Small world here!!! I'm a Fuel Cell guys as well!!!!! The common brain damage from JP-4 fumes explains a lot as to why we are both here...lolMy journey began in JR. High school when vocational education was still offered. Although my grandfather was a master machinist (in my eyes) it was at 12-13 years of age that I found the magic of creating. Sure I built many bikes as a kid but not the same as to build something from raw stock.I never failed any grades, but really didn't like school much. I was saved by a few male teachers (WW II vets) who had zero issue straightening me out. By HS, I was enrolled in every vocational course they had to offer a freshman and by the time I graduated at 17 I had a true appreciation for higher math. Six days after graduation, I was in boot camp followed by A school to learn welding/damage control. I had a decent head start over my piers in skill and attitude. Served for 18 months at Sub base P. H. then on a missile sponge for the remainder. Separated about the time I was 21 and struggled to find a job. I went from a second class petty officer ( E5) to landscaping. My father gets that credit as he instilled pride at a young age. I was too proud to collect unemployment or any other type of handout. "Reaganomics" had me enlisting once again. This time around I gave the USAF a try and killed ASVAB enabling me a long list of opportunities. I took a bust down to E-4 and went to another school to learn Aircraft fuel systems including Pneudraulics, schematics and basic electronic troubleshooting. While serving in the AF, I found myself spending time in the weld/machine shop developing/designing specialty tools used in the fuel shop. I had plenty to share and learned even more from these folks. Separated after almost ten years of combined service and hit the private sector working as a fabricator. My time as a civilian employee was frustrating at best. Working with s**t tools, s**t machines and bosses who lacked caring forced me to strike out on my own. My wife had gifted me a Millermatic 200, 4" Makita grinder and a 14" Makita chop saw for Christmas, she knew better than I at the time what I needed to be happy. One job led to another and before I knew it, we had a full-time fab shop. The sad part of this phase of my life was the employees and the type of work we performed (wrought iron gates, fences deck rails etc). This payed the bills (barely) and I found myself in night school after a few years in that rat race. Employees where another negative to the story, so I'll skip that part. What I really missed was being challenged to create and problem solve. I became a fireman and maintained my welding skilled through custom jobs. As the jobs became more complex, I added machines and tooling. I purchased my first lathe back in 2001 mostly out of frustration, having to rely on a shop that didn't share my quality or time table. Most of my machining skills (basic) are from 4 years of H.S. I primarily am a welder/fabricator, so years of practice helps in many areas including what I call practical machining or common sense approach.
I joined this site in 2014 to expand my machining skills and to share in any way I can. I have always had an appetite to learn and been blessed with ambition and good health although my wife will say I'm hyper active
Some might think it all started with Mig, 4"grinder and a 14" chop saw, but I like to think it really started with those special men who never gave up on a kid. I'm so grateful I wasn't born 10 years later. I see some parallels with some members on this site whom share and mentor like those special teachers in my life.
A snap shot but it sums it up.
Paco
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Welcome back Guest! Did you know you can mentor other members here at H-M? If not, please check out our Relaunch of Hobby Machinist Mentoring Program!
What brings us all here to the Hobby Machine website ?
- Thread starter mmcmdl
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2017
- Messages
- 1,234
When I was 9 I started a bicycle business in my parent's garage. By the time I was 15 I wanted a real racing bike, but couldn't afford to buy one so I decided to make one. Taught myself to silver braze, bought a set of Reynolds 531 tubing, lugs, and drop outs, built a jig from plywood and wood blocks to clamp the tubes, then went at it. Hand filed all the lugs, used files and hole saws to fish-mouth the tubes. Turned out decent until I burnt a hole in the thin section brazing water bottle bosses, after which I gave up. Still, I learned a lot, and yearned for real tools rather than the crap my dad and I had (mostly K-Mart (before HF) bargain bin stuff).
About the same time I visited a neighbor's tool and die shop (I grew up in Indiana where there were LOTS of tool and die shops supporting automotive). I saw a comparator and I started wondering about the precision needed to make tools to make tools to measure tools and so on.
