# Work



## Powder keg (Jul 22, 2008)

Hey, I was thinking it would be fun to see what everyone does during the day. I'm a foreman in a machine shop and operate a CNC mill. here is a quick picture of a recent job. It is a gear box that I am modifying. It measures 48" tall X 28" wide X about 12" thick. I'm boring a 5" hole with a 1.5" endmill hanging out 14". This box weighs about 4500 pounds when it's assembled. There are 3 gears that are 6" thick that go in it. 







Later, Wes


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## rake60 (Jul 22, 2008)

I spend an average of 50 hours a week fighting with this thing.






I'm more then 40 years older that that machine, but it has no respect for age! 
IT knows what IT wants and that will be the final word, end of discussion.

There are day's I'd like to give it good swift kick in the hard drive, but it has
6 of them... Which one to kick? :-\

Rick


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## itowbig (Jul 22, 2008)

well this is what i do towing ;D ;D having fun












I love it


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## Brass_Machine (Jul 23, 2008)

Sid... itowbig... no kidding! thats some stuff

Really can't post pictures of what I do. Very very boring to look at. I stare at a PC screen all day... I.T. Work

Eric


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## Cedge (Jul 23, 2008)

I'm not about to present photographic evidence of my day job. It's a bit demeaning to be the automatic door opener for a large testy house cat. If he could pay the mortgage and open the cat food... I'd probably be homeless...LOL

Steve


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## GailInNM (Jul 23, 2008)

Model engine preliminary design center.


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## rake60 (Jul 23, 2008)

Cool toys you get to play with Sid!

My brother is an Executive Vice President of a company 
called *Jerr-Dan*
They manufacture those toys.
Perhaps you've heard of them...

Rick


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## Kludge (Jul 23, 2008)

Let's see ... what do I do. Aside from the usual, enjoy sights like these, the moonsets on a roughly 28 day cycle and the sunsets pretty much every night.

It's a hard life but someone has to do it. 8)


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## DickDastardly40 (Jul 23, 2008)

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=50.712697,-2.021447&spn=0.001868,0.002151&t=h&z=18

I work here, pic must have been taken on the weekend and is about 16 months old as no activity, usually boats everywhere.

My job entails overseeing the maintenance of just about every boat you see in the picture that isn't a white gin palace, my avatar is the stern view of one of the boats pair of rolls-royce jet drives.

Al


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## Bogstandard (Jul 23, 2008)

Until I had an accident at work, I used to set and run one of these machines, usually with a nice looking shapely packer on the end of it, but sometimes with a rather plain 50+ know it all hag, that run you ragged when they thought there was a problem, in that case, you stayed at the opposite end of the machine.

http://www.w-d.de/site/W_D/Products...E;jsessionid=28D39BA7F05C99F8158D45139188E540

About 70ft long, makes up to about 20 envelopes a second from plain paper reels, weighing 1/2 ton, and a few miles in length. Prints inside and outside of the envelope, up to five separate colours and up to two windows on each envelope. Usually took about 5 hours to change between jobs, that sometimes only run for 30 mins, then onto another 5 hour change.

Do I miss doing the job, like I would enjoy having a six inch nail in the forehead. But the pay of over $60k (excluding overtime) a year came in handy, plus only working 3x12 hour shifts per week gave a lot of time for other things. Shame it is now impossible to return to the job, body gave up a while back.

John


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## Twinsquirrel (Jul 23, 2008)

Ah the joys of paper handling John, my first job after my apprenticeship was as a field tech for Pitney Bowes working on their 9 series folder inserters http://www.setcomco.com/INSERTER_SERIES09.HTM

Now after many years in rugged military systems I have a small business which turns this:






Into this:






David


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## Bogstandard (Jul 23, 2008)

David,

In another part of the factory they had a load of Pitney Bowes inserters.

Nice body (the car), now I know where to come to get the dings fixed.

John


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## rake60 (Jul 23, 2008)

Now this is a GREAT THREAD.

Kudos to Wes for starting it!

Come guys, show us where YOU work.

Rick


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## Twinsquirrel (Jul 23, 2008)

> In another part of the factory they had a load of Pitney Bowes inserters.



I wish I had hung on to a few of the very nice servo motors they used, would have been VERY handy for a cnc conversion.



> Nice body (the car), now I know where to come to get the dings fixed.



No problem, I could always squeeze you in.


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## kvom (Jul 23, 2008)

I worked as a programmer and technology geek for 36 years. Retired 3 years ago, with my last 6 work years being with smallish companies developing internet banking applications. Nowadays the only programming I do is for solving recreational math problems on the website projecteuler.net.


