Joe,

Dang, I feel for you. You have all the tools to make amazing stuff. With that CO2 laser you can make all sorts of awesome ornaments. Best of luck. It will get better when people with no skills think they are worth 30 dollars an hour get a reality check.

- O

 

Honestly, I have a nice wood shop and a metal shop. I have a cnc plasma table, several MIG welders, a TIG welder, a cnc router table, a 48" 12 gauge finger brake, several laser machines, and so much more here. I am not boasting, but sheesh ... you would THINK that some teenager would want to come work at "Ol' Mr. Jones's shops" purely for the work experience alone, and to learn how to use machines and tools, and maybe even work on a project of his (or her) own in the spare time. NOPE! Talk to any young person who is not a drug addict or an alcoholic, and they all want $30.00 to $40.00 per hour ... to stare at their phones! I constantly hear from retail stores telling me, "We can't hire anyone! NO ONE WANTS TO WORK!"

It is so frustrating. I am willing to pay someone $40.00 to mow my lawn. (2 acres/90 minutes.) I provide the John Deere Zero Turn mower, the fuel and cool drinks ... but these #$^& kids want $150.00 for 90 minutes of work, to SIT on a riding mower and ride around my lawn! I have a lot of weeds to pull. Not hard work but my old arthritic body can't get down and up again to pull them. So some young person runs an ad on 'Social Media' ... "I am looking for work!" ... Okay. Come pull my weeds. I pay CASH! "Oh, well, my rate is $60.00 per hour ..." Do they think I am going to pay them a dime for every $%&^* WEED they pull up?!? The last time I hired two people to come pull weeds, they worked two full days, 32 man hours of work. Okay, I admit the weeds were tall, but the ground was soft from rain, and they pulled up easily. The bill .. $1,500.00 !!

My home backup generator needed work. The manufacturer has a dealer down in Nashville, 45 miles away. So they drove up to "service" the generator. An oil and filter change, a new spark plug, and repair a battery ground cable the rodents had chewed through. The bill ... $1,450.00. They charged me a $600.00 service call! "You're in a different State, so there is an 'Out of State' added fee ..." 45 miles is 45 MILES. What difference does it make, if you cross the KY./TN. State line to get here?!

What has happened to America? This country is TOAST.

Joe

 

i know your frustration. I have similar body mechanic problems. I had a neighbor kid that the parents wanted to teach the value of money to but the first ice storm and he left my walk covered with ice because it was too cold out.

 

Hi Joe, some bad luck has certainly found you.

I understand your comments regarding the work ethic currently being displayed (not only in USA.)

Too many people have had it too easy for a long time and expect the good times to roll on....

 

It just HURTS to pay some young guy $30.00 per hour to do what I was doing for $1.25 per hour at his age!

Joe

 

Sheesh, you've certainly been put through the ringer...
Maybe just consider doing "small" stuff that doesn't really need a helper. Build enough ornaments, etc.. to bring to a craft show, then use that venue as a way to connect with people with similar interests that are nearby. That could lead to a connection that turns into a new good friend or helper....
Bottom line... don't give up, keep building. Use your shop as a therapist! Then, think about how much money you saved!

 

What city are you near?

 

Franklin, KY is about 20 minutes south of Bowling Green, KY down I-65, and sits on the KY/TN state line.

Joe

 

I rubbed some people the wrong way on another forum for suggesting that machines can improve the results of your projects and as such eliminate the need to learn basic hand tool methods! I don't have a hand saw in my shop but I consider myself a woodworker, just not a very good one. But my machines do improve the accuracy and results of my labor!

I do understand where you are coming from though. I am not a purist and as such offend those who are because I can make good looking projects without having to learn their old school methods. The sad thing is I respect their skill levels and consider them ARTISTS. Now that is something I am NOT!

 

Must have gone close in 2012 during our road trip across USA.

On way from Ciccinnati to Nashville,,,

Great part of USA.

 

Went to a meeting there years ago and I thought it was a nice place. Nice thing about that region is they have lots of hardwood.

 

Well imagine that! I have had my FrankenBarn for 11 YEARS now. I thought it was wired correctly. The inspector signed off the electrical panel and connections, etc.

So time passed, and I never needed to plug anything into the building that ran on 240VAC. I just assumed that everything was correct.

I went to Home Depot and bought two 'YUGE window AC units with heater elements, so the second floor of the FrankenBarn could be comfortable, year round. I ran two new breakers and circuits to the windows, and plugged them in .... NOTHING! no power. Nothing.