Went to college, studied materials science, and made a decent career in semiconductors, first devices, then equipment. The geometries our customers deal with make machining tolerances look like the Grand Canyon (current devices are 5 - 7 nanometers, a nanometer is 1 billionth of a meter)
Now I have the space and resources (if not time) to dip my toe into the hobby machining tool. I'm having a ball!
Came across this site after being frustrated at the other non-hobby site.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!
About the same time I visited a neighbor's tool and die shop (I grew up in Indiana where there were LOTS of tool and die shops supporting automotive). I saw a comparator and I started wondering about the precision needed to make tools to make tools to measure tools and so on.
Went to college, studied materials science, and made a decent career in semiconductors, first devices, then equipment. The geometries our customers deal with make machining tolerances look like the Grand Canyon (current devices are 5 - 7 nanometers, a nanometer is 1 billionth of a meter)
Now I have the space and resources (if not time) to dip my toe into the hobby machining tool. I'm having a ball!
Came across this site after being frustrated at the other non-hobby site.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!
- Joined
- May 4, 2015
- Messages
- 3,583
How I got here, hum , kinda just looking for other guys who like machines and making the things others have know clue about. I spent my high school years in vocational taking machine tool & die technology. Aka machinist. That along with extra two years of drafting and apprenticeship while working in different shops . Two different valve manufacturing shops , then a jobing shop doing mostly repairs for a steel mill in pa. After that a government contracts shop along with other contracts from large industrial heaters. While doing my high school years I worked in a start up company manufacturing micro circuit engineering parts running the machine shop on my own till I needed time in different areas and more money. I was made Forman in my last job after being there three months with a nice raise and extra responsibility. Then the sh t hit the fan for me , I woke up one morning in savere agony in my upper spine , my wife drove me to the drs there I sat in the exam room waiting for the Dr and my legs went numb short while later it came back , I walked around a bit paceing in agony then sat down and then it set in and I couldn't move . When the Dr finally got there he called 911 which we didn't have then . He shot me up with some demeral which did nothing , every bump or wiggle getting to the hospital was like getting stabbed to death. After mylograms they said my spinal fluids blocked between my shoulders , emergency surgery that night . Waking up the pain was gone I can move my legs life's on the mend , the surgeon removed bone to allow room for a swollen spinal cord . Ok no problem WRONG , my spinal fluids draining through the wound Dr says operate I say no they coerce my wife and family to get me to ok it , YUPP I oked it but to only seal the leak on paper. Operation #2 wake up feel nothing from my neck down can't move my lower body at all. So more good news he removed more bone and couldn't find the reason from the first operation but now I'm worse he did more then he was allowed to do and I'm still leaking spinal fluid . After a week or so of spinal taps daily he says I'm going on vacation and ships me to Pennsylvania hospital to the top back surgeon on the east coast in 1979 . There I'm put through two mylograms the lower no problem but the upper they stick a four inch needle behind my ear into my spine , my family heard my screams of pain on another floor doing that test .
So Dr Simeon operates takes a skin graft from my left leg and seals the leak . After the operation I asked him what he found he told me son the only thing I could see was scar tissue . So now I've had three spinal surgeries in three weeks , they sent me to Magee rehabilitation hospital on my belly for several weeks then it's onward to rehabilitation for four months in hospital . I worked real hard to walk but was left with a drop foot on my left I did alright for twenty years but wore out the left knee hyperflexion and that caused spurs on my hip , I started falling so between the knee pain and hip pain I bought a mobility scooter to do my long walking , then in 2006 back pain sent me to the hospital for a week of drugs and the pain never stopped by 2009 I wasn't moving much and I had a massive pulmonary embolism blocking both lungs YUPP I was dead in the emergency room of course I didn't go the day it happened it was the next day . They told my family they could try a clot buster but I could die either way . Well the clot buster brought me back I was out of body yes it's crazy but true. After all that I lost the rest of my walking spent the entire year of 2009 in and out of hospitals and nursing homes where they even tried to kill me , one I had another small embolism and they wouldn't call 911 , I called my wife and she called them so back in again then I get staph infection and 105 fever back in another hospital only to be sent to there other hospital for cat scan I'm to big for the first ones. Quarantined for staph infection. Room to myself yea. Can't go home need intravenous drugs to clear out crap in blood. So off to nursing home again ok drugs are done after three weeks then four then five. Now I'm peeing blood by the gallon er run to Jefferson they wouldn't even look at me for just that said where do you want to go I said home and the took me home . The nursing home wouldn't let me out and this second one was giving me someone else's drugs I cked everything and they sent the wrong drugs so I know how they killed my step father in the Medford NJ nursing home on rt 70 . Lucky thing I had the passing of blood probably saved my life. But after a few weeks home more infection now more pain another very high fever back to Jefferson now it's emergency surgery blocked kidney full of poison put stent into drain then they go in and remove a very large number of stones breaking them and removing them.
