Why Makers & Builders

["Bob La Londe" <none@none.com99>]

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. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MakersBuilders/  Visit or
don't. I'm good either way.