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Posts
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Andy,
Shop set up looks great. I have 2 questions though is that a material handling boom used to help flip jobs over or how are you using it? The supports on the saw horses are those 2×4 flat with 2×4 on edge?
Reuben
Andy,
What is your normal routine? Do you fab one job at a time or multiple jobs? Do you layout the entire job in the configuration of the kitchen so you can layout the templates to check fit?
We have two dedicated fabricators and helpers when they need and we have room now to easily layout three entire kitchens to be fabricated and with a little adjustment we could do four. We have the tops laid out in the configuration of the kitchen when we fabricate, this takes more room but it helps to keep things right and makes it easy to check sizes and seam fit. I have each fabricator do a separate job from start to finish, which includes CNC cutting and some times install when we need to. My plan is after their helpers are trained well enough to have them take over the job at some point and allow the main fabricators start the next job. We will see how that works out.
Shane
I forgot to mention, I just got a new phone with an awesome camera so I will be taking some photos to see how it works. I will post some of my shop as soon as I can.
Shane
Reuben wrote
Andy,
Shop set up looks great. I have 2 questions though is that a material handling boom used to help flip jobs over or how are you using it? The supports on the saw horses are those 2×4 flat with 2×4 on edge?
Reuben
Answer 1: It is a crane. We take everything off the pallet and load the cnc with it. No more back breaking work for us.
Answer 2: Those are made with the cnc. We call them stretchers and they are a 1″ thick piece of plywood with a slot down the middle to accept a 3/4″ piece of plywood that stands about 2″ high, They are then joined with lots of wood glue and screws. If you assemble them on the cnc and make them perfectly flat they will span about 7′ without deflecting. Cheap and light weight. Plus the fit between the edge buildup and the sink.
Shane wrote
Andy,
What is your normal routine? Do you fab one job at a time or multiple jobs? Do you layout the entire job in the configuration of the kitchen so you can layout the templates to check fit?
We have two dedicated fabricators and helpers when they need and we have room now to easily layout three entire kitchens to be fabricated and with a little adjustment we could do four. We have the tops laid out in the configuration of the kitchen when we fabricate, this takes more room but it helps to keep things right and makes it easy to check sizes and seam fit. I have each fabricator do a separate job from start to finish, which includes CNC cutting and some times install when we need to. My plan is after their helpers are trained well enough to have them take over the job at some point and allow the main fabricators start the next job. We will see how that works out.
Shane
We fab one job at a time. With that said, I am always working on the next job on the computer so as soon as the first job is done, I am ready for the next job to cut on the cnc. I noticed over the years that most of my employees do not have the ability to EFFECTIVELY multitask. When they can stick to one job til it is absolutely complete, we see a lot fewer mistakes and call backs. I would rather lose a little time by doing it this way than trying to save a little time starting the next job.
Yes we put the entire job together like you would see it in the kitchen. We check the seam and make sure everything is lined up with the templates.
Rueben wrote “I am getting my wife trained well to take over all the sales and qouting so I can be in the shop”
So, how is that working for you? What is the secret to training a wife? 🙂
Al,
It’s working good and I just have to remind myself if I really want to eat do not make her mad. MAybe I should have taken Home Ec. in high school after all.
My wife came to work WITH me as apposed to FOR me, she made that very clear when she started. When people ask her how it is to work for your husband she again makes it very clear that I am not her boss and that we work together. This always makes me laugh, but the truth is we get along great most of the time and when things get a little tense we have separate offices to hide in. Good thing is we both can leave work at the office for the most part, and that is really an important part of making it work with a husband and wife team. I do feel very lucky that we all get along so well, we all know how things get sometimes. My mom is the receptionist, my daughter does most of the pricing and ordering, and my wife has the best job doing the accounting (I really feel sorry for her).
Shane
ps In ten years I have never had to sleep on the couch[EMO]bigsmile.gif[/EMO]
My wife has been working with me for 4 years, she is actually a nurse and had enough of it. We do get into arguements but it always blows over fairly quickly. One of the good things is that when you go home it’s not like one of you had a bad day and one had a good day. You both had the same day so you are pretty much in the same state of mind.
Her job description: Painting, caulking, grout cleanup, dying grout, laminate floor installation, sanding tops, and cabinet installer’s helper. All this at 5’4″ and 118lbs. [EMO]bigsmile.gif[/EMO]
Wow Norm, I’m impressed.
So you guys do tile as well? I have a logo that say’s Grout with a circle and a slash through it. We only do smooth counters.[EMO]bigsmile.gif[/EMO]
Shane
Here is to all those wives standing beside us. I would be lost without mine. Like Norm and his wife, we do get into it from time to time about little things. Sometimes she is right and sometimes I am right, but in the end we work it out. Customers love her, some have told me that she is the reason we got the job.
My daughter does most of the inside sales and I hear the same thing about her all the time, people love her. It is hard to match the dedication and loyalty that a family member can bring to the office.
Shane
Isn’t it great when we can work with our families and enjoy it. After all I don’t think most people would put up with my crap in the office like my wife.
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