BURN OUT!!!

[Brian Rupnow]

Gentlemen---I seem to have hit the wall. After buying my lathe last March, and my mill soon after, I managed to build 4 different steam engines, a Slinky machine, a Cyclical load testing machine, a flyball governor, and a waterwheel and a ball turner, all in the space of eleven months. I loved every minute of building every machine. Now I have shut the door on my little machine shop, and have no desire at all to go back in there and do anything. This horribly buggered up economy has me scrambling like mad trying to find enough engineering and design work to keep me gainfully employed. (Or at least enough to keep me busy and give me something to do each day.) I'm not terribly concerned---I know that after enough time has passed that my interest in machining will rekindle itself. Right now I just want to get through this dreadfully long winter, and back to warm days and my other hobby (hotrodding). I still visit the forum each day, and have become a "lurker" for a while.---Brian

 

[stevehuckss396]

Use that mill and lathe to make some shiny trinkets for the hotrod.

Made alot of custom stuff for mine.

 

[kvom]

It's easy to burn out on a hobby when you just dive in full time like you did. I have experienced that before myself, and have been limiting the number of hours I spend any one day at the machines.

 

[Kermit]

I think you'll find some work Brian. You'll stumble across the pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow and be able to retire.

You have great talent and something not everyone with talent has...artistic ability, creativity. The current economic market will force the companies to spend their money on talent that will get things done right the FIRST time around. Deadlines and delays don't mix and they know it. Getting the "on time delivery" bonus might mean keeping the doors open or not. The big bosses are aware and will budget accordingly. I'd love to tell ya to trust my advice, but that would doom us both.



Keep that chin up old bean,
Kermit

 

[Cedge]

Brian
I tend to suffer from the burn out thing on a seasonal basis. Winter just seems to remove all motivation to do much of anything significant. Come spring, when things begin to green up again, I usually come out of it and off I go again.

Hang in there and keep digging. As bad as things are right now, past experience tells me that it has to begin to get better, eventually. Recovery always begins when people finally decide they need things that have to be made by other people.... usually long before the negatively biased news media or government has a clue it's begun.

Steve

 

[kustomkb]

Sorry to hear that the economy has been hard on you.

But as far as machining goes,

You'll be back!

We all go through waves of inspiration. That's one of the great things about this forum, plentty of motivation and encouragement!

 

[shred]

I have to do that sometimes too, just stop something for a while until I want to do it again. I took a 3 month break starting in November from one of my hobbies, which let me get my little loco done, but now I'm wanting to do it again, so the shop will probably take a backseat.

FWIW, I saw an interesting chart the other day that said the end of many past recessions have been just shortly before the 'fix it' bill is passed by congress . We should be about there now.... I hope.

 

[joeby]

Brian,

This winter has turned out to be plenty long enough, hasn't it? With everything going the way it has, hasn't helped much with the cabin fever syndrome either.

I had plans to make good use of the rest of the winter, started a list of unfinished projects including cleaning up and reorganizing the shop and starting on another Stirling engine; but so far I haven't accomplished much. I have a list of other things needing done in the house too; but it's the same story there. I don't know if I would call it "burnout" or not.

Best you can do is try to keep busy at something, I guess. The worst thing you could do is let depression get a foothold, with the economy and all, it wouldn't take much. This forum is a great help with that, I've been spending a lot more time on here reading lately. The plant I worked at closed it's doors January 30th, putting me out of a job for the first time in 25 years. Thought I'd enjoy it; but I know how you feel. Anyway, I'd say don't go to lurking, there are things going on here everyday that you could put your thoughts to and help someone along the way.

Keep the chin up, things will start to turn around soon enough!

Kevin

 

[Foozer]

Use that mill and lathe to make some shiny trinkets for the hotrod.

Made alot of custom stuff for mine.

That motor looks a bit odd in that old iron, me think it would do better in my old iron

But then the days of cruising thru town with open headers are just a memory now. Just no sense of humor now-a-days.

Dont crush em, restore em.

 

[Maryak]

Small Chevy

If this is a small chevy - What's a BIG CHEVY ??? ??? :

Best Regards
Bob

 

[tel]

YARRRGH! Burn out! We all get it from time to time. Hurry back tho' - I, for one, always look forward to your antics posts.

 

[Kermit]

Is he back yet?


;D

 

[Stan]

For a hotrodder I thought BURNOUT was smoking the tires.

 

[itowbig]

For a hotrodder I thought BURNOUT was smoking the tires.

ill second that.

hey brian well miss ya. but you will be back soon i hope. i to look forward to your post & wisdom.

 

[stevehuckss396]

If this is a small chevy - What's a BIG CHEVY ??? ??? :

Best Regards
Bob

I'm not sure. That small chevy was 540 CID.