How to explain what we are?

[Don B]

Oh, so your a mechanic!

I get the "Oh, so your a mechanic!" most often.

I did have something funny happen a couple of years ago though, my shop is in my basement, there was 2 guys here to fix my phone, they where looking at my stuff and both told me they had taken 2 years of machine shop class in high-school and had enjoyed it, then they said they really liked my 5 lathes and asked why I needed 5 lathes, they where looking at 2 lathes, 2 manual mills, and 1 CNC mill, I really wanted to ask how there marks where in machine shop class but I didn't bother, on the plus side they did know what the drill press was..!:lmao:

BTW I told them I needed the 5 lathes because they all did different size stuff and that satisfied there curiosity...!:thinking:

I'm just adding this to my post for clarity: I don't believe for a second that either one of these guy's took a machine shop course, I think they where just trying to bullsh*t each other, I guess what I found so funny about it was the fact they didn't realize by pretending they new something about machining how foolish they made them selfs look.
If they had been honest I would have taken the time to explain the difference between a lathe and a mill.)

 

[wnec65]

I live in a big retirement community and some of the folks here have wood working shops to die for. I appear to be the only one with a machine shop. Wood working is definitely promoted more as you can buy wood working tools at Homedepot and Lowes. A few guys in the neighborhood have seen what I do and are inpressed with the small detail. I've also signed up for a class in CNC milling at the local CC in hopes to meet like minded people although probably a lot younger. I guess that can be the lonely life of a retired machinist. )

 

[Marco Bernardini]

I get the "Oh, so your a mechanic!" most often.

I did have something funny happen a couple of years ago though, my shop is in my basement, there was 2 guys here to fix my phone, they where looking at my stuff and both told me they had taken 2 years of machine shop class in high-school and had enjoyed it, then they said they really liked my 5 lathes and asked why I needed 5 lathes, they where looking at 2 lathes, 2 manual mills, and 1 CNC mill, I really wanted to ask how there marks where in machine shop class but I didn't bother, on the plus side they did know what the drill press was..!:lmao:

BTW I told them I needed the 5 lathes because they all did different size stuff and that satisfied there curiosity...!:thinking:

:roflmao:
I guess their teacher wasn't Mr. Pete "Tubalcain"!
Of course the drill press is a vertical lathe, what else?

 

[Don B]

:roflmao:
I guess their teacher wasn't Mr. Pete "Tubalcain"!
Of course the drill press is a vertical lathe, what else?

My wife couldn't put names to 99% of what's in my shop but when I told her about it she picked right up on it and said " you don't have 5 lathes" which made it all the more amusing to me.

I figure them 2 guys must have had girls in there class or something and lost focus..!

 

[mgalusha]

BTW, a closely related question is "What are you going to make with that new machine you just got?" I always feel like asking what they're going to wash with their laundry set, or what are they going to bake in their new oven. But then, I have a weird sense of humour.

That one from my wife seemingly every time something heavy arrives. The answer is always pretty much "anything I want", which is of course the whole point of having the machines and skill to use them, make whatever you can dream up, hopefully.

 

[Philco]

I get the "Oh, so your a mechanic!" most often.

I did have something funny happen a couple of years ago though, my shop is in my basement, there was 2 guys here to fix my phone, they where looking at my stuff and both told me they had taken 2 years of machine shop class in high-school and had enjoyed it, then they said they really liked my 5 lathes and asked why I needed 5 lathes, they where looking at 2 lathes, 2 manual mills, and 1 CNC mill, I really wanted to ask how there marks where in machine shop class but I didn't bother, on the plus side they did know what the drill press was..!:lmao:

BTW I told them I needed the 5 lathes because they all did different size stuff and that satisfied there curiosity...!:thinking:

I'm just adding this to my post for clarity: I don't believe for a second that either one of these guy's took a machine shop course, I think they where just trying to bullsh*t each other, I guess what I found so funny about it was the fact they didn't realize by pretending they new something about machining how foolish they made them selfs look.
If they had been honest I would have taken the time to explain the difference between a lathe and a mill.)

This is funny, I see this in in my line of work everyday where people come in throwing high tech automotive terms around trying to make themselves look intelligent. Little do they know just how foolish they sound.

 

[Marco Bernardini]

This is funny, I see this in in my line of work everyday where people come in throwing high tech automotive terms around trying to make themselves look intelligent. Little do they know just how foolish they sound.

Ask them if their gonkulators are left-handed or right handed…
:roflmao:

 

[lpeedin]

Wow, this thread is simply amazing in that some are being critical of what others learned in school, yet they themselves don't know the proper use of "their vs there" or "your vs you're".

 

[Marco Bernardini]

Wow, this thread is simply amazing in that some are being critical of what others learned in school, yet they themselves don't know the proper use of "their vs there" or "your vs you're".

Actually I prefer to read English forums (or fora, if you prefer), because I'm too sensible to assist to the syntax and grammar massacre I often found on Italian forums anic:

 

[Don B]

Wow, this thread is simply amazing in that some are being critical of what others learned in school, yet they themselves don't know the proper use of "their vs there" or "your vs you're".

OK.................Apparently comprehension and knowledge of proper spelling don't go hand in hand, and noted.
No one was made fun of for what hey learned in school, any education is precious and should be respected by the recipient.
The point of the post was people pretending they had experience in a subject they clearly had none, people who would do this are not worth the time it would take to explain a machines capabilities.)