The GDS Skunkworks, 4 FN 27's Shop Projects

[4 FN 27]

Maybe I have another socket somewhere that I'm thinking of ?

Brain Freeze???

 

[NUTTSGT]

Brain Freeze???

Beats the hell out of me.


Maybe I stuck it in the trailer toolbox so I would have it around others and ask them.

 

[jlevers]

Pat, I just read through this whole thread, and I'm totally in awe of your skills, and I love your attitude towards life. I'm one of those young people you talk about who really does want to learn how all this stuff works...I have too many things I want to learn how to do to possibly do them all, but I'm going to try anyways. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge on here, and I'm going to PM you with some questions if that's cool with you.

Also, I saw you talked about Desktop Metal's printers a few pages back -- they just came to my school and did a presentation (they're trying to recruit coop students to go work for them), and what they're doing seems really cool. They're based near me, and I'm thinking about working for them sometime in the next couple of years. The area that I know the most about is software, so that's what I'd be doing for them, but I find their whole process pretty amazing.

I wish I lived nearer to your shop so I could come in and see what you're working on in person, and learn some things. Thanks again for sharing what you know.

 

[csp]

I have a cadmium plated Plomb 5/16" drive set. Would have been from the 40s or earlier with the cadmium plating.

 

[4 FN 27]

Can't believe it has been 3 weeks since I have updated this. Honestly between work, Heading north on the weekends and snow plowing I have not had a minute to spare to play in the shop.

Work is crazy...but ya gotta make hay while the sun shines thus been hammering a few 16 hour plus shifts. Making all my numbers and but falling short of backing myself out of the business...there will be time for that later right???

Design some really cool store fixtures for a major retail chain involving faucets...one of the biggest prototypes I have ever done design wise and scale. Wish I share more...dang NDA's...

forever forward...

Pat, I just read through this whole thread, and I'm totally in awe of your skills, and I love your attitude towards life. I'm one of those young people you talk about who really does want to learn how all this stuff works...I have too many things I want to learn how to do to possibly do them all, but I'm going to try anyways. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge on here, and I'm going to PM you with some questions if that's cool with you.

Also, I saw you talked about Desktop Metal's printers a few pages back -- they just came to my school and did a presentation (they're trying to recruit coop students to go work for them), and what they're doing seems really cool. They're based near me, and I'm thinking about working for them sometime in the next couple of years. The area that I know the most about is software, so that's what I'd be doing for them, but I find their whole process pretty amazing.

I wish I leaved nearer to your shop so I could come in and see what you're working on in person, and learn some things. Thanks again for sharing what you know.

Thank you Jesse!!!

I am just doing what I love...I suggest you do the same!!! As the ol'say'in goes if you do what you love you will never work a day in your life. Been there and doing that...

You can PM me anytime...this time of year I might be a tad slow answering...

Careful what you ask for...about 13 years ago a kid from California flew up to go to a race with us a week after he turned 18, a gift from his Mom. Make a very long story short he had so much fun and he did such a good job helping us with the car I flew him back to go to Indy with us. While here he watched me make a Sheet Metal Intake Manifold and thought that was the coolest thing on the planet...fast forward...we have kept in touch since then and he is going to be starting his own Fabrication Shop...he is working in one now and buying equipment and learning the ropes...I have tried everything to get him to come here and work but the Minnesota weather keeps him away...

I have a cadmium plated Plomb 5/16" drive set. Would have been from the 40s or earlier with the cadmium plating.

csp that is cool...can you put up a picture???

I haven't dug much farther into it but I am finding they did exist. And they were produced during WWII. Need to research this more...




I did slip in a few minutes out of necessity . While up nordth as they say in MN (watch Fargo) playing in a nice wind blown Sand Pit I found 1 of 2 trees while climbing a hill...needless the say the tree won and I bent a lower A-Arm...not real bad...finish riding the weekend.

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This is like the 4th A-Arm the guys and I have dinged this season. So I was thinking...order a new one and reverse engineer it. I did and built a fixture to repair or make from scratch Left and Right Hand A-Arms. The water jet had no problem cutting 1/4 and 1 inch material.

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Need to Machine the 2 Blocks and finish welding the Tabs on. Should be good to go.


Had one more must do project I snuck in. The VHB Tape came off my Quick-Tach Goggles at -10°...I hate VHB as much as I love it!!! It is not a matter of if it will fail it is just when...-10° and no Goggles in not a good thing...

