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March 22, 2016
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I'm an old mechanical engineer, and outta work now due to a partner that supremely B/F'd me after I moved to help him and work with/for him in a trusting manner..
I'm curious about all these custom Bbl shrouds I'm seeing here, and who made them, mainly because way back in time I made a few for my use, nice big slab ones, and fluted ones, just as a "I can design it and make it thing".. slowly people I knew when I was shooting mega rd's a week, and they liked my D/W's accuracy and super slick trigger pulls, bought everything I made as add on Shrouds.. I did turn a lotta heads onto DW smoothness, and longevity..
so, Now that I'm outta work, just asking who is making all the shrouds I see on these custom jobbers? I looked at EWK, no joy,
I am closely involved with a local machine works, that has been a lifelong pal, and they are also hurting in this economy for custom tooling and machine work....
gimme some requests, and serious, I MEAN SERIOUS desires on custom shrouds, and what you think they should cost..
(don't be ridiculou$ on price$, I'm serious, you should be also.. I know how much a beater b/s costs, I'm talking full on custom, heavy/modified for scope/engraved( i have a great engraver, and powdercoater gun master as a pal also), soooo gimme something to go on, and I'll take the ball and run with it. I don't think custom shrouds should be out of the norm in today's market at a about same as to 2x the price, depending on materials, and customization, and then even more customization and service, would be the norm. we can all hit GB and buy a shroud, or bbl, sight unseen.. I'm not gonna make bbl's, simply shrouds..
oh, I didn't come here to sell product, or even my personal arms, I came her to see honest opinions of a true value of a revolver I planned to sell to a local party to pay rent (when reality struck home, as he had to learn how to reload, and get with it.. he dropped out right quick) , the only one I was willing to part with.. Now I'm gonna take my knowledge of 35 years of owning DW's to another level, because I think it's due.
I'm really happy I found you guys, and truthfully, was living my own happy life, doing simple things.
I will be devoted to y'all when I get this thing to gel, and promise to hang out and share what I know now (just don't ask me serial numbers and when it was made..
)
December 19, 2015
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Pardner,
I like your willingness to charge into the darkness. I don't think I can speak to the custom shroud features or prices. But if you are going to jump into the deep end, I would caution you to measure and do the business math.
Make a business plan that is optimistic and then put it aside. All the folks with stars in their eyes do this plan while wearing rose colored glasses. It's good to sell your banker, but worthless when operations start.
Now make a business plan where everything fails: Your finances are pulled. Your marketing sucks. Your family gets sick. Your suppliers don't deliver. The buyers don't show up. Your buyers don't pay. You make a lemon and someone gets hurt and you are sued. There's a fire. I could do this game all day. There are endless negative projections that few study and even fewer try to avoid. Knowing there is a hole is the first step in avoiding it. Find a business man who thinks you are full of sh#t and make him your best friend. You need someone to ask nasty questions and not accept your BS answers.
I projected my business would start breaking even in 4 years. It took 9 years. I had some 24 hour days and lots of 7 day work weeks. What does it take to make a successful business? - Give away 10 years of your life; planning to get it back later.
Work your fingers to the bone; and what do ya get, Boney Fingers. Hard work and dedication is not a guarantee to success.
Good luck and Good timing,
Prescut
Supporter
Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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Prescut, well said. I am a retired restaurateur with time out to get a degree in finance. Evaluate all outcomes with proforma P+L. Multiply by weighted probability of each outcome and add the results. Then double your expenses and halve your sales. If you can still make it, and I worked 90 hours a week, go for it. Don't forget credit card and bank fees. They mount up fast. When you put 10% to the bottom line and then find out it is another 4% to them it is a real deal breaker.. EWK does his thing part-time. What he makes is gravy. One more observation. As a recent gun collector and investor I learned that when it comes to firearms, original condition counts for EVERYTHING. Customizing not only does not pay for itself but diminishes the value in most cases. On the other hand, as a Dan fan, I look forward to seeing what you can do or have done and would probably get one of each. Ask Erik.
March 22, 2016
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welllll...
thanks fella's for being so positive. 
really didn't need a lecture on business plans and such, at 60+ years old, with my liabilities and experience, I was just asking if anyone was interested in this narrow niche part. I was never planning to make a living off of a few items for a narrow niche market such as this, but seeing as I have zero income currently, and a bit of time on my hands, was tossing it out there. A couple bucks here and there, no big deal. I have no boss man.
