I Sold My 12CK Monarch Lathe - Answering Viewer Questions - Follow-Up

A lot of great questions and comments, and I address them all in this video.

Topper Machine LLC is an entirely manual machine shop located in Spooner, WI. Our videos will highlight some of our shop work.

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[markat]

Debt free is the way to go. No better feeling than getting the house paid off. It takes away a lot of stress during the lean times. I enjoy your videos.

[BrucePierson]

I still have many of my first power tools and hand tools that I still use, some of which are up to 50 years old. But I also have newer tools that I've purchased more recently. Some tools might only get used once or twice in a decade, like a cylinder hone, butt they are there for if and when they are needed.

[jamesdavis]

I have sold 3 of my lathes over the past 40 years. I never regretted it.Never let emotions get in the way of business.

[BrucePierson]

With all the bad news that you shared, it's good to know that you are going along alright with the business and simplifying your life and living debt free. We've lived debt free for over 30 years now and managing on our limited income, just regular bills coming in and we own everything we have.

[bigmikex]

My watershed moment was when I realized that I can always make more money but I cannot make more time. Live life now because tomorrow is not guaranteed.

[bh.boilers]

Congratulations on taking on a trainee and being involved in the school, it would be great if other utubers followed your lead and give our next generation their start. Ray.

[calvincoolidge]

You need to come up with a product to make and sell.

A friend of mine had a shop years ago and he started making air cylinders to lift the snow plows on big trucks.

Every air brake equipped plow truck in New England had his cylinders. He made a carbon steel version and a stainless steel version. He went to every highway department selling them.

Rebuilding them was another business.

[twiggycents]

At our shop when we have to drill we borrow a flir camera and turn the boiler on long enough to heat the tubes and they show up. This is information just in case you ever have to set deeper anchors

[timf]

I say YES, live your life as you want. I am over 70 and wish that I did more traveling when I was younger. Still in great health so we are traveling. And take care of your body, hehehe when you get older it is pay back time.

[walterwright]

Thanks for the Monarch reversing information, I will take under advisement.

[dcraft]

You've really helped Conner become an actually productive young man.

[davidmosscrop]

Morning Josh. Glad all is well. Looking forward to seeing the new re-organized shop. Be Well

[walterwright]

Switching out machines you hope it's for the better.👌

[jamesmontgomery]

I also have in-floor heat. I purchased a Flir One product that works with a cell phone. On initial fire up of the floor, when the slap is relatively cold, I use the thermal camera to see exactly where the the tubing is and mark the surface with chalk in the areas I would like to drill in. Works perfectly for this and has many other uses such as checking electrical connections, motor and trailer bearings, insulation deficiencies and water leaks in buildings, locating exterior wall studs, etc.. No affiliation to the company, its just one of those tools with many uses.

[gorak]

instead of a "map" for the in floor heating tubing, why not use a thermal camera - you can get a USB thermal camera (a good quality one) for your phone for about 200, and it's useful for all kinds of things. If the slab is cold and you turn the heat on, the tube locations will be very easy to spot as the hot water flows through the tubes and begins to heat up the concrete.

[mikep]

Best wishes to Conner! hopefully, as he progresses through life, he stops in every now and then.

[jonathanmcelravy]

I still have my grandfather's South Bend bench top lathe. His pride and joy that he bought new, long before I was born. I use it once in a while and remember fondly sitting on a stool as a toddler as he used it. It is the first machine I ever ran.

[edsmachine]

Hi Josh, I agree with your decisions to let things go that you no longer need.
I call it setting yourself free.
I need to do more of that myself.
Whenever I do I feel better.
I am glad that you have a plan for the future, and certainly a back up plan.👍👍
I think we will all have an idea in the next couple of months the direction that things will be going.
I hate hearing more businesses are closing down in your area.
We have had a couple more big shops closing in our area.
And our economy is better than most.
I can see people's money is getting tighter.
Who knows where this all ends?
I'm keeping the Faith though.
Have a good week. 👍 🇺🇸👍

[JamesBrown-poou]

So glad you are making your life easier and making time for your family. I'm 55 and I just started taking time off for family, wish I would have done it sooner.

[Paul-FrancisB]

Thanks for the update, underfloor heating rather than space heating was a very forward thinking choice when you built the workshop, and makes sense as you are in it all the time. Hopefully you don't have to use the contingency plans but great to hear you have them in place