# Why Did You Choose Your Username And Avatar?



## HMF

You guys sure have some interesting usernames .

How did you choose them?


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## cathead

I thought "Cathead" would be a cool name since it is referenced in machining books a lot.  My avatar shows a cathead in use with
a steady rest.


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## rwm

Cathead was already taken....

My Avatar is a pic that my wife took when I was welding up the stair rail for our new home. I think the image has an artistic feel to it/looks cool.

Robert


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## 7milesup

I used to fly jets for a living. 7miles up = 36,000 feet (or so).  My Jeep's licence plate is FLTLVL.  I'm sure you guys can figure that one out


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## FOMOGO

FOMOGO is a variation on Ford Motor Company logo, with the emphasis on GO. The avatar I changed just recently after my 2nd or thrird cocktail, just monkeeing around. Cheers, Mike


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## T Bredehoft

My name was chosen for me by my parents.  I worked on Catheads many years ago, 14" around, 12 inches long, armed with many carbide tools to rough cut inner and outer faces of disc brakes.
I chose my avatar
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
 in 1959 for my transportation. The picture was taken before 2010, when I retired the vehicle. It's still here, ready to go, but because of state licensing laws it can only be driven under certain circumstances and I don't participate in those circumstances any more for family health reasons.


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## 428Bird

I have a 1975 Firebird with a 428 cubic inch motor. 
	

		
			
		

		
	




Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 using Tapatalk.


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## David S

I chose my user name because that is what my Mom named me and I like referring to people on the forum by real names.

David


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## Bill Gruby

Not well known but my given name is Bill, not William. The user name ,"Billy G"  is how I feel., like a kid again. My avatar speaks for itself, I am a proud American.

 "Billy G"


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## jpfabricator

Initials + what I love to do = jpfabricator
My avatar is my favorite tool being used in its most useful manner!

Sent from somwhere in east Texas by Jake!


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## MozamPete

A variation on Mozambique where I lived, worked for five years, met my partner and had my children -  and my name Peter.

Avatar is the spline I milled - probably the most complicated thing I had attempted at the time (which is not saying much) - and it worked so I was pretty proud of it.


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## MozamPete

T Bredehoft said:


> It's still here, ready to go, but because of state licensing laws it can only be driven under certain circumstance.



Move state and drive that beauty daily.


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## BGHansen

My name is Bruce Gene Hansen, so went with bghansen.  Avatar is my org chart photo at General Motors.  Probably should update it as it's 5-8 years old, lots more gray hair now.

Bruce


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## Sandia

I chose Sandia, as that is the little town we live close to.  Real name is Robert Wayne, nick named Bob all my life. 
The Avatar was my passions all my life, old cars and street rods.  Drove one all thru high school and built and owned them all my life. The pictured car was the last one, sold it to a great guy in Santa Maria, CA last July.


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## Whyemier

I chose my name 'cuz I never know where I am and what for.  My avatar is prob'ly where I belong.


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## T Bredehoft

MozamPete said:


> More state and drive that beauty daily.



I'd re-license it  and drive it, but  I have a '55 State Sedan that is my go to town car, it's legal. More comfortable for my wife, too, not as low.


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## silence dogood

I'd had always admired Benjamin Franklin.  So I borrowed  his user name as my own.  In his case, Ben worked for his brother that he did not get along with. At night, Ben would pass his articles under the door signed by "Silence Dogood" and his brother would print them in his newspaper. I should use an avatar  of Ben Franklin. just never got around to it.  Silence Dogood AKA Mark


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## oldboy1950

I'm old but still have a boys enthusiasm, especially when i discover something new to me.
the avatar is my flagship antique machine, a hot air engine built about 1907.
old iron forever !!
Dan


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## mmcmdl

Username was my small shops name for some 30 years . Avatar is a pic of my faithful Sheltie , "Roxy" ( the Princess) . After 7 years of chasing cars , she finally caught one and didn't fair to well . We miss her to this day .

Below is a picture of Roxy's nephews , Cooper and Charlie , along with Holly who came from Massachusetts . They belong behind bars !! LMAO !!


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## karim

Username: well, it's my name 
Avatar: haven't found a good one yet.


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## 12bolts

I was an offshore diver. The old style helmets were referred to by the number of bolts that clamp the neckring down. But I always sign off with my real name.

cheers Phil


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## Badspellar

My username is just how I am. Avatar was because I couldn't think of anything better.

Mike


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## royesses

When I joined the army in 1968 the drill instructors had a hard time with my last name, except for one Italian d.i. They used to call me Roy with the esses so I just use royesses. I only did 3 years years in the service but the name has stuck with me. In school in NY is was called Scucci, but my son, daughter and cousins also were called scucci.


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## AR. Hillbilly

I'm a Hillbilly from Arkansas


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## 4GSR

Back in my earlier years, probably when my dad moved us to Houston in 1965, the company he work for had several special machine tools that were built from surplus WWII ordnance equipment.  They were old gun barrel drilling machines built by LeBlond Machine tool.  Of course, they were stripped of any tooling capable of being used for gun barrel manufacturing.  They took these machines and "soup them up" with higher spindle speeds, more horse power, BTA style tooling for trepanning deep holes in steel bars. These machine tools were referred to as "4GSR", for their size.  LeBlond built these machines in sizes from a No. 1 all the way up to a No. 7 machine.  The most popular was the No. 4 machine.  If you contacted LeBlond about these machines, they would tell you that they have no recollection of ever building these machines!

Anyways, moving forward to around 1977, I went to work part time, while in college, at a place in Houston that had a couple of these machines set up trepanning holes in steel bars.  In three years I worked there I help rebuild/retrofit many of these old gun boring lathes.  Again, the old LeBlond one's were the most popular to retrofit into trepanning machines.  As I said, 4GSR, the "4" represents the machine size, BTW- these machines were built in lengths up over 100 feet long.  The "G" represented gun drilling, The "S" indicated skiving, and the "R" indicated rifling, which some of the machines were originally equipped with the gear to "rifle" the gun barrels. That's where my handle originated from.  Ken


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## 4GSR

Sandia said:


> I chose Sandia, as that is the little town we live close to.  Real name is Robert Wayne, nick named Bob all my life.
> The Avatar was my passions all my life, old cars and street rods.  Drove one all thru high school and built and owned them all my life. The pictured car was the last one, sold it to a great guy in Santa Maria, CA last July.
> 
> View attachment 142536



Bob, I've been thru that little town, Sandia, a million times over the years, traveling from Alice to Beeville, later to Houston.  I remember when the Sandia State Bank was robbed!  Made the news of the Coastal Bend!  I have a clan of relatives that live somewhere over on the south side of the lake.  Seems like we always meet in Beeville when we have family gatherings.


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## dulltool17

Well- on another forum I haunt, there's a fella that goes by "Alphawolf45" that has a tag line to the effect that "A quality tool wears out; a cheap one Breaks. There are no exceptions."  

So "Dulltool" vs broken tool.  17 is my Birthday.  The avatar is a pic of me in the Pertified Forest in NE New Mexico.


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## Sandia

4gsr said:


> Bob, I've been thru that little town, Sandia, a million times over the years, traveling from Alice to Beeville, later to Houston.  I remember when the Sandia State Bank was robbed!  Made the news of the Coastal Bend!  I have have clan of relatives that live somewhere over on the south side of the lake.  Seems like we always meet in Beeville when we have family gatherings.



Hey Ken, not much to it is it.  Actually I live about 8 miles from there on the south end of the lake. Barbon Estates to be exact.  I recall the bank robbery back in the day.  A very good gunsmith bought the building and hung his shingle.  Does super work,  been at it for 30 or 40 years I guess.  Builds some beautiful custom rifles, in the 7 to 8K range.


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## Propfool

In 1970 I got my private pilot certificate. I am a fool for propellers; hence the user name propfool. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## JPMacG

12bolts said:


> I was an offshore diver. The old style helmets were referred to by the number of bolts that clamp the neckring down. But I always sign off with my real name.
> 
> cheers Phil


12bolts, I am a sport scuba diver but somehow I am fascinated by old dive equipment.  Were you using something like the Mark V diving dress?

And BTW, my user name is just my initials plus the first 4 letters of my last name.


