Saturday 5 September 2015

The Diary Of A Smallholding Blacksmith? A Wheel Tidy For A Van.


Number one son was busy making a wheel tidy for my brother's van the other day.  He made one for somebody who liked the one in the van.  Now he's making another for somebody else.  



The wheel tidy welded and cut and ready to be bolted (fitted) into place over the wheel arch.  No longer will the owner of the van search for the spare wheel or climb under it to unbolt it.


The spare wheel securely in place in it's new home.  

How much would you charge somebody for a product like this?  Perhaps this could be the start of a smallholding enterprise.  Suppose you could make it out of wood.  A lot of industries and businesses started on farms.  

10 comments:

  1. Clever idea! not sure on rice mind as i have never owned a car £30-£40? or is that too little? depends on labour and materials i guess

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  2. Hi Undomesticated Diva. The length of steel cost 12 Euros and you get one wheel tidy out of it. Then you have to cut it in pieces with an electric grinder and weld it together. He reckons it would take him half an hour to make one. But it depends on the size of the wheel. Your price sounds like it would leave a very good profit. Thanks for your thoughts!

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    Replies
    1. You'll also need to factor in electricity for the grinder and the welding tool and the metal that is used for welding, might be cheaper to make them out of wood, but it would take longer , i used to do joinery at college, amongst other things haha :)

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    2. Thanks again for the advice. My son is always looking out to make something during the winter to make a few bob. I suppose you would also have to add a courier charge or you could sell them on line or on car boot sales and markets. You sound very talented with your wood working skills. Can you make anything that you can sell coming up to Christmas?

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  3. Try them on eBay to see if they'd sell. A coat of paint and they'd look good.

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  4. Thanks for the advice Kev. We have plenty of paint. You should do the same and sell your stuff when it's quiet. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Need it to go quiet first! I have sold one or two things online. Etsy is good for small thigns as they don;t take as much commission as Ebay

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  5. metal garage wall racks. to hang things on. Slim enough to not take up too much room but not so thin that it isnt strong enough to take tools

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    Replies
    1. Yes Sol wall racks are very useful. So are garages and sheds. You never have enough storage space.

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