Why Makers & Builders

I didn't originally plan to post this here on ASA, but ASAers did contribute a lot to my path.

Why Maker's and Builders?

Back in the mid 90s atleast partly with help from the Usenet group news:rec.crafts.metalworking I made my first "punch" and "die." I needed to install some photo beams at a port of entry for a pedestrian counter. I designed the "system" using a variety of parts and components, but I was concerned about the photo beams themselves. They had something like a 5 year warranty, but the lenses were polycarbonate. Each set of beams had to be placed in a walkway between counters. My concern was that people brushing by would quickly wear the lens as clothing, bags, and misc items brushed against the sides of the walkway. I didn't want to be that guy who everybody there got to know because I was always there fixing it. I had the idea to recess the emitter and sensor so that only the most aggressive brushing up against might contact the surfaces. I looked all over, but nobody made a recessed electrical plate that I thought would work. I took a piece of hot rolled (didn't even know what it was called at the time) and cut one pieces with a rectangular hole in it to mate with the back of an aluminum electrical blank plate. I chamfered the edges by hand with a grinder so it was a decent fit. Then I cut a small piece to mate with it about plate thickness smaller all the way around and hand chamfered it as well. Then I just mashed a cover plate between them with my hydraulic press. (had it for automotive work, not machine work) It looked amazingly good. I doubt the guys at GSA ever noticed that was a custom piece. As a new (mostly black box) system it had its development issues, but lens wear of the emitter and sensor was not one of them. It was in use for years until they went to a new system with some big contractor at all the ports.

That was definitely metal working. I doubt it was really machining though except in the crudest sense. I take that sort of approach to a lot of what I do. I don't have a stick up my butt about being a "machinist" "welder" "fabricator" "mechanic". In fact my knowledge is lacking really in all of those areas even though now I make my living as a niche market mold maker. I can weld. If its important to look pretty I do some practice welds and then do the real weld after I've taken a break and I am fresh. If it just has to stick I burn it together and clean it up with a grinder. I know less about welding than almost anybody else in any metalworking group, but oddly enough I have five electric welders and an OA rig and I have welded parts still in use today with all but one of them. (Just got a new AC/DC pulse TIG a couple days ago.) Fabricator is a tough term to define, but I've built and converted trailers a welding table wood storage rack and various other things to fit needs.A lot of welding there, but various other fabrication skills as well. Still I don't consider myself a fabricator. I do have people bring me things to make or fix, but I turn down a lot of it unless they are friends and they stay to help. I neighborhood kid is as likely as not to ask me for help with a motorcycle that needs some work. What about a machinist... No. Just ask any old manual machinist. I'm just a hack, button pushing, shade tree, wannabe by the very fact that I never serviced apprenticeship for 3 lifetimes in a steam powered line shop. LOL. As a contractor I made more than a few custom parts for communications contracting for applications over the years. Camera mounts, sensor brackets, switching systems, etc. One local fab shop did more than a couple tubing bending project for me.

Since I'm no longer a contractor (retired and sold out) what does that make me? There is a lot I don't know, but very few projects am I afraid to try to come up with a solution. Atleast for myself. I won't always take on projects for others. If I don't know I learn how. If I can't figure it out myself I ask questions. If I don't have the recommended tools I think about it and see if I can find alternatives. If I still have to have the tools I put them on the list and when I have money I buy them. The term "Maker" always bothered me. It didn't sound quite right, but ultimately I think that's what I am. A maker. I find ways to make what I need and I don't worry to much about being true to any particular trade. If it works it works.

I'm a member of various groups. Some very specialized around a particular piece of equipment like the Yahoo mailing list for the mini lathe and others more broad like Home Shop Machinist, so when I started my own group (on Facebook) what did I call it? Makers & Builders.

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Visit or don't. I'm good either way.

