Are we woodworkers or mechanics?

[HowardH]

Seems today, especially when it come to the big iron, we are expected to be just as handy turning a wrench as we are doing a panel glue up. Somehow my fence on my Hammer K3 is a bit out of adjustment so I called Felder and had them walk me through the adjustment .  Loosen a bolt here, move something there, re-tighten, etc.  The initial setup procedures in general are pretty lengthy and I have spent more than a minute scratching my head while looking a part wondering just how it works into the grander scheme.  I understand  for the EU customers, they will come out to your shop or home with a factory trained rep and set up everything perfectly.  Maybe they think Americans are handier than our EU friends but this is assuredly not the case.  I'm just OK with things like that, my days of fixing my old cars has helped out but I wonder how do those woodworkers who don't really know how to do mechanical things fare?  Today, I got two Sysports  and needed to attach the casters.  No big deal normally but as to be expected, there was not enough room to get any kind of wrench or socket on the head of the bolt that screws into the bottom of the unit because the wheel was in the way.  They diagrammed some funky double elbow style of metric wrench to use and of course I didn't have one of those lying around.  I ended up removing the wheel off the caster so I could get a socket on the bolt.  Once that was done, I had to re-install the wheel.  Pretty straightforward but it was a lot of extra work that a proper design could have avoided.  At a minimum they could have provided a proper throwaway 17mm wrench as part of the install kit.  I guess online purchasing has necessitated us increasing our mechanical knowledge or nothing would get put together out of the box. Guess the old adage of "some assembly required" isn't going away anytime soon...Just a bit of scattershooting today...

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I'll second that Howard!  It seems like over the last several years I've learned at least as much about mechanics as I have about woodworking (and I still have a long way to go in both). 

We are fortunate to have lots of folks on this forum with deep knowledge of things mechanical and how to coax performance out of them. 

 

[RDMuller]

Seems like everything I do has the issue of maintenance --- photography, videography (really bad with audio and lighting), computers, computer networking, etc etc.  Part of the cost of doing business!

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I prefer knowing the inner workings of my machinery.  I can detect the slightest odd noise and I can dial in a machine better then most.

 

[Scott B.]

I've sat staring into the fire thinking and writing about craftsmanship for about a decade now. I would say that a craftsman these days needs to be able to channel MacGyver on any given day to make things work to his advantage. You have to understand how things work, to a degree, in order to get the best use out of them. It is a challenge for me, I am very lucky to have a shopmate who is a mechanical savant. Streamlines my own learning curve immensely.

 

[rmwarren]

Seems like everything I do has the issue of maintenance --- photography, videography (really bad with audio and lighting), computers, computer networking, etc etc.  Part of the cost of doing business!

Ditto, the most frustrating part are things like my home network, where I only know enough to kinda do it, but not enough to really do it right. Hours spend trying to diagnose/fix things only to have some other glitch pop up. It doesn't help that the Boss has  magnetic personality, she can whack out electronics just be getting too close to them...

Don't get me started on plumbing.

RMW

 

[Scott B.]

Seems like everything I do has the issue of maintenance --- photography, videography (really bad with audio and lighting), computers, computer networking, etc etc.  Part of the cost of doing business!

Ditto, the most frustrating part are things like my home network, where I only know enough to kinda do it, but not enough to really do it right. Hours spend trying to diagnose/fix things only to have some other glitch pop up. It doesn't help that the Boss has  magnetic personality, she can whack out electronics just be getting too close to them...

Don't get me started on plumbing.

RMW

I hear ya. We expect things to last forever. It is such a sad day when reality hits with the news that everything breaks eventually.

 

[nclemmons]

Welcome to the world of makers! 

Whether it's technology, furniture, cabinetry, houses, or equipment, it pays to have a degree of aptitude to be self-sufficient!

 

[wow]

Yes!

And electricians
And plumbers
And appliance repair people
And network engineers
And...

I.am fortunate to have a varied past and skills. I honestly don't know how some people manage?

 

[Scott B.]

Hey, I don't know about anyone else, but if its a snow/sleet and freezing rain kind of night and my wife's overhead door on the garage isn't engaging properly, I am going to figure out how to fix it rather than say "uh, hun, call the Overhead Door Store in the morning".

If it's broke, sometimes you have to just fix it.

 

[rizzoa13]

Use your hammer! That's what my father, a carpenter of 30 some years (and the person I learned how NOT to do something from) would do.