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## Jimsehr

My avatar is a part I made . In a 1 inch cube is a 7/8 ball with a 5/8 inch ball onside the 7/8 ball then there is a 3/8 ball onside the 5/8 ball. Then I use my full name with no space between first and last name. All tools were hand ground and lapped by me.
jimsehr


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## Subwayrocket

One of my favorite amps is my 22 Cal Mesa , it's a great recording amp and can be heard on alot of 80's/90's albums you'd know ... Great amp but the channel switching was always a problem live. Then in the early 90's they came out with the Subway Rocket . It's basically two independent 22 Cal amps that go into the same power section (two EL84's) and independent control/switching. I've had so many amps thru the years but I always loved it's sound . Unless you wana lug a 70 pound Mesa Mark IIc , this amp will get you pretty much any sound from Led Zep , Sabbath, Stones, RATM, Pink Floyd, anything 70's/80's/90's and more .  Avatar is a decal I like, I was Army 1987-94 , 52 Delta .
-------2nd pic is mine , first pic is not -------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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## jbolt

I've been a general contractor for 32 years.  Back in the 90's one of my framing carpenters pinned the name J-Bolt on me and it stuck. All my frame & trim crews and subcontractors called me that up until I retired form building. I do consulting work now and the general population doesn't get it so I went back to my given name Jay. Now I use the name on forums like these.


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## Wreck™Wreck

Wreck™ requires no explanation I suspect, the symbol marks a wreck on a nautical chart.


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## British Steel

I didn't pick mine, I was under another name and the site glitched and deleted me, then the Admin gave me a new name on here! I quite like it, beats Corus or Tata steel...

Dave H. (the other one, formerly Hopefuldave)


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## Ben Nevis

On most of the other forums I use my real name, Don Bunce, but since monikers were much more common here, I chose Ben Nevis, which is the tallest mountain in Scotland. Loosely translated, it means " the old man with his head in the clouds".

My wife thinks that's an appropriate moniker.....

Haven't got around to an avatar yet.


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## Eddyde

The Photo was taken by a friend of mine just after I finished restoring an Atlas drill press with a Commander tapping head.
My user name is a compound of my first name "Eddy" and the beginning of my family name "de Laurot"


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## Bill W.

The avatar is the family cat... better known as Kuku. 
The name is mine, had since the day I was born...


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## Waterlooboy2hp

I own a 1916 Waterlooboy  hit & miss engine, rated at 2 horsepower. The avatar is my 3 stage 1964 Snow Shark snow blower, made by Moto-Mower. It has all chain drive. (No Belts)


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## rwm

Wreck™Wreck said:


> Wreck™ requires no explanation I suspect, the symbol marks a wreck on a nautical chart.


I am surprised you bothered to trademark it? Is whole name trademarked or just the word Wreck?! 
R


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## JimDawson

My name is....well, my name 

Since this is the ''Friendly Machinists Forum''  the ''smiling face'' of the motor housing on my 4th axis seemed appropriate.


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## vtcnc

vtcnc because I'm a born and raised Vermonter. CNC for obvious reasons. One thing led to another....

One of my favorite writers on the topics of reason, logic and law is Lysander Spooner, well known for his views on government and a big influence on those who subscribe to peaceful anarchy or voluntarism. The "V is for Voluntary" avatar is a message of peace and love to achieve liberty rather than coercion and violence.


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## Fortis64

My name and avatar are my lathe


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## T Bredehoft

Waterlooboy2hp said:


> I own a 1916 Waterlooboy hit & miss engine, rated at 2 horsepower.


Please PM me, my youngest son has shown an interest in Hit and Miss engines and I have no contacts for him.


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## master of none

I've enjoyed reading all the explanation behind everybody's avatar ,mine is Popeye saying what he always sez I yam what I yam and that reminds me that I'm not as good or bad as I tell my self just an averidge guy (keeps my ego in check).    Rick


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## gr8legs

Wearing a short skirt and ridiculously high heels I am regularly told I have great legs.  Can't live forever so I enjoy it while I can 

The avatar is me.


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## savarin

Savarin was a famous chef many years ago, I wasnt so that was the name I chose 
My avatar is me going "YAY!"


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## 682bear

The 682 comes from my old Beretta 682 Gold stack barrel shotgun that I shot sporting clays with for years ( I shoot a Krieghoff K80 now)... and Bear because it is my nickname among my sporting clays friends ( because I am a large, 'bearish' guy)... it is also the first 4 letters of my last name (Bearden).

-Bear


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## 12bolts

I always thought it was a type of cake??


savarin said:


> Savarin was a famous chef many years ago



Cheers Phil


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## savarin

12bolts said:


> I always thought it was a type of cake??
> Cheers Phil



It is, and very tasty as well. Soaked in rum syrup.


named after Brillat Savarin in actual fact he was a lawyer and more a gastronome than chef but he is more remembered for his quotes such as 
_Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.
The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity, than the discovery of a new star.
A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye._
to state but a few.


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## Martin W

Martin W is my name Martin William. My avatar is my 1988 Peterbilt. I am into old and antique trucks and equipment. I have always had an old truck since I was 20 years old or so. 1948 White WA14, 1966 GMC wrecker, 1968 International 2000D, 1978 International S model with 29 foot tandem trailer, 1948 Oshkosh snow plow.
Martin W


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## 34_40

My avatar is my 34 Ford 3 window coupe.  Ford called it the Model 40 ( both 33 and 34 are the model 40)
So.. 34_40.


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## Terrywerm

My user name is a contraction of my first name and first four letters of my last name (there are ten more that aren't there) and my avatar is good old me. No, I am not a civil war re-enactor. The photo was taken at my niece's wedding where they had a camera set up on a tripod. There was a box full of hats there, all different kinds of hats. The idea was to put on a hat from the box, then stand in front of the camera and take your own photo using a remote for the camera. My niece tells me that it is her favorite photo of my wife and I. Obviously, I cropped the photo for use here.


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## jpfabricator

terrywerm said:


> My user name is a contraction of my first name and first four letters of my last name (there are ten more that aren't there) and my avatar is good old me. No, I am not a civil war re-enactor. The photo was taken at my niece's wedding where they had a camera set up on a tripod. There was a box full of hats there, all different kinds of hats. The idea was to put on a hat from the box, then stand in front of the camera and take your own photo using a remote for the camera. My niece tells me that it is her favorite photo of my wife and I. Obviously, I cropped the photo for use here.


What hat did she wear?

Sent from somwhere in east Texas by Jake!


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## aametalmaster

34_40 said:


> My avatar is my 34 Ford 3 window coupe.  Ford called it the Model 40 ( both 33 and 34 are the model 40)
> So.. 34_40.



I had a '33 Ford 3 window in '77. I really miss that car.

I chose aametalmaster as when I first got online in 2000 I wanted metalmaster for ebay, but it was taken so I added the aa. Then I started using it for all of my forums I joined. My avatar is the dual pulley I make for the South Bend 9" and 10L lathes...Bob


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## Terrywerm

jpfabricator said:


> What hat did she wear?
> 
> Sent from somwhere in east Texas by Jake!



I don't have the original photo, as it is on a failed hard disk that needs to be sent off for data recovery (long story) but hers was a tall, furry, multicolored stove pipe hat, sort of like the Cat in the Hat, but in rainbow colors.


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## Mister Ed

Well some of us here are old enough to remember that MISTER ED was a talking horse on TV. Since my first name is Ed, many of the folks at work call me Mister Ed. I do think they were referring to only the back half of the horse though.

As far as avatar ... well I guess for some reason I have never bothered with that here ... maybe I will change that.

Well there ... finally an avatar for me. I mess around with restoring old farm windmills. It was because of this hobby that led me to purchasing a Logan lathe, followed by countless other metal working tools ... both large and small.


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## aametalmaster

Mister Ed said:


> Well some of us here are old enough to remember that MISTER ED was a talking horse on TV. Since my first name is Ed, many of the folks at work call me Mister Ed. I do think they were referring to only the back half of the horse though.



Hi Ya Willllbur. I am old enough..Bob


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## Bill Gruby

Mr. Ed, I can remember Francis the Talking Mule. LOL

 "Billy G"


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## Ridjobradi

First, great topic and happy new year to everyone. 

Ridjobradi is red beard in Serbo-Croatian.  I worked and lived in the Balkans for a while.  My friends in the Balkans started calling me Ridjobradi and it stuck.  I am big guy and have red hair and red beard. 