Lucky for me my Nephew was riding my backup sled and I remembered there is a pair of Goggles in the Goggles Heater...all is good...hate full strap Goggles but that beat frost bite and watering eye for 30+ miles.

I machined a fitting to get screwed onto the side of the helmet (yes I know you shouldn't drill a hole in a helmet but I am going to anyways). Then I purchased 1 more set of Quick-Tach Straps. Machined the Velcro side with a keyhole...now no worries on the VHB...

View media item 90732
The new Machined piece and the Original for the opposite side of the Helmet. That was Velcro to but I ended riveting that to the Helmet 2 years ago when that VHB failed.

View media item 90733
Velcro is a lot easier to take on and off but I like the sense of security...

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I am having a blast this winter!!!

 

[LXCam]

That sledding **** looks like a blast pat. Too bad you need all that white stuff to do it on. Now if they made a sled for the dunes I'd be all over it

I had to laugh about the kid turning down your offer because of the weather, that's me 1000%. I've had a standing offer to run a very successful business at the south tip of Florida as well as partner in a well respected performance shop in Ohio. Neither holds any interest for me because... and all though I'm a warm weather type, the summer humidity in south Florida is more offensive then your -20 days to me. Haha

I do have a question though. Do the elastic goggle straps even work in that kind of cold?

 

[jlevers]

Thank you Jesse!!!

I am just doing what I love...I suggest you do the same!!! As the ol'say'in goes if you do what you love you will never work a day in your life. Been there and doing that...

You can PM me anytime...this time of year I might be a tad slow answering...

Careful what you ask for...about 13 years ago a kid from California flew up to go to a race with us a week after he turned 18, a gift from his Mom. Make a very long story short he had so much fun and he did such a good job helping us with the car I flew him back to go to Indy with us. While here he watched me make a Sheet Metal Intake Manifold and thought that was the coolest thing on the planet...fast forward...we have kept in touch since then and he is going to be starting his own Fabrication Shop...he is working in one now and buying equipment and learning the ropes...I have tried everything to get him to come here and work but the Minnesota weather keeps him away...

Hah, you're tempting me already...that sounds awesome. He sounds like one lucky kid! I think I'm going to be in your neck of the woods in September, and I'll definitely shoot you a line when I'm in the area. I'd really love to see more of what you're doing up close.

Looks like you're having a blast! Awesome stuff. I'll be keeping my eye on this thread

 

[csp]

csp that is cool...can you put up a picture???

Here are my 5/16" drive items, with a Snappy 1950s date coded teardrop thrown in for comparison. It's not all cad plated, obviously. One of the 5/16" to 1/4" adapters is Proto and one is Husky. Everything else is Plomb.

Not really a set, but it's what I picked up at an estate sale, never having seen that drive configuration before.

I like your Quik Strap modification. I was always leery of the Velcro, but have been using one set for close to 20 years now with no issues with it holding.

 

[zmotorsports]

Looks like fun Pat. Helped me remember back to when I actually liked snow.

Your fixtures look much better than mine. I was building A-arms for the late 90's thru early 2000's Artic Cats and trailing arms for the Polaris from 4130 quite a bit back then as well as putting the big wheel kits and 151" tracks, tunnels and building heat exchangers back then. Also building a lot of 2-stroke engines and had a blast with all of it. We were neck deep into sledding and duning at the time and I couldn't get enough. Looking back it was some great times with my wife, son and friends.

Glad to hear you are having a great winter my friend.

 

[12husky]

A question if you don’t mind a slight derailment.
Do you do common line cutting with your lasers or water jet? We are starting to cut a decent amount of 3/8” steel with some holes on our laser that then gets bent into a ~4x4 angle. The edges don’t need to be great and I’m hoping the common line cutting would speed up the process.

I’m hoping you may be able to share some hints or tricks before I dive into it.

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[4 FN 27]

That sledding **** looks like a blast pat. Too bad you need all that white stuff to do it on. Now if they made a sled for the dunes I'd be all over it

I had to laugh about the kid turning down your offer because of the weather, that's me 1000%. I've had a standing offer to run a very successful business at the south tip of Florida as well as partner in a well respected performance shop in Ohio. Neither holds any interest for me because... and all though I'm a warm weather type, the summer humidity in south Florida is more offensive then your -20 days to me. Haha

I do have a question though. Do the elastic goggle straps even work in that kind of cold?

Sled for the dunes...might be a slight over heating issue...

They are fun. Can be challenging and require a bit of riding skill.

You known the elastic works...never really gave it much thought until you asked but have never had a problem with it even at -30.