Since then I've really been doing well in the body area not to many bladder infections. For years I suffered with them constantly.
Why am I here I don't know I never expected to live past my forties which I was told in hospital most quadriplegic people die in that time .
I enjoy this site , I share if I can , I've had a long career of doing small engine repairs , welding , gunsmithing , even machined and sold dozens of special gun cleaning rods and brushes and other trap and skeet shooting items in brass and aluminum , I worked really hard to achieve one goal to be on the ALL AMERICAN TRAP TEAM I made it in 2004 . I grew up working and hunting and fishing it was my goal to do it till I died or couldn't do it. But the life I wanted was stolen by a butcher Dr , I was ment to own and run a jobing shop with full services it was my dream to have and a gunsmith shop on my own for extra income.
Plans and life have never been my choice but I vowed to have my machine shop I have about ten machines if I ever get them in the shop only time and my strength will tell. Every bit of my extra earned money is gone . If they can get my pain under control I hope I can get the shop cleaned out and all my machines set up and running I've got lots of machining left to do.
If you guys don't like or think this belongs you can delete or whatever. My only goal on here is to help , even make a smile .
So Dr Simeon operates takes a skin graft from my left leg and seals the leak . After the operation I asked him what he found he told me son the only thing I could see was scar tissue . So now I've had three spinal surgeries in three weeks , they sent me to Magee rehabilitation hospital on my belly for several weeks then it's onward to rehabilitation for four months in hospital . I worked real hard to walk but was left with a drop foot on my left I did alright for twenty years but wore out the left knee hyperflexion and that caused spurs on my hip , I started falling so between the knee pain and hip pain I bought a mobility scooter to do my long walking , then in 2006 back pain sent me to the hospital for a week of drugs and the pain never stopped by 2009 I wasn't moving much and I had a massive pulmonary embolism blocking both lungs YUPP I was dead in the emergency room of course I didn't go the day it happened it was the next day . They told my family they could try a clot buster but I could die either way . Well the clot buster brought me back I was out of body yes it's crazy but true. After all that I lost the rest of my walking spent the entire year of 2009 in and out of hospitals and nursing homes where they even tried to kill me , one I had another small embolism and they wouldn't call 911 , I called my wife and she called them so back in again then I get staph infection and 105 fever back in another hospital only to be sent to there other hospital for cat scan I'm to big for the first ones. Quarantined for staph infection. Room to myself yea. Can't go home need intravenous drugs to clear out crap in blood. So off to nursing home again ok drugs are done after three weeks then four then five. Now I'm peeing blood by the gallon er run to Jefferson they wouldn't even look at me for just that said where do you want to go I said home and the took me home . The nursing home wouldn't let me out and this second one was giving me someone else's drugs I cked everything and they sent the wrong drugs so I know how they killed my step father in the Medford NJ nursing home on rt 70 . Lucky thing I had the passing of blood probably saved my life. But after a few weeks home more infection now more pain another very high fever back to Jefferson now it's emergency surgery blocked kidney full of poison put stent into drain then they go in and remove a very large number of stones breaking them and removing them.
