Well, I ruined the main tube. Nothing serious.

No matter ... I have another nearly identical tube/frame. I describe it such, because on these models, the main valve body is an "insert" which goes into the reservoir hammer tube total length. That insert is standarized. But, I have to copy the mounting bolt pattern for the rcvr. and trigger block. Pc. O Cake.

I know you want to know what went wrong. Well, one hole, drilled and tapped a couple degrees off ... created a chain reaction. I lined it up one night last thing, and picked up there in the morning. Something shifted. It would mainly just drive some gunsmith nuts after I'm gone ... but I couldn't sleep until then ... so ... hang in there ...

Gary

"...Nothing serious." !?! What was it... 15+ hours of work or so?
I think of this little pocket toothpick holder I made on my antique Sears Atlas lathe. Cute little thing, aluminum, knurled stopper with an o-ring seal. A friend sees it and says "Hey why don't you make one of those for me when you get a minute?" Uh, ya, well, I've got about five hours into this one so as soon as I get a minute I'll poop one out for ya! Ha haaa!
Hang in there Gary, and thanks for the update.

Scott

Ah Scott!

A man of my cloth. Any man that enjoys a good toothpic is a friend of mine! hahah. I pretty much always have one when in the shop or yard. Great worry tool ... useful for nearly everything. And, I've never had a cavity in my life. So ... could work for good hygene too. hahah.

And, to have made a toothpic holder ... I love it. I must do that. You have lived the life cycle of the craftsman. Now, you would need to find that one in ten thousand men, who both recognized the worth of something you did, and wished to trade equal value of something they did for it. That's the ultra rare part.

I feel like I've lived a few lives. When I sold handmade knives for a couple of decades ... I dealt with some bona-fide billionaires. A few millionaires. Didn't make me any more special. It's just background for the point I'm making. Some men will only buy from you if the realitive cost of what you've made is like a grain of sand to them. Then, for this, they will expect total devotion. Another man will make a real effort to exchange the cost of his labor for your labor. The respect you find, will depend more upon the soul of the man, than the price. But it's quite rare to find a buyer who values the realitive worth of your labor.

I prefer the bamboo toothpicks. A good one will last for several hours, and then be converted to a cleaning probe for buffing compound, a glue mixer, a catch tool for a small part being cut off on the lathe, and a hundred other uses!



Gary

" The respect you find, will depend more upon the soul of the man, than the price.
But it's quite rare to find a buyer who values the realitive worth of your labor. "

Sad but true.

Rick G.

That's a bummer Gary! We'll keep hanging in here....
Regards
Neil

Aw man! Sorry to hear of a part going south after so much work.

I know what you mean about certain rich guys and the devotion they expect after tossing out a few pennies. Timmy had one customer that must have put me through several hours of PMs and replies regarding a slug order. He wanted hourly updates and then to haggle over special shipping to an overseas address, then a tracking number and then to know how to use it... Later I see a picture of a house I can't even dream of owning...

Jerry,i hope that you and your son will find customer,s that appreciate your service, and i can tell you that i will be one of them.

Well thanks. We actually have a lot of appreciative customers. I was just pointing out we have run across some of those same kinds of people Gary was mentioning.

Hourly updates??? That's an obsessive / compulsive, or a control freak. Sometimes it's better not to have a customer like that -- another business lesson for Timmy.

-- Jim

Yeah, I mentioned it to Timmy but he knows he has me for a front man....for now!

Ah ... THERE is where you are spoiling the future businessman. hahaha.

What would my life be .. if I were to have a "front man". hahah. So, at 12 years old ... he gets to create, with freedom. Ahhh.

Of course ... come to think of it ... I did too ... at 12. But ... I didn't get paid for it. Well ... not really true either ... there was my custom model rocket business. But I was 14 then. And, I digresssssssssss

Well, I don't know if he's really "creating" in the sense you do but I'm certainly proud of the fact that he's developing a work ethic.