[TheForge] metal spinning

[Jerry Frost]

Good question. It was a production shop in a super 
competitive market. The difference in going broke or 
making money was often a fraction of a penny per part 
and if you could save a few seconds per step you could 
make a profit where other shops couldn't.

One of Dad's lathes might be turning 2-4000RPM 
typically and might take a minute to stop turning, 
that's frequently enough time to perform that step on 
several parts.

For instance. Dad paid me 1/4 cent a piece for rolling 
beads or sharpening corners on candle lamp shades. If 
you remember the TV show "Route 66," these were the 
candle lamps in Dino's. As a 10 year old kid I could 
make about $8.00/hr doing these steps. That's generally 
almost one part per second. I turned my lathe at 
3,200RPM taking a good 45-60 seconds to stop and would 
represent not only a dramatic pay cut for me but 
bankruptcy for Dad.

There was a reason Dad's insurance co banned me from 
his shop, they wouldn't allow me to sweep the floor or 
even go past the office. Like I said, it didn't break 
my heart.

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.


From: "John Husvar" <jhusvar at sbcglobal.net>
>
> I'll bet!
>
> So, why use such a dangerous procedure?
>
> Since I know nothing of metal spinning, I'm asking, 
> not criticizing.
>
> Most shop procedure books and teachers and working 
> machinists say never get
> your hands, or any of the attached parts, anywhere 
> near a turning chuck,
> die, workpiece, etc.
>
> Kinda seems self-defeating: By the time the workers 
> attain expertise, they
> might well be too damaged to actually do anything. 
> And, God help you with
> the Workmen's Comp people! :)
>