Hobby machinists in (Northern) Virginia, WV, MD?

[FliesLikeABrick]

The inaugural Shenandoah Valley HSM group meeting will be Friday afternoon, 7/5.

Actually, it's a combined Sacramento Valley and Shenandoah Valley HSM meeting, since my buddy Carl will also be out here on vacation with his family.

Drop me a line if you're interested in attending and haven't joined the announcement email list yet.

I'll be out of town this week but hope to catch you all in another one

 

[Rex Walters]

I'll be out of town this week but hope to catch you all in another one

No worries. There will be more!
—
Rex

 

[Rex Walters]

In a related note:

I just finished getting my lathe back together, lubed up and ready to run. I was proud of myself having packed every part of the lathe down to the last nut and bollt safely and securely with everything well labeled. I made custom crates for the larger assemblies out of old drawers.

I’ve even unpacked and put away every chuck, collet, cutter, holder and all the stock I own.

After two days of reassembly, oiling, leveling, and relocating things, I was finally able to make some chips!

At which point I realized I was missing just a few small items.

I have now spent the past three hours searching for keys that go with my various chucks. I vaguely remember labeling some small box “chuck keys” but danged if I can find it.

A lesser man would be angry and frustrated. Ha ha! I’m almost zen like in my calm, methodical search of various boxes that are still only partially unpacked. My mantras as I search have more hard consonants than most, but Frank Costanza’s “Serenity Now!” is now my go to.

 

[mmcmdl]

I've got keys but no chucks . Have a great time at the meet up Rex . I'll be on the road to Calgary tomorrow .

 

[Rex Walters]

Found ‘em! Hiding in a box behind a box on a shelf below the mill. Now the shop looks like there’s been an explosion.

For future shop movers: don’t pack up all your tooling in cardboard boxes and think “I should just scrap all these shop made drawers and cabinets and shelves, and just make something nicer at the new place.”

That way you end up somewhere where nothing has a place. Move the storage, too. Scrap it AFTER you make something nicer and move the tooling!

 

[FliesLikeABrick]

That way you end up somewhere where nothing has a place. Move the storage, too. Scrap it AFTER you make something nicer and move the tooling!

Or better yet, try to sell them (potentially cheap or given away) since The Next Guy might just be starting out or moved and needs organizational stuff ASAP . Scrap as a last last last resort!

 

[intrepid]

Found ‘em! Hiding in a box behind a box on a shelf below the mill. Now the shop looks like there’s been an explosion.

For future shop movers: don’t pack up all your tooling in cardboard boxes and think “I should just scrap all these shop made drawers and cabinets and shelves, and just make something nicer at the new place.”

That way you end up somewhere where nothing has a place. Move the storage, too. Scrap it AFTER you make something nicer and move the tooling!

Had a similar issue. We moved to the Philippines and I moved all my tools and tooling and machines. First I had to build a workshop behind my garage. Took a long time to get everything unpacked an and put in its new place. Five years later did it again returning two years ago back to the states. It took more than a year to get all my "stuff" unpacked and partially organized. With all the boxes and crates I found the easiest way to find a tool or piece of hardware I was searching for was to just go buy another one. Within a day or so, I found the original I had been searching for. Last couple days now I have been packing all my duplicates to give to my son or friends.

 

[Rex Walters]

Scrap as a last last last resort!

Oh, definitely. I had a yard sale where much of the stuff was free for the taking, and just before we moved out I put much of the stuff out on the curb. Some of it ended up just getting hauled to the dump, but a fair bit was picked up by people.

One twentysomething guy and his SO said they couldn’t BELIEVE I was just giving some of this stuff away (made me laugh - one man’s scrap …).

My neighbor at the other end of the street was a worse pack rat than me. He took ALL my scrap lumber, a big pile of bricks, and so much other junk I couldn’t believe it. I think his wife must hate me now — he ended up with a trailer, back yard, and garage just full of stuff.