Hit 50 shaker doors in one week and my shoulders are fried

I took on a kitchen remodel in Cincinnati that needed 50 shaker doors done in 7 days for a client who kept changing the overlay measurements. We nailed it by Thursday night but I honestly thought my arm was gonna fall off from all the hinge routing. Anybody else hit a milestone count like that and realize you need a better setup or helper?

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the_lily2mo ago

Wait, is this really about needing a better setup or is it about taking on a job you knew was gonna be a grind and then acting surprised? Fifty doors in a week sounds like a you problem, not an equipment problem. I did forty-two lowers in five days last spring with a used hinge jig I bought off Craigslist, no helper, and my shoulders were fine. You changed overlays three times? The client didn't change them, you let them. You set the boundary on day one and stuck to it if you wanted to save your arms. Honestly, hitting that count isn't a milestone, it's a warning sign you're bidding the work wrong. If you need a helper for that job, your price is too low, plain and simple.

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nora_walker572mo ago

Man, I read this piece in a woodworking magazine about how most shoulder injuries in cabinet shops come from rushing hinge work, not the actual volume! Fifty doors in seven days is impressive, but if your body is screaming that loud, the real problem is the workflow, not the count. Maybe next time, lock the overlay specs before you even cut the first panel, and let that client wait an extra day if they want changes.

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