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk


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## FOMOGO

Bill Gruby said:


> Mr. Ed, I can remember Francis the Talking Mule. LOL



 Yep, with Donald O'conner, he was quite the dancer also. Loved those movies as a kid. Mike


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## Ulma Doctor

My Avatar, it comes from the 80's TV show, The A-Team.
i was a teenager when the show came out.
i was captured by the fact that with imagination and some education, things can be repaired or even made from the ruins of other things and save the day (even if only in some small way).
i employ these principles to keep hundreds of processing and packaging machines operational.
i am often the last help a machine will receive before it is deemed unfit for use.
i have raised the dead (machinery), too many times to count.
my moniker was given to me by my customers, i wear it proudly.
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/what-i-did-at-work-this-week.51684/


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## 7milesup

What an awesome thread.  I am always interested in people's stories, and there are some really neat ones here.  I sure wish I could meet all you guys in person, that would be a lot of fun.


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## Bill Gruby

I'm still waiting for someone to fess up to being in the Witness Protection Program.  ROTFLMAO.

 "Billy G"


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## higgite

If I told you, I'd have to kill you. 

Tom


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## sanddan

I was heavily into riding in the Oregon sand dunes and got the nickname from one of my riding buddies. I went through a progression of faster and faster rides until my last, a turbo charged Hayabusa powered sandcar. It had 18" of wheel travel, weighed 950 lbs and had 300 hp, needless to say it was a fun ride. My avatar is my shop right after it was painted brown to match our house.


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## 2volts

_2volts_ was bestowed on me after a days trail riding on a KTM530 with electric start only and a dodgy battery and numerous push and tow starts.

pete


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## Reddinr

My username is something that got onto some permit I got one time.  Not quite my name/initials, not quite not my name/initials.  Just stuck with me for some reason.  My avatar, which I just added due to this discussion, is a cartoon image of my dog (the best dog in the world) "Wiley".  He is one of those once in a lifetime dogs that got lost or abandoned and literally wandered into our lives a few years ago.  He is keeping my feet warm as I write this.  I even named my electronics consulting/design business after him "WileyLabs".


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## Mini Cooper

I fell in love with Minis in the 1960s and lusted after them for years until I finally found an very original 1966 1275cc Cooper S (The granddaddy of Minis). I have owned the car for over 35 years. It is the one on the right in my avatar. It is the first car that my youngest son ever drove, that is his vintage racer on the left in the picture. Unfortunately that car came to a very sad end at Road America. My son is currently building a replacement for it.


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## olcopper

Cause I R 1.
olcopper


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## sanddan

Mini Cooper said:


> I fell in love with Minis in the 1960s and lusted after them for years until I finally found an very original 1966 1275cc Cooper S (The granddaddy of Minis). I have owned the car for over 35 years. It is the one on the right in my avatar. It is the first car that my youngest son ever drove, that is his vintage racer on the left in the picture. Unfortunately that car came to a very sad end at Road America. My son is currently building a replacement for it.



In 1974 I almost bought a used Mini S in green. I so wanted that car but I was in the Navy and didn't have enough money. I think he was asking something like $1600-1800 which was a lot when you only made $400 a month. I ended up getting a 2002 MINI S with 7k miles in 03. It was one of the first MINI's that came into the USA. I still have it, the mileage is around 60K now.


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## Firestopper

firestopper = firefighter. This photo was taken by a young swing engineer that was filling in for our normal driver. These young guys keep their phones close at hand.
We where dispatched to "investigate order of smoke" around 1 am last winter. The dispatch was code 2 (normal traffic) and took us a good 8 minutes before we made the turn and saw the glow. Not unusual to be dispatched code 2 for a sniffer call as many folks burn wood in a  fire place and given the time of day, no one actually called in a fire. Anyway, we stopped this from getting into the house but it was close.


The fuel tank was dumping and tires where blowing. My brand new probationary ff (his first fire) was trying his best but the gasoline made it difficult, in the the end I pulled a 40lb chemical extinguisher to extinguish the fuel fire while he worked on the interior. We where at the end of the hose you see pulled, the truck on fire was 2-3' away from the garage door.


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## eugene13

My son and I race IMCA Modifyed and our number is 13.  My avatar is a picture of the Jesel shaft rockers on one of our engines.


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## Mini Cooper

sanddan said:


> In 1974 I almost bought a used Mini S in green. I so wanted that car but I was in the Navy and didn't have enough money. I think he was asking something like $1600-1800 which was a lot when you only made $400 a month. I ended up getting a 2002 MINI S with 7k miles in 03. It was one of the first MINI's that came into the USA. I still have it, the mileage is around 60K now.


They are fun cars, both the old and the new ones. By the way, Thank You for your service.


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## rdrasher

My name comes from an old video game that I played when I was a kid called Road Rash. 

My avatar is me on my road racing bike.


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## Scruffy

Years ago I didn't waste much time with haircuts or shaving on a regular basis. So I was nicknamed scruffy by my co workers.
Thanks scruffy.  Ron


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## Kiwi Canuck

I am originally from NZ (Kiwi) and I now live in Canada, (Canuck) so Kiwi Canuck.

I used that name on a motorcycle forum many years ago and now I always use that name when I register as I can remember it.

BTW I'm on quite a few motorcycle related forums and some of them are great sites with pretty decent members but I got to say the members on this site are fantastic, and the overall level of co-operation and friendliness is one of the best I've seen.

I love that almost every single post is supportive and usually stays on topic, hard to achieve without great Admin support and like minded members.

David.

I just added the Avatar picture just to prove that most people in Canada live in igloos including my family.


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## FOMOGO

Quote:"I just added the Avatar picture just to prove that most people in Canada live in igloos including my family."

  Yeah, that's kinda like saying everyone in Colorado smokes pot. Ohh! look!! there goes a bird! Cheers, Mike


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## milomilo

User name is a good dog I once had. Avatar is my fav vehicle.


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## booker

My user name was just something easy for me to remember and the avatar is a Kuraki milling machine that was picked because it was the only machining pic on my computer at the time. I try to keep things simple....


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## KevinL

Nothing original here for me.  First name and first initial of last name.  I have the same username on all boards that I follow.  I follow several canoing sites as well as woodworking.   My avatar is a little different here tho.  

One time I stopped at a tool supplier that we used and noticed this Starrett tool display on his wall.  I mentioned that if he ever was going to sell it, please let me have a chance to purchase it.  I would love to put it in my shop at the community college.  

A few years went by and I got a call from him and he told me that he was going to sell the business and retire and asked if I want to buy the tools.  He told me that he had to purchase all the tools when he got it, but the display case belong to Starrett.  They sent it to him with all tools installed without glass in the door, I told him that yes I sure wanted to buy the tools, but would really like to have the display cabinet as well.  So to make a long story short, he contacted Starrett and they sent him a letter that they had no record of the cabinet and it belong to him.  I do have that letter.  

I placed the tool display inside my shop at the college for several years until I had my iPod stolen from within my office.  When I tried to get the college's insurance to pay something for the iPod, I was told that it was no good for personal items and I would have to turn it in under my own personal insurance.  Needless to say the tool display came home ASAP.  

Let's just say, it was a buy of a lifetime.  $850.  He told me that when he purchased the tools that the dealer's cost was $1000 for all of them.  

I have a son that is now an Aerospace engineer and it will belong to him someday unless one of the grandkids become a machinist, moldmaker, or toolmaker.


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## 34_40

Hi'Ya KevinL, would'ya have a bigger picture of the case of tools?  I'm drooling over it now! LOL..


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## KevinL

34_40 said:


> Hi'Ya KevinL, would'ya have a bigger picture of the case of tools?  I'm drooling over it now! LOL..



I made a little PowerPoint.  The first picture is a little blurry as it is the same as the one to the left that has been compressed.  https://www.dropbox.com/s/jqci2gb97noqsgs/StarrettDisplay.pptx?dl=0

In the bottom of the display I have two rust blocks that I recharge a couple times a year.  Have also put into the display a copy of the Starrett Student Machinist Book as well as one of the Machinery's Handbook reproductions of their 1914  1st edition.


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## 34_40

Thank You for sharing that. It's just beautiful!

Thanks Again!