I have to laugh a bit at the thought someone would consider this little offering as something anyone would try to make a living on. I never, ever entertained that as a viable option. I have manufactured some spare parts for a very narrow market of motorcyclists in the past, and never considered it as an income making proposition. It did pay for itself tho, and did not cause me any issue of liability, but then again, I entered into those ventures with a mindset of making something worthy of it's value, and offering me just enough to warrant my time and effort... so the humble aspect was the initial thing I took from it.
so, the end result is, no, I don't plan on this for a living; that would be a joke. I just asked who is making the current stuff, and also if there is any interest in someone supplying some custom stuff, as I'm a bit bored right now, and willing to make a couple parts at a time, when I make mine.. no big deal.
thanx
Dans Club
DWF Supporters
April 20, 2010
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Eric at EWK Arms made barrel assemblies at times, perhaps you could contact him and request his input on his experience. I have a couple of his offerings and everything he was making is very nice.
CZ-USA still sells assemblies, I guess you could gauge the market somewhat from their offerings- http://shop.cz-usa.com/
Also if you contact the Dan Wesson Firearms factory directly in Norwich they will still make barrel assemblies and customize upon request- https://www.danwessonforum.com/faqs/. Phone #s under 'Where can I order parts?'.I think you would have to offer something that they cannot do.
It would be my guess that if you actually offered custom shrouds of your making that you would get some interest, and end up with a handful of guys who would really follow through. We are talking about a fairly small niche market here.
I would love to see some pics of what you already have made before! Pics go a long way to generating a guy's interest. You can describe a street rod in detail and get a smile, but show a guy a picture of your street rod and his eyes light up.
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
February 16, 2016
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lonwolf93 said
I would love to see some pics of what you already have made before! Pics go a long way to generating a guy's interest.
March 22, 2016
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Stinger said
lonwolf93 said
I would love to see some pics of what you already have made before! Pics go a long way to generating a guy's interest.
I agree
when I made these for the first pistols I owned, there were no digital cameras... but I do have some photos somewhere shot with film... remember film? The few I did make ended up being bartered for by my close friends at the time, stupid off f me to not keep at least one of each, but I figured I could always make more... then time passed, and interests and locale changed. I'll try to dig up the photos and digitize them, but I could likely generate cad drawings and render them just as easy. I was just testing the water, as I'm kinda bored while doing the job search thing; and making new AutoCad drawings keep me in practice.
thanks
February 16, 2016
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man of blues said I'll try to dig up the photos and digitize them
Cool, throw those Polaroids on a flatbed scanner and you're in the 21st Century in 15-seconds.
March 22, 2016
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Stinger said
man of blues said I'll try to dig up the photos and digitize them
Cool, throw those Polaroids on a flatbed scanner and you're in the 21st Century in 15-seconds.
you laugh... I actually have a collection of various old Polaroid cameras... no film, but nice machines....
actually just found those again while looking for the pistol pack case you wanted....( found that also)
The photos I shot were modern, done with a 35mm... and like a lot of old junk I shoved into boxes over the last couple moves and 20 years time... they are hiding well inside of a box in a box, in yet another box...
what was I thinking?
October 13, 2009
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Alot can be said about the Dan Wesson parts business! In my opinion, the custom shroud business will be tough, from what I have seen, there are only a handful (literally) of guys willing to pay what it takes to make one. I'd estimate demand in the 10's. Yes, this market is that much of a niche. For my "production" items, in the 100's of something is alot! And the economy (which is not as good as they say it is) is affecting some guys spending on their gun toys. Also most requests will be along the lines of the factory VH shrouds which are not exactly easy to make, the process I use to make the VH's involves a VMC with probing along with a custom macro and custom form cutters. Nothing impossible, but takes time and money. To each their own, I've had people say some pretty nasty things about my EH (Slabside shrouds) how they don't like the design. Also note for the used barrel assemblies and prices they bring, people seem to pay a premium for original Dan Wesson stuff. When I had my barrel assemblies in stock, the originals on ebay still brought more. Most customers aren't sure of what they want when it comes to custom projects-would be best to be able to make up 3D models to submit them and change the model till it meets their approval. I'd be careful accepting any payments other than cash-some guys can be real jerks and sumbit chargebacks with the credit card company/paypal rather than try to work with you. That has happened with custom work I've done, so you are helpless when the customer decides he no longer wants the piece.
Sorry to sound negative, but like the others have said in this thread, what business venture (even if you are doing a few things) is easy? Ideally you need to be able to make some money at this-its pretty tough doing things, even if you really enjoy it, where each item comes wrapped in $100 bills!