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## CrewCab (Jul 23, 2008)

Bogstandard  said:
			
		

> now I know where to come to get the dings fixed.



David my Landrover could probably keep one of your guys busy for a week ;D ......... though to be fair the dings really add to the character ................ or in other words the ding money is probably going on a dro for the little Mill 

As for me, I could be up a ladder, down a hole, behind a circular saw or in a meeting somewhere .......... or (too often) sat looking at the bloomin computer, for the last week I've been replacing some double glazed units and repainting windows  .......... not my favourite occupation but it helps pay the bills ???

Next time we do something interesting I'll take some pics, generally we build things, but more to the point we are far better at mending broken buildings.

CC


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## lugnut (Jul 23, 2008)

I worked here for 30 years: https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=255&mode=2&in_hi_userid=200&cached=true
Now "WORK" is just another four letter word ;D
Mel


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## shred (Jul 23, 2008)

Twinsquirrel  said:
			
		

> Ah the joys of paper handling John, my first job after my apprenticeship was as a field tech for Pitney Bowes working on their 9 series folder inserters http://www.setcomco.com/INSERTER_SERIES09.HTM
> 
> Now after many years in rugged military systems I have a small business which turns this:
> Into this:
> ...


Hey.. that looks just like my S2K... I bet shipping if I ever ding it up is going to be through the roof.

I managed to delete my last post, but I do R&D on what devices you lot will be using to play games and surf the internet for porn, er, work on, in 2-3 years.. As you can see from the pic, that involves two screens of internet and one of e-mail off to the side..


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## rake60 (Jul 23, 2008)

lugnut  said:
			
		

> I worked here for 30 years: https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=255&mode=2&in_hi_userid=200&cached=true
> Now "WORK" is just another four letter word ;D
> Mel



Damn a Fed!

Honest Mel, I only made that still to improve the quality of the paint remover I needed
to prep the old Tracker for some touch up work.
I'd NEVER consider drinking it! 
:big:

Seriously, speaking of work, my wife and Mom are on a genealogy kick here.
Last weekend we were at a cemetery where my Mom's family is high o the permanent 
residence list. She has a uncle buried there who died in his early 20's.
Seems he's mixed up a bad batch of "corn cider" in the probation years and 
thought he should test it out.

And they say machinists have a hazardous job!

Rick


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## Bernd (Jul 23, 2008)

Worked here for over 30 years. http://www.gleason.com/ Right out of high school in '69 to the year 2000. The old ticker couldn't take it anymore. Triple bypass. Now retired and trying to do everything I dreamed about doing while at work, only a lot slower. :big:

Bernd


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## sparky961 (Jul 23, 2008)

Hey guys... good thread. Ever since I joined here, I was wondering what the lot of you did. Seeing as many of you are retired, I don't feel quite as bad about not having enough time to do everything I want to. Ok, still jealous... but at least it makes sense now. 

Anyway, this topic is a bit depressing for me right now. I've done a lot of things in my life, and I'm not even 30 yet. Seems I just can't seem to find the right thing for me. Here's the short list:
- Shipper (1 year - high school)
- Landscaper (throughout adolescence)
- Auto mechanic (2 yrs)
- Security guard (a few months)
- Framer/carpenter (summer - college)
- Caterer (throughout my adolescence)
- Telemarketer (3 days)
- Home Depot Associate - Electrical (1-1/2 years)
- Embedded Systems Software Architect (4 years)
- Web Developer (1-1/2 years)

I'm sure I'm forgetting something in there. Most of these places, it was my own decision to move on.

Now, I'm facing another great challenge in my life because I was miserable beyond description in my most recent job as a web developer. I've since left that job, and I've been trying to find a position as a machinist or carpenter. Thing is, most of the machinist jobs are in major centers - and I don't like major centers.

So, if you know of anyone that's looking for an exceptionally quick learner and who's experienced with a myriad of trades and technologies, lemme know... 

(Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada - or thereabouts)

-Sparky


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## cfellows (Jul 23, 2008)

This is where I work and this is one of the software applications my team supports, webshipping. We're located in Scottsdale, AZ. About the only power tool you'll find in this office is maybe a cordless drill!