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## loggerhogger

Gunrunner you need to order a set of these for the Z axis hand crank. Bill did you just spit coffee on your monitor? :rofl:

View attachment 253356


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## loggerhogger

This was taken back in 1996 during one of our railfan photo events.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## seanb

I wok with a bunch of younger guys in their 20's They are always showing me stuff on the internet they find, since I have same sense of humor they do.
My wife would call it juvenile.

username is just my name My avatar is Tourettes Guy


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## FanMan

7milesup said:


> I used to fly jets for a living. 7miles up = 36,000 feet (or so).  My Jeep's licence plate is FLTLVL.  I'm sure you guys can figure that one out



I never fly up in the flight levels, but "FanMan" is for the powered paragliders (what some call buttfans) I fly.  Also for my preference for antique fans instead of air conditioning.  Many other forums I use my real name, but I decided to dilute my internet presence a bit lately.

As for my avatar, well, it makes sense to anybody who knows me...


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## Billh50

Well my name is William and have been called Bill or Billy all my life. The H is the first letter of my last name and the 50 is for 1950 the year I was born.
Oh and the avatar is really me.


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## kvt

Well the KVT,  in mine was from when my wife and I got married.  Someone took the first initial from me my wife and my last name and put it  on a set of glasses as a wedding present.  Later we had some horses, and that was our registered Brand.   Now after 36 years is it just kinda stuck around.   Full avatar,  Have not really found any I like yet.   Do Computers and network, was also a ethical hacker to test sites, and have done mechanics since I before I was in high school.  Have now goit into the Hobby machining,  Don't do much pictures and only have a few of my work,  so Have not come up with anything to put.   And my ugly mug with probably brake the site if it used it.


----------



## Tozguy

There were several Michael's among my friends and family. It was confusing sometimes. Plus I always liked how native people used unique and colourful names. Tozguy is a statement that I am a fan of TOZ rifles. When and where my legal name is important it is available.  Mike


----------



## core-oil

Core Oil, It comes from when I was an apprentice in a small foundry sixty one years ago I worked with an old tradesman and we made sand cores for the moulders, And the linseed based oil we used to make the coresand had a nice sweet smell.


----------



## RIMSPOKE

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.




I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.




Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544


----------



## Hukshawn

Well. Name is Shawn Huk. My avitar is from cyanide and happiness. I enjoy their comics. Often dark humour, much like my own. explosm.net


----------



## Fixnair

I spent 50+ years repairing compressed air equipment in California, Nevada and Arizona. Hence the monicker 
"Fixnair".


----------



## 12bolts

Love it!





Hukshawn said:


> My avitar is from cyanide and happiness.



Cheers Phil


----------



## GA Gyro

My screen name is the state I live in...
And my choice with experimental aviation... gyro-copters.
Here is a link to our local group:
http://www.peachstaterotorcraft.org/

Here is a link to a larger picture of the avatar...
https://www.google.com/search?q=I+have+no+idea+what+i'm+doing,+however+my+book+says+you+are+doing+it+wrong&tbm=isch&imgil=t5Fq-3k0O0SeGM%3A%3BiKL3uJB3EZj_9M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.funnycaptions.com%252Fimg%252F105099%252Fi-have-no-idea-how-to-do-your-job-but-my-book-says-youre-doing-it-wrong%252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=t5Fq-3k0O0SeGM%3A%2CiKL3uJB3EZj_9M%2C_&usg=__C42jWGYWLTVAm_P_GEKr54cEfws=&biw=1352&bih=934&dpr=1.25&ved=0ahUKEwj_keTpxZLSAhUIxFQKHRUqBmYQyjcIMA&ei=64SkWL_wOIiI0wKV1JiwBg#imgrc=t5Fq-3k0O0SeGM:

There is a story behind that:  My hobby has always been fixing things... and being creative doing it...
When I was growing up, I could fix almost anything... and folks would watch me and shake their heads...
UNTIL, they saw it working... sometimes better than before it was broken.
Hence the reference to the book...
Being a product of the '60's rebellion generation... satire is a part of my life... grin

Good thread Nels, fun reading!


----------



## Karl_T

I just used the name my mamma gave me for my user name.

My real business is apple grower, so that's the avatar


----------



## Silverbullet

Mine is a nickname I earned shooting trap , in Maryland many years ago a few buddies and I traveled to many registered trap shoots. I use to win quite often in most of the shoots . One time in Maryland the man in charged noticed I was shooting the Winchester silver handicap shells. After I won the shoot offs he announced me as Silverbullet. After that of course it took. So I'm now Silverbullet. My avatar is the day our grand daughter was born . My first time holding her in her mommy's hospital room..


----------



## road kill

My user name comes from me being road kill on the information highway. I'm not a skilled, more like barely literate computer person. No computers or even electronic read outs on my machines, I do use a digital caliper though, much better than using bifocals to read a Vernier scale.


----------



## mcostello

Hard to go wrong with Road Runner.


----------



## Bi11Hudson

Bi 11 Hudson- On very old typewriters there was no (#)1 key or (#)0 key. The 11 of my name is to recognise the keys used for 1-l (lower case) and 0-O (uppercase). I learned to type on Pop's GSA surplus Underwood and think back to it.

Also use Artificer00. In old English usage it's what I am. I'm the grouchy old curmudgeon that makes the machines go. Electrical or mechanical. Or both. And most everybody knows what "double ought" (00) means. I figure since I have pursued machinery since before I was in grammer school it was most appropriate.

Then there's Model Trains... No reason other than that's what got (and kept) me into machinery. Small, but _*very*_ fussy about running smooth.

The avatar is subject to change when I manage to find the patches from the South Pole. 

As an aside to Kiwi, I've been to NZ a number of times. Loved it much more than that other island down that way. But then, it was a long time back...


----------



## ThunderDog

It's staying consistent with My YouTube channel.  

Thunder from AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" and dog from Pink Floyd's "Dogs of War".


----------



## willthedancer

I'm Will. Almost 20 years back, I was dating this gal, and she said "Let's take a dance class!" I sheepishly agreed. A Tango class was part of it. I loved and hated it, and was determined to get some mastery. She's in the obscure past, but I dance at least once a week.

No, Tango doesn't look like what you see on the tube.

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk


----------



## projectnut

I worked for a major food manufacturing company starting in the experimental machine design and fabrication shop.  Over the years I served in a number of different positions with the final 10 years as a construction and machine installation project manager.  Most of the people I supervised seemed to think I was nuts, so rather than being called the "project manager" I was referred to as the "Projectnut".


----------



## woodchucker

I do woodworking as my primary hobby. I have had many hobbies. Race cars, photography, woodworking has stuck around the longest. In the last few years metal working. I now have 2 shops, one for wood, and a smaller one for metal.
I just added my avatar, which is on another forum (Lumberjocks).  It's my buddy, I had to put him down 3 weeks ago after close to 18 years.  He was beautiful, would catch frisbee's 6' out of the air. Always fun, always a character.


----------



## Kiwi

I'm glad you mentioned that  I kept thinking of Gyro gearloose not from the posts but just from the name



GA Gyro said:


> My screen name is the state I live in..
> 
> And my choice with experimental aviation... gyro-copters.
> Here is a link to our local group:
> http://www.peachstaterotorcraft.org/
> 
> Here is a link to a larger picture of the avatar...
> https://www.google.com/search?q=I+have+no+idea+what+i'm+doing,+however+my+book+says+you+are+doing+it+wrong&tbm=isch&imgil=t5Fq-3k0O0SeGM%3A%3BiKL3uJB3EZj_9M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.funnycaptions.com%252Fimg%252F105099%252Fi-have-no-idea-how-to-do-your-job-but-my-book-says-youre-doing-it-wrong%252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=t5Fq-3k0O0SeGM%3A%2CiKL3uJB3EZj_9M%2C_&usg=__C42jWGYWLTVAm_P_GEKr54cEfws=&biw=1352&bih=934&dpr=1.25&ved=0ahUKEwj_keTpxZLSAhUIxFQKHRUqBmYQyjcIMA&ei=64SkWL_wOIiI0wKV1JiwBg#imgrc=t5Fq-3k0O0SeGM:
> 
> There is a story behind that:  My hobby has always been fixing things... and being creative doing it...
> When I was growing up, I could fix almost anything... and folks would watch me and shake their heads...
> UNTIL, they saw it working... sometimes better than before it was broken.
> Hence the reference to the book...
> Being a product of the '60's rebellion generation... satire is a part of my life... grin
> 
> Good thread Nels, fun reading!


