What Excuse?

Ramblin’ Dan Today…

I try not to go on guilt trips. The view is depressing, and it doesn’t solve any problems if I am busy blaming myself. I can be guilty of many things, but I don’t have to ride the train… Uh, oh… speaking of trains. That reminds me…

I am guilty of putting my live steam and model trains fun on the back burner. Heck, there are a lot of things back there, just simmering. Some of them may be stone cold… Well, that’s the way it goes. I can’t feel guilty about not being able to eat everything at once.

A few people tell me they can’t imagine doing all the projects in which I have been involved. They don’t see the pile of “round-tuits” on the other side of the stove. That’s OK.

I really want to get back to metal working on the lathes and mills. Usually termed “machining.” Live steam is a great base for justifying detailed machine work. A live steam engine is an exquisite machine in its own right. Lots of moving parts and metal thingies to create from scratch materials.

My interest is as much if not more in the construction process as the finished product. A finished model is a reason to go start another project.

It was that way for me when I was very active in radio control model airplanes. Yes, I flew the heck out of my models, but the construction was where most of the enjoyment was created.

The lost wax silver work I do is the same thing. I like the creative process more than the finished jewelry. I love my creations, but I can’t wait to sell or give them to someone, so I can make more. I don’t collect my finished work.

Most recently the 3D printing I do, is about the design and making. I don’t keep most of the things I print. They are sold and given away. Many printed toy items I give to my granddaughter. No collection for me. What I keep for myself are things like printed storage containers or tool holders.

Let me see if I can make the leap back to serious machine shop work. Something must be moved to the rear of the stove to do that. I can only handle one-man projects.

Forty-five years or so ago my self-cloning experiment created a son and a daughter (twins), but they don’t pick up the work I put aside. (Thank goodness, they are not exactly like me!) They don’t even hang-out with me, but will help when asked nicely… So, I must make decisions on what stays hot and what goes cold. Stuff I can cook and eat myself… ha!

I like small scale model machine work. That’s why I offer the Taig tools for sale. Perfect for the small micro work. (Wax carving for jewelry.) I use what I call midi sized machine tools for slightly larger projects. The Proxxon PD400 shown here.  Perfect equipment for a smaller hobbyist work-shop. I make real working and durable parts from metal, but am not equipped or have the desire to make commercial machined parts.

Time is unstoppable. Only in a photograph. But even they change and fade with time, except if you post them on Faceboob.

Time is certainly not waiting on me. I am in my seventh decade. The best time to act is now, the present.

Bottom line, I have a nice work-shop and what I need in machine tools. It is all there to start right back where I stopped. OK RD, get out there and let the chips fly. I can do this. Then writing excuses like this can stop.