Unpopular opinion: Tool libraries should be a standard perk for apprentice operators

Spent $80 last week renting a boring head for a one-off job because my shop didn't stock the right size. Has anyone else had to argue with their foreman about buying basic tooling that you know you'll use again?

2 comments

2 Comments

henderson.wesley1mo ago

That "spent $80 last week renting a boring head" line hit me hard because I used to be the guy on the other side. I used to think apprentices were just complaining about tooling, and that if you really needed it, you'd find a way. Then I spent two hours waiting for a foreman to find a keyway broach that should have been in every toolbox, and it cost us a full shift of overtime. Now I see that renting basic stuff over and over is just throwing money away, and a proper tool library would actually save the company cash in the long run.

the_joel1mo ago

Read a piece last year in some trade blog about a shop in Ohio that set up a shared tool library for their team. They tracked what they spent on rentals and lost time chasing tools for six months before and six months after, and the savings were something like 40 grand. @henderson.wesley you hit it right that waiting on a foreman or renting a boring head over and over is just burning cash for no reason. A good broach set or a few boring heads sitting out in a locked cabinet costs way less than a shift of overtime or a rush rental fee. It's just math at the end of the day.