[AMC-list] Machinist

["Bruce Hevner" <scramblr@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Joe,,,first of all what area of the country are you in?? Here in the
southeast you will not get those prices unless you are in a big city such as
Atlanta.

 

Second,, all your looking at is what he CHARGES,, how about overhead?? I
assume this guy (like all of us) likes to get paid?? What?s the labor rate
where you are? What does HE get paid. Think it?s cheap to run a cleaning
operation?? We ditched our gas powered degreasing tank years ago when NG
went sky high and it was costing $800 a month to run it. It was an old
non-insulated tank. We now have a smaller electric insulated tank but the
meter still spins like a top when it?s turned on. Want a new cleaning tank??
A SMALL one will run around 7-10k.

What kind (and how old) are your guys machines?? If they are older ask him
why he hasn?t bought newer equipment. I?ll bet the answer you get is,,,?I
can?t afford it? or ?The stuff out there now is SO expensive unless it?s
being used every day it can NOT pay for itself?.

 

I don?t own the shop where I work although I do own some of the equipment. I
work on a labor split with the parts store and am allowed to do some of my
own work. That?s the only way they can keep the shop open. It does not
generate enough income to cover the cost of a full time employee much less
buying any new machines to replace the aging ones it has. They have told me
that when I leave the shop will be closed and machines sold off. NAPA store
across the street is about the same. I know the guys there, both grey beards
like me. 1 full and 1 part time. More machines than I have but once again
all old. They have the advantage of a pool of machines from the closed shops
to draw from if one breaks and can?t be fixed. New machines??? NEVER happen.


Want to open your own shop??

 

Mag CI head-$25-- (portable mag setup-can only do small items $1000)

Pressure test AL head $35-- (pressure test stand big enough for 6cyl heads
$5000)

Install Winona screw in guides $5-$7 a guide depending on amount-- (guide
material cost?s $1 each) portable driven with ½? drill $1,000. If ?seat &
guide machine used $25,000 to $100k for large machine)

Surface head (depends on how done, how much and how long) $25-$35-- (
sander, heads only 12,000 to grinder/CBN big enough for blocks $75,000)

Grind valves (includes cleaning, grinding vales & seats) V-8 CI $130--
(portable setup $3500 (see seat & guide machine)

Bore & hone block V-8 $150 (W/torque plate) $175-- (portable bar $7500 to
big enough to hold block $50k- or all in one machine $75k) 

Align Bore (5 saddle block) $175-- (small machine $18k to large $35k

Align Bore AL head (3 brg) $75-- portable setup $1000 to tabletop unit $15k)

Turn small disc rotor $8 and up depending on size.-- (disc & drum lathe
lathe $12k)

Grind flywheel $25 up depending on stepped and with dowels.-- (grinder $18k)

Degrease V8 block, R&R brgs & exp plugs $100-- (cleaning tank large enough
for a V8 block $12k)

 

So figuring conservatively buying the items above just to get STARTED
(you?ll need a LOT of tooling not listed here) I?m at ?about $250,000? How
about your building?? Taxes?? Operating expenses like small tools,
utilities, consumables like grinding stones. Taps for the screw in guides??
$100 each! It?s NOT a cheap operation to keep going. The only guys who are
making a living at it are the ones who have all their machines paid off and
have a pretty good workload. I have seen a LOT of midsized operations close
their doors over the last few years. It?s coming down to the ?mom & pop?
back yard operations and the large NASCAR type shops. The tiny shop can keep
his cost?s low buying used machines that don?t do volume well. The large
shops MUST keep volume up to keep going. Priced a factory rebuilt engine
lately?? Those prices are as competitive as they get using high volume
machines and look at how much they have gone up.

 

So be nice to your local machinist. He probably won?t be there long,,,

But HEY,,,that?s just ME!

Bruce Hevner

 

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