Since then I've really been doing well in the body area not to many bladder infections. For years I suffered with them constantly.
Why am I here I don't know I never expected to live past my forties which I was told in hospital most quadriplegic people die in that time .
I enjoy this site , I share if I can , I've had a long career of doing small engine repairs , welding , gunsmithing , even machined and sold dozens of special gun cleaning rods and brushes and other trap and skeet shooting items in brass and aluminum , I worked really hard to achieve one goal to be on the ALL AMERICAN TRAP TEAM I made it in 2004 . I grew up working and hunting and fishing it was my goal to do it till I died or couldn't do it. But the life I wanted was stolen by a butcher Dr , I was ment to own and run a jobing shop with full services it was my dream to have and a gunsmith shop on my own for extra income.
Plans and life have never been my choice but I vowed to have my machine shop I have about ten machines if I ever get them in the shop only time and my strength will tell. Every bit of my extra earned money is gone . If they can get my pain under control I hope I can get the shop cleaned out and all my machines set up and running I've got lots of machining left to do.
If you guys don't like or think this belongs you can delete or whatever. My only goal on here is to help , even make a smile .
H
Hukshawn
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Register Today
Good lord, SB... speechless. Thank you for sharing that.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2011
- Messages
- 3,475
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2012
- Messages
- 783
I operate 2 nuclear reactors along with their associated steam plants and turbines making electricity for a living, although I plan on retiring very soon.
What got and keeps me here ??? The friendly, helpful atmosphere.
I used to belong to other forums before this one, but a newbie question there would get your head taken off or be completely ignored.
One response, in particular, was "Just use the &*@* Search option !!!".
I had used the search option first, but I find them less than helpful even on this site.
The big difference here is someone will always answer in a pleasant way even if the question has been asked a thousand times.
What got and keeps me here ??? The friendly, helpful atmosphere.
I used to belong to other forums before this one, but a newbie question there would get your head taken off or be completely ignored.
One response, in particular, was "Just use the &*@* Search option !!!".
I had used the search option first, but I find them less than helpful even on this site.
The big difference here is someone will always answer in a pleasant way even if the question has been asked a thousand times.
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2014
- Messages
- 52
Me at a very young age in the late 50's and early 60's listening to my Grandfather "W. W. Adams" of Benton, Ark. the head of maintenance at Reynolds Metals at the Bauxite plant talk about how magnificent the machinist were. I guess it stuck, now retired after 50 years of machining and tool making I'm still at it. Been upgrading an old 1985 Bridgeport Boss 5 with new motors, Mach3, and Gecko drives. The mill had very little if any use. Paid $800.00 for it. I have it up an running now use Mastercam and Autocad on the CAD CAM side. Big learning curve for an old buzzard like me, but I am getting there. Having a hard time finding the Kwik-Switch 200 tool holders that I can afford.
A dinasour now for the most part, hands on the cranks is becoming a lost art as the world moved into the CNC age I got left behind.
Jack
A dinasour now for the most part, hands on the cranks is becoming a lost art as the world moved into the CNC age I got left behind.
Jack
What plant? I'm at PI.
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2014
- Messages
- 578
I was born a mechanic, that's what my Dad always said. When I was about 12, he let me buy a basket case Honda 50 (4-speed, push rod) with $15 of my paper route money. He never thought I would be able to put it together, but I had it working in a few days without a manual. I mounted it in my Taco 22 mini bike frame. and it killed the other bikes in my 'hood. I got into porting and racing dirt bikes in TT, motocross and desert.
In my 20's I was a Factory Trained Harley mechanic for a SoCal dealership building 80's choppers and fat bobs as well as working on the surrounding cities Police bikes. One of our choppers made the cover of Easy Rider magazine. We also restored a few early Harley's, 1905 single, 1909 twin, some knuckle heads and pan heads. I helped my buddy build a drag Sportster and he held several records.