March 22, 2016
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EWK_Stuff said
Alot can be said about the Dan Wesson parts business! In my opinion, the custom shroud business will be tough, from what I have seen, there are only a handful (literally) of guys willing to pay what it takes to make one. I'd estimate demand in the 10's. Yes, this market is that much of a niche. For my "production" items, in the 100's of something is alot! And the economy (which is not as good as they say it is) is affecting some guys spending on their gun toys. Also most requests will be along the lines of the factory VH shrouds which are not exactly easy to make, the process I use to make the VH's involves a VMC with probing along with a custom macro and custom form cutters. Nothing impossible, but takes time and money. To each their own, I've had people say some pretty nasty things about my EH (Slabside shrouds) how they don't like the design. Also note for the used barrel assemblies and prices they bring, people seem to pay a premium for original Dan Wesson stuff. When I had my barrel assemblies in stock, the originals on ebay still brought more. Most customers aren't sure of what they want when it comes to custom projects-would be best to be able to make up 3D models to submit them and change the model till it meets their approval. I'd be careful accepting any payments other than cash-some guys can be real jerks and sumbit chargebacks with the credit card company/paypal rather than try to work with you. That has happened with custom work I've done, so you are helpless when the customer decides he no longer wants the piece.Sorry to sound negative, but like the others have said in this thread, what business venture (even if you are doing a few things) is easy? Ideally you need to be able to make some money at this-its pretty tough doing things, even if you really enjoy it, where each item comes wrapped in $100 bills!
I honestly value your opinion, and agree %100 with what you say, the photos I've seen here of your custom stuff I think are top notch machinery, which I can apreciate greatly as a mechanical engineer with a major 3d Cad backround for many years, and I love my DW pistols...
as I noted, I would not even consider doing this to earn a living, I want to make some specific shrouds that please me, heavier, and with a few features I found desirable, and found when I made the ones I wanted before, it was much easier to make a couple at a time once I tooled and setup my process for each, besides, making them one at a time was a bummer, especially if a mistake was maade in the final ffinishing... hehehe, saved time not having to go back to square one if it got compromised. As for taking on custom orders, I would stay away from that like the plague, knowing those pitfalls with people changing their mind and such. Id never consider making anything custom to someone elses specs, just figure if I make the ones I wanted, if I have extras, someone may want one as is. I kick myself for trading and selling off all the ones I made many years ago, on manual machines, those really did take a lot of time and effort.
December 19, 2015
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It looks like you know yourself and what you're up to. I commented above fearing a fellow member was letting the DWAS get the best of him. You're not that guy. I would hate to contribute to someone, with the best intentions, taking on risky ventures.
Eric has been a terrific addition to the DW community. His SWAG counts for potential clients was illuminating. I wait with great expectations to see the results of your labors.
Prescut
March 22, 2016
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Prescut said
It looks like you know yourself and what you're up to. I commented above fearing a fellow member was letting the DWAS get the best of him. You're not that guy. I would hate to contribute to someone, with the best intentions, taking on risky ventures.Eric has been a terrific addition to the DW community. His SWAG counts for potential clients was illuminating. I wait with great expectations to see the results of your labors.
Prescut
thanks,
I really like Eric's stuff, and heed his wise words also.
I have zero income right now, and starting a business is the last thing on my mind. My pals in the machine shop allow me to play around, and there's always chunks of metal I can play with.. as for the engineering, I got that part downpat, I reverse engineer stuff constantly, and have done some side jobs recently for some companies trying to retrofit old machinery as updated ones, but that is spotty work at best, and I do need a real job... in the meantime, I can do designs on my computer for free for myself.
when I get some stuff made up for myself, I'll share it.
Range Officer
Range Officers
Dans Club
March 27, 2009
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My pic below is an EWK custom that was returned, then found a home with me! It is now mounted on a black coated 14-2 with black scope! Gets the questions when I pull it out of the case!
October 13, 2009
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Yep, sounds like you've got it down-time, talent, buddy that has stock and machines that will let you play...make some extras up and see what happens! Look forward to seeing what you come up with! By the way, good luck on the "real" job search!
May 26, 2015
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I tried pretty hard to think up some fancy shrouds. Ran the idea through google as well, I kept getting a bunch of anime cartoon results. (For instance Trigun revolver)
In the end I think revolvers have a limit on how awesome or slabbed they can really get and still be functional.
I have a custom order in the works from Eric here, heck I'm getting his EH shrouds in 2" 4" and a custom 6" with an aristocrat sight I provided. . At first I thought it was a pretty simple job, but then I got to thinking about machinist measurements (Not my strong point at all) That stuff must be painstaking!
Long story short if it were not for EWK arms, I would not have chosen a Dan for my first gun.
also to answer the original post, here are some pics. I won't have any money left after I'm done with Eric but I'll still drop some sick designs on you. Most of these are pics of airsoft or something but with the Dan's modular design, pretty much anythings possible right?
Best of luck Blues. I'm sure you'll do great.
May 17, 2023
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Anyone on this thread know where I can get a PPC type shroud for my 6" model 15? thanks!
N
YouTube Channel: Nick Shoots Stuff
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