First, let me explain the title, and then my question. I am working with someone on a project that requires machining of some parts. We are friends, brought together by this person's desire to construct a project and my eagerness to use my lathe, mill, etc., to make some parts. All good, except for one thing. This person likes to "design" on the fly, making decisions about dimensions, locations, measurements, etc., at the same time the part is taking shape in the machine.
This other other person has a rough mental concept of what the final part and assembly of parts should be. For instance, drilling a hole. Where, how deep, hole diameter questions are all pretty much determined by eye-balling the part (in the milling machine), and only THEN deciding or modifying the answers to those questions. If the hole diameter looks a little too small after drilling, drill it slightly bigger. If a piece of aluminum is machined to 1/4 (0.250") thick, it may be taken out of the vice, examined, and then, "let's make it 0.050" thinner", etc. This goes on for any and all machining operations. There are rarely any drawings and at best, I might have a sketch, which seemingly constantly changes. As you might expect, it is impossible to machine anything without this person being present to make design decisions simultaneous with the machining of the part. This project will be made up of several parts.
Call me a purist or a perfectionist, but I find this maddening...I want a drawing! Complete with dimensions, tolerances, etc. The person says they are an "artist". I see that now, that approach resulting in their hands constructing something as directed only by a mental concept in their head that changes and evolves as the part takes shape . Maybe I am wrong, but I think that approach is just impossible for machining. Maybe the artistic approach works if one is sculpting something, like a statue, but I fail to see how this can work in a machine shop environment. I have pushed for 3D CAD drawings, but this appears to be the complete antithesis of the artistic approach.
I am not sure this partnership will work, but before I become insistent on what I need and the way this has to work, am looking for other perspectives.
Thanks.
Phil
This other other person has a rough mental concept of what the final part and assembly of parts should be. For instance, drilling a hole. Where, how deep, hole diameter questions are all pretty much determined by eye-balling the part (in the milling machine), and only THEN deciding or modifying the answers to those questions. If the hole diameter looks a little too small after drilling, drill it slightly bigger. If a piece of aluminum is machined to 1/4 (0.250") thick, it may be taken out of the vice, examined, and then, "let's make it 0.050" thinner", etc. This goes on for any and all machining operations. There are rarely any drawings and at best, I might have a sketch, which seemingly constantly changes. As you might expect, it is impossible to machine anything without this person being present to make design decisions simultaneous with the machining of the part. This project will be made up of several parts.
Call me a purist or a perfectionist, but I find this maddening...I want a drawing! Complete with dimensions, tolerances, etc. The person says they are an "artist". I see that now, that approach resulting in their hands constructing something as directed only by a mental concept in their head that changes and evolves as the part takes shape . Maybe I am wrong, but I think that approach is just impossible for machining. Maybe the artistic approach works if one is sculpting something, like a statue, but I fail to see how this can work in a machine shop environment. I have pushed for 3D CAD drawings, but this appears to be the complete antithesis of the artistic approach.
I am not sure this partnership will work, but before I become insistent on what I need and the way this has to work, am looking for other perspectives.
Thanks.
Phil