Had to pick between a new glory hole or a better annealing oven

My old annealing oven from 2015 finally gave out last week, and my backup glory hole is on its last legs. I had about $4,500 saved for shop upgrades and had to choose which one to fix first. I went with the new oven because I had a big batch of goblets that needed to be finished for an order. It was the right call for the deadline, but now my work is slower without a reliable second heat source. Has anyone else had to make a tough call like this with their gear budget?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_caleb1mo ago

Tough spot for sure, but you made the only call you could with an order on the line. The oven keeps money coming in right now, which is the whole point. A slower work flow is a pain, but a missed deadline can wreck a client relationship for good. Maybe you can rig a temporary set up for the simpler heats while you save for the next glory hole.

luna8241mo ago

I see this same choice with small shops all the time. The local bakery near me ran their mixer on its last legs for six months because buying a new one meant shutting down for a week. You keep the core machine alive at all costs, even if it makes everything else harder. It's just how you survive.

grace50826d ago

Yeah, the "keep the core machine alive at all costs" thing is so real. My band saw motor started smoking last year and I just kept nursing it along with new brushes and prayers. Finally bit the bullet and got a rebuilt one over a long weekend. The downtime hurt but the constant worry was worse. You just have to pick the least bad time to make the swap.