Hah, you're tempting me already...that sounds awesome. He sounds like one lucky kid! I think I'm going to be in your neck of the woods in September, and I'll definitely shoot you a line when I'm in the area. I'd really love to see more of what you're doing up close.

Looks like you're having a blast! Awesome stuff. I'll be keeping my eye on this thread

Give me a heads up and we can make arrangements for a tour of both shops...assuming I am not Prairie Dog Hunting...September is a good month for Dogg'in...

If you are keeping an eye on this thread Safety Glasses are highly recommended.

Here are my 5/16" drive items, with a Snappy 1950s date coded teardrop thrown in for comparison. It's not all cad plated, obviously. One of the 5/16" to 1/4" adapters is Proto and one is Husky. Everything else is Plomb.

Not really a set, but it's what I picked up at an estate sale, never having seen that drive configuration before.

I like your Quik Strap modification. I was always leery of the Velcro, but have been using one set for close to 20 years now with no issues with it holding.

Pretty cool stuff there. I wish tools could talk. Be interesting knowing the history...and what they touched.

Looks like fun Pat. Helped me remember back to when I actually liked snow.

Your fixtures look much better than mine. I was building A-arms for the late 90's thru early 2000's Artic Cats and trailing arms for the Polaris from 4130 quite a bit back then as well as putting the big wheel kits and 151" tracks, tunnels and building heat exchangers back then. Also building a lot of 2-stroke engines and had a blast with all of it. We were neck deep into sledding and duning at the time and I couldn't get enough. Looking back it was some great times with my wife, son and friends.

Glad to hear you are having a great winter my friend.

Thanks Mike...now I am having flashbacks to Aluminum Angle bolted to the track to make paddles...and ****** Plates...I can smell the burning rubber as I type now...Windshield Washer Motors for Slide Lube injection...LOL...

A question if you don’t mind a slight derailment.
Do you do common line cutting with your lasers or water jet? We are starting to cut a decent amount of 3/8” steel with some holes on our laser that then gets bent into a ~4x4 angle. The edges don’t need to be great and I’m hoping the common line cutting would speed up the process.

I’m hoping you may be able to share some hints or tricks before I dive into it.

Thanks!

You know we don't do any common line cutting. Basically because of the programming and what I call "growth". Assuming the Beam is .008 wide the parts have to be spaced at .008 on the sheet or the parts will be .008 small except the part on each end of the row, they would each be .004 small. Then what do you do with all the Radii on the corners where they blend into the common line cut if the heat effected zone is causing the material to expand/contract. Mismatches like this can affect the forming process down the line.

I programmed a Strippit Blanking Center for about 15 years and depending on the thickness had to move material from one part to the next except for the last part sheared in order to hold the part width at +/-.001 or .002.

Not to mention the advent of speed associated with the new Fiber Lasers and ABR Assist Gas systems the need has not risen to implement Common Line.

Depending on your tolerances it might be the way to go to improve productivity...I know in our shop the norm is 1/4 in and lighter material...mostly in the .036-.134 range.

I would be interested in see what your productivity increases are??? If you do implement it. Let me know.






Well for the second time in 40 years of working I called in sick yesterday. Caught the worst cold I have ever had. Could hardly move. Got about 4 hours of sleep Tuesday night coughing and hacking away throughout the night.

So yesterday at about 3 pm after I finished plowing I came down here to the shop and laid down on the couch. Slept about 2 hours. Headed up to the house ate and slept another 2 hours and off to bed at 10. Woke this morning at 7:30 to an email and a text telling me not to come it to the plant that everything was under control.

I abided by the message. Was able to work a bit from my Office in the shop. Hard to quote projects through Logmein.com. There is a time delay to every key stroke...very annoying...

So I missed Travis (customh) stopping by the plant today to drop off a little project for the Water Jet. I assume he will be enlisted to hold my beer when I say "watch this" as I hit the cycle start button on the Water Jet...

Going to head up to the house and relax before heading back to work in the morning. Never in my life have I been knocked on my *** like this. I went back to work 2 days after my Hernia Surgery last summer and that was a Saturday and Sunday...back to work the next day after having my Arm screwed back together...got in and out of my Race Car with broken Ribs...but dang a cold wiping me out??? I must be getting old...

 

[nutjob]

Never in my life have I been knocked on my *** like this. I went back to work 2 days after my Hernia Surgery last summer and that was a Saturday and Sunday...back to work the next day after having my Arm screwed back together...got in and out of my Race Car with broken Ribs...but dang a cold wiping me out??? I must be getting old...

