3rd Time's Charm and Other Measurements

[zeeprogrammer]

Bob! Good to see you. How's the Beagle coming along?

I do enjoy 3D CAD. It's a fun project in itself. And it has saved my bacon (part) on several occasions.

On another note...does anyone machine with music playing in the background? What do you listen to?

Hee hee hee.

I just realized..."On another note"... 

[mklotz]

On another note...does anyone machine with music playing in the background? What do you listen to?

All the time - and only hardcore classical - Mozart, Saint-Saëns, Bach, Mahler, Mendelssohn, etc.  Opera scores without voice - Wagner, Verdi, Puccini.

With the exception of some movie scores, virtually nothing worth listening to was written after about 1960.  John Barry and Ennio Morricone are my favorite score composers.

Modern pop music is irritation made audible.  Rock music is as vacuous and annoying as the people who listen to it.

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Most of the time I listen to the 70’s channel on DirectTv. I think it kinda takes me back to high school machine shop class and what I was listening to then. Most of it is rock,but, not by today’s standards. Guess that reaffirmed your opinion of me Marv  ( emoji inserted without malice)

Eric

[zeeprogrammer]

Modern pop music is irritation made audible.  Rock music is as vacuous and annoying as the people who listen to it.

Ouch. 

Several definitions needed. What is meant by 'modern' or 'pop' or 'rock'?

My belief is that the circumstances/environment may dictate what is suitable.
And you can't go by time...the 'rock' ages includes a lot of 'folk' music which is one of my favorites. And by 'folk' music I don't restrict myself to American folk music.
Much of the African, Irish, German folk music is what I enjoy.
I don't mean to discriminate...I mention those but the fact is every culture has interesting music that I enjoy.

Not that I don't turn up the volume with Tull's "Locomotive Breath". 

Now to be truthful....I don't listen to music when I'm machining. I have a little TV showing old shows (I dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, Hogan's Heroes, Andy Griffith etc.)...it's just noise in the background.

If I listened to music...I'd be too busy 'moving with the music.

BTW Carmen is my favorite opera. And I do enjoy the pipes with Amazing Grace.

[crueby]

I agree - lots of versions of 'Rock' through the years, but I guess according to Marv I am vacuous and annoying. Especially (and on purpose) to whoever is running a boring meeting....!   
I never have TV or music going while machining, partly since I dont want the distraction, partly since I am wearing hearing protection when running power tools (trying not to aggravate the tinnitis any more than it already is from decades of hammering, sawing, milling, shooting, loud engines, etc).

[zeeprogrammer]

I heard from a friend. He had a couple of comments that I found interesting...

To quote...

Patience? You think I possess an unlimited amount? At times I just conceal rage. I just am stubborn and won't quit. Sometimes I can't quit however much I want to because there is no one else. Those are also occasionally times of growth. I repeat to myself "back to basics".

When my mind wanders from concentration I run into problems. Any new skill involves small steps. I am far from any perfection others have shown, but I have my own. a machinist friend once told me machining is 90% setup, and 10% making the cut.

End quote.

The 'rage' struck a chord. There are certainly times I just wanted to throw something across the room. (More often with things that involve 'technology'. Being a software engineer doesn't help. As an example...I got a Ring system. The plan to save videos timed out and the phone kept reminding me of that. So I signed up. I can get the videos now. But the stinking  phone keeps telling me my videos aren't being saved. And please...don't move my cheese. You put it there...you gave it to me...don't move it!)

[propforward]

The comments regarding planning are all true, and are exercised thoroughly in the manufacturing world. Anyone that thinks highly experienced machinists who run machine tools day in and day out don't need to plan ahead on making parts are quite wrong. I sit down daily with our machinists when quoting projects and when releasing projects, to figure the correct sequence of events, and then we actually program job travellers that go with the work, which contain a LOT of detail about methods, sequence, jigs and tools to use. Plus we 3D model parts, in such a way as to mimic the manufacturing operation as well.

