Paid Gig Simple Shaft

Doug Gray

Doug Gray

H-M Supporter - Commercial Member
H-M Supporter - Commercial Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
528
Hey Guys

Today in my tiny shop my company worked on a paying gig. A simple shaft. A 1045 shaft with a keyway on each end. Nothing to it right?

  • email supplier ask for quote wait
  • get price /order stock
  • pay for stock
  • wait two days
  • drive to suppler 40 minutes, get stock (during pandemic)
  • clean stock rags/break cleaner
  • swap out collet chuck for three jaw
  • face first end
  • chamfer first end
  • rough cut to length in band saw
  • face second end
  • chamfer second end
  • remove mill vice
  • set up stock on mill table
  • find end of work
  • find centre of work
  • set up mill table stop
  • mill key way four passes
  • flip work
  • mill key way four passes
  • debur
  • clean up lathe
  • clean up mill
  • reinstall/tram vice
  • create delivery slip
  • create invoice
  • deliver
  • wait 30-40 days to get paid
  • give 1/3 of any profit to government
Wear and tear on equipment/inserts end mills, shop supplies, fuel has to be $10-$15.
Minimum investment for required equipment aprox $10k
I'm not complaining, I'm just saying a lot goes into even the simplest of jobs.

Enjoy your shop time:)
20210402_090947.jpg
 
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This was the sort of job I came to love, bring me a pallet load. Simple, non-critical, small chance of error and just as profitable by the hour as anything else. Of course, this sort of thing was our bread and butter. If we didn't have a 20 ft. bar in the rack already, we ordered it and our local steel supplier delivered.

I also used to love it when the (walk-in) customer *****ed complained about the price, and I explained to him that it took the experienced machinist an hour, he had $6k in his own tools and used $20k of my tools (saw, lathe and mill), plus material.

We always provided keys and center-drilled shafts. Eliminates complaints about (their) keys not fitting and the guy who assembles it will bless you. So will the one who has to put a puller on it 20 years from now.

Looks more like cold-rolled 1018 than TGP 1045.
 
I don't disagree with any of the many steps above. I truly do enjoy my shop time, and as I get older I think less about the many steps involved, keeps me from worrying about the ones I likely forgot. My project plans now tend to be a standard 3 step process. Step 1 Begin; Step 2 - Za Poof a miracle occurs; Step 3 Complete. When it is a customer project, I bill based on my best estimation of the complexity of the miracle and material/tools required. Yes, I jest. Truly a lot does go into every machining job and project in the shop. Good looking shaft.
 
BladesIIB said:
I don't disagree with any of the many steps above. I truly do enjoy my shop time, and as I get older I think less about the many steps involved, keeps me from worrying about the ones I likely forgot. My project plans now tend to be a standard 3 step process. Step 1 Begin; Step 2 - Za Poof a miracle occurs; Step 3 Complete. When it is a customer project, I bill based on my best estimation of the complexity of the miracle and material/tools required. Yes, I jest. Truly a lot does go into every machining job and project in the shop. Good looking shaft.
Click to expand...
I like your estimating method. It is probably every bit as accurate as the step-by-step estimates generated by the very expensive shop management software that we used.
 
MrWhoopee said:
This was the sort of job I came to love, bring me a pallet load. Simple, non-critical, small chance of error and just as profitable by the hour as anything else. Of course, this sort of thing was our bread and butter. If we didn't have a 20 ft. bar in the rack already, we ordered it and our local steel supplier delivered.

I also used to love it when the (walk-in) customer *****ed complained about the price, and I explained to him that it took the experienced machinist an hour, he had $6k in his own tools and used $20k of my tools (saw, lathe and mill), plus material.

We always provided keys and center-drilled shafts. Eliminates complaints about (their) keys not fitting and the guy who assembles it will bless you. So will the one who has to put a puller on it 20 years from now.

Looks more like cold-rolled 1018 than TGP 1045.
Click to expand...
I like the provide keys idea for sure. It's cold rolled 1045
 
Oh man, this is exactly why I don't even TRY to make money in my shop.

My process would have been:

  • send person link to speedy-metals and tell them to bring it over when they are ready.
  • wait however long until they find a weeknight/weekend to stop by.
  • Toss in 6 jaw, face end.
  • Chamfer first end
  • rough cut in band saw (if necessary, person probably bought as short as they could:) )
  • face 2nd end
  • chamfer 2nd end
  • Pop into some V-blocks on the mill vise
  • set up mill table stop
  • find center of work
  • mill key way in 4 passes
  • flip work
  • mill key way in 4 passes
  • hand file and part to "customer", tell him to debur
  • Start drinking beer he brought over while he does it
  • Finish 1st beer, hand him the vacuum to clean up lathe and mill
  • Grab 2nd beer, finish while he cleans.
  • Mock him for falling behind on the drinking part of the day.
  • Grab 3rd beer.
 
You forgot the part about fending off the "customer" as he tries to tell you how to do the job :)
 
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