I don't know about that. I know a guy who welded at Garrett Airesearch for 40 years, and when he went home at night, his hobby was welding. TRUE craftsmanship never gets old. I can't imagine not twiddling electrons...they'll have to pry my soldering gun from my cold dead hands.
Until you have actually DONE IT, you're speaking out of ignorance. I did it for a lifetime, journeyman IAM machinist, still hold the card and rights. When I went home I didn't go in the basement and turn on a machine, I hugged my wife. IMO doing otherwise is someone trying to escape a life they don't even have! Retiring was one of the happiest days of my life, and I held VERY good jobs at major corporations and was treated very well. But, work never did define me, Thank God! I'm also a licensed aircraft mechanic and don't hug aircraft at night.
Until you have actually DONE IT, you're speaking out of ignorance.******* Yep still machining after 45 years and get gets old . What you guys don't see is the Boss on your butt to make it faster and cheaper!! Bump that handle and you have scrap and you go from a Master Machinist to a failure. There is no love for craftsman in the commercial world anymore. Its all about profit. I will put some very small machines in the garage to do Mods and repairs, but that's all. Last of my big projects was making Microphones and you can see them on QRZ. Nothing store bought and made from old photograph. I do smile reading the comments about Tom, > the last of the American Craftsman !!
Tom, I found your repair demo extremely interesting and informative. I love watching a craftsman do his thing.
Yeah.... he had his hand near the moving chuck. I do this all the time. Not much else to nit pick, but I would have broached it on the Lathe. Just another way to make a spline / gear. A Machinist is never perfect, just better than most!!!!
Loved the little dividing head.Liked the use of thread wires to gage the gear and the O ring third hand was a nice touch. 45 years from general machinist to tool&die to CNC repair and operator.You work with what you have,Myself I would have broached it on my Lathe since I got rid of my 100 LB. + Dividing head and have a dividing head that goes on the end of the Lathe spindle.
You still don’t, for practicality. It used to be done on what’s called a HOBS machine now it’s CNC’s. Dividing heads are like the Saws lumber jacks used 150 years ago. Unless you like doing crafts, they are unless in today’s world.
I love watching guys like this do their craft. Really nice job on the gear, Sure beats 3D printing them. Another of my favorites is Keith Rucker and Fenner. Thanks for posting this Fred.
No, I was thinking that he corrected the dividing head for pitch, but not yaw. I suspect the yaw "adjust" is via simple alignment with the milling table - just like you adjust the milling vice. For the engagement of that gear, the error he first encountered would have been nil anyway... a couple of thou over a two inch or so length while the whole gear was about 5/16 thick or so? Splittin hairs... yet nice to see his dedication. There was also a lot of wobble in that chuck when he first drilled the center of the rod, but that was just to hog out for the boring bar, no biggie.
One more comment...…. The job shop I SPENT 35 YEARS at ; It took 10 atta boys to cancel out 1 OH SHIT Bob N9RMA
When the infamous KJ drilled a hole in the table of the brand new jig-borer, he got out his letter punches and stamped in: O I L And nobody was worse off for it!