----------



## Kiwi

mine is kinda self explanatory and Colchester Master


----------



## scoopydo

My username is courtesy of my friends who think collecting Scoopmobiles is a little different. These 3 wheeled loaders were manufactured here in Oregon and I have somewhat of an obsession. I currently only have 7 but I'm still looking. Maintaining these old machines requires machine tools and I've started collecting them too!
George


----------



## alloy

Years ago I had a line of billet aluminum  parts and I marketed them by the name Alloy Specialties.

So..........shortened it to "Alloy"

Here is a snap shot of my site on the wayback machine.

I didn't realize it but the links on there even work.   Brings back memories for me.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010203193400/http://alloyspecialties.com/


----------



## ch2co

Origin of my Gator Avatar:

I’ve been known on most sites as ‘Grumpy Gator’ since a trip to Florida with my kids and grandkids to watch the launch of my daughters first Mars lander, Phoenix. (She’s now working on her fourth “space ship”) . Anyway, while driving around the area, I saw an alligator sunning himself along the shore of a duckweed covered body of water, where I assumed the gator had just eaten lunch and was sunning himself to digest whatever it was, lots of ducks around. I loved the duckweed covering and decided that I had to get a picture of this guy. Got my camera ready and walked over to the general area about 12 feet away and shot a couple of pictures one of which has since become my avatar. Just as I was turning around, this guy lunged at me at umpteen miles an hour, I never expected they could move so far so fast when out of the water! I swear that he had almost taken a bite out of my leg, but maybe that was just the adrenaline talking. My 4 year old grandson witnessed the whole thing and thought that it was really really funny.  I didn’t agree and let him know so, but he still couldn’t stop laughing at me. He then started calling me, previously his “Opa”, “Grumpy Gator”.  So since August of ’07 I’ve born the title Grumpy Gator.  He has since reverted to calling me Opa again. 

When I signed up for this forum, I found to my consternation, a Grumpy Gator already existed in the guise of our global moderator/staff member/director grumpygator. Not only does he predate my use of the moniker he also lives in gator land Florida. I bow to his gatordom.

Note: we do have an alligator farm here in Mosca Colorado at an elevation of 7800 ft.
So here, I am forced to use the term Grumpy Old Guy/Man but I still use my same duckweed covered Avatar. 

I have also been asked to explain my use of CH2CO moniker. 

When I first started work at a research lab, I often had to initial various
written notes / messages etc. We didn’t have electronic methods back in those days. My initials are CHH. One of the microbiologists I was working just started calling me CH two and it stuck. Working as an analytical research chemist I obliged and used CH2 from then on. Then came the computer age and the need to have a name and password and all that stuff. CH2 wasn’t a long enough name for many sites. I just started to add to my little methylene radical by adding stuff. Here I use CH2CO which could be seen as  1-ketene or methyl carbonyl or carbomethane or ethanone or keto-ethylene  or as IUPAC would call it ethenal……or just call me The grumpy old guy.


CHuck the grumpy old (gator) man


----------



## Rockytime

I am a POOR, OLD clock repairman in Colorado hence the name Rockytime.


----------



## q20v

q20v = Quattro 20 Valve

Technically my second car, the first only lasted about 6 months, my 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20v was a car that I owned for about 12 years and helped shape me into the person I am today. I bought the car in 1999 and it went to the junk yard in ~2011. I bought it in my last year of high school and I'm currently a Mech Eng in the defence industry. The amount I learned from that car was immense.

I've been using "q20v" since the early 2000's on all forums I join.

The avatar picture shows 4 Wright Screwdrivers I bought from a local tool / machinery surplus store, Cardon Tools near Perth, each were about $2.50 and made in the USA. Although I still buy overseas tools when I'm in a pickle (my current financial situation restricts me on the bigger tools) I'm a firm believer in supporting Canadian / US suppliers.

Barry


----------



## DarkHorse

It is a moniker I was gifted when I continually surprised some of the my shop when we were all together at squadron functions.  Everyone overheard it and that was it.   I've used it on the old BBS' and still use it on the forums.  

 Its a scene shot of "The Chin" B movie actor extraordinaire  Bruce Campbell,  From Army of Darkness.  the Character "Ash" just fabricated a new hand for himself.


----------



## JPigg55

Names Jimmy Pigg, 55 is the age I'm planning on retiring, hence JPigg55
Avatar, email is "PIGGSFLY", crashing....nuff said..... LOL


----------



## Dabbler

I used Dabbler, because I'm really very strongly ADHD so I tend to 'dabble' in hobbies.  I've been doing machining, on and off for 40 years now, so it's my most durable hobby....  The rest of the hobbies are too numerous to list!


----------



## atlas ten

Username is from my first atlas 10" lathe. Avitar is soon to be under construction.  Forgot what it is now. 
Jack

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk


----------



## Rick O'Shay

I have not decided yet about a picture or avatar yet but my user name is Rick O'Shay as in "ricochet", get it, ha ha. I also go by  roert  which is robert without the b. "roert" is not supposed to be funny just foreign sounding and seems unique.


----------



## The Liberal Arts Garage

Back in the 60's I inherited the name from a friend (deceased before his time) 
 who never got to start it himself. Seemed to describe the business  Mary and
I  started to follow our ideals----- Stars in eyes----BLJHB.


----------



## Strangerthings169b1

My avatar is the best vehicle I ever owned, M35A2 truck. Had some real good times in it before a drunk (not me) wrecked it.
And my name is pretty much how people keep telling me how my mind seems to work,,, or not as the case may be.


----------



## Mach89

My username is the first 4 letters of my occupation/passion plus the first 2 digits in my work clock number. 

My avatar is a dragon that I made by lost foam aluminum casting, some machining, and lots of polishing.


----------



## KBeitz

Just my name... At one time I went by Pumpman. I collected antique water pumps.
I think I was one of the largest collectors in the eastern part of USA. I had a shoulder
injury and sold most of them . Now I just play with my saw mill...


----------



## Downwindtracker2

When I first posted ,it was on a hunting forum. Everybody was Magnum something, so I had to be something different. Downwindtracker was as opposite as you can get. I take it to mean "man of foolish pursuits " Pretty clever.eh. But I can't take any credit for it, In his columns in the Vancouver Sun, the author Paul St.Pierre used it . That's why the 2


----------



## MrWhoopee

Mine was given to me by an old friend decades before the Internet, full name Phineas J Whoopee. It's the name of a character in the Tennessee Tuxedo cartoons. My avatar is that character.


----------



## Logan 400

I like to keep things simple. Name of my lathe and and same for my avatar. Learning to machine parts for my other hobby (hopefully). My other hobby is Wheel Horse round hoods I'm building one for each of my 8 Grandchildren.


----------



## Jubil

No avatar yet. I stole my user name from my tractor, a Ford Jubilee. It's as old as I am but much easier to keep going. 
Chuck


----------



## DiscoDan

My first name is Dan and when I worked in Washington DC years ago there was a tagger that tagged anything and everything in the area with Disco Dan and people at work started calling me Disco.


----------



## Downunder Bob

12bolts said:


> I was an offshore diver. The old style helmets were referred to by the number of bolts that clamp the neckring down. But I always sign off with my real name.
> 
> cheers Phil




I had wondered about the name.

DownunderBob


----------



## Downunder Bob

G'day to all, Ok my real name is Robert Gitsham AKA Bob. Born and bred in Australia, AKA Downunder, so Downunder Bob I became. My avatar is a picture of my lathe, I originally put it up because when I joined HM I thought it would quickly put me in touch with people who owned the same or similar machines. As time has gone by it appears to be the only Liang Dei machine in the group,which makes it rather unique, so I think I'll keep it.


----------



## Bob Korves

I use my real name because it helps me keep from posting the not-so-nice things that anonymous posters sometimes do.  It keeps me honest.  My avatar is simply the only picture of me I could find in electronic format when I joined H-M.


