I think the thing that really sets "us" apart from the hired guy is that we care a great deal about what we're doing. I don't need to flip some gun work in four hours to come out ahead - I can spend dozens of hours getting it right and still have what I wanted sooner than hiring it done. I can spend hours planning, then check, re-check, triple-check everything before making a single chip. I've made a few (okay, okay, more than a few...) mistakes over the years, but most of my jobs come out well and most of my mistakes are recoverable. Best of all, I know what was done, so there's nothing hiding around the corner to bite me in the ass.
A fantastic machinist once told me "The difference between an amateur and a master is that a master knows how to cover up his mistakes...". That's not the whole truth, but there's a whole lotta truth in it!
GsT
