Update, I bought the forklift. It was a steal.

 1150usd plus 120 fence posts made in the shop.

It needs a tune-up, parking brake fixed, new seal on the main lifting cylinder, and new hydraulic fluid.  

Paint and cosmetics to follow when time allows. 

It was supposed to be on the flatbed truck Saturday afternoon.  But alas it is the Philippines and nothing can ever go smooth.  Not to mention the Christmas traffic is the worst I have ever seen.  from my shop to my buddys shop is normally 15 min.  It took over a hour each way yesterday.

So of course when I told my wife I bought a forklift, she simultaneously had no clue as to what a forklift is, and why I need one, and what it means in my business growth.  She merely was asking why I did not give her that money to spend and have fun.

I think i need the forklift now.

 This morning, I tried moving the sheet press section by hand. It was a real struggle—we could barely budge it. Once the machine is fully assembled, it’ll weigh more than twice what it does now. And don’t forget, there are two presses to deal with!

On a positive note, my buddy has agreed to let me get his forklift with a down payment now and full payment next month. It’s a big milestone, transitioning from just a few tools in my home garage to setting up a full-fledged shop. However, it’s also a hefty expense—almost as much as my car—and right in the middle of the holiday season.

In other news, my copycat competitor has been ramping up his efforts to rip off my work. Every time I post something, he copies it. I design and build something new—he does the same. He’s taken credit for my chair design, my baling machine, my 5hp shredder, and now he’s mimicking my social media style too.

To top it off, this guy makes money by doing college thesis projects for other students—academic fraud at its finest. I’m considering setting a trap for him. I’ve got a few inventions I haven’t shared online yet, and I’m thinking of filing patents for them. Once they’re protected with “patent pending” status, if he copies them, I’ll be ready to hit him with a lawsuit and call him out on social media.

Filing patents here costs around $100, which is much more affordable than before, thanks to AI. Previously, I’d have needed a lawyer to write the application, but now I use AI for that, and it does an amazing job. It organizes and articulates all the design points in a professional, structured way. While AI isn’t at the level of inventing original ideas yet, as a tool, it’s like having a top-notch personal secretary.

If only I could train it to be more interactive—handling reminders and keeping my schedule would be a game-changer.

Forklift achievement unlock

 1750 USD.  2 ton.  Gas engine.  Needs a battery to start.  

Was at my buddy's shop today and he had this forklift he was kind of looking to sell. He upgraded to the 3 ton Mitsubishi behind it, and he has a crane mounted on his flatbed truck, so this is just taking up space. 

I lack the budget to get it until my accounts receivables come after the holidays.

We are almost finished with the plastic extrusion machine.

The sheet press is coming along, but one of the plates bowed during welding. I'll try using the 8-ton jack to push it back into shape. If that doesn't work, I'll need to make a new one. :(

The sheet press has become so heavy that lifting the heated plate was a real struggle. It's definitely past the time to get a forklift.

In January, I plan to reorganize the shop. I need to separate welding and fabrication from plastic production because the boys have been too careless with nuts and bolts left lying around. Too often, I’ve found hardware getting into the plastic. The shredding operations will be moved to the current welding area, while welding and fabrication will relocate to the front, complete with a new roof, cement pad, and a locked area for tools and supplies.

Late post. Christmas approaching and I am so far behind on everything

 2 big orders to finish, and all are 30 days pay after delivery, so Christmas is gonna be lean this year.

One project had a super late PO issued, other its been delay after delay on what should have taken a couple days took over a week.

Today they are drilling hundreds of holes in a sheet press to hold the heaters.  It would be 10x easier to build this machine with a forklift that I do not have.

I bought 30 drill bits for the job, as I have no idea how many the boys will wear out.

The pickup truck agglomeration machine has been stripped down to bare truck frame and hauled away for scrap.  The only thing remaining is the front axle, truck frame and agglomeration machine.

I came up with a invention the other day.  Something I will patent.  I need to start patenting things.  If only to keep the locals from copying my designs bidding on gov procurement projects.  Basically it is something that will dramatically increase my plastic extrusion machine production.  I have done multiple patent searches using multiple AI bots and so far no one has thought of my idea and filed a patent.  

Meanwhile in the office, Sexytary is again on the warpath for no reason.  I just can not get a break from angry females.  She almost caused 2 men to walk off the job this morning.  Of which one I bribed to stay by offering him a all expense paid vacation to install a machine in a resort area.  Sexytary was going to do the trip, but she suddenly said she was not going.  

meanwhile James Cameron, the creator of terminator has joined the board of an AI company.  
Irony much?