Reply to
Bob La Londe
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Nicely said, I kind a feel many "ole duds" that have done their own business, have been down that road.. Over the past 42 years, I can think of many a custom designs we've put together for customers.. ;-)

Reply to
RTS

Hi Bob,

Nice resume' it sums you up good. You might call yourself a "Maker & Builder" that fits. You are also a doer. So many people are just bumps on logs and can't think for themselves. You don't have to make a Million Dollars a minute to know you have accomplished so much more than all the others in just a few minutes.

You and I as well as the other regulars here in ASA must have that same bit of gene that makes us the way we are.

I for one say that: "I am the guy that puts 'stuff' together and makes it work"

You like a challenge are motivated to find a solution to that challenge.

I like doing "one of a kind" custom systems. When it comes to needing brackets or mountings that can't be found off the shelf. I will draw up what I need in my CAD and take it to a friend that has the materials and welder to put it together. Had to make a hang over the roof camera mount a while back to get the right angle. Cool stuff!!

As for your Facebook page. Sorry, I won't be going there. I am NOT a Facebook person. It is just not something I want to do. If it works for you, great!! Maybe I am just too old fashioned or something. Or just plain O-L-D!!! :-)

Have a good week.

Les

Reply to
ABLE1

As us old guys are prone to saying

"That reminds me of something that happened to me once"

A long time ago, (when I was in my thirties) a customer of mine provided me with the opportunity to have somewhat of an epiphany.

I'd been trying to train a young man to be a helper and hopefully a alarm i nstaller. One of the things I would start them off with is learning the whe reabouts and names of parts located in the work van. Each day I'd introduce him to some of the parts used in the repair and installation of alarm syst ems. As the days progressed ?. it became obvious that he just wasn' t "getting it" and I knew his days were numbered.

One day I had to do a window foil repair and since we'd done one the day be fore I felt pretty sure the kid would be able to get what I needed from the truck. I sent him to get the parts and he didn't return. And he didn't ret urn ?. And finally I went out to the truck and he's looking through all of the drawers accessible from the side door of the truck for the foil repair parts that were conveniently located in a carry bag in the back of the truck. I stood behind him watching him pull out and looking in each of the drawers one by one looking for I couldn't imagine what. I just couldn't take it anymore and started yelling at him and calling him names and telli ng him to get the F.... ing bag out of the back and bring it inside. I went back in the building ?.. talking to myself which was noticed by my customer.

He said "What's wrong Jim? the kid giving you a problem?" And obviously thi s gave me the opportunity to vent my frustration by saying "This freaking k id's been working for me for over a month and can't do a damn thing. He doe sn't follow directions, can't even hold a drop light so I can see what I'm doing. I feel like I'm working with a 5 year old kid.

Well, my customer said something to me that changed my whole outlook about who I am.

He said (simply) "Jim, if he could do what you can do ?.. He'd be d oing it"

I fired the kid a few days later but what my customer said to me stuck in m y head and this is how it changed me. ( and the relevant point I'm trying t o make)

Up until that point in my life, I though that anyone could do what I do. Al l my life ? if there was something that I wanted to do .. I taught myself how to do it. I can fix or modify or customize most anything or find someone to do it the way I want it done or to teach me how to do. I just t hought that everyone was that way. Can you believe that? In my late thirtie s and I was just figuring out that I could do things that other people coul dn't do.

Still amazes me today.

So Bob and all the others here

Realize it or not. If other people could do what you can do ?.. the y'd be doing it.

And ---- you can do things that other people can't do.

Reply to
Jim Davis

WOW!!! Jim, I have the same problem. Much for the reason I work for myself, by myself.

I found myself working so much harder when I and an employee than without. Had to think 3-4 steps ahead of them and then had to check their work. Decided a number of years ago it was not worth my aggravation, not to mention my blood pressure.

My thinking of employees is as follows. If they do the job efficiently as expected they absolutely deserve to be paid for the time spent. If they have to do the job twice or make mistakes, goof off, etc. they are absolutely REQUIRED by LAW to be paid for the time spent.

