lack of former easy services

Tom-D

Tom-D

Taxi to Parking
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Tom-D
How much can you charge for a swaged cable?
 
What does that thing do? Seems pricey for what it is
 
weilke said:
How much can you charge for a swaged cable?
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Right now I'd pay $100.00 to have 4 balls swaged on 4 pieces of 3/32" cables and can't find a single place north of Seattle to do a cable that small.
Most Sailboat rigging shops have the equipment, but not the dies for cable that small.

It requires about 30 seconds per cable end.
 
Tom-D said:
I've been trying find a cable swagger in the northern puget sound area. Previously I had my cables made by Aircraft Inspection and repair at AWO.
He has now retired, 2 other old grey beards that had swaggers are now gone and taken their services with them.
The industry is changing. and the new A&Ps can't afford the tools we once could.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131876606212?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
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All of the people that fix things are going away. My avionics guy, AI, boat mechanic, car mechanic, all are over 60. By boat mechanic is asking me to learn boat hvac repair beacause there is nobody around that does it. He turns away business and claims a 6 figure income.
 
weilke said:
How much can you charge for a swaged cable?
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Problem being the market. there isn't a need o build cables like we did in the past. the A&P's now simply buy a manufactured part. and home builders use nicropress type which can be swaged by the local ACE hardware store.
With he Varieze The cable routing is molded in the wing and the cable must be routed thru then the fittings swaged on.
I want the MS type because they are about 1000% stronger than Nicropress.
 
Tom-D said:
Problem being the market. there isn't a need o build cables like we did in the past. the A&P's now simply buy a manufactured part. and home builders use nicropress type which can be swaged by the local ACE hardware store.
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So you know the answer already. There is simply not enough of a market to justify a $7000 hammer.

The sad part is, there are a bunch of those press setups parked in some old guys workshop with a layer of dust on them. When he dies, the clueless relatives just throw it into a dumpster that goes to the local metal salvage.
 
Morgan3820 said:
All of the people that fix things are going away. My avionics guy, AI, boat mechanic, car mechanic, all are over 60.
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The local Aircraft metalsmith is starving, 5 years ago he was 4-5 sets of wings behind (6-7 weeks turn around for a pair of Cessna 100 series) now his shop is empty. the insurance companies are totaling aircraft and sending them to the salvage yards due to the labor costs to repair.
 
weilke said:
So you know the answer already. There is simply not enough of a market to justify a $7000 hammer.

The sad part is, there are a bunch of those press setups parked in some old guys workshop with a layer of dust on them. When he dies, the clueless relatives just throw it into a dumpster that goes to the local metal salvage.
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I really don't believe that, because there weren't a lot sold to start with, plus I attend the estate sales and don't see this type of equipment. Most of the independent A&Ps depended upon the Local FBO's who now are not building cables or doing large structural repairs. The only tools like a swagger you see for sale is like the one shown above, the owners know what they sell for new.
 
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OBTW I really wouldn't call that a hammer. or at least a very special hammer.
 
Tom-D said:
I really don't believe that, because there weren't a lot sold to start with, plus I attend the estate sales and don't see this type of equipment. Most of the independent A&Ps depended upon the Local FBO's who now are not building cables or doing large structural repairs. The only tools like a swagger you see for sale is like the one shown above, the owners know what they sell for new.
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Hmmm. So how do we get about fixing this problem? I'm hearing that you're saying the problem is high cost of tooling and a diminishing pool of skilled servicepeople, resulting in unavailable services. How would you increase the pool of servicepeople if it were up to you?
 
arnoha said:
Hmmm. So how do we get about fixing this problem? I'm hearing that you're saying the problem is high cost of tooling and a diminishing pool of skilled servicepeople, resulting in unavailable services. How would you increase the pool of servicepeople if it were up to you?
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I'm also reading that the service is not needed so much any more.
 
pmanton said:
Isn't there an A&P school in Seattle? Try them. Clover Park at Thun Field has or had one I know.
Paul
Salome, AZ
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I Will call Monday. I tried Friday, but they had called it a weekend already.
 
