A characteristic of machining at a shop that rarely comes up in conversation is the amount of wear and tear on the operator. I speak from experience! Big or small, frequently repetitious, proper lifting technique, proper shoe support, machining is not for the weak at heart. In fact, a day of machining could be compared to a day of CrossFit for several hours. A friend of mine who is a Pro Strongman from Columbus, Ohio lasted a week at a shop and quit!
Take these large base plates which were tooled last weak. My guess was approximately 45lbs each. Placing them onto the holders and removing them takes patience and was a major workout session!
