What brings us all here to the Hobby Machine website ?

mmcmdl said:
Where ever we all came from , once we learn these common terms , life is good ! :grin:


Here a some common machinist terms explained
  • Machine - A mechanical device for the removal of redundant parts of the operator's anatomy. It is fitted with various lethal weapons, known as tools.
  • Machinist - A person suffering from the delusion that they control the above machine. Chiefly employed in exhibiting grossly inflated wage packets to non-engineering friends.
  • Tool Setter - An interesting animal kept by the management and trained to replace broken tools, etc. Is very docile when deprived of sleep.
  • Q.A. Inspector - A survivor of the Spanish Inquisition. His chief function is to weaken the machinist's nerve, thus rendering him easy prey to the machine. This is done by informing him that certain dimensions are oversize and, after adjustment, are then undersize by the same amount.
  • Estimator - An illiterate whose mental processes cannot assimilate the fact that there are only 60 minutes in an hour.
  • Tool-grinder - Someone who can grind a cutting edge on a tool and leave it in exactly the same state as before.
  • Reamer - A device for producing various patterns on a bore surface.
  • Tap - like a reamer but much more brittle
  • Test Gauge - An instrument made of metal which has the peculiar property of momentary expansion or contraction
  • Chargehand - Strict caution to be taken with this individual. From his frequent inquiries as to the number of hours you have worked, it must be assumed he is connected to the Income Tax authorities
  • Laborer - This specimen has no ambition, does nothing all day and stays on overtime to finish it. Always missing when wanted. Very obliging a week before Christmas.
  • Foreman - Very rarely seen except when you pick up a newspaper or fill in your football coupon
  • Wagepacket - delayed action bombshell
  • Bonus - Latin name for carrot
  • Scrap - See Swarf
  • Swarf - Chief product of engineering
  • Component - By-product of the manufacture of the above
  • Finish - An abstract term used by the Q.A. Inspector and something that is never good enough
  • Bolt - A cylindrical piece of metal with a helical screw on the outside that is either under or oversize
  • Nut - Something that never fits the above
  • Location diameter - A size that is never right and is always produced by another department
  • Faulty set-up - An accomplishment always achieved by the opposite shift
  • Model - A standard of excellence produced accidentally
  • Coolant pump - A device so designed as to deluge the machinist with oil or water when he is not looking
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Why not, here's my excuse for being here. Had a gradfather that was a tinkerer, he would liberate odd parts from his work and use them to make "things"for his grandson. These "things" rarely had any practical application, but they fascinated me with how machines worked. He once gave me something that had a bunch of bevel gears and I studied it for days and learned what an open differential was and how it worked. If it was mechanical, I had to learn its secrets and I didn't care what it was, car, chainsaw, garage door springs, washing machine, etc... I grew up at that point in time where The Voke (vocational class) in high school was considered the dumping ground for the losers or future felons. My parents had high hopes I would be a brilliant success in some fancy college, but instead, I went to full time work as soon as I graduated H.S. because I didn't feel that college was a good idea at 17.

Several years later, I finally went to college, for gunsmithing and the world of machine equipment and welding opened my eyes. I bought equipment when I could afford it and often sold it when I couldn't, but the love of making things for myself would never go away. Fast forward through the years and a late in life (very late) 7 year stint in the Navy, and I found myself walking out the door in uniform and walking back in wearing civilian clothes. After a couple of years as a contractor, all those odd jobs in the civilian world, gunsmithing, welding and general mechanical aptitude flowed together as a shot as an engineering technican for the Department of the Navy. I got the billet and that's where I'll be until I retire.

BTW, did I mention I fix cannons for a living :grin: !!! 1522271621202.png God is good! They actually pay me to do this.

I have been constantly upgrading and adapting my equipment, as I can afford to, so that I could wind up with as much machining capabilty for my needs. I will never be able to honestly label myself as a machinist in the true sense, but I will say that I can operate the equipment with a low probability of physical injury or screwing up too horribly. What was once bought to do gunsmithing has transitioned into fueling a love of RC scale model boats, mainly warships, go figure.

I am also on that other forum, but use it more as a source of information, here there is a great sense of camaraderie and everybody is enjoying themselves at whatever skill level they are. I like it here and hope to share my interests and get ideas from others.

Mark
 
Crank said:
What was once bought to do gunsmithing has transitioned into fueling a love of RC scale model boats, mainly warships, go figure.
Click to expand...

I talked with a guy in one of the RC forums about a group that builds scale RC battleships, complete with working weaponry, then stage naval battles. You ever go there? Just curious as I found it very interesting that one would lovingly craft something like that to go have it used as a target. I have some planes I do that with, but they are quick and ugly builds. :)
 
My USS California is 10' long, with a steel hull and weighs over 400lbs in the water. I don't think I'd be invited to that kind of party. I have met with some battlers and while it's interesting, it's not for me..

Mark
 
Crank said:
Why not, here's my excuse for being here. Had a gradfather that was a tinkerer, he would liberate odd parts from his work and use them to make "things"for his grandson. These "things" rarely had any practical application, but they fascinated me with how machines worked. He once gave me something that had a bunch of bevel gears and I studied it for days and learned what an open differential was and how it worked. If it was mechanical, I had to learn its secrets and I didn't care what it was, car, chainsaw, garage door springs, washing machine, etc... I grew up at that point in time where The Voke (vocational class) in high school was considered the dumping ground for the losers or future felons. My parents had high hopes I would be a brilliant success in some fancy college, but instead, I went to full time work as soon as I graduated H.S. because I didn't feel that college was a good idea at 17.