The value of pre planning to avoid making a part multiple times is difficult to overstate. Of course, the reason for that in a manufacturing organization is ultimately money - in our home shops it's satisfaction of a job well done, and getting it right first time. Even so, the method is the same.

Regarding measuring progress - you can certainly do that. In fact, again, in manufacturing we have to do it, we have to know the abilities of our people so that people can be rewarded and progressed (we like our top people to be "leads", so as to pass on their experience to newer machinists). In the home shop, I am only interested in a general feel for how I'm improving. I feel I am, just because I'm understand more about my machines and how to set them up. Finishes improve, and I no longer accept "it worked" as good enough. I don't need to analyze my progress much more than that, but I understand your interest in it Zeester. Being an experienced mechanical and process engineer, I can't help but consider the analysis either.

As for music, I'm afraid I've had my fill of discussions around music, and the sweeping generalizations of those who's character, intellect and overall saint worthiness is of course far and away superior to mine, when I was running a forum, so I won't get into that. Other than to say I'm fond of a lot of music, and also BBC radio comedy shows, especially the excellent "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue", which still entertains, even without Humph. Not that I really hear anything when I'm machining.

The only problem a wide ranging musical interest brings is that you can be relaxing in the shop chair, with cup of tea, ruminating over a part you just made, listening to some gentle orchestral piece, only to have the random play algorithm dredge up something more raucous, causing tea spillage, or worse, the breaking off of ones rich tea or digestive into the bottom of the tea cup. I wouldn't mind, but Rich Tea and Digestives take a little while to obtain over here. Thankfully there is mail order.

Still, we trudge on.

 

[dvbydt]

Interesting thread Zee, pleased you started it. Made me and a few others think about what we do and why. It all seems to boil down to :-

Self Confidence = Knowledge + Experience.

This is an endless loop, repeat ad infinitum!
But remember you can only come second, Percy Verance always wins  .

Ian


 

[propforward]

I thought Sloan's Teddy always wins the race?

 

[zeeprogrammer]

I thought Sloan's Teddy always wins the race?

 

  and
A little googling got me to Asimov's joke. Very bad joke.

I'm still trying to figure out the Percy Verance reference. Perpetual motion? Horses?

[crueby]

I thought Sloan's Teddy always wins the race?

 

  and
A little googling got me to Asimov's joke. Very bad joke.

I'm still trying to figure out the Percy Verance reference. Perpetual motion? Horses?

Come on Zee, a little perseverance and you will figure it out..   

[propforward]

A little googling got me to Asimov's joke. Very bad joke.

Oh yes. The worst.

[Maryak]

On another note...does anyone machine with music playing in the background? What do you listen to?

All the time - and only hardcore classical - Mozart, Saint-Saëns, Bach, Mahler, Mendelssohn, etc.  Opera scores without voice - Wagner, Verdi, Puccini.

With the exception of some movie scores, virtually nothing worth listening to was written after about 1960.  John Barry and Ennio Morricone are my favorite score composers.

Modern pop music is irritation made audible.  Rock music is as vacuous and annoying as the people who listen to it.

It's good to see your restraint has carried over into the realm of music.


Regards Bob

[zeeprogrammer]

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I love hard core 1950's and 1960's rock and roll. I detest opera. I detest rap. I like classical music only when I'm on a short elevator trip. I have a low tolerance for country music, although at one time that was part of my life experience. I like mid 1960's folk music, which again played a good part of my life experience. In 1967 I owned the world. I had the fastest drag car, the prettiest girl friend, and was a dancing fool. (The car and the girlfriend both eventually fell by the wayside, but it was sure great while it lasted.) I'm good at what I do.---And every time I do it, I get better. I have the utmost confidence in what I do. Hell, I've got confidence in things I haven't done yet. The only really challenging thing I have found in machining is to achieve a really great fit on components which may have to have a press fit, a close sliding fit, or a clearance fit. I have learned through bitter experience that to be even reasonably close, I have to leave .002" to .003" of material on the "goesinto" part and bring it down to size with 220 grit sanding strips.--I have figured out that is why God made over and undersize reamers.---Brian