Then I worked for Keith Black Racing engines in South Gate, CA as the Head & Valve Technician building, repairing, porting new & used aluminum hemi-heads for all of the Top Fuel dragsters, funny cars and drag boats. Garlitts, Force, Muldowney, Bernstien, Kallitta and all of the other favorites of the day.
I moved on from there to an R&D shop developing high performance industrial equipment for a few years until they filed bankruptcy. I was then hired as the Maintenance Mgr. of a furniture manufacturer plant 3 city blocks long with hundreds of machines, until I got laid off because they were bought out by a Chinese company. Tired of getting laid off, My next boss said this is the last job you'll ever have, and he was right.
I was hired as a maintenance technician for LAX jet fuel supply facility keeping all of the pumps, tanks, valves and control systems operational. While working full time, I went back to college 3 nights a week to get my degree and a certificate in electrical technology. Soon afterward, they offered me the GM position at SNA (Orange County) airport fuel supply facility and I've spent the last 25 years here riding a chair.
I missed playing with machines and materials so I started working with wood and turning bowls and vases on my lathe. I missed working with metal, so I bought my mini-mill and lathe and fell back into what I learned 20+ years ago. I'm retiring the first of June and I plan on making all sorts of new goodies in the future.
In my 20's I was a Factory Trained Harley mechanic for a SoCal dealership building 80's choppers and fat bobs as well as working on the surrounding cities Police bikes. One of our choppers made the cover of Easy Rider magazine. We also restored a few early Harley's, 1905 single, 1909 twin, some knuckle heads and pan heads. I helped my buddy build a drag Sportster and he held several records.
Then I worked for Keith Black Racing engines in South Gate, CA as the Head & Valve Technician building, repairing, porting new & used aluminum hemi-heads for all of the Top Fuel dragsters, funny cars and drag boats. Garlitts, Force, Muldowney, Bernstien, Kallitta and all of the other favorites of the day.
I moved on from there to an R&D shop developing high performance industrial equipment for a few years until they filed bankruptcy. I was then hired as the Maintenance Mgr. of a furniture manufacturer plant 3 city blocks long with hundreds of machines, until I got laid off because they were bought out by a Chinese company. Tired of getting laid off, My next boss said this is the last job you'll ever have, and he was right.
I was hired as a maintenance technician for LAX jet fuel supply facility keeping all of the pumps, tanks, valves and control systems operational. While working full time, I went back to college 3 nights a week to get my degree and a certificate in electrical technology. Soon afterward, they offered me the GM position at SNA (Orange County) airport fuel supply facility and I've spent the last 25 years here riding a chair.
I missed playing with machines and materials so I started working with wood and turning bowls and vases on my lathe. I missed working with metal, so I bought my mini-mill and lathe and fell back into what I learned 20+ years ago. I'm retiring the first of June and I plan on making all sorts of new goodies in the future.
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2013
- Messages
- 124
Grew up tinkering, mowing lawns and keeping mowers running well. Serviced mowers and chain saws at local hardware store. Got degree in Mechanical Engineering and co-oped at company making large filtration and vacuum degassification systems. Wrote embedded software for assembly equipment using vision, laser and robotics for large company who made military hardware. Moved to semiconductor division doing system work (mechanical, electrical and software) for high speed inspection of wafers and finished packages. Currently building specialized electrical and optical inspection equipment for MEMS devices. Use home shop to make my job go better. Have fixed a lot of little problems and prevented some big ones from happening.
Had a small toy steam engine as a boy - now want to build a few larger models as I move into retirement. Some gun smithing work (finishing out a lower or two). This forum is very civilized, has a great wealth of knowledge and comes up with really good answers without the dross. I really have enjoyed the questions and answers as well as the completed projects.
Anytime I have a question, the answer is usually here.
Had a small toy steam engine as a boy - now want to build a few larger models as I move into retirement. Some gun smithing work (finishing out a lower or two). This forum is very civilized, has a great wealth of knowledge and comes up with really good answers without the dross. I really have enjoyed the questions and answers as well as the completed projects.
Anytime I have a question, the answer is usually here.