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Heard a shop owner say he pays more for a clean machine than a fast one
I was at the local supply house in Akron and overheard two guys talking. One, who runs a 15 man shop, said he'd rather hire an operator who keeps their work area spotless than one who can shave ten seconds off a cycle time. He said a messy station costs him more in tool damage and scrap over a year than slow cycles. I always thought speed was king, but his math made me stop. Do you guys think a clean machine habit is really that big of a deal for hiring?
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maryadams1mo ago
That's a really good point. I used to chase speed above all else, but a few wrecked tools from chips in the wrong place changed my mind. A clean bench is a thinking bench, and that saves more money than rushing.
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lindaw291mo ago
Yeah, @maryadams, you're spot on about the clean bench. I keep a little parts tray right next to the vise now, just for the chips. Sounds silly, but dumping that one tray is way faster than sweeping the whole bench later. Found a tiny washer I needed last week because it was sitting right there in the tray, not lost in a pile. That five seconds of cleaning as you go saves ten minutes of searching.
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