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## lugnut (Jul 23, 2008)

rake60  said:
			
		

> Damn a Fed!
> 
> Honest Mel, I only made that still to improve the quality of the paint remover I needed
> to prep the old Tracker for some touch up work.
> ...


dang, Rick, NO Feds here, I thought that it said I worked a Nuclear Reactor
 ???Mel


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## Twinsquirrel (Jul 24, 2008)

> Anyway, this topic is a bit depressing for me right now. I've done a lot of things in my life, and I'm not even 30 yet. Seems I just can't seem to find the right thing for me. Here's the short list:
> - Shipper (1 year - high school)
> - Landscaper (throughout adolescence)
> - Auto mechanic (2 yrs)
> ...



Hey Sparky, you sound like an ideal candidate for working for yourself, I had a similar eclectic mix of jobs but I'm only starting to "find" myself now. Personally I have found that it doesn't really matter what you choose to do you just need to push hard until you get over the hump, then you can cruise for as long as you like until you feel like pushing up the next hill.


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## rake60 (Jul 24, 2008)

My oldest boy has a job that scares the S#!T out of me.

I've been burnt many times from hot chips that always seem to
fly to the most uncomfortable of places.

He's suffered a few serious burns in his working career as well.
He does this:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KufgMHYEf7E&feature=related[/ame]

A big, *No* Thank You from ME!

Rick


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## Bogstandard (Jul 24, 2008)

Rick,

Anything is better than this boring (pun intended) job

Bogs


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## rake60 (Jul 24, 2008)

No I can't beat that one John! :big:

Watching those _kids_ handle the molten glass with damp paper towels
is about all I can do.

I even get some work from that shop!
The ends of those blow pipes are cast iron welded to stainless tubes.
The cast ends deteriorate over time and they have new heads welded onto the
tubes. Then they end up in my basement hobby shop to be turned to the size
and shape to meet the demands of the current production needs.

No plans or prints, just a kid standing behind me saying:
"Dad, it would be easier to gather the glass on it if that angle on the end was
just a little bit shallower."

Rick


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## bentprop (Jul 24, 2008)

What exactly was that they were making,Rick?It looked like a giant lampshade.


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## rake60 (Jul 24, 2008)

bentprop  said:
			
		

> What exactly was that they were making,Rick?It looked like a giant lampshade.



That was an ornamental vase.
Their bread and butter income come from making Gaze Balls.

You know, those shiny balls on a bird bath like stand in the front yard that reflects
the sun into your eyes as you drive past.

No two are alike because each one is hand made and blown.

If that's not skilled labor I don't know what is.
You'll never see an old glass blower.
It's a young man's trade.
Their paid an average wage of $9 an hour...

Alright, I won't go there now! 

Those kids are very good at their craft!

Last time my boy got burnt his blow pipe had slipped in his left hand.
His right hand instinctively came up to save it from falling.
Can you say 3ed degree burns and Demerol?

Yeah I'd do that for $9 an hour.... *NOT!*

Rick


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## Lew Hartswick (Jul 24, 2008)

Work??? Whats that? I seem to remember nearly 11 yrs ago I had to show up at the university and 
stick around for about 8 hrs. And every once in a while some research machine would not do its thing 
so I had to kick it in the right place and then return to my hole in the wall untill the next time. 
  Now WAYYY back in the 50s to 70s I did some stuff that I can't tell youall about. 
  ...lew...


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## dave e (Jul 24, 2008)

I'm another computer geek. About 2-1/2 years ago I started a company that helps businesses send invoices and get paid electronically. We're at www.transcepta.com. It's a hoot, but doesn't leave much time for making chips.

Dave


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## Davyboy (Jul 24, 2008)

I've been running a horizontal CNC mill, 5" dia spindle, 10 feet of X, 7 feet of Y, 5 feet of W/Z travel. Milled these bearing assemblies that hold up a drawbridge.





I turned the shafts that sit in those bearings.





And that's why I like the small models. DB


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## Powder keg (Jul 24, 2008)

Way to go Davyboy!!! Those are great!


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## georgeseal (Jul 24, 2008)

Retired (retarded :) Heavy equipment operator for 35 years.


Now my work week consist of 6 Saturdays & a Sunday


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## shred (Jul 25, 2008)

Rick, that looks like a pretty nice hot shop.. I've seen a lot worse. I seriously considered doing that a long time ago, but decided that being on the using-side of the glass was preferable. I do a little kiln glass work, but that's like baking a cake, not flinging red-hot cookie dough all around the kitchen.


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## Kludge (Jul 29, 2008)

sparky961  said:
			
		

> Here's the short list:
> ... many items listed ...



Sounds like me - ex- a lot of things but, as I also said, it's better to be a has been than a never was. Some of the things on my long list I can neither confirm nor deny and a few NO one will ever get me drunk enough to admit to. 