Sounds like you need some ice cream...

Kevin

 

[4 FN 27]

Sounds like you need some ice cream...

Kevin

Yep!

 

[zmotorsports]

Funny you mention the slide lube Pat.

Many moons ago when we were grass drag racing our sleds, you know to get more use out of them than merely during the winter, we used small 12VDC pumps feeding nozzles that kept the slides wet with washer fluid to prevent the track clips from melting to the hyfax. We did this on our stock and mod-stock class sleds. On our open class sleds we removed the hyfax altogether and replaced them with a series of wheels to keep the track floating and not coming in contact with the slides. We also had ice chests with ice water and lines running through them with quick connectors and 12VDC pumps to exchange the coolant in the sleds between races/heats.

Many memories of those days. I remember building my son's Kitty Kat and he started racing in the kiddies class when he was only 4 years old. Pretty fun times back then.

 

[pamike]

Looks like vanilla bean ice cream to me! I wish I could eat ice cream every night but if I would be wider than I am tall.

 

[12husky]

I’ll let you know about the productivity once we start playing with it. Our tolerance is typically +-1/8” on overalls, but most of these are bolting up to concrete parking garages so that tight isn’t even needed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[4 FN 27]

Looks like vanilla bean ice cream to me! I wish I could eat ice cream every night but if I would be wider than I am tall.

This man knows his Ice Cream...

Eating like this, I struggle to maintain 175 lbs...10 years ago when I was burning the candle at both ends and twice in the middle I floated between 145-150 at 6 feet tall. I could hide behind a broom handle. Caught a lot of **** for being skinny as a kid...now I go to a Class Reunion and laugh...and remind them all I still have all my hair too...LOL...




Since I am feeling 1000 time better I Jetted out customh's little project...

No NDA Travis so I hope you don't mind...

Hoffman Box, add 5 cutouts equally spaced. Had to find the correct offset. So I started with a 1 inch hole centered where the cutout will go...cut and adjust.

View media item 90934
Once adjusted finish running the program

View media item 90935
Reassemble...

View media item 90936
I need to spend a little more time with the software to understand how to create a boarder and then make the cutouts within the boarder excluded. Right now I am faking the machine out by hitting the pause before it goes to cut the outer edge of the part that already exists.


At noon today a new project is going to be worked on. A set of Header Flanges for a Procharged 572 Ford with BAE Heads on it...

View media item 90937
I have already run this Flange a few weeks back for another application. This set will be from either 1/2 or 3/8 Stainless. Not sure why these guys like to go so heavy on the Flange thickness. I have made thousands of Flanges at 1/4 thick and work great...1/2 the material price and cut twice as fast and every ounce of savings adds up.

He will also need a Fuel Cell which he send me pics of his mockup made form cardboard. I'll water jet the parts, form them and he wants to do all the welding. He is a very talented and skilled fabricator...he has built every car he has ever raced. He has quite the history in the Turbo Mustang Drag Radial shows. I'll see if I can help him further his obsession...

View media item 90938
His last car, the Mustang in the foreground:

 

[customh]

Since I am feeling 1000 time better I Jetted out customh's little project...

No NDA Travis so I hope you don't mind...

Hoffman Box, add 5 cutouts equally spaced. Had to find the correct offset. So I started with a 1 inch hole centered where the cutout will go...cut and adjust.

...

I'm glad you posted about it. FedEx says I'll get the devices to fill the panel cutouts on Friday- probably won't have time to assemble and wire until next week though. This should force me to post some assembly/wiring/ "what it replaces" and final install photos. Will probably just put a link in here so as not to clutter your thread. The trick will be to keep the other OSHA violations that will still need fixing out of the pictures.

 

[4 FN 27]

I am getting back in the saddle...Snowmobile season is about done. Don't think I need to worry about plowing until next winter...

So last Wednesday morning I heard something that woke me up about 3:30. I sat up and my Wife asked whats up? I told her I heard something and she said "It's just snow sliding off the house".

Well it was snow sliding...it slid off the Shop. First time this winter. Record setting snow fall was sitting up there from day 1 of winter. I pointed my headlight down by the shop and saw the mess...

View media item 91401
2 Hours in the Skid Steer and its all cleaned up...but it might be June before the piles are gone.

View media item 91402
Sunday I Jetted out the part for the Fuel Cell, 1 more Header Flange and a Filter for a Telescope for one of our employees.