Several years later, I finally went to college, for gunsmithing and the world of machine equipment and welding opened my eyes. I bought equipment when I could afford it and often sold it when I couldn't, but the love of making things for myself would never go away. Fast forward through the years and a late in life (very late) 7 year stint in the Navy, and I found myself walking out the door in uniform and walking back in wearing civilian clothes. After a couple of years as a contractor, all those odd jobs in the civilian world, gunsmithing, welding and general mechanical aptitude flowed together as a shot as an engineering technican for the Department of the Navy. I got the billet and that's where I'll be until I retire.

BTW, did I mention I fix cannons for a living :grin: !!! View attachment 263569 God is good! They actually pay me to do this.

I have been constantly upgrading and adapting my equipment, as I can afford to, so that I could wind up with as much machining capabilty for my needs. I will never be able to honestly label myself as a machinist in the true sense, but I will say that I can operate the equipment with a low probability of physical injury or screwing up too horribly. What was once bought to do gunsmithing has transitioned into fueling a love of RC scale model boats, mainly warships, go figure.

I am also on that other forum, but use it more as a source of information, here there is a great sense of camaraderie and everybody is enjoying themselves at whatever skill level they are. I like it here and hope to share my interests and get ideas from others.

Mark
Click to expand...


What a cool job ! My ex-company which I worked at and am still in very close touch with is working on a VERY LARGE scale RC boat . It just went back down to Florida after blowing the turbine engines . I doubt that it is a classified job so you may be able to see the progress under AAI Textron . Back in the day we made some crazy bad stuff for the military . :)
 
I guess if it's on the website it isn't classified ! :cool:
 
Ttabbaln mentioned model rockets that sparked a memory that I think may interest him and illustrates just how diverse our world is.

The Estes Model Rocket plant is across the road from where I worked and they were really concerned about blasting vibration affecting their close tolerance equipment. Blasting schedules and rocket building (actually kite manufacturing) ultimately led to close communications and occasionally one of their experimental rockets would land in the quarry.

Estes wanting to protect propriety work and the clean air act ultimately led to a joint effort in our relationship.
The model rocket engines weren't up to standard during start-up and shut down of their production runs so they had to dispose of sub-standard engines and the environmental regulations forced a change in their disposal techniques. We were allowed to dispose of the substandard engines in our blast holes and during this process Ed (cant recall his last name) from Estes would help backfill the holes after placing bags of engines on top of the explosives. Ed was a long term employee of Estes with involvement in most areas of their operation gave me a plant tour one day.

At that time the engines used different fineness of black powder and I believe different chemical combinations. We stopped at a small building where Ed said he tested engines. What he showed me was amazing! In a cabinet was a computer and just outside was a ballistic pendulum used to test the engines. Ed told me he had personally developed this facility and computer programs to offset the expensive "outside" testing. This testing facility would allow them to modify fuel composition and quantity with the results being plotted and available immediately after the test for any size of rocket they produced. I was definitely in the presence of a "rocket scientist".
 
Okay, you asked....

When quite young, I was always building things. Tinkertoys and Lincoln Logs, then an Erector Set, then real lumber. I was always frustrated that I couldn't work metal. In the 7th grade, my friend and I cast aluminum rounds and "turned" them in an electric drill, making cores for building rocket motors. That same year I visited my aging great-uncle in Santa Cruz. He had owned a development shop doing government work during WWII. He showed me all kinds of things he had built, including a power hacksaw. My eyes were opened. I studied science in high school, but metalworking was in my blood. Graduated from the JC in physical sciences and was accepted to UC Berkeley in chemistry, but there was no money so I never got there. Probably just as well, it was 1971. After spending a summer living in a cave in the Sierra Nevada, I went back to the JC to study machine shop. Had to drop out after my father ejected me from the house for "illegal activities". Got hired at Shell Development Lab and spent 5 years as a lab technician. Every chance I got I was over in the shop talking to the machinist. I left Shell and returned to the JC in earnest, taking a "create your own" major of machine shop, welding, drafting, properties of materials (metallurgy) and intro to computers (before the PC appeared). When someone asked me what I wanted to be, I replied "useful". During my first semester, I was hired by Fred as a "temporary" employee in a small local job shop. Four years later I was shop foreman, draftsman, purchasing agent and computer programmer. Six years after that, I took one of the machinists, borrowed $30k on a handshake and bought the remains of an old job shop. We built it up, bought some land and built a building. After 12 years and a divorce, the stress overwhelmed me. I took some time off and never went back. Sold out to my partner in 2001. Since then, I've had nothing more sophisticated than a hacksaw, drill and file. Just as when I was young, I've been frustrated by not being able to work metal. The big difference is I now have all the skills. I was casually looking at lathes and mills on CL (with no real intent) and mentioned it to a friend who still runs his own shop. A few weeks later, I got a call from Fred, my former employer. He asked "Hey, you want a lathe and a mill?" Of course I said yes. He replied "Get a truck and come get them, they're yours". I'm now the proud owner of a South Bend Heavy 10L and a Kent 9x42 belt-change vertical mill.

Phew, WALSTIB!

So now I'm here, catching up on the last 18 years of changes and re-learning the things I've forgotten. I'm active on several machining forums, but this is the one I find to be the friendliest and most comfortable. Thanks for making me feel welcome here.
 
I ended up here because I don't know the word can't. Without great detail, I have beat spinal injury, learned how to walk, write, drive and the stuff we learned how to do as kids all again, beat cancer twice in the process. Always wanted to learn how to use metal machines, I now have a lathe and plan on learning to use it.
 
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