used-iron

We mark everything that is touched either in the field or shop work. never in plain sight,and if the part or repair is concealed ,in addition to the stamped mark it is dated and initaled with a permant marker. Some years back we did a repair to a large centrifugal pump for a wholesale bait fish operation. The owner [a crook] and his insurance company refused to pay claiming that we were never there. When it ended up in court we told the judge we could prove it,but then i wanted to be paid not only for the first bill but for labor and expenses . He said ok just try and settle out of court. I then removed the end cap on the motor in front of the crook,his lawyer,and a court appointed witness. Just how did my mark,initals,and the date of the bill get there? Got paid everything including our shop rate for all lost time. MARK AND DATE everything. Lee from NYS land of taxes

Your rates are what you feel you need to make a living and a PROFIT. Otherwise its a hobby and your day job is subsidizing your shop. From here you are not charging enough. As far as the master carpenter goes that title is self bestowed,probably in the bath room at the local big box store where his third world tape was purchased. Don't waste a moment of time thinking about it just raise your prices and keep on working.That seems to chase away the bottom feeders and bring in a better class of customer. Lee from NYS land of taxes

Looks like the gene pool is real shallow in that part of the world.

I have loaded trucks with a cable shovel ( Unit ) repowered with a Chrysler straight 8,major gas hog. Not a good job, the motor was to big for the Unit. Then it was repowered again with a Buda diesel.Dug ditches with a cable hoe (Bucyrus Erie) powered by Walkashaw gas. Drilled water wells with cable tool rigs by Cyclone, BE , & Speedstar powered with everything from continetal, ford ,buda, detroit ,and allis chalmers. Those are just some of what i can recall. In later years we ran rotary drills. All the while the machine shop was running nites to fix the above collection of iron. At that time it was line shaft ,converted from hit and miss (Stover)to electric motor about the time i started. When i started we were still hand sharpening drills in an oil forge.Thank goodness for the bit service,and then carbide bits. Now retired to the machine shop full time.Yes all the machinery has been updated in the shop and the drills are all sold off. Started the summer i was 14 as gofer and was to dumb to run at first chance.Am 61 now and my kids call me a dinosaur. Lee from NYS land of taxes

Have a good holiday everyone. The turkey is the only one having a bad day. Lee from NYS land of taxes

Matt, you start the thread with just a scratch, leading or draging the tool as needed to follow your marks at slow speed. After the thread is deepened the speed is raised. Have read that it would take the best man in the shop approx 1 1/2 days to put a coarse thread on a 12 inch shaft for a steam engine. Not a word said about the nut or female thread to mate up . Lee from NYS land of taxes

Those dividers were a necessary tool when cutting threads on a plain lathe,one without a lead screw. A series of parallel lines would be laid out down the length of the job. then step off with the dividers the pitch of the thread on the first line,and on each line in sucession, advancing by the necessary amount the thread would have progressed in the space between the lines. The points laid out would then be marked with a center punch and chalked or soap stoned so they could be seen. Then this would be cut by hand with a tool much like a wood turning chisel ,using the punch marks for guides. The tool would be hand held over a rest,and fed fast or slow as needed. This was slow work,as many cuts were needed. As stated in a previous post each shop had their own threads, no standardization . Lee from NYS land of taxes

Some how this all sounds familiar . Just remember no good deed goes unpunished. Lee from NYS land of taxes

Thanks for the replies ,however my generous days are over.It seems that if you didn't pay for the tools( for example,}with very few exceptions,no one will take care of them.Hate to say this ,but my grandfather was right when he said the younger generation today has no respect for anything,has no ethics,and doesnt know how to work.My wife says i am turning into another old knot head dutchman. So be it. Lee from NYS land of taxes

There has been a young man (30's) stopping by the shop and showing interest,i let him work on several of his own projects.It came up that he is on a limited budget and cant afford any measuring tools.After some time i gave him a 0-1 and a 1-2 Starret mikes in cases ,a 6 inch German made dial caliper in a case,scale,thread gauges and a dial indicator with a mag base. Several weeks later i notice the tools in a plastic can in the back of his truck all rusted in several inches of water. When i said WTF? His answer was,"it doesnt matter they were not digital so they were junk anyway". At that point he was thrown out and told to never return.What are people thinking? Also will point out that this is a full time machine and welding shop,we always found time to answer his questions and help when he needed it.Come to think of it,he never offered to pay for welding consumables or other small material. Guess i am rather dumb. Rant over. Lee from NYS land of taxes. .

Had a relative that was always tacking and running short beads no helmet ,peeking thru his fingers or closing his eyes, half the time in a T shirt.Full time welder ,so lots of exposure.Just died at age 56,full of cancer,most centered in throat. Always in a hurry. So is there a connection? Good guy ,good welder, miss him. If its worth anything,i always wear a lid and cover up no matter how short the weld or how hot. Lee from NYS land of taxes

Customer provided prints run from very good to useless. Never purchased any,draw our own when necessary,#1 son does them cad when necessary,and makes fun of dad with the drafting board. H owever an employee that can read prints, and produce parts to print is PRICELESS.

depending upon use dont overlook inserts. all different types and materials available. McMaster-Carr has some. Lee from NYS land of taxes

Have to agree,the yellow pages are a waste of $$$ .We call on any one that could possibly use our services and leave a large[4x5]card as well as a regular card with a photo of something half way related to their line of work that we have done. Seems to work . Lee from NYS land of taxes

our shop rate is 65.00usd per hour.this is for machine shop, fabrication and welding. rather than raise our rates due to the increases to us , now charge for consumables,ie rods,wire,gas end mills, carbides and etc. now charge to clean the mud ,grease, cow xxxx etc off the work. One guy hollered real loud said he is never coming back,no loss,he was slow pay,and several bad checks over the years. the other ones got the message, now the work comes in clean. material gets marked up 30 to 50%. you have to pay your bills,taxes, insurance,tie money up in inventory etc.,and,take a salary,and have something for your old age. anything less is just a race to the bottom. Lee from NYS land of taxes