I like the Clamp system works nice but I am finding the sheets still float up where there is no Clamping. Surface area and the Jet Pressure pushing back causes it. Oh well we have parts...

View media item 91403
Flats ready for the Press Brake.

View media item 91404
Set up the Brake using some 'barrowed" tooling form the plant...not sure if I'll returning it About $1800 worth of tooling in the picture. About $900 per 1 meter section. Nice to have a 1/2 Radii Punch on hand at all times. The Blue tape is so the Aluminum doesn't scuffed up any more than it is already...it was left overs from a job.

View media item 91406
All dimensions check within .020 from nominal...not bad for running without set-up parts.

View media item 91407
Angles are a tad open but that is why God created Clamps and Hammers.

View media item 91408
Love it when it will all fit together and stand up without a single tack weld.

View media item 91409
Transitions...I love doing transitions. I did this one the old fashion way projecting lines because my buddy wanted to watch the process.

View media item 91410
The 6 inch Hole is for the Air Intake...passes through the Fuel Cell.

Now it is not a good thing to drop the Top Punch on a Inkzall Red Marker at the Brake...looks like somebody got punched bad. I did a double take thinking where am I bleeding now???

View media item 91411
Last but not least...a Telescope Filter...

View media item 91405
Don't know anything about Photography through a Telescope but my guy at work does. It was like he was speaking a different language...and was he happy. He started working for us a couple of years ago coming from a competitor. He is shocked the ownership walks the Manufacturing Floor and will talk to the employees....not the culture where he came from. Sad really. I like knowing these guys and their families.

 

[purplezr2]

Where is up north? I don't live to far from where they build those ugly green ditch pickles .

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Damn, your posts always deliver!

 

[4 FN 27]

Where is up north? I don't live to far from where they build those ugly green ditch pickles .

Thems fighten words...

Northern MN, WI.

 

[zmotorsports]

Great projects Pat. Your workmanship and skill level just floors me every time I see one of your fantastic project posts.

 

[4 FN 27]

Damn, your posts always deliver!

Great projects Pat. Your workmanship and skill level just floors me every time I see one of your fantastic project posts.

Thanks guys...just doing what I love. WHEN I HAVE TIME...lol...





Pretty quiet weekend. Must be spring...I did step one cleaning the upper house Garage. In a few weeks after the rain washes the salt and sand from the roads I'll hit it hard with the floor scrubber.

Other than that I spent most of the day cleaning up the shop and assembling a Cabinet Project I started a while ago...

 

[zmotorsports]

Damn Pat, even your house garage is immaculate. Floor scrubber and all.

 

[4 FN 27]

Damn Pat, even your house garage is immaculate. Floor scrubber and all.

Thank you Mike. I like it clean...but I should have done the before and after. After vacuuming up all the sand first I had to empty the Shop Vac. The ol'Plow Truck can drag in a mess every time.





Last week was a blur. Ended up falling behind on a project so we had to run 24-7 until caught up. If I ask the boys to fight for me I stand in the trenches next t them...3 guys on days and 3 guys on nights running 12 hour shifts.

Not an easy part either. This is the first set-up in one machine. 2 Machines had this set-up feeding one machine that does the final bends. The guys on this op were putting 22 hits (bends).

View media item 91618
Second set-up, this op was 12 hits for a total of 32 hits per part and we are holding +/-.020 across all those bends:

View media item 91619
Bends after the first op:

View media item 91620
Complete part after second op:

View media item 91621
I owe the guys big time after this one...

I ended up useful on Saturday. They broke a tool so I went down to the Machine Shop and relieved one in the Mill...I felt like fish out of water. I know where everything is in my shop and have not a clue where anything is here.

Not an easy part to figure out the hit order on or the clearance it will take.

View media item 91622
On Sunday I headed home about 1:30 in the afternoon after arriving at 6:30 am. Decided to take the Snow Blower off the JD. And while I was at it clean up the Skid Steer and Truck Plows too.

View media item 91614
View media item 91616
And wouldn't you know it...I look outside and it is snowing...

View media item 91617
At that point might as well keep going and clean the Snowmobile up.

View media item 91615
Scrubbed it down and shined it up...thinking it is going up for sale...need something a tad more aggressive...thinking a tricked out 2019 ******** Twin Rail with a few mods...

I am hoping this week is a little more calm and I can get some shop time at night!!!

 

[purplezr2]

Thank you Mike. I like it clean...but I should have done the before and after. After vacuuming up all the sand first I had to empty the Shop Vac. The ol'Plow Truck can drag in a mess every time.





