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Remember this one Keith ?


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if it works why bin it?

 

FFS, Just take a look at it.

Scrap Repair Machine.jpg

 

Bin it because it's out dated, inefficient, and probably hazardous to the operator (on dust extraction grounds if nothing else).

 

Bin it because any shop worth it's salt should be doing enough repairs to be able to afford to upgrade from this relic.

 

Bin it because if you look at any successful business in our trade, (independant or otherwise) they will have bright, clean, modern premises, promoting a forward thinking, entrepreneurial attitude, not a dusty, cluttered old pit.

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bloody handy in a garage! I had one when I first started doing stuff on the side, then we used it for polishing engine parts, eventually dismantling it because the solid rods that held it together where Ideal for rolling heavy machinery about with.

 

The rods are still in my Dads garage & have come in handy on numerous occassions!

 

Lee

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not getting drawn into the debate keiyh you have already by commenting

as for the machine yes it is an old one but if it does its job then whats the problem

if its on health and safty grounds then that is a nonsense if h and s was around years ago we would not have what we have today

as for the comment on new machines being better then that might be a valid point to you as you are one of the main suppliers to the trade so that could be a bias oppinion

as for the skills base you know as well as i do that a lot of the skills have been lost over the years

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In my opinion, I would prefer to see great work turned out on modern machinery, it's a far better measure of current skill sets in the real world!

While this is true to a certain extent, there is a limit as to what you can acheive on a modern machine, extra skill for competition work comes from hand tools and not machinery.

The Waist grafting nowadays by the competition winners is tenfold better than it was 30/40/50 years ago, machinery takes no part in sciving waists, so skills in one respect are much better, though in others sadly lacking.

Machinery is better, the current Standard Machines are far superior to any previous models for todays trading needs.

Speed is of paramount importance, so to is the health & safety of the operator along with the physical size of the machine.

Smaller premises mean smaller machines, cant seem to envisage the single shaft multi component machines fitting into a Shopping Mall.

On saying that there is still a need for the old finishers, if I had room in my garage I would have one just for the reason Lee had his. I miss the use of a Naumkeg for rust removal and shaping wood.

Brilliant though the modern machines are some would still like to have access to the old 100/200/500 WHB finishers when the need arises, ie the curved wheel for Cuban Heels. The bottom scouring roll for marked soles or competitions.

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I have to agree with some of the above, but I think you have missed my point. I never said that one or other machine was better or worse, I just want to see current machines being used.

I agree that certain jobs can be done easier on some old machines, but the idea of competitions in my book is to test current standards, using modern machines which are being used in current market conditions.

 

This is the only way to assess the trade today and help us work on improving standards going forward. By identifying the weakness, we can improve our quality, that's why all repaired should enter the competitions,, you all have something to offer and help improve our trade!

 

Keith

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A good point Keithm, presently those with modern machines that do not have Profile Cutters and Irons are at a dissadvantage on the points. Edge finishing should be on the overall shape, smoothness flowing into the heel block, plus the colour and gloss.

Unless the Judges move away from the "Tram Lines" finishes that Profile cutters give then a whole block of entries lose valuable points even though the rest of the repair is 1st class.

 

There is an art in using a tungsten cutter to give a finish that does not look as though it has been scoured on the smooth band yet so many entries had flared edges due to incorrect use of the movable guard and an edge shield that was far too small.

 

The Goal Posts have to be moved to allow a different finishing technique. Artistic merit should play a bigger part, personally I would like to see a move away from the bland perfectionist jobs and a more open competition. we seem to have lost the Art work that that was prominent years ago, the Artistic talents are still there but not being applied to a shoe repair.

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back to the wee machine

theres a guy close to me who has one similar bit bigger/longer and he uses it for finishing belt edges.

why the feck would he want to spend 7grand on a finisher to do the job hes been doing for years on a machine that costs not a lot

I would not have this in my shop nor would any of you guys but as Lee/Hugh says its ideal to have in garage for speciaist needs.

carry on!

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