the pistol - perfect and finished nicely.

That was the first and only pistol I every built.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

And now, the rest of the story.
Large one afternoon Daryl came to my shop with a piece of octagonal barrel and said he wanted to make an underhammer pistol.  He had read a very good book on this type of firearm, and had a sketch.  So I said, fly at it, and went up for supper.  After supper, I went down to see how he was doing, and he was going 'great guns' (sorry).  I went to bed at the usual time, and told him to turn out the lights when he left.  In the morning I rose and went to the kitchen where Daryl sat with a fresh pot of coffee, and a finished pistol!  I guess he was including the research time i his build time.
So without having any sleep, off he went to the local RCMP office to register the handgun.  In Canada, this is mandatory, although there is protocol for it, none of which Daryl observed.  He arrived at the detachment, walked up to the counter and laid it down telling the Mountie that he wanted to register his new pistol.  The policeman was aghast stepping back from the gun like it was lepperous (sp?)  He said you can't just walk in like that with an unregistered handgun...I'll have to seize it!  Daryl said "Fine.  I'll just build another one," and turned t walk away.  The cop called him back and everything went well after that.
Lesson learned:  get some sleep before you intentionally confront the law, especially if you're in the wrong.

[blackpowder]

yes. I have a monthly calendar with big squares for each day on the door of the gun room and when I leave I jot down one or two words of what I worked on and the hours. it works pretty good for me. I am getting faster

[mountainman70]

Man,y'all, I am glad I started this thread, especially Taylors last post !!! You fellows make me proud !!! I understand more every day why Canadian whiskey is so good!!! Cheers,gents !!! Dave

[bama]

How much time does it take to build a rifle, pistol, Fowler or anything? It takes what it takes if you do the job right. If you are not going to do it right then do something else. Who cares how fast or slow the job is done if it's not done right what good is it.

[Greg Pennell]

Amen, Jim. I build for enjoyment...I just enjoy some longer than others...

Greg