Charlie,

Not having a lot of machine tools just means your probably more a mechanic than a fabricator.


Actually, George, that is not entirely the case.  During the first 15 years of my working career I spent quite a number of hours in the tool room. That was not my job description but in the very early years the company was not large enough to employ a tool maker.  As a shift foreman, if an item needed to be made, it was a go make it situation.  We used to fabricate all of our pick off bushings which were employed to go onto a machined part just prior to cut off of the part to capture it.  The part would then be transferred to another working position (in the bushing or collet) for deburring, slotting, or back drilling as required.  We had no drawings for these items.  It was design it in your head from the part drawing or the part, then go start turning and drilling.  In some ways, that was the fun part of the job.

Prior to the era of gauge certification and traceability to the N.B.S., I made many go/no go gauges and plug Gages for hole inspection, flat gauges for slot inspection, etc. At that time, if the manufactured  parts shipped were to print, the requirement was met. An eighteen wheeler load of certification paperwork was not required with each shipment.  It surely was a simpler time. If some parts on the screw machine  broke, I would repair or make replacements whenever possible to keep a machine in production, rather than waiting days for an oem part to be shipped in.  These items were normally pretty small in size, so I do not claim any talent for building large items or heavy machinery.

I did not have a real need for a tool  room at home, because it was available to me at work.  Retirement does change things.

Charlie V.