Last week was a blur. Ended up falling behind on a project so we had to run 24-7 until caught up. If I ask the boys to fight for me I stand in the trenches next t them...3 guys on days and 3 guys on nights running 12 hour shifts.

No an easy part either. This is the first set-up in one machine. 2 Machines had this set-p feeding one machine that does the final bends. The guys one this op were putting 22 hits (bends).

View media item 91618
Second set-up, this op was 12 hits for a total of 32 hits per part and we are holding +/-.020 across all those bends:

View media item 91619
Bends after the first op:

View media item 91620
Complete part after second op:

View media item 91621
I owe the guys big time after this one...

I ended up useful on Saturday. They broke a tool so I went down to the Machine Shop and relieved one in the Mill...I felt like fish out of water. I know where everything is in my shop and have not a clue where anything is here.

Not an easy part to figure out the hit order on or the clearance it will take.

View media item 91622
On Sunday I headed home about 1:30 in the afternoon after arriving at 6:30 am. Decided to take the Snow Blower off the JD. And while I was at it clean up the Skid Steer and Truck Plows too.

View media item 91614
View media item 91616
And wouldn't you know it...I look outside and it is snowing...

View media item 91617
At that point might as well keep going and clean the Snowmobile up.

View media item 91615
Scrubbed it down and shined it up...thinking it is going up for sale...need something a tad more aggressive...thinking a tricked out 2019 ******** Twin Rail with a few mods...

I am hoping this week is a little more calm and I can get some shop time at night!!!

Pat, No Alpha one?


I work for the competition hence the previous comment.

I do enjoy following your thread.

 

[4 FN 27]

Pat, No Alpha one?

I work for the competition hence the previous comment.

I do enjoy following your thread.

LOL...comment accepted. Would like to try an Alpha. My concern being Scratchers??? Where do you mount them on a Mono Rail???

I have a owned a P-Word...1990 650SKS. Owned it for 10 minutes...long enough to get the Vendor discount of 10% back then when I worked at a different shop.

I have done a little design work for P-Word recently. Designed and built some Waterfall Racks for a Show in Vegas to display clothing...fun little project...

I know both brands very well...been riding Cats since 1970. Edgar Hetteen and David Johnson were my Roommate from College Uncles...In High School and College we got to try some of the experimental stuff during prototyping. They gave us a Wetbike to play on for a couple of summers.

Hope I can get on with a few projects to give you something to follow...but Thank you!!!

 

[bradpac]

No an easy part either. This is the first set-up in one machine. 2 Machines had this set-p feeding one machine that does the final bends. The guys one this op were putting 22 hits (bends).

The precision of your work and cleanliness is amazing.

We run folding brakes for architectural sheet metal (typically 24 gauge). In our world the customers are more concerned with how fast they can get it and how cheap it is. If it measures close with a tape, its good.

Thanks for sharing, one of these days I hope we can do some more precision stuff like this.

 

[OldNeons]

Wow, that part is really impressive Pat! I can't imagine just trying to run it through the brake in the proper manner - let alone program it to come out right (and within .020!) in the end. Amazing work you and your guys are turning out there.

 

[4 FN 27]

The precision of your work and cleanliness is amazing.

We run folding brakes for architectural sheet metal (typically 24 gauge). In our world the customers are more concerned with how fast they can get it and how cheap it is. If it measures close with a tape, its good.

Thanks for sharing, one of these days I hope we can do some more precision stuff like this.

Thank you!!! I like a nice clean shop. I worked in a dungeon for the first half of my career...thus nice and bight along with Air Conditioning.

We share few of the same type of customers...cheap!!! There is no Red Cross sign in front of our building. My guys are highly skilled and deserve what they earn and it doesn't come easy.

Wow, that part is really impressive Pat! I can't imagine just trying to run it through the brake in the proper manner - let alone program it to come out right (and within .020!) in the end. Amazing work you and your guys are turning out there.

Thank you!!! Just picked up an order Friday for a like part. Have another 1750+ to run by May 3rd. The PO should be on my desk sometime in the morning. I spent Friday 12 hours getting it all engineered and programmed. Should be a fun one...but since we backwards scheduled it we shouldn't have to go 24-7 I hope.




After the grind of the last few weeks I decided to switch gears from Winter to summer. Washed up the "Ditch Pickles" and the trailer. Lucky for me just as I was about to wash it a heavy rain came our way. I hooked up the trailer and went for a 20 mile drive to rinse the salt off...then washed it.

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Found a new project...the "lid" on the trailer needs to be resealed...save that for later this summer...


