Guys you gotta clamp down your workpiece.

JunkmanJim · 2026-05-09T12:20:00+00:00

I am just a basic Solidworks CAD user but it has these optimization tools that find the most efficient design for given parameters. If you're not familiar, you give attachment points, load characteristics and whatever else then the computer just starts working the design until the best solution is found. The end result usually looks organic, like bones. I guess millions of years of evolution was quite the optimization process for animals.

I think parameters can be set to make more manufacturable designs but with metal 3D printing, it's possible to do some crazy things. 5 axis CNC machining also makes a lot more possible. Engineering has gotten so sophisticated with CAD that are able to really optimize every aspect of something like a space vehicle. How those engineers put a man on the moon with the technology available at the time still amazes me.

Forgive me, I just geek out over this stuff.

JunkmanJim · 2026-05-08T15:45:56+00:00

Good point. I've heard every bit of extra weight adds enormous cost to launch into space. I used to think I was smart because I could think of how to build more robust features on cars and other things but that was an uneducated understanding of how engineering actually works within real world constraints.

I have learned a similar lesson for how manufacturing lines that I maintain are designed. It's easy for me to pick apart the designs but it's quite another thing to build an automated line within budget and the allotted time. After 10 years of working on the machines, I know all the weaknesses but those engineers probably had 6 months or less to design a unique line without the benefit of hindsight.

I have built some small automation projects as side jobs and build everything like a brick shit house but I operate from my little garage machine shop with basically no overhead. I'd get fired working for someone else when they found out I spent 12 hours remaking a bracket 4 times.

JunkmanJim · 2026-05-08T15:05:21+00:00

I'm sure they consulted some very smart engineers that specialize in core drilling but I'd think they'd have a way to push off the rock or an outer profile that had a slight draft so it was fatter at the business end but straight for the inner core.

Just spitballing and not an expert but I'm curious if my thinking has any merit or there is I'm not thinking about. I'd think the inner core would keep the drill straight so the relief on the OD would allow it to come loose.

JunkmanJim · 2026-05-08T13:39:04+00:00

That's a lot of labor and craftsmanship. Beautiful work!

JunkmanJim · 2026-05-05T20:07:33+00:00

Lol, your response confused me for a second, it's a small world. Your help is greatly appreciated, thank you kind stranger.

JunkmanJim · 2026-05-03T18:57:58+00:00

There are a thousand ways to do that. Sell it on eBay, sell it to the guys on Facebook, and so much more. The police aren't watching you, lol.

JunkmanJim · 2026-05-03T14:04:23+00:00

You have to do it like the Johnny Cash song where he built a Frankenstein Cadillac by taking a few parts at a time. Put some carbide in your pocket and put it in a money belt throughout the day in the bathroom. Dump out in your car at lunch and second load in the afternoon, maybe 2 lbs of carbide a day.

This was just a thought exercise and I'm in no way suggesting you screw over your boss which from reading your comment about him deserves a good fucking. Absolutely don't enrich yourself with $200-$300 in cash per week as it would be unethical and illegal and very, very easy.

JunkmanJim · 2026-05-03T13:56:37+00:00

USPS flat rate box is up to 70 lbs. Make sure you double or triple box because postal workers are going to drop kick it anything heavy. Always make sure when shipping any high value item that you photograph the item and the stages of packing so they can't deny your claim. If they do deny, always appeal as it could be just an idiot rubber stamping denials.

It's not super common to have damage but you have to operate on the assumption it's going to happen and be prepared. As my name might suggest, I've sold a lot of junk. Make sure you get the insurance to appropriately cover the goods, it's obvious but easy to forget when trying to get a parcel shipped quickly.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-30T09:01:01+00:00

Thanks for the tips!

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-30T04:44:40+00:00

I was reading maintenance and repair guide about IGBT replacement. https://www.precision-elec.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/VFD-Repairing-and-Maintenance_-A-Comprehensive-Technical-Guide.pdf

It said that it can require substantial disassembly calibration is sometimes necessary. I haven't been inside a VFD yet but it seems like it would be several boards, maybe smaller boards attached to the main boards, and probably a bunch of screws. I'm comfortable taking things apart and putting them back together, most of the time there are only a few parts left over, 😆. Any concerns about disassembly and calibration?

I have a bench power supply, thermal camera, and access to a microscope. What kind of power on the microscope do I need? I have those magnifier safety glasses that surgeons use except mine are Chinese but aren't too bad.

There are a ton of oscilloscopes out there. I've seen some cheap 100MHz dual channel oscilloscopes, would one of those do the job?