----------



## lordbeezer

Lordbeezer was my red chow.he was a magnificent looking dog.and a really good watch dog he was lord of his jungle....beezer is a nickname for a BSA motorcycle ..been riding custom bikes since 1969. Harley's and BSA..gonna find a old picture of lordbeezer and post..


----------



## hman

My monicker is a shortened form of my last name, Herrmann, first given to me by a dorm buddy during my first year at college.  

My avatar is a 2D CAD rendering of the "A1 Exhaust Manifold," a combination of three "impossibilities" I first encountered in high school Mechanical Drawing class.


----------



## Cooter Brown

I just love the Legend of Cooter Brown.....

*Question:* Who was Cooter Brown, as in “drunk as Cooter Brown”?

*Answer:* Cooter Brown lived along the Mason-Dixon line at the time of the Civil War. He had family on both sides, and, not wishing to be drafted by either the North or the South, he decided to get drunk – and stay drunk – so that he wouldn’t have to fight in the war. Inebriety has been measured against Cooter Brown’s extended binge ever since.

https://www.almanac.com/fact/who-was-cooter-brown-as-in-drunk

My picture is written on the wall of a bathroom stall at my favorite used machine tool store...
http://www.mckeanmachinery.com/
Its better to go there in person all his prices are negotiable....


----------



## mmcmdl

KBeitz said:


> Just my name... At one time I went by Pumpman. I collected antique water pumps.
> I think I was one of the largest collectors in the eastern part of USA. I had a shoulder
> injury and sold most of them . Now I just play with my saw mill...
> 
> View attachment 279437
> View attachment 279438


Hey K ! Would you happen to have any of your antique pumps left ? My wife has been looking for quite awhile for a pump for up at the Adirondack property . If you do and want to sell one , shoot me a pm . Thanks , Dave .


----------



## BaronJ

Hi Guys,

I use my family name, because when ever I got into bother I was always being shouted "Baron" !!!
And the "TUX" penguin because I'm a long time Linux user, like a lot of people, but they don't always know it


----------



## KBeitz

Logan 400 said:


> I like to keep things simple. Name of my lathe and and same for my avatar. Learning to machine parts for my other hobby (hopefully). My other hobby is Wheel Horse round hoods I'm building one for each of my 8 Grandchildren.



Maybe I should have been Wheel horse #2


----------



## KBeitz

mmcmdl said:


> Hey K ! Would you happen to have any of your antique pumps left ? My wife has been looking for quite awhile for a pump for up at the Adirondack property . If you do and want to sell one , shoot me a pm . Thanks , Dave .



I only kept the really rare pumps. Stuff like this...


----------



## bill70j

My user name signifies the first car I bought new - and still have.  It is a Chrysler E-body 1970 Dodge Challenger.  Chrysler labeled the Challenger car line "J', and my name is William, thus the  Bill 70J



My avatar shows the second car I bought new and still have.  It is a 1987 Jaguar XJ6, and it is on a tow trailer to portray the horrible reliability these cars had, and still have.  I was bit by the car's styling back then, and have since dealt with the reliability issues by replacing the drive train with a 1994 GM product.


----------



## Boswell

I other forums and gaming sites, my username is usually "Searider" or a simple variation. However when I joined HM that felt un-professional . So I just went with my Last name.  My avatar is a picture of the first "start to finish" part I make on my CNC Mill using CamBam for CAM and then hand modifying the G-Code for efficiency.  I now use BobCad and rarely have to make any G-Code modifications.  I made about 20 of them and gave them away to friends.


----------



## Bob Korves

bill70j said:


> I was bit by the car's styling back then, and have dealt with the reliability issues by replacing the drive train with a 1994 GM product.


British steel with American iron power...


----------



## Asm109

I picked mine when all my spare time was focused on raising 2 boys and being an Assistant Scout Master for our Boy scout troop .

Troop number is left as an exercise to the reader.


----------



## SubtleHustle

My name is the name of one of my favorite songs,  from one of my favorite bands, Clutch. My pic, is simply my 1st lathe restoration.


----------



## Sandia

I chose the name of the small town we live close to, Sandia, TX.

The avatar is one of my street rods, 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe.


----------



## westerner

Very nice, fellas! My username relates to my pre'64 model 70 Winchester rifle my dad gave me, oh, about 46 years ago. The only high power rifle I have ever hunted with. Great memories, great times. And a great reminder of my dad and all he stood for. One day, I will come up with an avatar that does him and it justice.


----------



## Z2V

My username is car related. I sold a Z06 and bought a CTS-V and Z2V was born. The avatar is turn 16-18 and the tower at COTA taken from a helicopter.


----------



## Superburban

My name comes from the name of a project We (Wife & I) started back in the 90's. Basically, I took 2 suburban bodies, mated them together, and put them on a crew cab dually  frame. A 6 door suburban, or suoper suberban, shortened to Superburban.

Unfortunately, with the passing of my father in law, We also lost the storage/ work place for it. Due to financial, legal (As in what it would take to get it to pass Pa's state inspection), time issues, and a lot of damage done by kids using it as a way to climb on the garage roof where it was stored (Buckled the rear roof in, and even pulled the rear roof corner down enough to bust out the side and rear windows), We ended up scrapping it.



I started using the Superburban name, back in the early days of the web, and kept it for every forum I have singed up on. even though We no longer have the Superburban. All my names are Superburban, but not all Superburbans are me.

The Avatar, is just the clearest pic I could find in my metsl tools pictures directory.


----------



## Downunder Bob

Sandia said:


> I chose the name of the small town we live close to, Sandia, TX.
> 
> The avatar is one of my street rods, 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe.
> 
> View attachment 279494



A beautiful car I had a similar one many years ago a 38 Clubman coupe.


----------



## petcnc

My name comes from my real name "Petros" (Peter) and CNC. 
As for the avatar, it is a part from the "Phaistos Disc". 
The Phaistos Disc is a 4000 year circular clay disc covered with inscribed symbols on both sides that are unlike any signs in any writing system. 
It was discovered in the ancient city of Phaistos in Southern Crete in 1908 and it was never translated to any modern language. 
It shows signs of tools and everyday objects that remain an enigma. When I saw it in the museum I was amazed how people 4000 years ago were capable of making artifacts with such details, that inspired me to try and make things as they did. I never reached their perfection though he he he!!!! 
Petros


----------



## KBeitz

What I like about this place... Everyday I learn something new...


----------



## Old Mud

My user name came from my Brother in law. We use to fish and drink Old Milwaukee and of course he called it Old Mud. Somehow my boat ended up with that name as did I.  My Avatar is me with a nice Bluefin Tuna, it's what i do.


----------



## Meta Key

petcnc said:


> My name comes from my real name "Petros" (Peter) and CNC.
> As for the avatar, it is a part from the "Phaistos Disc".



Now that was an interesting post!  Thanks for the links --- a really good read..

-MK


----------



## RIMSPOKE

MY USERNAME WAS TAKEN FROM THE MAIN CHARACTER IN A 1975 CLAYMATION FILM CALLED
"THE PINCHCLIFFE GRAND PRIX"  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pinchcliffe_Grand_Prix

THEODORE RIMSPOKE COULD BUILD ANYTHING OUT OF ANYTHING AND
EVENTUALLY BUILT A FANTASTIC RACE CAR OUT OF HOUSEHOLD JUNK .

FOR MANY YEARS I WOULD TRY TO BUY PARTS & PRODUCTS FROM COMPANIES
THAT WOULD NOT SELL TO ME AS DAVID BROWER . THEY WANTED TO SELL
TO ANOTHER COMPANY . SO I MADE ONE UP & CALLED IT " RIMSPOKE RESTORATIONS " 

THIS SEEMED TO OPEN A LOT OF DOORS AND WHEN THE INTERNET CAME ALONG
I STARTED USING THE RIMSPOKE MONIKER . IT SOUNDS MECHANICALLY COOL
AND NO ONE ELSE WAS USING IT .

MY AVITAR SHOWS A PIECE OF WORK TURNING IN A HORVATH ECCENTRIC
CHUCK ON MY MAXIMAT SUPER 11 LATHE . YES , IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE THAT .


----------



## tcarrington

The precursor to email where I worked in 1977 required a four character user name. I was one of the people whose ID got used as a personal greeting (tee - kar).


----------



## mcostello

Hard to go wrong with the Road Runner.


----------



## plunger

I am a plumber .Thats why I call myself plunger. My avatar says it all.


