just boasting

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whateg0
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just boasting

Post by whateg0 »

My son is taking intro to machine tools this year, his freshman year of HS. He has a leg up on all of the other students in the class, the only one acing the first quiz on machine tool part identification, such as quill, on/off switch, etc. Today he sent me a picture of the first machining they have done, drilling a 1/2" hole, 1" deep on the mill. He said he was the only one in his group that took into account that the drill started 1/2" above the work, so everybody else ended up with a 1/2" deep hole. He has a bit of a head start on everybody else.
24167.jpeg
Proud dad moment!

Dave
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ctwo
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Re: just boasting

Post by ctwo »

Way to Go! If that's a 1/2" hole that's an interesting part. Are they continuing to work it into something?
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
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warmstrong1955
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Re: just boasting

Post by warmstrong1955 »

That's neat!
Too many high schools don't even have a shop class anymore, which is a trend I don't understand. Glad your son goes to one that still does....and he's got an edge!

:)
Bill
Today's solutions are tomorrow's problems.
whateg0
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Re: just boasting

Post by whateg0 »

I guess I was wrong about the hole size. It was just a 1" deep hole in whatever size drill was in the mill spindle, being used as a drill press. Turns out, it was closer to 5/16" diameter. But, the important part was the hole depth, which he got. The other kids were using the needle on the quill as their indication. He also told me on the way home this evening that he immediately noticed that the chuck wasn't tight so he tightened it to start. I'm sure anyone would have noticed that, but it was still nice to know that he identified the problem and fixed it before moving on. The part was just scrap, just to start to get a feel for how machines work. He brought it home, but I don't know what he plans to do with it now. I think it should be given a name and called art!

Dave

PS - I don't know what it was supposed to have been before he drilled a hole in it, but the opposite end has about a 1" diameter pocket bored about 1-1/4" deep, but off center by about 0.100". :shrugs:
whateg0
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Re: just boasting

Post by whateg0 »

Oh, he said that one of the kids in the class was in awe that he knew this stuff already. Then another kid said he knew all about it already, too, and that he taught himself. So my son asked how he would turn the part into a nut and he started talking gibberish!

Dave
curtis cutter
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Re: just boasting

Post by curtis cutter »

It is sad that these classes are being removed from what is offered to students. Cool that your son will ace this class.

Out of curiosity Dave, are there any girls in the class?
Gregg
Just let go of it, it will eventually unplug itself.
whateg0
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Re: just boasting

Post by whateg0 »

curtis cutter wrote: Thu Aug 23, 2018 7:55 pm It is sad that these classes are being removed from what is offered to students. Cool that your son will ace this class.

Out of curiosity Dave, are there any girls in the class?
He says there's 3 or 4 in the class of somewhere between 20 and 30. Seems kind of big, and I wonder how good the instruction really is. He said that they went over the various parts of the mill in class, but then when they went into the shop, each group was kind of left on their own to figure out how to drill the hole. The teacher never even came over to his group. Of course, they didn't need the help, but I would have expected some sort of demonstration beforehand. Maybe that's just me.

Dave
curtis cutter
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Re: just boasting

Post by curtis cutter »

whateg0 wrote: Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:33 pm
curtis cutter wrote: Thu Aug 23, 2018 7:55 pm It is sad that these classes are being removed from what is offered to students. Cool that your son will ace this class.

Out of curiosity Dave, are there any girls in the class?
He says there's 3 or 4 in the class of somewhere between 20 and 30. Seems kind of big, and I wonder how good the instruction really is. He said that they went over the various parts of the mill in class, but then when they went into the shop, each group was kind of left on their own to figure out how to drill the hole. The teacher never even came over to his group. Of course, they didn't need the help, but I would have expected some sort of demonstration beforehand. Maybe that's just me.

Dave
That does seem like a lot for one teacher. I am glad there are some females in the class as I suspect if there were none they would drop the class due to it being sexist.
Gregg
Just let go of it, it will eventually unplug itself.
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liveaboard
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Re: just boasting

Post by liveaboard »

I do find it fascinating that so few women have interest in mechanics / construction.

There are biological differences that result in human females having far less physical strength than males, which I also find inexplicable and weird. Other animals aren't made that way.

Only a minority of men are interested in these things, but those who are interested are overwhelmingly men. A century ago, this could be easily explained by sexism, women being excluded from the field[s]. But today I'm sure that's not the case.

Physical strength isn't really an issue. It's a rare moment in the workshop that big muscle power is required.

There is the dirt, grease, and grit. No one likes it, but it could be that women are more averse to grime than men. That's certainly the case at my house.

Another possibility is 'nest building', it's possible that all these trades / skills are extensions of our home building instincts. A male who can create good shelter would be attractive to females.
Well, it worked for me...

I know there are some females who defy these stereotypes, I'm not saying it never happens. But just look at the numbers.
It's weird.
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NP317
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Re: just boasting

Post by NP317 »

Men vs women interests:
Inherited brain wiring is also involved.

Our Daughter-in-Law has instincts toward mechanical/engineering ways. She grew up helping her Dad work on cars and motorcycles.
Anywhere we go she sees ways to improve setup and material flow, such as restaurant layout, traffic flow, etc. And she LOVES working in a machine shop!
Not long after getting to know her, I told her I was seeing a Manufacturing Engineering brain in her. She took that idea and ran with it.

Happily she is now a graduated and employed Mechanical Engineer, who is very hands-on about manufacturing. Presently she's managing a group of Graduate Students who are manufacturing a batch of instrumented drift buoys for local Salish Sea tidal flow research. She designed and built the first buoy herself, making fabrication fixtures which are now in production use.

Anyway, there's an example of possible inherited brain wiring.
And she gets to inherit my machine shop!
~RN
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tornitore45
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Re: just boasting

Post by tornitore45 »

A million years of evolution in an natural environment void of technology shaped and specialized the genders to different tasks.
Nothing wrong with that. Nature optimizes efficiency and survival.
Fast forward into a technological advanced environment with 12 years of gender undifferentiated education and the evolutionary forced differentiation is no longer forced by an environment that, at least in principle, is gender neutral.
Results: women in the army, in politic, in professions, in sports and the door open to those that have mechanical skills to develop them.
Nothing that with that. Society develops in many ways, when opportunity arise.
Mauro Gaetano
in Austin TX
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