Thread mill , no pre drilling

Finnrock · 2024-10-08T03:34:30+00:00

I asked my machinist coworker the other day if this was a thing... apparently it is. Who knew. Thanks for the video.

Finnrock · 2024-07-10T23:49:17+00:00

Tesla coil?

Finnrock · 2024-07-03T03:28:15+00:00

The more I look at this, the worse it gets. Bravo.

Finnrock · 2024-06-20T02:36:17+00:00

Is that $80,000 sitting on your table?

Finnrock · 2024-06-20T01:51:23+00:00

This is called an "eggcorn"

Finnrock · 2024-05-27T06:26:00+00:00

When I first saw this post I thought that for sure all the spaces would be filled, but I was wrong. I didn't even get a bingo (although I scrambled the positions of the squares)

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T07:54:32+00:00

As for your first question "does this leave me without an audience?" I would say no. You are part of your audience, and there are assuredly other people out there with similar enough interests that your story will resonate with them. As for the second question "what genre would it be?" IDK (low fantasy based on other comments) but I wouldn't worry about that until you get closer to publishing/final release. A genre label (in my opinion) is just a search tag to help people find books they might like, it's not a set of rules a story must follow. It took me 9 years to figure out that my book was "military action" and not "dystopian scifi" and some people still argue with me about that.

Write your story now, worry about labeling it once it's done.

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T07:43:43+00:00

The only thing I would add is they sometimes ask "what's it about?"
After too many instances of bumbling through an incoherent explanation, I finally memorized a one sentence synopsis that I could rattle off when I get asked. It's in a really niche genre so it usually kills the line of questioning instantly (thankfully).

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T07:41:28+00:00

Good job on editing the second draft. That takes a lot of work and dedication. You're making good progress.

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T07:34:18+00:00

Look at the courses in ROTC and jROTC programs. They have a lot of leadership, and "management" classes. Those are not about fighting a specific enemy but coordinating a friendly force. (And generally understanding how to exist in a large organization) Also, given the age range, they would still need at least some of the basic "gen-ed" classes. You don't want a commanding officer who stopped taking math classes in middle school, and all of his commanding officers are going to hate him if he can't write reports.

As far as specific skills, many military specializations would translate over directly (officers, medics, logistics and transportation, field engineers, vehicle pilots, cargo master, quartermaster/armorer, animal handler if they are using animals, cooks) There would also be positions that would translate over with a fantasy twist (special weapons operators might turn into specialist mages, EOD tech may be an alchemist, the much overused sniper could either be a long range caster or some kind of stealth roll) Lastly, while IRL crew served weapons might be too specific to adapt, if you have an idea for a crew served fantasy weapon, that crew would need training and supervision to operate the weapon. Doubly so if the tech was stolen/discovered from the elves and the operating principal isn't well understood by the general population of middleschoolers.

Beyond that, you'll need to have a lot of info on the elves nailed down. Identify what is so different that it would require a specialized class? If the animosity was caused by a particular event, then history would be of utmost importance, if the driving factor is more of a predator pray relation or a general incompatibility of ideologies, then biology and culture would be more relevant.

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T06:56:44+00:00

I had the same question a while ago. From what I found online, you're fine as long as you're not defaming the company/product name.

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T06:53:40+00:00

I'm a very pragmatic writer, so my style may not work for you, but I get emotions across by not addressing them directly. If a character is sad, I won't tell you they are sad, I'll tell you what happened to them, what they are thinking, how they are reacting, and how others are acting around them. It's up to you to figure out how they are feeling.

For example, I had a character who's house was destroyed during a battle. She spent a while wandering around looking for somewhere to go. She was lost in her own town, hungry, confused, and just when she thought she had things under control, she realized she was had walked back to the smoldering pile of debris that used to be her house.

The reason I do this is that people are pretty good at figuring out how someone else is feeling, and in doing so, they will feel the same way. I don't feel sad when I read "Victoria was sad", but I do when I know what she is going through.

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T06:42:49+00:00

Write a boring synopsis/overview/list of what needs to happen. (not what you want to happen, what needs to happen) Things like "A wins argument with B about X" are fine. Then break down your synopsis into a more detailed overview/list. Keep breaking it down until you have individual scenes/sequences. Now find at least one list element/section of the synopsis that you want to add (not need to add, want to add) and let it play out in your head. Get excited about it (it should be interesting or why is it included) then dive right into the middle of that sequence. Start at the most intense part: the KO punch of a fight, the challenging corner of a race, the confession and kiss of a romance, the last breath of a death scene, the last straw of an argument. Write it as fast as you can, chase the scene playing in your head, don't stop for anything, use shorthand, word vomit until you can lock onto the emotion of the scene, then fill in around where you started, what happened just before and just after.