I called LG. I called Home Depot. I called the Allstate "protection plan" I had on both units. After nine hours of phone calls, I arranged for a tech to come to my shop from Northern Kentucky to find the problem. After all, I had to remove a window and lift these two monsters to the second floor with a forklift and then install them. I didn't want to have to remove them from the building to return them, ONLY to discover that I had failed to remove a plastic shipping plug, or push in some breaker button or something.

The CLUE was .. TWO brand new AC units, and neither one worked. That pointed to a power supply problem.


A conversation with a guy in the electrical aisle at Lowes gave me a hint. I told him that I had 120VAC on both sides of the outlet ... Doesn't that give me 240VAC? NOPE! He told me to put a meter across the two main power leads into the breaker box. It should read 240VAC (or 220, or 215 ...) My neighbor is an electrician. He came over and checked the building. "You don't have ANY 240VAC in this building!"

So the power company came by to pull the meter. Whoever connected the transformer cables to the meter box failed to cross over the 'B' side of the cables! I had two 120VAC power inputs.

So it took a permit, an appointment, and a utility truck, and a supervisor in his SUV, and an inspector, and an electrician ... to remove the meter, swap two wires behind the connections, and reseal the meter after it was popped back into place.

Boom! 240VAC power, and COLD AIR upstairs!

Now to set up the lasers, and begin my evil plan to take over the world by making artsy-crafty Christmas decorations to sell at the Nashville Christmas Craft show!

Joe

 

So it took a permit, an appointment, and a utility truck, and a supervisor in his SUV, and an inspector, and an electrician ... to remove the meter, swap two wires behind the connections, and reseal the meter after it was popped back into place.

Joe

This is the kind of stuff that literally makes me NUTS! They screw up, they face no consequences and I have to pay for it.

Even just convincing them that they screwed up is craziness. I have to prove that they made a mistake. I can't just say it even though I know it.

In your case it could have ended badly thank God it didn't but to have an inspector not know that the job isn't done right! What the hell did I pay for to have them come into my space check my work or someone else's and be wrong? Everything is a grift anymore.

 

This is the kind of stuff that literally makes me NUTS! [..] Everything is a grift anymore.

I have little faith in humanity any longer.

Joe

 

You can see in the photos ... the two feeds from the rear inlet were fed to the same terminal, and the side feeds were fed to the other terminal. Two wired needed to be swapped, in order for the building to have 240VAC power. The permit and service call was $100.00. I tipped the electrician $60 for getting it done so quickly. "Take your wife out to dinner on me!" They told me OCTOBER, but he knew some people, he made a few calls, and pulled it all together for me in only a few days.

Joe

 

Yep, but I'm just a lowly layperson. I couldn't possible know anything and certainly any opinion I might espouse would have no value.

I had to take my car in for it's yearly inspection the other week. Before I took it in I went back to see what they were "recommending" from the last time. There were several things. Turned out it passed without any "extras" but they had said last year that my tires were dry rotting and most likely would need replaced. When I came home last time I checked the tires. I've seen a few dry rotted tires and none of mine were dry rotted. I called them out on it before the car even went in. They said they had taken pictures but they never showed them to me. The service writer did say that the tires were coded 2014. Did they just assume because they were so old they must be dry rotted? Did AI get involved and decide that they can't be that old without dry rot? Do I need to find another place to go?

When I went to pick the car up. I said I was looking at tires just to get an idea of pricing and there are so many brands that aren't known to me anymore how does one even know what to buy? The other service writer said you don't need to worry you have a lot of wear left in those tires.

How could they be so disparate?

The other day I was trimming back the weeds coming over the fence in the rear from the neighbor's house. I accidentally dropped my pruners on their side of the fence.

I went over and knocked on the door told her what happened and could she please just drop them over the fence when she got a chance. "No worries" she says to me. Here we are 2 weeks later and they're still laying in her backyard through all the rain from the hurricane. This is something that would take under 30 seconds to accomplish but it would require her to get off the compter and walk out the back door.

I could go on and on and on.