When I need help for a project I take on a self-employed sub-contractor. Their work ethic is where it needs to be. And I generally buy lunch.

And yes, I will remember nobody can do what I do, the way I do it.

Have a good week.

Les

Reply to
ABLE1

Hi Bob,

Nice resume' it sums you up good. You might call yourself a "Maker & Builder" that fits. You are also a doer. So many people are just bumps on logs and can't think for themselves. You don't have to make a Million Dollars a minute to know you have accomplished so much more than all the others in just a few minutes.

You and I as well as the other regulars here in ASA must have that same bit of gene that makes us the way we are.

I for one say that: "I am the guy that puts 'stuff' together and makes it work"

You like a challenge are motivated to find a solution to that challenge.

I like doing "one of a kind" custom systems. When it comes to needing brackets or mountings that can't be found off the shelf. I will draw up what I need in my CAD and take it to a friend that has the materials and welder to put it together. Had to make a hang over the roof camera mount a while back to get the right angle. Cool stuff!!

As for your Facebook page. Sorry, I won't be going there. I am NOT a Facebook person. It is just not something I want to do. If it works for you, great!! Maybe I am just too old fashioned or something. Or just plain O-L-D!!! :-)

*** No worries. I wasn't really a Facebook person either, but all my younger cousins are on so its often its how I keep up with what they are doing. I'm the oldest of myself and all my cousins, so... I didn't really start "doing" Facebook though until it started generating sales. Business page, groups, and even just direct personal followers.
Reply to
Bob La Londe

Interesting............... I have a Cousin that thought I should be on Facebook so I would be better connected with the "family". I explained that I was better connected the old way. She took it upon herself to set up a Facebook account in my name. I started to go along reluctantly. And then about

2 weeks later I started to get emails from people wanting to be my "friend" that I did not know. That was enough for me to DELETE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, DISCONTINUE the account. I am still very connected with the family, my way. Love my cousin's!!
Reply to
ABLE1

Interesting............... I have a Cousin that thought I should be on Facebook so I would be better connected with the "family". I explained that I was better connected the old way. She took it upon herself to set up a Facebook account in my name. I started to go along reluctantly. And then about

2 weeks later I started to get emails from people wanting to be my "friend" that I did not know. That was enough for me to DELETE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, DISCONTINUE the account. I am still very connected with the family, my way. Love my cousin's!! ********** In the parlance of Nancy Reagan, "Just say no." LOL
Reply to
Bob La Londe

Ditto!!

Reply to
ABLE1

I'm a member of various groups. Some very specialized around a particular piece of equipment like the Yahoo mailing list for the mini lathe and others more broad like Home Shop Machinist, so when I started my own group (on Facebook) what did I call it?

Makers & Builders.

formatting link
Visit or don't. I'm good either way.

************************* Some 13-14 years ago when I was trying to learn how to do faster more efficient machining with small end mills and ball mills I pestered the guys in the old RCM newsgroup constantly. I just wasn't getting that break thru I needed to be very efficient at what I wanted to do. Finally one of the guys said to me, "You know Bob. You might just be the expert in this group at what you are trying to do." At first I thought he was being sarcastic and telling me politely to go away, but eventually it dawned n me that the type of machining I was doing might just not be so "mainstream" as I thought it should be. I took what I knew, learned, and had been taught and extrapolated it. Turned out to be pretty simple when I took the reductio ad absurdum approach to what I knew. Crank up the RPM, blow the chips clear, keep everything cool, and turn up the feed rate. Ok, its not that simple, and I broke a lot of end mills learning what worked and what didn't, but it wasn't rocket surgery either.
Reply to
Bob La Londe

The one insurmountable problem is timely response to real customer problems 100% of the time. Just can't be done. 99% of the time maybe, but sooner or later you will loose a good customer for having a life, or just because you are sick and the guy who covers has his own customer to take care of first.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

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