On Sat, 21 Oct 2017 07:18:36 -0400, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Christopher Tidy" wrote in message
...
Am Samstag, 21. Oktober 2017 06:32:59 UTC+2 schrieb Rudy Canoza:

I am certain the majority of people who follow this group make the
wrong
decision on make-or-buy.

There aren't universal right and wrong decisions here. It depends on
the person, tools available, interest and time. Lately I built two
workbenches and a vice (vise, if you're American) myself. This was
better for me, because the end products were exactly what I needed and
it was fun. But someone else might have preferred to buy them.

=============

I faced the build-or-buy decision continually as a builder and
sometimes designer of industrial test equipment for new products.
Sometims the best choice was a split, such as contracting for the
refrigeration but building the heaters and controls for temperature
cycling chambers.

You operated on a much higher level than I, but the concept was the
same. I look at something and decide whether or not to build based on
cost, features, precision, and need. For things like the 0-30v 0-5a
bench supply, I figured I couldn't even source the parts for $46, and
it would take days to build, so that was an easy decision.


If the schedule permitted I'd attempt some new task like brazing
copper tubing at least once to better understand its potentials and
limitations. That's how I got into machining and welding and sheet
metal fab; I never intended to do them for a living, only better
understand how to employ them efficiently. The time was an educational
expense, just like the chemistry lab work we practiced but would
likely have an assistant for later.

I found that I really enjoyed imagining some new mechanism and then
creating it, sometimes more than using it. After the one flight lesson
I took the instructor, an aerospace engineer, told me that students
divide into those who enjoy building planes and those who only want to
fly them. I'm definitely on the builder side.

Ditto here. I've always wanted to know exactly how things work, and
disassembling/reassembling them or building them from scratch after
reading books/hitting Google was the best way. I think I enjoy the
research almost as much as the building and using of anything. And
after that, the information is mine to use again down the road.

I see how six different mfgrs build their gadgets, then I take the
best of the lot and assemble something with all the bells and whistles
I prefer, or build two, with different features on each. If I've
never seen the tool I need to do something, I'll design and build it,
then rebuild it during the first tests to make it better for (this
and) the next time.

Most of us here on RCM are Makers; tool-users to the Nth degree. It's
the only way to live.

--
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to
succeed is more important than any one thing.
-- Abraham Lincoln