 

Funny story ,when I was unemployed I worked for free for 3 weeks at this communications company . I actually met the guy playing pool at our local bar . Turned out I was a quick study and later they needed someone. Worked there for 39 years

 

Hey Joe, sounds like we are in the same area, I live just a little east of Glasgow KY. If you are not too far away from me I'd be willing to come help you out and play with your awesome tools a little (no charge). I am 65 and love to tinker in my shop but would really enjoy coming to help you out. I could mow the grass for you but not sure about pulling weeds, that bending over wreaks havoc on my back after awhile. If you let me know where you are located maybe we can work this out! You can email at (personal contact info removed for security purposes)

 

I will take you up on that offer! On May 07, my LANGMUIR MR-1 cnc MILLING MACHINE arrives. This is a whole new adventure for me. I know absolutely nothing about it, but I was so impressed by its capabilities that I ordered one! (only one! ) This will be a whole new learning curve for me. Hopefully, I will be able to retain enough to actually USE the machine. My memory is failing me at a rapid rate. It is scary, sometimes.

Joe

 

Welcome to the forum. @bobwaas1959

 

Thank you. Happy to be here and will hopefully learn some tips and tricks.

 

Welcome to the forum @bobwaas1959

 

Thank you!

 

I also have learned that woodworking is much lighter than metalworking and as I age the weight of the material becomes an issue!

Metal
Wood
Acrylic

I am at FOAM, so ...

I have organized and set up several personal woodworking shops and would love to help you in any way I can and maybe along the way glean some knowledge from you. I just recently purchased a small laser engraver and am fighting to learn to use it efficiently and I am guessing you might have some tips and tricks that could benefit me!

Let me know when you are ready and I will make arrangements to be there to help.

Bob

The Langmuir MR-1 arrives on Friday 3/14. I also will have a 29-foot scissor lift delivered tomorrow 3/13, to help me build the shop extension. I have rented it for a MONTH. I wasn't comfortable with the "helpful friend" standing on a pallet supported by my forklift 16 feet in the air!

Add to that, a 5K forklift that will be dropped off in time to receive the 1,000 Watt fiber laser table which is too large for my 3K lb. Toyota forklift to unload. The laser is 158" X 80" X 67" and weighs nearly 5,000 lb.

I am building this magnificent shop extension that has sort of morphed from the original design plan. It now has 15 foot walls with a 19 foot peak, and it is 25'x42' I bought TWO of the 25x33 metal barn shed kits in crates from an auction in Georgia. They sell for over $7,900 each on TEMU, but I won both of them for only $4,900.00. I am combining the components from both kits together to make one 'YUGE extension.

To deal with the weak 2"x2" steel tube frame, and to resist "racking" in strong winds, I am doubling up on the frame tubing, to make 2"x6" frame members instead. I THINK that will be a lot stronger against side winds ... 🤞The rear frame will be attached to the FrankenBarn exterior wall, so it does not need the double frame there.

There will be a 12-foot wide roll up door, and I am thinking of adding an internal, self-supporting second floor to this extension as well. Who can't use ANOTHER 1,000 sq. ft. of space?

The two windows will be removed. An opening in the FrankenBarn wall will allow me to place a pallet onto the ground floor level, and also the second floor level. A pallet jack can handle it from there. I may even create a lift platform, so a pallet can be lowered to the basement level when necessary. The building is 32'x60 at ground level, but the basement is only 32'x48'. The additional 12 feet at the ground level with the 'YUGE roll up door was an afterthought.

At some point, I am going to get this cnc router table up and running. A company that supports it says I will be into it for "another $2,700.00 or so..." I am spreading myself very thin at the moment. Too many irons in the fire!

As for the lasers for etching and cutting wood, etc., I have approximately 18 lasers, I think. I have honestly lost count. 🤔 Another laser will arrive soon. A TYVOK 48"x96" 60 Watt diode laser that will cut 1/2" plywood. Also a SWIFTSHAPE machine will be arriving soon, and I have four 'YUGE industrial 3D printers to set up ... somewhere. So you see ... I need MORE SPACE!

Joe

 

A LOT has transpired recently. The shop extension is nearly completed. I will get the white trim pieces tomorrow. The 12x12 garage door is not far off. The mezzanine floor inside is in the works.

I have added so many machines and tools ... Sometimes it is overwhelming. I most recently bought a 1000 Watt 4x4 cnc fiber laser table for cutting up to 3/8" mild steel and 1/4" stainless steel. It will be put to work very soon.

Here are today's photos of the progress so far...

Joe

I told my neighbors it is a DeLorean!

 

I told my neighbors it is a DeLorean!

Funny! Looking good, Joe. Are you planning to insulate and do climate control?

 

One of the absolute best 'tools' we ever bought for my shop is a mini-split for heating and cooling. That, and the insulation, makes for a very pleasant shop with no rust issues and no moisture issues in boards.