Hearthlist Digest #181 - Wednesday, August 5, 1998 Dustless Ash Remover by "Dana Crist" <[email protected]> Personalized Grates by "Dave Double" <[email protected]> owner-builders by "Noel Gilmore" <[email protected]>
(back) Subject: Dustless Ash Remover From: Dana Crist <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 15:53:24 -0500 Thanks for your response on 07/31, Martha. My husband works for a web design company and is right now putting together a small website about the ash remover that will include pictures and specs. Hopefully he will have it done by the middle of next week so I can post the address. I regret to say I have just started working on this and don't know a lot about it myself except what it looks like and how it works. It's not electric, and the best way I know how to describe it without a picture is to say that it resembles a large scoop with a hinged lid and a carrying handle. As far as price point, I can only say that it retailed around $39.95 back in the early eighties. I don't know how much it would cost to produce at today's prices. That's one of the things I'm working to find out right now. We have about 1500 of the old units in storage at the present. It's a really simple design, but it works...or let me say it did when it was first patented. I'm not sure how much the hearth industry has changed since then. The product was designed size-wise with the popular woodstove inserts of the time in mind. The first prototype was exactly the width of the woodstove opening and was made of a heavier metal; it was made to clean the whole thing in one fell swoop. But the problem was that it was indeed quite heavy, so my father then designed one that was made of a lighter metal and wasn't quite as wide. I think it was about half the width of the first model. The idea was for anyone to be able to use it. I was 12 years old at the time, and I remember I was used as a "guinea pig" to make sure it was easy enough to handle. It was, and thereafter I always got the job of cleaning out the ashes at home when Dad wasn't around. I'm not sure if this helps give you an idea or not, but like I said, we hope to have a small website up with some pictures and information early next week. I'll post the address as soon as we get the site up. Dana _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
(back) Subject: Personalized Grates From: "Dave Double" <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 15:54:05 -0500 First let me state that I know this list is not for commercials. We are manufacturing a new product and I would like to get some feedback from the users on the list as to product acceptance. The product is personalized fireplace grates. Made from 3/4 sq. bar the overall size is 16 x 28. You can respond to me directly through email as to not clog the list. The grates can be found at the address below. Thank you for your help, David Double Product Manager American Steel Fabricators & Erectors http://www.bit-net.com/~amsteel
(back) Subject: owner-builders From: [email protected] (Noel Gilmore) Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 15:55:05 -0500 For those of you who deal primarily with fp's in new construction...what do you do about those owner-builders? Every owner-builder who's come into my store in the last ten years expects to get the same pricing as a contractor gets, so we acquiesced. But the reality is, the owner-builder expects you to give him/her a complete education in construction for the same money, and if you don't remember to tell him/her every last detail of "what-ifs," when the what-if occurs it's MY fault for not telling them. In addition, they take up hours of time both in phone conversations and while my installers are on the job. I recently had one job where we had come to the job site 7 times before they finally got their carpenter to make the required clearance for the flue, and when I charged them an extra $50 for all the unnecessary trips, you could've heard the howling in all four corners of the country. Yesterday my installer was at a job for 4 hours where the owners live in a trailor on the construction site and still didn't get the fireplace installed. I want to put up a sign that says, in essence, that we charge owner-builders more because they take up more time, only I'd need someone to help me choose some more diplomatic language. Or perhaps make them sign a document which is loaded with all the caveats needed to cover our time and money. Any suggestions?