Stealth Pilot wrote:

all the while I see web page after web page of beautiful little motors
built by guys who all hide the tooling.

you all drive me nuts! I wish you *******s would all have ten stuffed
items for every decent thing you build!

Why, they DO, of course! Now, some of these guys have had few
bad parts lately, but they made plenty when they started out,
just like me and you! But, they don't bring THOSE to the shows,
or put pictures of them in the magazines!
whats the secret?
is there a switch on the back of my machine tools that is set to
'produce rough crap' ?
aaaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think in the sports world, they call this "choking". If you
can make great parts except those that you really CARE about,
then it is a psychological thing, like the great golf player who
plays great through an entire tournament, but then blows a 3
foot putt to lose the whole match.

But, maybe it is a materials thing. Engine parts are often made
of "harder stuff", and that always stresses the machine and
tooling more. Tell an experienced engine maker that YOU never
had a chatter problem in Inconel, and he'll throw you out of the
shop as an obvious liar!

Jon