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From hand cranking to hydraulic, my shop finally caught up
I remember back in 2008 when I was in Colorado Springs, I had to use a hand crank blower on my coal forge for like three years. My arm would be shot by noon, and I could only do maybe 15 small pieces a day. Last spring I finally saved up and got a used Champion 400 blower with a motor, but even that took a lot of babysitting. Then this fall my buddy traded me a small hydraulic press for a knife I made, and honestly it changed how I do everything. I used to upset steel by hand with a sledge, now I just set up the dies and pump a few times. It's weird to think I fought through all that extra effort for so long when the answer was just buying used gear. Has anyone else made a big equipment switch later in their career and felt a little silly about waiting?
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noah_chen1718d ago
...my buddy Tom had the same thing happen with his sawmill. Watched him hand split shingles for years because he thought a powered splitter was too expensive. Got one at an auction for $80 and he swore he coulda paid for it ten times over with the time he saved. Still brings it up every time we drink.
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