Prior to that I washed up the Green Machines and pull maintenance on them for the first cut coming soon I think unless we get the snow they are talking about later this week...just in time since I put the plows away...oh well.

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On Friday my buddy sent me pics of his fuel cell all welded up...1 inch fuel line for delivery. Guess that is what it takes to make 3000 HP.

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Like a kid at Christmas...after 10 month to the day wait I finally received my latest Gun Muffler...trying to be neighborly and stealthy.

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Also received in a couple of smaller Gun Mufflers but having an issue with the last transfer of 5. All sent at the same time and got a different examiner for the last one and she has issue with the verbiage in my Trust. Spent 3 hours with my Trust Attorney and my fingers are cross the transfer will come through in a month or so...the wheels turn slowly...

This week is going to get busy...lots of irons in the fire. Looking forward to having Good Friday off...the plant will be closed!!!

 

[zmotorsports]

Awesome looking projects Pat.

I went through my mowers a couple of weeks ago one evening after work and have already mowed my lawn twice, third time will be tonight. It's starting to green up nicely and look a hell of a lot better now that the white **** is gone.

 

[4 FN 27]

Awesome looking projects Pat.

I went through my mowers a couple of weeks ago one evening after work and have already mowed my lawn twice, third time will be tonight. It's starting to green up nicely and look a hell of a lot better now that the white **** is gone.

Thank you Mike...the snow is almost gone. Might be another week before the piles in front of the shop are gone. Yesterday it hit 77° and I was sweating telling my BIL I already miss winter...LOL...I'd rather plow than mow...




Yesterday I wrapped up a little project I started about a year ago. My Oil Drain System and Funnel storage.

One of the problems with Corrugated Steel is firing out the interior. Nobody makes...well stocks 1 inch thick Plywood. So I cut strips on my makeshift "Table Saw" and glued them up.

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Next it was off to the Water Jet with some 16 ga 304-2B SST. Cut all the items I needed and headed to the Press Brake. The BIL helped with the big panel.

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Screwed the firing strips to the wall and started mounting the Panels.

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Finished mounting everything...well short of running out of screws. Had enough to get everything where it belongs. Just need a 1/2 NTP to 1/2 Hose fitting and it will be mission accomplished.

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Now to figure out what next!!!

Happy Easter everyone!!!

Just a reminder the Annual GDS Skunkworks Easter Egg Hunt is cancelled due to unfortunate accident:

 

[rmack898]

Just a reminder the Annual GDS Skunkworks Easter Egg Hunt is cancelled due to unfortunate accident:

That ain't right PAT, glad my kids are all grown.

 

[strength_and_power]

Amazing shop. I was in Brooklynn Center in March setting up a new project. The cold wasn’t as bad as I was expecting but I damn sure didn’t drag my feet getting from the car to the building. Sounds like a helluva company you run. I could probably get used to the cold...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[4 FN 27]

Amazing shop. I was in Brooklynn Center in March setting up a new project. The cold wasn’t as bad as I was expecting but I damn sure didn’t drag my feet getting from the car to the building. Sounds like a helluva company you run. I could probably get used to the cold...

Next time you are in town PM me and you can stop by.




Been a crazy busy month and half...I can barely keep my head above water. We had our best first quarter ever...no rest for the wicked I guess.

I have managed to slip away for a few moments of R&R...right after Easter my buddy and I ent up and spent a day getting our Shooting Range ready for the summer if it ever gets here and quits raining. Took a little time after all the work to teach his daughter how to shoot with a Scope. I gave her a 22-250 somebody gave me and 200 rounds. Didn't take long and she was shooting a 250 yards.

Then she took a few pulls on my MRAD 308.

Took another weekend to head up to a buddies Cabin with on other guy who is a talented mechanic to help them get it ready for the summer. Hauled my Lawn Tractor and all my other fix it tools along since up there you never know what might be working and what might not.

The Cabin owners are not very handy thus we had lots to do. Took 3 days and we had the yard whipped into shape and rebuilt the deck...sorry no pics...

Then my shooting buddy calls and says he has all the stuff to fix the Trim on his Motorhome stored at my shop. So he and I R&R'ed the trip while my BIL and former Racing Partner watched and drank beer. They were pretty good at handing us tools and running back and forth to the tool box...and holding down the lawn equipment to keep it from blowing away.

While we were up on the lift we found his crescent wrench he lost...it had been riding around up there for 2 years...I had to laugh.

