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Bob La Londe[_7_] Bob La Londe[_7_] is offline
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Default My First Punch and Die - Makers & Builders

Its pretty sad when I have to kill list my own thread because regulars
keep replying to the trolls I already have blocked.

On 4/25/2019 8:24 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:
Back in the mid 90s atleast partly with help from this group I made my
first "punch" and "die."Â* I needed to install some photo beams at a port
of entry for a pedestrian counter.Â* I designed the "system" using a
variety of parts and components, but I was concerned about the photo
beams themselves.Â* 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.Â* 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.Â* I didn't want to be that guy who everybody
there got to know because I was always there fixing it.Â* I had the idea
to recess the emitter and sensor so that only the most aggressive
brushing up against might contact the surfaces.Â* I looked all over, but
nobody made a recessed electrical plate that I thought would work.Â* 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.Â* I chamfered the edges by
hand with a grinder so it was a decent fit.Â* Then I cut a small piece to
mate with it about plate thickness smaller all the way around and hand
chamfered it as well.Â* Then I just mashed a cover plate between them
with my hydraulic press.Â* (had it for automotive work, not machine
work)Â* It looked amazingly good.Â* 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.Â* 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.Â* I doubt it was really machining
though except in the crudest sense.Â* I take that sort of approach to a
lot of what I do.Â* I don't have a stick up my butt about being a
"machinist" "welder" "fabricator" "mechanic".Â* 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.Â* 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.Â* If it just has to stick I burn it together and
clean it up with a grinder.Â* 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.Â* (Just got a new AC/DC pulse TIG a couple days
ago.)Â* 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.Â* Still I don't consider myself a
fabricator.Â* 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.Â* What
about a machinist... No.Â* Just ask any old manual machinist.Â* 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.Â* LOL.

Since I'm no longer a contractor (retired and sold out) what does that
make me?Â* There is a lot I don't know, but very few projects am I afraid
to try to come up with a solution.Â* Atleast for myself.Â* I won't always
take on projects for others.Â* If I don't know I learn how.Â* If I can't
figure it out myself I ask questions.Â* If I don't have the recommended
tools I think about it and see if I can find alternatives.Â* 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.Â* It didn't sound quite right, but
ultimately I think that's what I am.Â* A maker.Â* I find ways to make what
I need and I don't worry to much about being true to any particular
trade.Â* If it works it works.

I'm a long time member of this group of course.Â* Saddens me to see that
signal to nose ration what it is today.Â* I'm a member of various other
groups.Â* 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?Â* Makers & Builders.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MakersBuilders/ Visit or don't.Â* I'm
good either way.


Its pretty sad when I have to kill list my own thread because regulars
keep replying to the trolls I already have blocked.