Back in the mid 90s atleast partly with help from this group I made my first
"punch" and "die." I needed to install some photo beams at a port of entry
for a pedestrian counter. I designed the "system" using a variety of parts
and components, but I was concerned about the photo beams themselves. They
had something like a 5 year warranty, but the lenses were polycarbonate.
Each set of beams had to be placed in a walkway between counters. My
concern was that people brushing by would quickly wear the lens as clothing
bags, and misc items brushed against the sides of the walkway. I didn't
want to be that guy who everybody there got to know because I was always
there fixing it. I had the idea to recess the emitter and sensor so that
only the most aggressive brushing up against might contact the surfaces. I
looked all over, but nobody made a recessed electrical plate that I thought
would work. I took a piece of hot rolled (didn't even know what it was
called at the time) and cut one pieces with a rectangular hole in it to mate
with the back of an aluminum electrical blank plate. I chamfered the edges
by hand with a grinder so it was a decent fit. Then I cut a small piece to
mate with it about plate thickness smaller all the way around and hand
chamfered it as well. Then I just mashed a cover plate between them with my
hydraulic press. (had it for automotive work, not machine work) It looked
amazingly good. I doubt the guys at GSA ever noticed that was a custom
piece.

As a new (mostly black box) system it had its development issues, but lens
wear of the emitter and sensor was not one of them. It was in use for years
until they went to a new system with some big contractor at all the ports.

That was definitely metal working. I doubt it was really machining though
except in the crudest sense. I take that sort of approach to a lot of what
I do. I don't have a stick up my butt about being a "machinist" "welder"
"fabricator" "mechanic". In fact my knowledge is lacking really in all of
those areas even though now I make my living as a niche market mold maker.
I can weld. If its important to look pretty I do some practice welds and
then do the real weld after I've taken a break and I am fresh. If it just
has to stick I burn it together and clean it up with a grinder. I know less
about welding than almost anybody else in this group, but oddly enough I
have five electric welders and an OA rig and I have welded parts still in
use today with all but one of them. (Just got a new AC/DC pulse TIG a
couple days ago.) Fabricator is a tough term to define, but I've built and
converted trailers a welding table wood storage rack and various other
things to fit needs.A lot of welding there, but various other fabrication
skills as well. Still I don't consider myself a fabricator. I do have
people bring me things to make or fix, but I turn down a lot of it unless
they are friends and they stay to help. What about a machinist... No. Just
ask any old manual machinist. I'm just a hack, button pushing, shade tree,
wannabe by the very fact that I never serviced apprenticeship for 3
lifetimes in a steam powered line shop. LOL.

Since I'm no longer a contractor (retired and sold out) what does that make
me? There is a lot I don't know, but very few projects am I afraid to try
to come up with a solution. Atleast for myself. I won't always take on
projects for others. If I don't know I learn how. If I can't figure it out
myself I ask questions. If I don't have the recommended tools I think about
it and see if I can find alternatives. If I still have to have the tools I
put them on the list and when I have money I buy them.

The term "Maker" always bothered me. It didn't sound quite right, but
ultimately I think that's what I am. A maker. I find ways to make what I
need and I don't worry to much about being true to any particular trade. If
it works it works.

I'm a long time member of this group of course. Saddens me to see that
signal to nose ration what it is today. I'm a member of various other
groups. Some very specialized around a particular piece of equipment like
the Yahoo mailing list for the mini lathe and others more broad like Home
Shop Machinist, so when I started my own group (on Facebook) what did I call
it? Makers & Builders. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MakersBuilders/
Visit or don't. I'm good either way.