(poll) Do you charge for...

Any excuse to charge more or increase prices is good for us, and also for us it does take us longer to layout. We often times will charge small fees for color changes, even though we usually will have dedicated machines. Kind of like the mechanics "book" rate even though he can change your brakes in 30 min, the book says two hours, and thats what you pay. We have tried to do that with striping when we can. I dont know why most people think we work for free..

Our normal work schedule is 9pm - 3am. on Sundays & 3pm-5am Monday thru Thursday. Our lunch time is most people's dinner time. Of course there are situations where we make adjustments when necessary. Personally I like the hours. It's kinda how I'm programmed. Believe me even fast food restripes are effortless at 3am. Even on new construction it's easier. You don't know how many times I've had Joe the Electrician or Jose the Landscaper walk through my paint or spray water all over that area I'm getting ready to stripe. I'll take an empty lot any day or time I can get it!

I don't work at night.

YES, I charge more

\\\STRIPES/// wrote on Dec 27, 2005:Go to #23

I don't work at night.

Jumping Jeebus on a Cracker. You might be in the wrong business!

Working at night would be fine if all my work was at night, but when you have to go out at night for 1 job it's a real Tracy since it screws up your whole sleeping schedule. Ken knows what works for him. FYI Tracy = hassle, nuisance, inconvienence, something that makes life more difficult etc.

Our works split, since Ken does mostly new construction like him that's easiest in the daytime. We still charge 50% more for layout but I wouldn't tell Ken to change his business model. He's making money & stays covered up on work & that's what counts. But I can't remember how many sleeping patterns were screwed up because we had 2-3 night-stripes in a row & then back to day work...usually cost a whole day off to let everybody adjust, just wasn't productive to stumble through a day half asleep. But night-time is the right time for restripe unless it's some place that can be done during the day for whatever reason (like a church or funeral home or similar... love restaurants and such that close during the day or all day 1 day a week Best layout horror story many years ago (fortunately they were so happy we charged a BUNCH extra) Grocery chain we did all the work for hired somebody else in Plano (fine with me long drive) Had just got in (less than 5 minutes) from a tough "all-night" job when the phone rang. Their contractor had everything screwed up so bad they had fired him, could we black out what he had done & start over? Please, charge us extra if necessary (words I love to hear) because grand opening & ribbon cutting for new owners & remodel was 9am next day! BUT I was out of black out paint and nearest store was in Ft Worth "on the way" so called helper, timed it so we would get to paint store just before closing & told them I was coming. Got the black & got to Plano (3 hours total drive) then had to wait since store was in busy center and other stores were still open (maybe 20 minute nap in truck & a burger to eat). This was the WORST striping I have ever seen. SO BAD that fortunately I had long plastic string lines we used for very long center-runs and some asphalt nails. Under the lights & shadows I must have measured & popped lines 15 times that never looked right (because of the screwed up black stripes throwing off the "looks") so finally in desperation I stretched and nailed string squares around every bank to make sure we were square on everything. Then used string on the stalls for the 2 banks that were screwed up so I could double measure (too many chalk lines by then, total chaos) Finally got all that done & double checked then popped lines to match on the other banks, flushed the black & started striping...got 2 banks of stalls done and some cross hatching...everything on schedule with time to spare when... all the lights went out. There was some Hispanic guys in the store but they were locked in for the night "floor crew" and none spoke any English so we couldn't communicate "call owner about lights"... even called the Plano PD but the "emergency # they had on file was for the previous owner...gave up, loaded up, went to a cheap motel and left a wake up call for 2 hours later. Didn't even seem like sleeping before the phone rang but went just before dawn to a drive thru for breakfast & a couple of large coffees. End result. Striped like madmen (lucky it was summer got daylight early & alkyd dried quick) loaded up and picked up the cones on the double coat (white over blue) Handicaps just (like 1 minute) before they were ready to snap the picture & open the store. I was dead out for 3 days, couldn't move. The money almost compensated for it but the main thing was the chain owner learned a big lesson... after all that it would have been way cheaper to have paid my travel charge to Plano than what he ended up paying me for the hassle & the "emergency service call" AND the motel (wasn't my fault the lights went out) and he was just happy he met his schedule, so we never had a problem with him again. Got all his work with no questions about travel charges and no competing bids from then on...almost 5 more years before he "sold out" everything. Lots of good paying jobs off that...but if I live to be 100 I'll never forget how tired & sore I was after that one.

If its water based (latex) you clean with warm, soapy water. In addition to the paint being too cold and therefore to thick, you intake hose could be plugged. Particualry at the intake valve, Where the little ball is.

Paint may be too thick or engine speed too high comes to mind. If using latex paint, add a little water to thin. Especially if it's yellow. Seems like SW latex yellow always needs a little water to get a good line. Also if the engine speed is to high it might be causing the pump to cycle too fast causing a wazy line. I keep my 3900 just above an engine stall.

Hello Don, In your previous post about the bad striping, you mentioned "Asphalt Nails" and plastic string for long lines. What kind of nails are these or are they just finish nails so to not to damage the asphalt? Was the plastic string the weedeater string? Thanks.

Concrete nails - the hole will go away if it's new asphalt. Ken uses weedeater string in place of cable, but plastic string usually means hay twine.

Robert's right...concrete nails, and I should have said poly twine instead of plastic string, would have been a little more clear.

Thanks for the info. I am having a hard time finding a metal 300' tape measure. Anyone know where to get one? I have found the fiberglass tapemeasures locally but not metal.

Metal 300' tapes are too expensive. I buy the imported fiberglass tapes from Lowe's. They last a month or two, then time for a new one. Metal tapes can get stepped on and creased, then they are worthless. The only good metal tape I have seen is a surveyors "chain". It's about 1/4" wide and thicker than a regular metal tape, but they are special order now and cost $700. Don't get the fancy 300' fiberglass tape with the geared retrieve from Home Depot, it's a good idea, but the gears strip out quickly.

Chris - Just curious. Is the reason you are looking for a steel tape is so it doesn't blow around in windy conditions like a fiberglass tape?

Yes, So the tape does not blow around when it is windy. I am sure I could get some weights or something but a lot of times I will be doing this by myself and thought a metal tape will stay down a little better. If you are working by yourself, what do you use to hold down the tapes, string, cable, etc.... Thanks.

How's $90 dollars sound for an open reel, nylon clad steel 300' tape. That's reasonable. I'll get the name brand later and the store if anyone wants. Now onto the fiberglass tape statement. To each his own first off, but IMHO the regular fiberglass tape that is very cheap is more trouble than they are worth for more reasons than I can list here. Here's a couple since I can't resist. First off they stretch, NG (not good), compounding issues as you go. Not what a newbie needs. Second, there is no way to pull them straight enough (without stretching them) to avoid another step in layout to assure strait ends, square layouts etc. Goal: maximizing layout efficiancy by minimizing the process, less steps... I do not think you can get the highest quality layout, regardless of perception of quality, with a fiberglass tape. Again, just my opinion. I have on occasion used one on a dogshit chipseal layout to rattlecan layout marks. That being said, I would sooner use one for blocking a lot off , like construction ribbon, than for anything else.

Chris- You can use lots of things to hold a tape / string line. The cheapest thing I have found is a bucket partially filled with water. Dave

Or partly filled with paint

drandaz wrote on Dec 30, 2005:Go to #38

Chris- You can use lots of things to hold a tape / string line. The cheapest thing I have found is a bucket partially filled with water. Dave

I agree with Blacktop I run my 3900 III at just above an idle on the engine speed to shoot latex.