Well, after over 10 years in the timber industry it's time to move on.
I'll be starting a Fitting and Turning apprenticeship in 6 weeks and I'm super excited about it :D
As they say in the classics "Yibedee yibedee, that's all folks!"
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Well, after over 10 years in the timber industry it's time to move on.
I'll be starting a Fitting and Turning apprenticeship in 6 weeks and I'm super excited about it :D
As they say in the classics "Yibedee yibedee, that's all folks!"
New challenges, new horizons, wish you well and no doubt you will have some interesting projects to share, maybe even a blending of the two
Joining the metal work forum?
Already have :2tsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by BobL
Welcome to the dirty side.:D
Kryn
Enjoy the new challenges
Best wishes on your new path. You can never stop learning.
Regards
Keith
At least I won't have to walk around in a mask all day...that's been pretty crappyQuote:
Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore
That dust gets everywhere!!! Just finished reading 3 volumes of Fitting and Machining, written by Victorian TAFE, that I picked up from Ebay. Some very interesting reading and learnt quite a bit from them.
Enjoy your new challenge.
Kryn
don't just disappear to the oily sideQuote:
Originally Posted by elanjacobs
is this change for personal development -- i.e. a new hobby -- or a new career.
If the later I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the long term future of fitting and turning. The impression I have is that CNC has made more inroads into fitting and turning than it has into cabinet making.
Don't be fooled, MW has its own problems that often go unseen and untreated. I have a relatively rare health condition called sarcoidosis for which some metals have been implicated.Quote:
Originally Posted by elanjacobs
Firstly there's the gasses given off by various forms of heating/welding process - even TIG and plasma cutters that uses no flux gives of heaps of particles plus CO, NO, and when SS is involved Cr oxides.
Grinding/polishing etc can produce as much invisible dust as wood working, not just the metal but also the grit and its bonding agent - fortunately being heavier it falls out of the air faster than wood, but the fact that it is not always accompanied by visible dust is a concern.
A number of solvents and chemicals are used that can cause problems.
I envy you If there is one thing I regret [and I don't regret much] its not being better at fiddling with machines.Good luck .
Being able to fiddle with machines is a mixed blessing.Quote:
Originally Posted by mature one
It means you can fix most things when they go wrong and it can be fun but it can put a HUGE dent in productivity of other things.
If you thing woodies are bad at making tools, jigs and rigs then because they can literally make their own machines some metal machinists take that to the next level.
Hello elanjacobs, or should I say bye ? I hope you still frequent the forum as your knowledge and commonsense have been appreciated.
Whatever you take on I'm sure you will excel in. I wish you all the best and am sure you will enjoy it.
pker
Too hard to edit multi quotes on mobile, so long post follows.
Don't worry, I'll still be here, just not in the industry for the foreseeable future. This is a career change for me, both for professional and health reasons. I can't get the precision I want in timber and I sing semi-professionally on the side and can't afford to do my voice/throat any more damage.
Kryn, I picked up the same book at the last HTPAA sale and am finding it really good.
Bob, there's no welding where I'm going, I checked out one place a while ago and could smell the fumes as soon as I walked in and I didn't want a bar of it. I'm tipping that coolant would keep most of the grinding and honing dust contained too.
Good luck, my dad was a fitter and turner I didn’t want to do the same so became a Patternmaker whilst my bro an Electrician.
My son is a sparky and I think that is the better of the trades currently.
Foundry Patternmaking is dead here although you can go into many other areas.
You will have a good range of skills at the end.
H.
Hope everything goes well for you. Thanks for all the very helpful and informative posts on this forum !!
It certainly has, I think mainly out of necessity. The complexity of the parts being made, the tolerances required and the quantities ordered are impossible for human operarors to achieve with any sort of repeatability or economy.Quote:
Originally Posted by ian
Fortunately, I've found a place that still has a significant manual machining/job shop side as well as all the fancy 5-axis and production run stuff.
There will always be a place for manual machining in one-off/low-volume production, I'm just happy to get a foot in the door while there are still people around who can pass on the old skills
....and it's the one-off/low-volume production stuff that still has good margins. Not a bad place to park yourself ! :2tsup:
Enjoy the new direction.
Ross
If you visit less it’ll be a shame because, like someone said above, always enjoyed your commonsense approach.
Nonetheless I understand where you are coming from. I’ve almost given up hobby woodworking because I know I’m never going to be able to control the dust. Sick of the mess, sick of worrying about my lungs, tired of things that want to chop my fingers off.
Enjoy your new role, but choose carefully.
Cheers
Arron
I won't be here less, just can't keep working in the industry without serious future problems and I don't get paid nearly enough to put up with them
Elan, which volume did you get, I managed to get Vols 1, 2 and 3 for $45, plus postage $15.Quote:
Originally Posted by elanjacobs
Sing out if you'd like to read any you didn't get. Volume 3 gets pretty heavily into gear cutting, a lot of mathematical jargon involved. Hope you're good at maths???
Kryn
It's the 1988 edition, they combined all 3 into one book. I had a cursory glance at the gear sections and decided to leave them alone until I actually need them; it's not too far above my current level, but it's definitely too much thinking just for fun :pQuote:
Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore
Yes coolant should will make a big difference during the process. Some problems arise later when wet grinding dust sits on surfaces and the coolant evaporates and not all grinding uses coolant. TC tip sharpening is a potential hazard although that's only been clearly identified as a hazard in factories that manufacture TC rather than users of TC products.Quote:
Originally Posted by elanjacobs
Anyway, good luck, I'm all for people looking for a better working situation that suits them. My son was 33 before he finally found his niche and he loves what he does.
If you are interested in "precision" in manufacturing then try a general book called "Exactly" by Simon Winchester, which Anorak Bob put me onto - thanks Bob. It's the history of how the industrial revolution and beyond relied on developments in precision engineering. I only got the book on Monday and have read about 1/4 of the book so far. Because of other books I've read and that I used and taught the maths behind this stuff at uni, so far there's not much new in the book for me, but it's still a good/easy read and I recommended for all aspiring and active and retired machinists. BTW I don't consider myself a machinist - I'm more of a blue and white apron wearer.
BobL,
Ha Ha! Too true...if you have not already, Homemade Tools forum is a cracker, and yea some guys do some AMAZING things in metal. Cheers
Jim
30 yr expat in AUS
Enjoy the change...
At lest as a mature age apprentice you've got a head start on the young blokes; yep; you know what the broom is used for & how to work it...
Don't forget the joys of woodworking and use it as a relaxing hobby..
All the best sport, cheers, crowie
Good luck on your new direction elanjacobs. I don't envy you starting a new career but I do appreciate your reasons for it. Go for it and enjoy it!!