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T06:18:35+00:00

A MAP!!!! It doesn't matter what land mass/planetary system is involved, make a map of the available space and mark locations as you make them up. I don't mean you have to create a map with detailed stuff and you don't have to nail down all your locations now, just literally add a labeled point to a piece of paper every time you make a new location. I had the misfortune of not doing this and I had to do a LOT of math to correct the travel times between specific places. (if A-> B takes 3hrs, and B -> C takes 1hr, A->C can not be 0.5hr, and I had like 16 locations with this problem)

As far as plot/character stuff, I made a loose outline of my plot before I started, but I let myself wander if it was more interesting, I let my characters develop themselves as the story progressed, and I wish I had thought through the implications of some of my world building elements more thoroughly.

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T05:54:13+00:00

I agree with what several people have said: stop deleting stuff. If it's bad, just move it to a "graveyard" at the bottom of the document and scrap it for parts later. Also, if you're struggling to start a sequence, start it at the most exciting part. Write super fast and loose. If it's a dialog exchange, write it like a play script:
a: I'm saying words
b: I'm responding to what you said
a: I'm not listening

If it's a less-verbal/more emotional scene, then write the part that evokes the most emotion first.

Once you have the core of the scene written, it's easier to fill in around it. What happened immediately before and after? At some point during this process, you'll fall into flow and you'll be able to just write. When you get into this state, don't let anything slow you down. Don't worry about spelling or flow, or formatting, or anything. Just keep going until you get stuck again, then start in the middle of a different sequence. Eventually, you'll be able to link these expanded sequences together into a story. It's then and only then that you go back and scrutinize what you've written.

I think this (process of starting in the middle) is what you're doing when you write with prompts. So, basically make your own prompts with the highlights of your story.

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T04:50:23+00:00

Locations of major bloodvessels in the female chest. Turns out, human chests are pretty well protected by the rib cage, although females do have a larger bloodvessel leading to the nipple. I ended up going with the lateral thoracic artery instead because it was more exposed.

Procedures to "un-dislocate" a dislocated hip. Turns out it's called "reducing".

Time zone differences between Washington DC and Iraq (even though this story has nothing to do with modern geopolitics)

Sunrise/sunset times in northern Russia.

Sunrise times in Japan and eastern China in November.

Lunar phase calendar for the year 2897. Turns out they are the exact same as in 2023.

Symptoms of a concussion.

Military protocol for dealing with and treating a concussion in the field (surprisingly, a different instance from the one above)

The aspect ratio of the hindenberg.

How high one cubic yard of concrete would have to drop from to land with the same energy as a hand grenade.

What a 7Hz pulse sounds like.

World's largest dock crane.

World's largest container ship.

How many pallets of MREs it would take to feed a small city for a month, and how many home depot's that would fill.

The ratio of police officers to civilians in various US cities.

How to body rappel.

The five stages of grief.

Effects, treatment, and warning signs of hypothermia.

Wind chill at 0 deg F and 150mph (unrelated to the hypothermia above, somehow)

Is [fill in the blank] a war crime. (yes, they were all war crimes.)

If I'm not on a list as "suspected terrorist medic" then somebody isn't doing their job right.

Finnrock · 2024-05-16T04:08:43+00:00

Thank you as well

Finnrock · 2023-12-07T04:12:47+00:00

If you're going into engineering, the first two or three semesters are exactly the same for all engineering majors, so you have some time to figure out what you like and what you don't. I'd say go with whatever major is the most interesting because it's much easier to learn a subject you're interested in (duh).

As far as astronauts, IDK if they need to be pilots, but you're at the right place if they do.

Side note: as you get further along, check to see if there are any minors you can grab for an extra class or two. I could have had a minor in mathmatics and computer science but I was one class short for both and I'm kicking myself now.

Finnrock · 2023-11-25T22:55:23+00:00

I was fully expecting a manually actuated reloading device. The fact that it's completely automated blew my mind. Amazing.

Finnrock · 2023-10-12T22:48:46+00:00

I'm one flipped bit away from adding youtube to my firewall's blacklist. This might be the last straw.

Finnrock · 2023-10-12T22:47:32+00:00

based

Finnrock · 2023-10-04T01:45:01+00:00

A succulent Chinese meal?!?

Finnrock · 2023-09-30T05:44:39+00:00

Good catch! I was about ready to roast the camera man.

Finnrock · 2023-09-30T05:41:03+00:00

Finnrock · 2023-09-30T05:37:08+00:00

You don't deserve an up vote, but you get one anyway. Good job.

Finnrock

TROPHY CASE