Everskyward said:
I'm also reading that the service is not needed so much any more.
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True, because the A&Ps are not building these cables in the field anymore for several reasons, liability, cost of tooling, and market size. Cessna, piper and several after market parts stores offer these for sale. The nonstandard home builder is about the only market left.
 
arnoha said:
Hmmm. So how do we get about fixing this problem? I'm hearing that you're saying the problem is high cost of tooling and a diminishing pool of skilled servicepeople, resulting in unavailable services. How would you increase the pool of servicepeople if it were up to you?
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You could have a wonderful dream about getting the fleet size back to what it was and the liability issues to go away. But for me, I'm going to buy a tool and offer the service on a limited bases.
 
Tom-D said:
True, because the A&Ps are not building these cables in the field anymore for several reasons, liability, cost of tooling, and market size. Cessna, piper and several after market parts stores offer these for sale. The nonstandard home builder is about the only market left.
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Right, so it would not be in a new A&P's best financial interest to buy one. I think your best bet is in the community of those who own and maintain antique airplanes. Since it seems as though you are part of this community, couldn't you find more information about where they are available there?
 
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Everskyward said:
Right, so it would not be in a new A&P's best financial interest to buy one. I think your best bet is in the community of those who own and maintain antique airplanes. Since it seems as though you are part of this community couldn't you find more information about where they are available there?
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I've tried the Boeing restoration center, the guy on the phone says he didn't know if they could do that. I'll re-try next week.
I've tried every FBO and repair center and sailboat rigger, from Chilawack BC to Portland, with no luck.
That's kinda when I decided that these services that were very common a few years ago are becoming hard to find now.
 
Everskyward said:
Right, so it would not be in a new A&P's best financial interest to buy one. I think your best bet is in the community of those who own and maintain antique airplanes. Since it seems as though you are part of this community couldn't you find more information about where they are available there?
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If you hadn't noticed the only one left restoring antique aircraft are owners who hire it done, and high end speciality shops that are few and far away.
 
Tom-D said:
I've tried the Boeing restoration center, the guy on the phone says he didn't know if they could do that. I'll re-try next week.
I've tried every FBO and repair center and sailboat rigger, from Chilawack BC to Portland, with no luck.
That's kinda when I decided that these services that were very common a few years ago are becoming hard to find now.
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Isn't there an antique airplane club out there? I'm pretty sure there is around here, as I hear people referring to it. I also see lots of antiques on the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome FB page, but they are across the country from you.
 
Everskyward said:
Isn't there an antique airplane club out there? I'm pretty sure there is around here, as I hear people referring to it. I also see lots of antiques on the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome FB page, but they are across the country from you.
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If you are talking type clubs, yes there are a bunch of them, but most every member is not an A&P or any one who will own expensive tooling. Type clubs are a very good thing, but they don't do maintenance, many have a list of members that do special things, but you must be a member to gain that info.
 
there is also this type of swagger

 
weilke said:
So you know the answer already. There is simply not enough of a market to justify a $7000 hammer.

The sad part is, there are a bunch of those press setups parked in some old guys workshop with a layer of dust on them. When he dies, the clueless relatives just throw it into a dumpster that goes to the local metal salvage.
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You can't do what that tool does, with a hammer. Swaged cable fittings have several dimensional checks that would be impossible without the proper tooling. When I saw $7000, I thought; What a steal!!!
 
GlennAB1 said:
You can't do what that tool does, with a hammer. Swaged cable fittings have several dimensional checks that would be impossible without the proper tooling. When I saw $7000, I thought; What a steal!!!
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GlennAB1 said:
You can't do what that tool does, with a hammer. Swaged cable fittings have several dimensional checks that would be impossible without the proper tooling. When I saw $7000, I thought; What a steal!!!
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I don't believe you'll ever see 7k worth of usage.
 
Talk to those exp guys, or surely on the RV forums they'd have a place to send them.
 
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