How not to Run a Pressing Plant!

[mossboss]

Well Guys
Here I am in Florida trying to get a plant up and running
What a nightmare and a bucket full of money out the door
Amazing how a plant can be run down so badly
Nothing that was there could possibly be turned on and run like it supposed to
Its hard to imagine that this plant in actual fact did make records
Two people for 6 weeks loaded up over 12 dumpsters of accumulated trash over two floors while myself and another two people worked on the peripherals so as to get it up to scratch
Steam boiler water cooling system and compressed air systems where all shot and almost useless
When we started on the electrical installation it was full of surprises
Whao what an experience indeed
This place was DANGEROUS There was multiple supplies to motor starters and contactors
You isolated the mains supply for something but the gear was still alive from another source, scarry stuff, so much for safety and a safe working environment
Its all back or nearly back in order now, there are a few areas we have not looked into as yet
Funny now but we replaced almost 40 fluro tubes in the plant from a total of about 50
I figured out that records look better in the dark for the previous operators
Who knows!
We took down black shoot from the boiler room walls which was about an inch thick accumulated over 30 odd years, the place was a damn mess
We are now done with all the auxilary services as it is all up to standard now so its press fixing time
Lots of rusty pipe work to be repaced all air cylinders to be rebuild or replaced
Hydraulic oil to be replaced also hydraulic pumps to be looked at directional valves to be refurbished, including just about every steam and water valve on the machines as they all by pass
Not looking forward to the expense of these steam and water valves, at around $1-1.5 K each there are 4 of them on each press
Another two to three weeks of hard work and we should be in a position to start pressing
So why this post?
Well I am the guy that always says to prospective pressing guys:
"Dont Do It" Unless you got a stack of dollars to waste
This excersise just confirmed my strong belief in that statement
Not that I needed that confirmed
Amazing really the plant was and it is still complete but everything was so run down It really surprised me that it ever made anything
Its hard to imagine that a 1/2" steel plated condensate tank in the boiler room had holes in it big enough to put your fist through But it was covered up with resin bogged up and insulation therefore not visible
Gaffer tape and plaster like band aids held most things together as well as copious amounts of tie wire
The list goes on and on
The only good find there amongst all that disaster there was (a good find indeed) A very Fine Thorens cast T/T that was burried under a stack of record covers, I was told that it had not been seen in twenty odd years
It needs a bit of TLC but a fine piece of gear indeed with a top of the range SME arm installed as well as a very fine Stanton cartridge stylus combination Two new styli for $80 on the way
It put a smile on my face
By the way I have learned a new phrase while there from the neighbours
Not that I am going to use it as I find it offensive: "N---er Rigged"
It describes quite well the place as I found it
In Auss we call it "Jerry rigged or Built"
Ok next post on the subject in a while

[fraggle]

all the best with it dude:)

[gold]

Amazingly enough they managed to put out a decent record. They couldn't stick to any kind of schedule. Probably because nothing worked and they didn't routinely send out bad records.

[mossboss]

This is very interesting Paul
I am quite glad to hear that
I must say that I was quite taken back by the fact that the place was in such a mess
To hear that they did send out good records its pleasing indeed
There are 3 good presses in there with another 2 nearly good enough to get up and running but also a graveyard of 3 other cannibilised machines dead motors pumps valves a couple of broken extruder barell screw combinations and a couple of destroyed gear boxes and so on and on and on
The machines have taken about 10 full working days each to get rid of grease oil and dirt off them
They now look like they should
New sets of moulds are already there so with a bit of good management we should be capable of good production ability as well as quality
We certainly going for std 135-140 gram records but 180 and 200 gram should come along very soon
These Leneds much to my surprise are solid with very little wear on them
So much for good American engineering These are looking great and so they should as they are very well made a real solid machine for sure
Hard to press a heavy record on European machines but on the Leneds Not an issue at all
Thanks to all for the support lets see if we can get this plant up to full production serving the market's needs
Cheers

[opcode66]

Good News!

[andybee]

huuu, I want to see some pics, pics pics

[Aussie0zborn]

Good luck with it!! The before and after pics should be interesting. Do you have to deal with galvanics too?

[VFAU]

Just reading this gives me a headache.
Better man than me!!!

[gold]

They were good people. They must have been in over their heads though. It will be nice to have another place on the east coast. Good luck!

[d1rk]

I met the family (last owners) on a trip to FLORIDA, I went to meet them few years ago. They are nice people for sure.

[subkontrabob]

congratulations on the new venture!

[dietrich10]

Cannot wait for this plant to be running full swing again.

[mossboss]

Hey all
Thanks for your good wishes Its really great to see There is no question about the previous owners in particular Dick, very nice people
I have spoken to Dick in the very past, but never had the change to meet the man before he passed on
The daughters have visited us there more than once they are lovely indeed
Heresay tells me that when Dick's wife passed away some years before his own death he gave up for a year or so Went to work but wouldnt do anything
It took him a while to get over that I gather thats when he lost interest so the plant went without due care
The girls sold the place to another person who sold it to another and than another twist somewhere in there
To hard to explain, so the place went from bad to worst until it ultimately got shut down about December last year
Well its not far away now so in a week or so we should be back in some kind of production with at least two machines
A third about 2 weeks later with another heavy weight press to follow That should be enough for this stage 1 x 7", 2 x 12" standard weight another 1 x 12" heavy weight
Thats about 3000 12" per day and 1200 x 7"
So with around the 20,000 per week production ability on a longish single shift of 10 hours per day it should satisfy some east coast demand
I do not expect that we would reach that in a short time thats for sure but its there available if the demand is there
It Should be enough for a start
Once again thank you all for the good wishes
Next post on this would be when we are pressing
By the way there will be no photos pre and post But definetlly after its all together
I decided against it as I did not want to be reminded of my insanity in the future
Cheers