This weekend I worked on the yard and got it whipped into shape...well as much as I could due to the fact it is water logged with all the rain we have been having.

I washed up the 24 Foot Featherlite Trailer that is up for sale. Cleaned it inside and out. Also washed the Motorhome, aired up the tires and gave it a good once over and a 10 mile test drive. Everything is in working order for once (knock on wood).

Over the weekend the boys were up at Brainerd International taunting me trying to get me to make a come back...nope not gonna do it. One of them sent me a picture from 20 years ago with my Nova I built in the winner circle...yep that is me on second from the left....long hair and shorts. Still have long hair but haven't had a pair of shorts on in 10+ years...LOL...

Hope to be clearing my schedule so I can get back in my shop and get projects caught up. I am seriously thinking of retiring...

 

[LXCam]

I am seriously thinking of retiring...

Ya know Pat, I think retirement will the only thing you'll fail at.

 

[bdbecker]

Ya know Pat, I think retirement will the only thing you'll fail at.

Judging by the posts on this thread, I would have to agree with that.

 

[4 FN 27]

Ya know Pat, I think retirement will the only thing you'll fail at.

Judging by the posts on this thread, I would have to agree with that.

We can't excel at everything...I am only human.

But seriously I am friends with a guy who is 76 years old dying from cancer. He said something the other day when I was over picking up a firearm I had purchased from him, he said "you will never be as young as you are right now." "you can buy anything except time."

This came up in a conversation about the projects he has in his garage. He has a '61 Fuel Injected Corvette he purchased new when he had just turned 19 years old. He sold it years ago to a friend. His friend passed about 5 years ago and he bought the car back from his widow. He is coming down the home stretch of restoring it but runs out of energy to get it done.

This got me thinking...I am only 20 years behind him. I enjoy what I do everyday...but there are a lot of things yet undone I would like to do...but simply don't have the time. If I take more than 2-3 days off at any one time my desk is piled to the ceiling. We decided a couple of years ago to lighten my load by hiring a few people to take over Building/Grounds/Equipment Maint, Federal/State and Local compliance issues and all but 2 of my Sales Accounts. This allowed me to work a pretty close to normal 40-45 hour week for a year but one of my 2 accounts continues to grow. They went from 70 people in 2009 to over 700 today. We as a company helped them grow by filling a niche they have a need for. And I happen to be that filler.

I have been looking for an Engineer/Sheet Metal Layout/Estimator/Project Manager/Sales Person to take over some of my responsibilities but have come up short with the commitment it takes to keep this type of work in house.

Maybe I'll take a 6 month sabbatical and see how it goes...uncharted territory for me. I just don't want to see my Customer erode or go somewhere else. Or maybe I'll see if I can work 4 day weeks and then 3 days and so on.

We have a young guy who got a Tech Degree and we created a career path for him in the company where he should be in Engineering in about 12-18 more months. He has the personality and the profile to do what I do...happens to be my Nephew. When he started here he did not put on his resume that he is related (he is my sisters son, thus he has his fathers last name). Upon reading his resume our Operations VP called me down to his office and said you need to see this resume. This guy could be your twin brother. I laughed and said it is my Nephew. We will have to see how that plays in.

Watched my Dad retire at 55, he worked like I do and it took him a good 5 years to adjust...but he did not have a garage he played in. He did and still does sit on the Board of Directors of a few national Investment/Venture Capital groups as well as the BOD of a College. This occupies some of his time and managing my Mother occupies the rest. Watching this model unfold over the last 20 years makes me think it is a good deal for my Wife that the Shop is a 500 foot walk from the house.

I have some goal setting to do for 2020...

 

[bdbecker]

I think what LXCam was hinting at that (at least how I interpreted his comment) is that you don't seem like the type to sit around in a rocking chair sipping tea all afternoon. If you retire to "have more time" to work on projects, I suspect you'll be just as busy (if not more) as you are now, just with different things. Things you probably would be more passionate about and find more fulfilling.

Being an engineer type, you're used to looking at things pragmatically. Do the same for this decision about retiring early. What is the upside if you stay another 20 years? What do you have to gain/lose? What if you walked away tomorrow? Is there a compromise in between those two extremes (perhaps gradually over the next few years) that nets you the greatest benefit?

I do understand what you are saying about not wanting to walk away from something you built for fear that things might go sideways without you there to keep an eye on things. The reality is that you're going to have to let it go someday. Better to do it on your own terms than to be forced out by some health issue or old age, right?

I'm not trying to tell you what to do, just trying to highlight a few things you probably already know and have considered.