Shop Time w/T.W. Friends

Learned my lesson using used starters. This one isn’t any better than the one I took off. I had to beat on this one today to get it to turn. Time for a new one

 

Are they carbide? Ours are carbide

 

Mine are not. I don’t even remember where I got them, have had them for a long time.

 

Thats awesome. I actually have no formal training either, in fact I never finished high school. I moved out at 16. I was content to work as a carpenter for the rest of my life, and still would if I needed to, but I got the opportunity to basically apprentice under my boss when I was 19. Quartz glass working is a tiny subset of glass work, maybe .05% of all glass blowers have worked with Quartz, and my boss is by all accounts one of the best if not the best. He's truly a master craftsman, and I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to learn this skill.

 

I worked in tobacco and hay fields growing up, my junior and senior year in high school I got out after 3rd period and went to work at a landscape nursery. I hated it. I carried that hate with me everywhere. When I graduated (barely) I was out of school 3 days and went to work for a heat and air company for 2 years, I hated that as well. A friend called me one day and ask if I wanted an interview at the machine shop. I said I’ll try it. 2 months later he left. I’ve been there 25 years and I look forward to going to work everyday

 

I’m not sure how they made it but it’s definitely cool to look at under the microscope.
As far as running it we ran the spindle at max rpm (15000) and our feed was around .0005 ipm if I remember right. Was held in a Shunk hydraulic collet. Also had the high pressure coolant on so it was more of a get it close and hope for the best.

The customer we did this for had us drill .020 holes around the outside of a ring a few years back. We thought it was crazy small. When they asked about this one my boss said no but I convinced him otherwise. We only had to make 1 of these and 1 with a .010 hole. It was a fun job for sure.

 

A man that likes a challenge, I like it

 

X2 always fun to see what boundaries you can push

 

Here’s the mini drill bit set, the smallest one is .013”

 

Forgot these were in the toolbox too. A miniature micrometer, 0.000” to .500”. My dad has these as long as I can remember, never saw him use them. I ask him if I could have them about 9 years ago, he said yeah I don’t use them.

 

One more, a 2” Starrett scale. I bought some stuff at an auction once and this was in it. I’m assuming the date engraved on it was the guys birthday.

 

Got some small tools there. Starret wasnt very far from where i use to live

 

Y’all got me digging through my toolbox now Found a couple small hammers I made years ago.

 

My cousin and his dad have their own logging business, I used to do all their welding until I got married, had kids, bought a convenient store, etc. They call me every now and then when they don't trust the guy they have working for them now

I went and looked at their Bell 3 wheeled tree feller the other day and told them I'd come work on it tomorrow. I have to cut part of the cutter bar rotator head apart, straighten it out and weld it back together.

It looks like this.....
https://youtu.be/l1k0M70juHk

 

I've never seen a 3 wheeled one before, looks a little sketchy lol

 

It is for sure sketchy. He said it hurts when you turn it over too, the only thing padded is the seat

 

Lol oh I'm sure, I've watched buddies bang their heads off their cages, doesn't look fun

 

Customer came by and said he found some welding rods in his building and he wasn’t going to use them

 

I don't know a lot about welding but I do know rods and moisture don't mix well

 

100% correct. It was a nice gesture but these will be going to the scrap pile