Well, about the time I fuss my bad luck, I learn of a couple people far worse ... so I just go back to work.

I had a beautiful Pack Knife Blade .... just THiiiiiissss Close to being finished. Beautiful hollow grind. Great finish. Just needed that touch up.

Onto the surface grinder table. Fiddle with something. Something shiny or ... look! A Squirrel!!!! ..... and I forgot to throw the lever activating the magnet holding the blade to the table. Ah .... I had “dressed the stone”. You use a diamond point in a solid mount. You run the spinning stone across it. It shaves the stone even and takes off the glazing which develops from grinding hardened Tool Steel. I put the diamond away (don’t be impressed. Industrial diamond. Cheap. Sintered into a rod of steel with a point exposed.)

So, I forgot to activate the magnet. I spark off. (First touch blade with spinning stone while controlling depth with control wheels). The spark is too bright. Nuts - did I do it that deep? I’m good at this step. Some never get it. It’s depth perception. Probably why I can cut dies. But anyway ... I Back it off a quarter thousandth, and hope I didn’t burn the stone. I start another pass. Blade vibrates and starts that series of sounds machinists hear as if you’ve dumped a wheelbarrow of rocks into a wood chipper!!! Then ... my voice is heard .... “NNNOOO!!! nnnoooooohhhhooooooohh!!!!!”

Ah crap. The stone happily ruins the blade and as the heat build up, warps it; and the warp drives the steel deeper into the stone. Gouging the blade and burning the stone’s Surface.

You know ... I sincerely wish that hadn’t have happened.

Ruining many many hours of precise work and setting me up to repeat them all. It also causes me to wonder ... if I had stayed in college as a music major and ..... no! “FORWARD NOT BACKWARD”. As Kelly reminds me.

So I’m using my notes, patterns, bandsaw, belt grinders, and Mr. Robot.

Just reporting in.

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2020 03:18PM by barnespneumatic.

It’s ok. I came roaring back. Machinery working great!

Gary's Grinders?




Lon

That’s right Lon ...

You try to get an honest hour’s work from those guys. All they want to do is fiddle with their hair. And, you should SEE them freak at SPARKS!!!!

It’s hard to get good help. The Elves are into Beat Boxing now ...

Gary,
I know the feeling. I have “ let out the magic smoke” in some of my electronics builds. IT SUCKS. Seems to be very easy to get distracted anymore as i get older.
Take care
Rick

I’m back on track Rick.

I’m also refining the build. So far, each only takes a bit longer then the $1,200 models. But I’ll make it up in volume! Wink

Looking Good.. Don't overwork the Elves!

These items check off faster. This will complete it.

They are still taking longer than hoped. I trust that if I just make batches of parts here and there they will materialize on a regular basis. Hey - I can dream ...

Looking Forward to the finished product. As in everything done by craftsman...It takes as long as it takes to get it done right.

Rick

Just about there!

Yayyyy

Gary