----------



## The Fishing Hobby

My username and avatar are from my YouTube channel


----------



## pontiac428

My username comes from my roots, building Pontiacs for big power.  Nowadays it may as well be Honda or Suzuki as I've mastered fuel injection and no longer need the displacement to achieve my ends.

My avatar is the headstone of Ludwig Boltzmann, the father of thermodynamics, bearing the inscription S=k log W.   I visit the graves of scientists instead of rock stars.


----------



## rock_breaker

My avatar is my gone now Schipperke that I am certain could read my mind, also would tease by running off with caps or gloves. The username is what I did for 20 years- supervised a limestone quarry to make 880,000 ton of cement yearly.


----------



## yendor

The Avatar is a matched pair of 1972 Honda CB 350's one Green, one Red.
I tell my wife they are NOT Toys they are Christmas decorations. 
I threaten her I'm going to put them in front of the house with a MR & MRS Clause on them.
(I would but they'd get ruined by the weather.)

My son & I did the restorations together and it's a fond memory. 
from He is now 25 but we still get together and ride them.

The User Name is the name of my Uncles 1937 32' Chris Craft cabin crusier, I have a picture of the old boat and it was very cool.
He named it after himself.
He simply reversed the letters in his name. 
YENDOR <-> Rodney


----------



## AJ

RAIDER69 is for my unit in the USMC. I was a Recon Raider. 69 is the year I was born but not why I use that number.  My avitar is Surtr, THE GOD OF FIRE from Norse mythology. He is the only god to defeat Zuess,Appolo, Athina depicted in the painting "Battle of the Doomed Gods" and Freyr at Ragnarök. His sword is known as Twilight. He sat like that to fools is enemies because as he stood up he towered over them. His followers are known as Pagans. I was a Pagan 1%er for 20yrs(now retired) and honor my fallen brothers by wearing Surtr to this day on my arm as a tattoo along with my 1% tattoo.  That`s my story and it won`t change...lol


----------



## homebrewed

I've seen lots of interesting and unusual user names and have been curious about their origins so I'm creating this thread for members that might want to share the reason(s) for their choice of user name.  I'll start the ball rolling (who knows if it rolls very far ) with mine.

Like most when becoming a member I was faced with the requirement to enter a user name.  Hmm.  What I came up with was "homebrewed", based on quite a few things that I've 'home-brewed' over the years.  That, in fact, includes home-brewed beer (along with items to MAKE the beer, like a wort chiller).  Then there's our longtime practise of making Pinot Noir wine from grapes we picked ourselves.  Then there are the various other fermented food items like pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, cider vinegar, miso and tempeh.  I've probably left some out .  With that also comes the homebrewed side of making things with my lathe and mill.  

At work I home-brewed solutions for problems because the field I worked in didn't have many equipment suppliers; and those who did cater to us had to charge high prices because the market was small. Sometimes there were ways to do it cheaper -- if I made the stuff.  Often that just involved making adapters to use off-the-shelf items instead of slightly oddball sizes meant to capture more revenue.  I designed circuit boards to test bad IC's, lots of test fixtures -- some of which went into scanning electron microscopes and focussed-ion beam machines.   More homebrewing, just of a different kind.  So it was a natural.  "Homebrewed".

As Charlie Papazian said, relax,  have a homebrew.

--Mark


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## Just for fun

Mine is pretty simple really...  When I retired and decided to buy a lathe and mill, my friends asked if I was going to start a business.  Nope it's just for fun.  And there ya go.  My username tells the story.

Tim


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## davidpbest

Mine is not disguised at all.  You can find me here, on Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, my website (davidpbest.com), and at the local bar with the same name.  Now, when I'm "look'en fo nub", forgetaboutit.


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## Aukai

The boat was 20+ years old the U in Aukai was partly gone. In Hawaiian it means ocean swimmer, ocean traveler, seafarer. I was a paramedic 10 days a month 240hrs, part time commercial fisherman on the days off. I'm now the resident hack in the garage.


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## Grader Johnny

I operate a grader for a living and every one calls me Johnny and not John


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## T Bredehoft

T Bredehoft. First name Thomas.

But I'm Tom.  I'm not sure I'd answer to Thomas if I heard it called.....

If three or four houses (or ither buildings) surround an open space, here in Holland it's a hof, and brede is pretty well accepted a a spelling of  wide or broad.  (I can't document this, though), So my name may represent a courtyard or such.


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## vtcnc

Here is an old thread to add to the fun...









						Why Did You Choose Your Username And Avatar?
					

You guys sure have some interesting usernames .  How did you choose them?




					www.hobby-machinist.com


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## bill70j

Bill70J

Bill - My first name
70 - Short for 1970
j  - Chrysler's '68-'80 Car Line designation for the Challenger

The first car I bought new and still have - 1970 Dodge Challenger


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## DiscoDan

DiscoDan...when I worked in DC many years ago there was a tagger going around the city painting DiscoDan everywhere. I an Dan so my coworkers started calling me Disco!


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## BGHansen

Real boring one for me; my name is Bruce Gene Hansen.  I use BGHansen.

Bruce


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## RJSakowski

I tend not to be shy concerning log in names so mine is simply my initials and surname. R for Robert and J for Joseph.  

In the past, I have used monikers like Country Smith because I do a bit of blacksmithing, Ridge Runner, my old CB handle, because there was a ridge right behind the house, and Pinnacle Bob because I Live on Pinnacle Rd.  The funny thing about the lat one is that there is another Pinnacle Bob in Colorado and I kept getting his Yahoo email.  I was on Yahoo mostly for the 10 x22 group and that has disappeared so I no longer use that account.  There probably is tha mountain of unopened email for Pinnacle Bob somewhere in the cloud.


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## Mini Cooper S

Mine is for my 1966 Austin Mini Cooper S.  This is the Grand Daddy of all Mini Coopers, it has the 'big" engine 1275cc!  I've owned this car since 1982.  This is a picture of my parents in the car, they were in their 80's at that time so the picture is over 20 years old.

Richard


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## rabler

Mine is also just my first initial and last name.  It was my login name for decades so it just sort of rolls off the fingers.


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## pontiac428

A friend and I used to use digit codes via pager to indicate what we were calling about.  18436572 meant car stuff.  389-400-428-455 meant Pontiac stuff, which was the best.  I built up a 428 a long time ago, they only made them for two years for the Catalina and Bonneville, '68-70.  It was a real screamer with 1/8" more crank throw than the 400, but 1/8" shy of the severely rev-limited 455.  Same bore and rods, so the R/S ratio is near ideal and the motor can still make 6k RPM like a 400.  So I was all about the 428.


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## alloy

Back before 9-11 I made a line of ATV products in my shop.  Business name was Alloy Specialties.






						Alloy Specialties
					

Custom accessories for your ATV. Polished Engraved billet accessories for Yamaha, Honda, Polaris, Suzuki ATV's.



					web.archive.org


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## Asm109

I joined this forum at a time in my life when I was very involved in my son's scouting careers.
My username is my position and the troop number.  Asm109.   Assistant Scout Master.  Hey its only an hour a week!


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## MrWhoopee

Mine is the name of a long-forgotten, all-knowing (know-it-all) cartoon character, given to me by a good friend back in the roaring 70s. Thems were some high times!


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## hman

I was first called "hman"( a shortened form of my last name, Herrmann) by a fellow dorm resident at U of Chicago, back in 1966 or so.  I've used hman as a login name several times.


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## homebrewed

DiscoDan said:


> DiscoDan...when I worked in DC many years ago there was a tagger going around the city painting DiscoDan everywhere. I an Dan so my coworkers started calling me Disco!


For awhile (long ago) my friends called me "Shark" because a new addition to that group mis-identified me with someone who WAS a shark.  The nickname stuck because I was about a far away from that mentality as you could be so they all thought it was amusing.  I suspect your handle falls in the same category.


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## matthewsx

Been using mine on the internet since before WWW. 

Last name + X


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## DavidR8

Mine is my first name and a play on my last name, not the arbor type though that is apropos for here.


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## Gaffer

Gaffer is a play on my last name, Gaffney. It's something that has stuck for the last few generations that I know of.


