[Chris Yaughn]

Andy,  Slabs are closer to 1,000 lbs fwiw    unless your talking light weight tiny quartz slabs at #600.

Tom,  I have issues trusting people. Go figure .   By bringing the machine in I proved the point that I could do everybit of the process myself.   I could control everything.  And it nearly killed me.  I could take 3 slabs from the A frame to ready to load on the truck by myself.  Then just need a helper to load and install.  

But not for very long.

In  a 2 or 3 man shop, the Omag would have been a beautiful thing.  In a one man shop, shoestringed together regarding material handling, it was an albatross.

Even greater than that , past the numbers and the mental energy, I was standing in the shop with the machine most of my day.  With thoughts of the kids we are working with running through my head. Not super cool to be really distracted when you are operating a #30k machine cutting stone.

I needed to be out of the shop where I could talk to people about what we are doing, while I was in thier home measuring countertops.

It also helped tremendously that i found a shop to handle fabrication that speaks the same language I do, and gives me great rates on fabrication.  I can’t prove it, but I think they charge me less a sq/ft b/c of our work with our kids.

The owners son drove a 10 wheel truck,  7 hours (round trip) to deliver 100 sheets of 12′ drywall to the home we were allowed to build out for the 6 child sibling group.   Wouldn’t take a nickel for gas.  Then helped hand unload all of it into the house.  Then hung around and hung drywall for an hour. Then came back the next week with some of his guys to hang more drywall.

Sorry for the ramble. 

Not sure my “metrics” are gong to help anyone much

[Tom M]

You bring out the best in people. That’s a virtue.

Thanks for the info on the CNC selling. If you had employees, it sounds like you would have kept it running. Was it paying for itself?

[Andy Graves]

I gotcha on the slab weight. My point is that I am not willing to lift 400lbs on a daily basis, breaking down my body for basic living wages. Now if I was going to be making a killing then let’s install some granite. But we all know that aint gonna happen any time soon.

[Chris Yaughn]

Tom , yes it was. Kinda.  It was paying for itself as long as I was there running it.   I was wearing too many hats.  

 

I know what you mean Andy, but large parts are the exception mostly.   And in the shop, should be dealt with using the crane or the forklift.   On jobsites, carts and clamps mitigate most of the old school wear and tear.

[Author]

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