Best regards,

Kludge


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## thezetecman (Jul 29, 2008)

I got fed up with designing and making things for other people. so set up 
www.precisionflow.co.uk 
making clamp on ultrasonic flow meters
Its a nice mix of electronics and precision mechanical parts.


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 3, 2008)

I have one of the best jobs in the world! (for me, anyways.) I design prototype machinery and automation for industry, from an office in my home. I teach 3D Solid modelling (CAD) when there is a demand for it. People come to me with their requirements, and I set down with them and do an analysis on their project, to see if it is economically feasible. ---(Anything can be designed, but it has to be cost effective, or why bother???) I source and price out all the purchased components, such as hydraulics, pneumatics, servo drives, gear reducers, bearings, etcetera, and I design all the specialty items which must be machined or fabricated from scratch. I have about 6 major machine shops that build machinery for me, to my specifications. Once a machine is designed, and all the engineering drawings prepared, I do bid package administration, which is to say, I get quotations from 3 different fabrication/machine shops, and provide my customer with the results. If the customer wants me to, I will do the project management, which is essentially being the conductor of an orchestra, composed of all the different contractors, i.e. electrical control specialists, machinists, welders, pneumatic and hydraulic specialists, untill a machine is finished and running succesfully. I have been doing this for 43 years now. The first 36 years, I worked for major companies in Ontario, and the last 7 years I have operated indepedently, as a one man engineering company. If someone gave me a blank sheet of paper, and asked me to describe the perfect job, then the results would pretty well be what I do now, every day. I have built hotrods all my life as a hobby, but now at 62 I'm getting a bit long in the tooth and full of arthritis to get up and down as much as that hobby requires, so I have purchased a lathe and a mill in the past year, and started building model steam engines as a hobby. I have attached a picture of myself with the infamous "double acting wobbler" that was taken by Chuck foster, yesterday at the Cookstown Steam Show. For anyone interested, my web page is www.rupnowdesign.com ----Brian


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## Powder keg (Aug 6, 2008)

Did this today. A guy at work broke our roll. It's kind of an important part of our operation. The back drive pin was bent about a quarter inch where the drive gear mounts. Thats 5" shaft where it was bent. We took it to a local shop with a BIG lathe and they cut off the old shaft bored out the pin and sweat'ed another shaft in and welded it up. They couldn't get the shaft into there mill, so they sent it back to us without a key. Today, I set it up on our CNC and milled a 1.25" keyway with a 1" endmill. It worked really good. I think we about maxed out our over head hoist though. The shaft is 10" in diameter and is 13' long. It was a fun project and the key turned out really nice!
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-XHxbFUy4[/ame]





Later, Wes


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## ianjkirby (Aug 7, 2008)

Hi Wes,
 I think I see added-on copper tubes fitted around the spindle housing of the cnc mill in your video. Are these for water-cooling the housing? 
Regards, Ian Kirby.
Wollongong NSW Australia


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## Powder keg (Aug 7, 2008)

There are grooves in the casting. They have been notched out so fluid will run back and fourth along them. I think there is supposed to be a piece glued on there to cover them up? But that is how the mill came. The spindle gets hot if I run the speed over 1000 R's. But I haven't been around CNC's long enough to know what is acceptable? That and this mill was made in 1994 and is kind of an odd ball. It has been a challenge to learn to run. 

Wes


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## rickharris (Aug 7, 2008)

Brian Rupnow  said:
			
		

> I have one of the best jobs in the world! (for me, anyways.) I design prototype machinery and automation for industry, from an office in my home. I teach 3D Solid modelling (CAD) when there is a demand for it. People come to me with their requirements, and I set down with them and do an analysis on their project, to see if it is economically feasible. ---



Small world - I used to work for Baker Perkins here in the UK as a systems designer and project manager for automated machinery. http://www.bakerperkinsgroup.com/content/1/387/product-index.html This kind of stuff.

Getting tired of working round the world I broke away and started a consultancy to project manage jobs for other companies - My 2 former partners still run the company http://www.specdoc.co.uk/services.html whilst I left to become a teacher. Until last year I was head of Design and Technology at Boston Grammar School but with retirement imminent (next year) I stood down to let a younger man take the strain!.

My main task (other than teaching) is to run the team that does this - [youtube=425,350]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gjb5zmvsZf0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Gjb5zmvsZf0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]


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## rake60 (Aug 7, 2008)

Nice looking job Wes!

I recently had the opportunity to play with one of these high speed end mills.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O3Myz1aaPE&feature=related[/ame]

It worked very well right up to the point that I broke it. :-[

Then Again...
I could break a phone book! :big:

Rick


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