Put a ding in my mill table

This is just a horrible way to have to live. To constantly have to worry about the appearance of ones machines, and to know that at any second I could disfigure one of my loved ones for life! (Sighs dramatically) I fear I must sell them all, and take up Salsa dancing. Cheers, Mike
 
Probably the best thing to do with a new machine is to just get a carbide scribe and put a big scratch right down the table, flat way. or other easily seen shiny part. Stone the high points of the scratch off, and then get to work, a bit less fussy about it... I hate to buy new machines. Nice ones, yes, but with somebody else's marks on it already. Those few scratches save thousand$.
 
Kind of reminds me of people.... Or so called friends who won't let you use their pick-up truck to move something because they are afraid of scratching the bed.
It's a tool for Heaven's sake. Not a piece of furniture.
 
About 95+% of the pickup trucks will only carry a case of beer at the most! Congratulations on your first ding! May it be a good sign for the future dings!
 
When I worked for my dad we bought a new Mazak, blocked 24" lathe and 30 Hp. I ran that thing hard and my dad voiced his concerns. I told when we wear out this one we "ll get another. That Mazak moved a lot of iron and made a lot of money for the old guy.
 
Kind of reminds me of people.... Or so called friends who won't let you use their pick-up truck to move something because they are afraid of scratching the bed.
It's a tool for Heaven's sake. Not a piece of furniture.


I started up a new 400 hp boiler in a battery factory, the boiler was 8’ wide x 38’ long x 9’ high, it came shrink wrapped on a truck form Michigan, to upstate Vermont. The put into the building, by riggers, the installed by the contractor. There were ladders against the unit, people walking on top of it and chains and straps dragged against it. About half way through the start up as I’m setting the combustion, the female plant manager, was obsessed with a scratch on the side of the boiler, to the point where she, actually tried to stop the start up to, demand what I was going to do about that scratch. When I told her nothing she exploded, demanding I look at the scratch and call the factory and get a new unit sent out to replace it. At this point I’d had enough and turned looked her and said “ Lady its a f*#king boiler, not a f*#king Buick”, a look of horror came across her face and I never saw her again. She called my office and told my boss, who told her, yep that’s Jack, leave him alone or we will pull off the job and the building can f*#king freeze. The start up progressed smoothly after that.
 
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I remember a few decades ago when I worked in a mom & pop job shop, the owner (the old man as we called him) was very OCD and a real jackass. He looked upon his machines like they were classic cars or something. Anyway, there was a young apprentice who worked there that had about 3 months left on his apprenticeship. He was a very conscience worker that gave up a better paying job to get into this apprenticeship, as there were hard to get at the time. Chuck was a meek, mild mannered guy and kinda religious and really put his heart into everything he done.
He came to the break area one day, acting very out of character, fidgety and nervous, looking a little pale. I knew something was a miss, so when the other guys left the break table, I asked him what was wrong. He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one else was in hearing distance, then he told me. "I was drilling some holes in a set-up plate, and I accidentally drilled into the mill table. If the old man finds out, they'll carry me out in a body bag".
I could see why he was so nervous, the old man was very intimidating, and he not only feared for his job, but getting his journeyman's card as well.
I could see that the guilt was eating him up from the inside, so I offered to help him if I could. I strolled over by the mill and casually looked at the table without drawing too much attention to myself. On the pristine table top there was an 1/8" hole, about 1/4" deep, that just happened to be centered between the T slots. It was to the right side of the table, far enough out that a vise would not cover it.
As he told me, he was drilling a series of holes and broke a bit. He replaced the bit, but forgot to re-set the quill stop.
I came back to his work bench to see the fear in his eyes, and said "Relax......I got this".
I finished my lunch early, and went back and run a 6-32 tap in the hole, added a set screw, then stamped O-I-L around the screw.
The old man never caught on......:cool:
 
Kind of reminds me of people.... Or so called friends who won't let you use their pick-up truck to move something because they are afraid of scratching the bed.
It's a tool for Heaven's sake. Not a piece of furniture.
July 20 is the Ugly Truck Contest. day. I once had a truck that the engine finally blew. The truck was so ugly that the only way that the wrecker would take it to the junk yard was that I covered it in a paper bag.
 
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