Re: Why Makers & Builders

[Jim Davis <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 10:08:32 AM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote:
> I didn't originally plan to post this here on ASA, but ASAers did contrib=
ute=20
> a lot to my path.
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> Why Maker's and Builders?
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> Back in the mid 90s atleast partly with help from the Usenet group=20
> news:rec.crafts.metalworking I made my first "punch" and "die." I needed =
to=20
> install some photo beams at a port of entry for a pedestrian counter. I=
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> designed the "system" using a variety of parts and components, but I was=
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> concerned about the photo beams themselves. They had something like a 5 y=
ear=20
> warranty, but the lenses were polycarbonate. Each set of beams had to be=
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> placed in a walkway between counters. My concern was that people brushing=
 by=20
> would quickly wear the lens as clothing, bags, and misc items brushed=20
> against the sides of the walkway. I didn't want to be that guy who everyb=
ody=20
> there got to know because I was always there fixing it. I had the idea to=
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> recess the emitter and sensor so that only the most aggressive brushing u=
p=20
> against might contact the surfaces. I looked all over, but nobody made a=
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> recessed electrical plate that I thought would work. I took a piece of ho=
t=20
> rolled (didn't even know what it was called at the time) and cut one piec=
es=20
> with a rectangular hole in it to mate with the back of an aluminum=20
> electrical blank plate. I chamfered the edges by hand with a grinder so i=
t=20
> was a decent fit. Then I cut a small piece to mate with it about plate=20
> thickness smaller all the way around and hand chamfered it as well. Then =
I=20
> just mashed a cover plate between them with my hydraulic press. (had it f=
or=20
> automotive work, not machine work) It looked amazingly good. I doubt the=
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> guys at GSA ever noticed that was a custom piece.  As a new (mostly black=
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> box) system it had its development issues, but lens wear of the emitter a=
nd=20
> sensor was not one of them. It was in use for years until they went to a =
new=20
> system with some big contractor at all the ports.
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> That was definitely metal working. I doubt it was really machining though=
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> except in the crudest sense. I take that sort of approach to a lot of wha=
t I=20
> do. I don't have a stick up my butt about being a "machinist" "welder"=20
> "fabricator" "mechanic". In fact my knowledge is lacking really in all of=
=20
> those areas even though now I make my living as a niche market mold maker=
. I=20
> can weld. If its important to look pretty I do some practice welds and th=
en=20
> do the real weld after I've taken a break and I am fresh. If it just has =
to=20
> stick I burn it together and clean it up with a grinder. I know less abou=
t=20
> welding than almost anybody else in any metalworking group, but oddly eno=
ugh=20
> I have five electric welders and an OA rig and I have welded parts still =
in=20
> use today with all but one of them. (Just got a new AC/DC pulse TIG a cou=
ple=20
> days ago.) Fabricator is a tough term to define, but I've built and=20
> converted trailers a welding table wood storage rack and various other=20
> things to fit needs.A lot of welding there, but various other fabrication=
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> skills as well. Still I don't consider myself a fabricator. I do have peo=
ple=20
> bring me things to make or fix, but I turn down a lot of it unless they a=
re=20
> friends and they stay to help.  I neighborhood kid is as likely as not to=
=20
> ask me for help with a motorcycle that needs some work.  What about a=20
> machinist... No. Just ask any old manual machinist. I'm just a hack, butt=
on=20
> pushing, shade tree, wannabe by the very fact that I never serviced=20
> apprenticeship for 3 lifetimes in a steam powered line shop. LOL.  As a=
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> contractor I made more than a few custom parts for communications=20
> contracting for applications over the years.  Camera mounts, sensor=20
> brackets, switching systems, etc.  One local fab shop did more than a cou=
ple=20
> tubing bending project for me.
>=20
>=20
> Since I'm no longer a contractor (retired and sold out) what does that ma=
ke=20
> me? There is a lot I don't know, but very few projects am I afraid to try=
 to=20
> come up with a solution. Atleast for myself. I won't always take on proje=
cts=20
> for others. If I don't know I learn how. If I can't figure it out myself =
I=20
> ask questions. If I don't have the recommended tools I think about it and=
=20
> see if I can find alternatives. If I still have to have the tools I put t=
hem=20
> on the list and when I have money I buy them.  The term "Maker" always=20
> bothered me. It didn't sound quite right, but ultimately I think that's w=
hat=20
> I am. A maker. I find ways to make what I need and I don't worry to much=
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> about being true to any particular trade. If it works it works.
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> I'm a member of various groups. Some very specialized around a particular=
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> piece of equipment like the Yahoo mailing list for the mini lathe and oth=
ers=20
> more broad like Home Shop Machinist, so when I started my own group (on=
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> Facebook) what did I call it?
> Makers & Builders. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MakersBuilders/  Visit=
 or=20
> don't. I'm good either way.

As us old guys are prone to saying=20

"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 =E2=80=A6. it became obvious that he just wasn'=
t "getting it" and I knew his days were numbered.=20

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 =E2=80=A6. 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 =E2=80=A6.. talking to myself which was noticed by my=
 customer.=20

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.=20

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 =E2=80=A6.. 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 =E2=80=A6 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.=20


Still amazes me today.

So Bob and all the others here

Realize it or not. If other people could do what you can do =E2=80=A6.. the=
y'd be doing it.

And ----  you can do things that other people can't do.=20



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