Some of our usual shop stuff..

[torker]

OK.. you don't want to yak about guns or religion or... So, i'll bore you with a few jobs we run through our shop..
Here's some 3" dia roller bearing guide wheels we are making for a custom sliding door track system. They're for a lawyer who don't mind spending a few bucks..
Speaking of DRO's.. the gurl drilled the seven hole circle using the Shooting Star DRO. Was her first attempt at this. They all came out bang on.. but they would have been much better with a glass scale dro


Some of the usual sawmill equipment.. cut up the guys junk.. then make it fit the new mill... yawn..

Here's an adjustable parallelogram type arm I had the gurl make up for a fume sucker hose up above the welding area.
I like building these... they are a fun project. I always like the way they move around.. kinda primevil I know but...

Hope this didn't put anyone asleep...
Russ

[JRouche]

Are you kinddin!!! This is the stuff I like to see.. Noticed you havent let the "gurl" know about this site yet LOL She deserves a patt on the back for her work here too.. And I like it that you give her all her credit due here also, stand up guy...

Oh, I like the arm project. Do you just tackle it for the need at hand or do you have a set of dimensions you like to use and scale it accordingly.. That is a perfect home shop project, we can all use those all over the shop if not on every machine.. Its like that third arm God promised us but said here are some legs instead, make yer own third arm Thanks Russ.... JR

[torker]

JR..the arms.. Kinda mechanical really. It depends on the weight you need to support and the springs you have available. I do a mockup with only one arm...the length of the whole thing. I make a long upright and mock the spring(s) up until it lifts the weight it needs to. That gives me the length of the upright pieces. The longer the uprights, the more it will lift. But.. if they are too long it will be out of control.
I first learned to make these at the factory i worked at out on the praries. I had to make 10 of these for overhead wire feeders. Good thing I was in the R&D dept.. they had a big budget and could absorb all the screwups I made trying to figure these out. The feeders where heavy sukkers and needed to swing out 10 feet.
The "gurl"... ... don't get me started on her!
Not only is her welding coming along at an incredible pace... you should see her on the milling machine! She's like a bloody little robot...fast, accurate movements... VERY precise! I wish I was like that. I get bored to easy to be good at that kind of stuff.
LOL! Only thing I can't figure... she really struggles on the lathe. It's coming but I feel for her... it really bothers her that she can't master it as quick as everything else.
The last two weeks we are taking a big step. I'm actually training her to take over general shop operations. She's learning how to draw up blueprints, how to figure quotes, order materials, keep track of welding supplies, etc.
Right now we are working on a prototype ATV trailer for big game hunters (top secret at this time). Other than the design the whole project is her baby. I'm seeing a mere snip of a gurl...all 105 pounds of her... taking on a huge responsibility and shining at it.
I'll admit to anyone.. I'm really gawdamm proud of her. She only started learning how to weld "for fun" a little over a year ago.
I've sunk a lot of money into her training... cuz I knew this could happen. I'm being paid back everyday now.
She knows about this board.. she reads stuff I send her links to. But... she's not like us.. after her workday is over.. she goes home and does the family thing... then reads welding books til bedtime. I'm also trying to get her a welding apprenticeship.

[ptjw7uk]

Thanks Torker didnt put me to sleep.
Nice to see your pics, I always think a picture is better understood and stored in the old noddle for future reference
Also good on you for teaching the 'gurl' the ins and outs of welding etc,as thats what apprenticeships were all about, forget the first year on tea making etc in that real learning was only four of the five years.
Congratulate the gurl on the hole drilling - nice job!!

Peter

[Dawai]

You located the radius of the radial pattern holes how? I have to use my polar hole locator that does the math for me.. I am spoiled am I not?

Even moreso on the cnc with the wizard.

[jimmstruk]

Torker, the pics are great!! Keep them coming, thats what shops are all about. I will send some more pics of my projects soon. JIM

[Evan]

Nice stuff Russ. That's one heck of an employee you have. Don't let her go if you can possibly avoid it, that's for sure.

[wierdscience]

Hey Russ,what are you going to do once she is running the shop?Collect a check and go fishing all week?

[Ken_Shea]

Russ Quote "But... she's not like us.. "
You mean she works!

Those are sharp looking pullers.

Machining is kinda a guy thing and I think it's just great to have a girl that is interested in, willing to and enjoys this kind of work.
I can't even get my son or friends interested in it let alone my wife.


Ken

[torker]

Thanks guys! David.. we used a centerfinder in the bearing to zero off the DRO. What ever happened to your polar hole calculator? I still have it bookmarked but it won't let me into it.
Evan.. you're right! I've had a lot of employees before... in another business venture and as a supervisor at the big fabshop. I've only ever had one (a young guy) who even came close to what this gurl can do.
Darin.. LOL! That's hilarious! I was kidding her yesterday... told her once she can run the shop I'd be going fishing in Alaska.
The "real" reason... I'm just spread too thin here. This is a bigger operation than I thought. The motorcycle/sled wrecking part is a real moneymaker at times and it fills in well when the fab/machining is slow.
Believe it or not.. I actually have a very creative mind but I'm so busy with everything it hurts that part of it.
This new trailer idea(top secret but very cool) I've dreamed up is the first real thing I've managed to come up with in nearly a year. I need more time to work on this type of thing. I have ideas I haven't even thought of yet
I've always been the "inventor" waiting for the BIG one! This is the first time I've had the equipment, the help and the place to do that.
The added bonus that I hadn't counted one... and I have no idea where it comes from.. the gurl is fitting right into the inventor mode as well.
Everyonce in awhile I'll be working on some new thing and she'll take a look at it and ask "Why can't you do it like this"? At first I ignored her.. what does she know?
Then she came up with a couple of near genius ideas... now I listen to her... you just never know. I'm telling you..it's just uncanny.
Russ