My mom told me he used to hit the battery on his old bronco with the hammer to get it to start. I guess there may be something to say for a little persuasion.

 

[rmwarren]

Welcome to the world of makers! 

Whether it's technology, furniture, cabinetry, houses, or equipment, it pays to have a degree of aptitude to be self-sufficient!

Which I read while taking a break from soldering a connection on a stepper motor I am trying to learn how to move in a controlled manner.

The problem these days is there is so much info available online that it is tempting to try to absorb it all/do it all. I feel like a failure if I have to tell the boss to call a plumber.

Not complaining, just observing. 

RMW

 

[HowardH]

I try to fix as much as possible around the house.  We recently had a new dishwasher installed but it was done incorrectly.  Rather than call them back, my son and I corrected it.  Saved a bunch of time.  My BIL, well, he doesn't know which end of a screw driver to hold.  One of my brothers is same way.  There is something very satisfying of doing something yourself.  It's fun when a contractor comes over to the house and see's what's in the garage.  hehehehe....  

 

[WastedP]

First off, I have to link to the "Shop Class as Soulcraft" essay, which I would also recommend the book by the same name.  The author makes the point that there is a great amount of satisfaction to be derived from hands-on knowledge of how the stuff you own works.

Secondly, ages ago, I led living history tours at a state park building where I would show off the tools used to build the giant timberframe structure.  Afterwards, I would get out of costume and answer audience questions about the different building features.  One thing that I found really interesting was that the Jesuit that designed and led the construction effort had been trained as a "mechanic" in Italy in the 1800's.  A "mechanic" was part architect, part engineer, part carpenter, part artist.  I really liked the notion of a "mechanic" as construction generalist.

 

[dltflt]

I do light electrical, plumbing, drywall(not very good at this).  Jack of trades and definitely not a master of any.

 

[Oldwood]

I have a small cabinet and woodworking shop and some days it seems like all you do is work on the machinery. At one point the machinery was pretty basic now we have a CNC router, a edge-bander that runs Linux a vertical horizontal boring machine that has more air switches and valves than you can count electric forklift etc. etc. It all breaks down or needs adjustment.

If I could find someone who could fix the machines and if I could persuade him to drive to my remote location I would consider getting someone else to do the repairs but I usually end up needing to do it myself. I consider myself lucky that I understand and enjoy working with computers as the router and edge bander would be paperweights otherwise. I too wonder how woodworkers who are not mechanical deal with this stuff?

Gerry

 

[Dan Clark]

I just got a Laguna 14-12 bandsaw.  It had a lot of noise and vibration until I replaced the tires with Carter urethane tires. I've spent much more time working on the thing than I have cutting wood with it!  Not fun.

 

[tjbnwi]

I was/am a mechanic, ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician until I did not renew a few years ago. Got bored with it 28 years ago and here I am. I think it's great that we are challenged to do both.

Tom

 

[WastedP]

If it's broke, sometimes you have to just fix it.

Sometimes, if it's not really broke, you have to tear it apart to see how it works, then put it back together and see how many parts you have left over.

Or maybe that's just me.

 

[Gary in Texas]

My wife and I watched a 90 minute documentary tonight on PBS about Dick Proenneke, a guy who retired at age ~51 (was a diesel mechanic) and moved to Alaska.  The doc was titled "Alone in the Wilderness", and was based on his 8mm film archives.

We were both in awe as the documentary unfolded.  He scouted a location for a cabin in remote Alaska, and cut down some timber the summer of 1967.  He moved there late spring '68 (Twin Lakes, Alaska) and built his 11 x 14' log cabin with dirt/gravel floor, outhouse, and food cache (tree house).  He did it alone, with only a handful of tools.  He built other tools, stands, etc on location.  The guy was a hand saw cutting machine!!!!  I doubt I could have accomplished what he did at half his age.

But to watch as he cut the notches in the logs, made the windows, and especially the way he constructed the doors with wooden hinges, was totally awesome!  Made his own furniture, in ground fridge, and huge stone (large rock) fireplace.  He then lived there, mostly living off the land, for the next 30 odd years, eventually moving back to California in 1999, at the age of 82.

There are a number of DVDs available including the above title of this man's life, or was it an adventure?  If you get the chance to watch the documentary, do so.  Quite inspiring!