IBM PC Server 500

From: Doc <doc_at_mdrconsult.com>
Date: Thu Feb 21 23:40:34 2002

On Thu, 21 Feb 2002, Tony Duell wrote:

> I think you'd have difficulty softening 'high speed steel' very much.
> Maybe not....

  That's what I meant by "very relative".... The big problem is
determining the alloy content. Different additive metals can change the
optimum process a LOT. IIRC, nickel is one of the most problematic.

> > Foredom Flex-Shaft tool. The mixing bowl of water compensates for my
> > lack of a coolant feed. It works. My use of her cooking utensils does
> > sort of irritate root^H^H^H^H Grace....
>
> Ah, somebody else who has problems putting computer bits in the
> dishwasher, baking out transformers in the oven, and so on :-)

  "As long as the kitchen doesn't stink this time...."

> > Tony, did anyone ever explain Swiss-Watch Syndrome to you? ;^)
>
> No... Is it something to do with what is commonly called 'overkill' and
> what I simply consider to be doing the job properly?

  As in "G**D**n it, Doc! We're not building Swiss watches here. This
is a DRILLING RIG! That's close enough!"
  It's never close enough.
  I made silver jewelry for a few years, and one of my reference books
has a quote that I love.
  "A true atrist never finishes a piece. He merely abandons it."

  I grew up welding in fab shops all over West Texas. The foremen
would gripe for the first six weeks because I was slow. After they
figured out that my fabs took a third the normal time to install, they
would quit griping and give me a raise.
  Olin Anthony, the owner of a crew I worked on, had some snapshots done
of a seed-chute complex I designed and built. The last time I was in
his office was some 4 years after he fired me. He had those photos
blown up, matted and framed, on his office wall. I'm as proud of that
as any work I've ever done.

        Doc
Received on Thu Feb 21 2002 - 23:40:34 GMT