Charles Angelich wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

CA>> This was some time ago (I have 15 grandchildren) and I
CA>> think it was a bit expensive too. 

RJT> You're somewhat ahead of me on that score, I only have
RJT> six. So far... 

CA> If you have daughters give them bottles of Asti-Spumonti as
CA> presents, if you have sons buy them a subscription to Playboy.
CA> Fires need 'tinder'. 

CA> Just kidding.

Heh.  The oldest grandkid is already getting too serious about one
particular boy.  And she's only just turned 13!



CA>> Not sure of prices but I would guess in the $20k range for
CA>> a small CAM milling machine? 

RJT> Heh. That's what I figured. I worked at one place that had such a 
RJT> machine, which was there to do stuff to boards. He did all sorts 
RJT> of sophisticated RF stuff, the detailed nature of which I have no 
RJT> clue about (I was there to do computers). I never saw it work the 
RJT> whole time I was there, a couple of months, and remember only one 
RJT> comment about it, that it was expensive to get and also expensive
RJT> to operate for some reason. 

CA> Sounds like wire-EDM used to make very small parts as small and 
CA> delicate as gears for a wrist watch. It was THE money-maker for 
CA> some years. A friend tried to talk me into investing and then 
CA> operating one as a business. I don't like aerospace types and 
CA> didn't want to deal with them but he was right it was almost 
CA> sure-fire way to get wealthy fast.

Hmm.  That's interesting,  but I probably couldn't afford the investment required...

CA> Auto workers and aerospace don't get along well. Aerospace tend to
CA> think they walk on water because of all the gov funding they can
CA> afford to be arrogant.

Heh.

 CA> --8<--cut 

RJT> rods, etc. Maybe someday I'll even play with the idea a bit. We'll 
RJT> see. I have *no* idea where you'd go for thinks like the cutters 
RJT> and such, though.

CA> I wouldn't recommend it. You can hurt yourself easilly and the
CA> costs are prohibitive unless you inherit or win the lottery. :-)

I don't see why that should be the case.

CA>> --8<--cut 

CA>> The 'slang' for wood patternmakers when a person puts too much 
CA>> effort into making a wood pattern look good is to call it 
CA>> 'furniture'.

RJT> Heh. This guy did some of that, too. And the other guy even had a 
RJT> "treadle lathe", foot-operated. To me that's carrying things a bit 
RJT> to the extreme, though I suppose for a fairly small amount of work 
RJT> where acquiring a regular lathe wouldn't in any way be practical, 
RJT> it might be worthwhile. 

CA> I've seen automotive patterns glued to walls in sci-fi movies. An 
CA> engine turned inside out (spatially) is not recognizeable as an 
CA> engine but is interesting to look at.

Sounds like an image I'd like to see,  some time,  just so I could know
what you're talking about here.

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