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## benmychree

Name of our SteelCraft cruiser when I was a kid, name borrowed from the steamship ferry that plied between the Isle of Man and Liverpool England, meaning in the Manx language "Woman of my heart", my dad's mother had both parents born on IOM. Manx is no longer spoken there as a primary language, but I have a distant cousin there who learned it so as to be able to pursue geneology interests.


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## 682bear

682- when I started frequenting forums, I was shooting sporting clays tournaments with a Beretta 682 shotgun (which has since been replaced with a Krieghoff K-80).

Bear- my last name is Bearden... also, I'm a sort of large, 'bearish' guy...

The rear tag on my 'clays cart' (a 2006 Yamaha Rhino)...




My sporting clays buddies started calling me Bear... my first name is David.

-Bear


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## C-Bag

I’ve loved aircraft my whole life probably because my uncle was a B29 pilot in the Korean War. He then became a test pilot. So it was fun for me to become friends and music playin’ buddies with a Marine pilot trainee who had been grounded because his appendix burst while flying. My uncle had been grounded because he had a heart attack during a test flight. The Marine had surgery and they nicked his bowel and it almost killed him. So he was given a desk for a year while he healed. So we ended up pickin’ a lot of tunes. When he was able to continue his training his flight gave him the call sign C-Bag because he had to use a colostomy bag. When I started going on forums and saw everybody else had these call signs I stole his and became C-Bag.

My avatar is a Hero engine on of the earliest engines. I think the Hero engine was my earliest mechanical contemplation. I use it for my avatar because it feels like the most accurate description of my online presence. Noise and motion not really doing anything


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## darkzero

I used to be a longtime flashlight modder & collector. For many years I performed custom builds for others in my free time. So light related, hence the name darkzero as in zero darkness. Has nothing to do with some video game related stuff using the same name which came many years later. I just kept using the name.

Prior to that & on automotive related forums I go by zero4. Sort of the second reason for the word zero in darkzero, I guess I just like the word zero. The #4 is my favorite number & is what led to zero4.


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## frankly2

Most all people speak up Quite Frankly and so do I, so I’m frankly2 so to speak.


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## AGCB97

AGCB97 Aaron Gustafson Custom Builder. The name of my former residential building company and 97, the year I finished building my last experimental airplane. Also, the last part of its registration number.


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## wachuko

Wachuko - made up nickname given by high school sweetheart….  Stuck with me… the nickname, not the girlfriend…

Even after over 30 years together, my wife is still not happy about it….


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## Shotgun

I was a helper on a furniture truck.  Got the CB handle "Shotgun".  It's not that original, so my high school weight for wrestling is tagged to the end.


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## devils4ever

New Jersey Devils forever!!!

Hopefully obvious!


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## Bi11Hudson

Bill is a "shortened" William. Using the "11" for "LL" comes from archaic typewriters that did not have a numeric key for one or zero. To type those numbers one used a lower case "L" or an upper case "o". My father had a WW2 era Underwood typewriter that I got familiar with. My mother was a professional transcriber on an IBM electric but never brought her work home. From the old days when they used EBCDIC(?) coding instead of ASCII. I am a "touch typist" of sorts, I find the key I want and then touch it. That's as far as I got with typing.

Before computers (time BC) came along, I often used "Left Hand Thread" for voice communications, from an old, second rate science fiction story, When that developed an "off color" connotation in more recent years, I started using my name slightly misspelled on computers. It is easier to type on a computer and has fewer characters. My password is often my user name (slightly modified) from my US Steel user name on the payroll system. All easy to type and *remember*. 

.


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## b4autodark

I've been a welder a long time.


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## Bone Head

Bone Head.  Given to me by an old line mechanic.  When I got out of the Army and started at a Pontiac dealership as a new car prep man.  I learned a lot from him, and when HEI came out I was the kid that "got it".  I got to teach him then.  Rest in peace Jack.
The avatar.  You can blame the person who checked me out when I registered for this site.


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## mmcmdl

mmcmdl said:


> Username was my small shops name for some 30 years . Avatar is a pic of my faithful Sheltie , "Roxy" ( the Princess) . After 7 years of chasing cars , she finally caught one and didn't fair to well . We miss her to this day .
> 
> Below is a picture of Roxy's nephews , Cooper and Charlie , along with Holly who came from Massachusetts . They belong behind bars !! LMAO !!


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## Bi11Hudson

I would have to say that is a decent mustasche. Most I see today, I would just shave off.
.


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## Bone Head

Bi11Hudson said:


> I would have to say that is a decent mustasche. Most I see today, I would just shave off.
> .



That mustache stores an extensive collection of my favorite soups.  (insert big grin here)


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## 34_40

Shelties!  Love'em, we're down to 2 now..  8-(    all from New England breeders and some of our best dogs ever.


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## Batmanacw

I'm batman....


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## wachuko

Member name, origin?
					

Mine is my first name and a play on my last name, not the arbor type though that is apropos for here.




					www.hobby-machinist.com
				




Wachuko - made up nickname given by high school sweetheart…. Stuck with me… the nickname, not the girlfriend…

Even after over 30 years together, my wife is still not happy about it….

Avatar is a photo I took of my son back in 2005.  I was working in the car and he came out of the house, jumped on the driver's seat, took my sunglasses, and started to pretend he was driving.  I could not resist taking a photo of the moment... 




That guy is going to be 20 years old come Tuesday (Sep 13)


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## Choiliefan

Not sure exactly where my name came from but the avatar is Man Ray's "object to be destroyed"  
It's the kind of art anybody can make...










						Object to Be Destroyed - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


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## ChazzC

Chazz (Chaz) is a variation of a common abbreviation (Chas) for Charles. While I was "Alex" during my formative years (named for my two Grandfathers, but Charles was much used by my Father's family as he was the next to youngest of nine ergo I was called Alex), I re-invented myself when I started University (was re-invented a word 50 years ago?) and started going by Charlie – if nothing else it was easier than explaining to everyone, "No, I go by my middle name, Alex." When our grandchildren started getting to the age where they understood names, I started using "Chazz" (or Chaz, I answer to either) within the family, and now my wife, daughter and grandkids call me that.

The Avatar? When I first started participating in several forums, I spent some time thinking about both an Avatar & signature: who was I? At least to myself (an expert on me), I was a modern Renaissance Man. However, maybe not to others? Doing a search on "Renaissance Man" brought for several reoccurring names, among them being Plutarch and Leon Alberti. Although Plutarch did not live during the Renaissance, he was likened to an early version of the Renaissance Man; but I couldn't find any images I really liked – this is the best one:




Now Alberti, there was a true Renaissance Man; it even says so here, and if it's on the Internet, it has to be true:

https://www.thoughtco.com/leon-battista-alberti-1788352

Many of Alberti's interests and accomplishments reminded me of me, so to speak. More importantly, I found an image liked – handsome, disdainful and a full head of hair:




Thinking that "Renaissance Man" was maybe just a little too much, I tempered my signature to show that I am humble (no, really, I am, ask anyone), listing my various interests and adding a description: my profile was complete!


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## Bi11Hudson

That remark fits in well with the four basic food groups, caffeine, nicotine, sugar, and _pizza_.
.


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## Bone Head

Sugar...nah.  Now beer?  Yeah BABY!


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## darkzero

Threads merged since we already have a long standing existing thread with many of our members replies. Also moved to Off Topic & stickied.


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## homebrewed

darkzero said:


> Threads merged since we already have a long standing existing thread with many of our members replies. Also moved to Off Topic & stickied.


Well as I've been known to say, "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing.....over and over again....." (implication is, until you get it right!)


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## vtcnc

matthewsx said:


> Been using mine on the internet since before WWW.
> 
> Last name + X



I had to read this a couple of times until I realized you weren’t referring to World War 3. Lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Weldingrod1

I taught welding at Rice. As an undergrad for beer money and KEYS to the shop. As a grad student it was instead of grading papers. 8 years...
One class gave me the nickname "weldingrod" didn't really stick, but I liked it 

Sent from my SM-G715A using Tapatalk


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## Ice Czar

It was a job title that became a username
For 13 years I was an operations manager for the Great American Beer Festival

In charge of....


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## Watching paint dry

Iv'e been watching from the sidelines for some time, this looks like a good spot to join in.  I was having a conversation with a friend one day and they asked me what it takes to work with my sons.  My answer was that you have to be able to watch paint dry.


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