- Joined
- Feb 9, 2017
- Messages
- 5,183
When I graduated from high school in '72 the industrial arts were in the process of contracting so de industrialization was already in progress. Metalshop had all the tools for foundry, machining and welding but we were only offered gas and electric welding with projects. If you wanted to do other things you could and the teacher would help you. Wish I'd had something in mind, but my focus was get outta there ASAP so honked on all my core classes and took electronics, auto shop and metal shop as alt science requirements. It's shameful none of this is offered anymore. If you are not even exposed to it you have no concept. So like the kid who has no idea where their food comes from consumers have no idea what it takes to make something.
Most times what I want or need is not available so now I can finally make it and it doesn't have to look like it was made by a caveman. My main "problem" is project creep, DIY cascade? Where I go to make one thing and I have to learn something and then make something or upgrade other tools. Its like a rock in a pond and ripples seem to go in all directions across the whole shop. My last cascade has lasted several months now and has involved almost every major machine tool in the shop which I never foresaw when it started. I use my shop to make a product I've been selling online for 33yrs so as production goes up I need to upgrade and every upgrade causes a cascade. It seems to be a never ending cycle about which I'm not complaining or bragging. It just is. And without a my ultra cheap Taiwan/Chinese machine tools would never happen.
Most times what I want or need is not available so now I can finally make it and it doesn't have to look like it was made by a caveman. My main "problem" is project creep, DIY cascade? Where I go to make one thing and I have to learn something and then make something or upgrade other tools. Its like a rock in a pond and ripples seem to go in all directions across the whole shop. My last cascade has lasted several months now and has involved almost every major machine tool in the shop which I never foresaw when it started. I use my shop to make a product I've been selling online for 33yrs so as production goes up I need to upgrade and every upgrade causes a cascade. It seems to be a never ending cycle about which I'm not complaining or bragging. It just is. And without a my ultra cheap Taiwan/Chinese machine tools would never happen.