These are the C-shaped tables I was speaking of. I spent many hours this week getting these ready for building. I’m afraid that I am going to have to guess that I will have 15-18 hours into each of them before they are done.
(all pics are clickable, of course)
The one on the left has a border made of bicycle chain. Four layers of it. That took quite a bit of time and I don’t think I’ll be doing it again, which means I will now have to spend an hour each on opening up a pair of transfer cases to get enough chain to build one table.
On the upside, provided that I can figure out a better way to clean them than with a power washer and then a wire wheel on my dremel tool, I will then have more feet for more tables as well.
I’ve got the stuff cleaned up for a third table, so when I’m done wire wheeling these transfer case halves and then clear coating them to keep the brushed aluminum look shiny, I should be able to turn out a third one in two weeks.
While I hesitate to try Etsy, I don’t know of any other site that I could showcase these for sale. Does anybody out there know of a similar type site?
Just a suggestion from somebody who is not creative or crafty, but…
1) Try to consign it at a local furniture store – they get ten percent?
2) Craigslist? Maybe?
3) Look for a local auto show, swap meet, or car collectors exhibit – maybe they would let you exhibit. (But they might require a fee.)
4) Maybe the local junkyard would let you show them? or at least post pictures with some contact information.
It seems to me that your stuff, while way cool, appeals to a limited clientele. Mechanics, car buffs, saloon or restaurant owners, heavy metal rockers ??? Probably not the sort of thing that would appeal to women with new families and small children – too many sharp and jagged edges for junior to hit his head on.
By the way, I like your new pieces slightly less that I liked the first one, because these appear to have lots more nuts, and fewer piston rods. The new bases are neat, though. Makes me want to go buy a junk transmission and fire up the welder.
I’ve got a couple of those solutions in the works. The local bone yard I have been getting the majority of my pieces from got their own table in an agreement that gives me access to their yard. I left a stack of business cards with them.
CraigsList is too full of tweekers for me to try there, but I’m looking into eBay and other craft-showcase-type sites currently. I am also looking into local car shows. The smaller ones I’m agreeable to, but my local Good Guys wants $400 for a space in their pavilion, so that’s right out.
I get a few weeks off from school in August/September after Summer quarter and with any luck I’ll hopefully be spending my weekends hawking my wares between now and Fall quarter.
These would be a huge hit at a Steampunk convention.
http://www.emeraldcitysteampunkexpo.com/
There was one in Portland July 4-6, now you just need one to come to Seattle.
Um, when I said car shows, I was thinking about the local custom classic car club. Every once in a while they show up in the parking lot of the local Dairy Queen or some other business, and show off their 1955 Chevy Nomads, or their 1946 Kaiser, or whatever.
I bet that if you could make contact with your local equivalent, they would let you in for cheap. On the other hand, you will probably get more exercise and fresh air than sales.
OR you might try a craft show: booths cost about a hundred bucks, which is cheap enough to test the waters. (tip: you should make something small enough for buyers to carry that you can sell for cheap, that you can sell enough to cover your expenses – refrigerator magnets or some such)
Flea market?
Your tables look heavy, and I doubt that you want to load them up very often.
I still think that if you could find the right bar or restaurant, they would make an eye-catching piece that might draw in customers.
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