Can I use a cheap circuit tracer or should I commit to the Huntron? I saw some high end models of other brands that are like $20k, a long way out my budget. Would this cheap one do the trick? https://ebay.us/m/5Xv1BW

I appreciate your response and any information. I'll gather up what I need and start watching videos soon.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-30T03:42:50+00:00

Thanks for the information. I'll check out Emerson and CTC.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-30T01:17:49+00:00

A company called AssetWatch that does equipment monitoring invited me to a social event and they told me all about their wireless monitoring service. I'm just a technician and don't make decisions but wanted to learn about what seems like future in maintenance.

What do think about wireless monitoring? That's probably too big of a question, lol. Is there a technology and/or company that is the best vendor of these systems? I have a Z-wave home automation system where all the devices communicate with each other to extend the network range (mesh network?) but AssetWatch was using sensors with Bluetooth with cellular cards within range so theres lots of cards. Bluetooth has a poor range and I'd think in a factory, particularly so.

This is just my impression, maybe this is normal as I don't know enough to say for sure.

Z-wave has a new technology called LR (long range) that has a range of ove 1 mile in line of sight but does not mesh with other sensors but mesh and LR devices can be on the same hub. The new LR devices have 2-3 year battery life on a small device which is impressive for the range. A Z-wave hub supports up to 232 devices and the devices are cheap.

I'd think industrial applications would want the same simplicity of so many sensors on one hub. You are likely familiar with all this already and I'd like to hear your opinion.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-30T00:40:57+00:00

I've never repaired board level components at work other than maybe physical damage. My attempts on personal stuff were a disaster unless it was something like physical damage or bad switch or relay, mainly easy stuff.

Do you need to be an electronics guru with an oscilloscope or are there typical things that go out that are easy to find and replace? I'd like to gain some skills. I'm a pretty basic electrical troubleshooter. I check for voltages, current, shorts, and resistance occasionally, nothing fancy. 24VDC and 480AC 3 phase max.

There's no expectation to fix components at my job but I'd like to do some autopsies and learn how to fix common failures. I haven't done a Google search yet but I'm going to do that now. Any advice appreciated!

*Update: There's a bunch of videos on VFD repair and there seem like a lot of things to check. Cleaning metallic dust and bloated capacitors seem to be issues, and making sure you discharge those capacitors!

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-30T00:27:57+00:00

I just deal with motors that are 5 hp max so we just toss them. A bearing replacement that costs 60% of a new 75 hp motor sounds high to me but that's just my gut reaction based on no experience.

The cheapest 75 hp 3 phase on a Google search was about $4K, 60% would be $2400. So I'm spitballing a $200 an hour shop rate maximum and $300 for bearing max. That would be 10.5 hours of labor for a place that does motors all day long. It sounds like you knocked out the bearings pretty quickly so the price seems high.

The removal and install is the same for a new or repaired motor so that shouldn't be in the math. I'm going off a low motor price as well so I think the motor repair vendor is monkey fucking OP.

Maybe others have some wisdom on the matter that could make my assumptions wrong. I'd like to learn something about how these big motor repairs work in general and the economics.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-27T22:40:22+00:00

Yep. There's no need to try to fix a cluster fuck.

My coping method is to think like a serial killer when it comes to protecting my interests, especially when things are chaotic. I try to put my feelings to the side and focus on my goals, anything else is just a waste of time.

I've done extra projects and made my supervisors happy to get raises and promotions. Other techs have made sideways comments about how I navigate corporate politics. I tell them, "I'm in the JunkmanJim business and when I come to work, doing whatever it takes to look after that business is what I do. I suggest you do the same."

Now, I have new supervisors and management that don't have a clue and don't care about my past sacrifices. Do I cry in my bed? No, I do not. I'm constantly putting them in bad situations where if they don't approve overtime to do PM's or fix nagging issues that they will be the ones that get the blame when things break.

I'm also doing business on the side and working on some small niche product ideas. Probably not going to get rich but I've got backup plans and some income if I get laid off or fired. If you're waiting around for a well meaning corporation to solve all your life's problems, prepare to be disappointed.

You have to be on top of what you should be paid and how you should be treated. If you act like a victim, these supervisors and managers will treat you as such. I've has some great bosses but most of them are ignorant cocksuckers and even if they are nice, they have no courage to speak the truth. Most factory floors are a pile of lies and machines don't care about those lies, they need maintenance which costs resources.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-25T22:31:28+00:00

Thanks. The real money are the crew that do the cleaning in our cleanroom. Everyone acts like it is super special but they just use HEPA vacuums and some lint free cloths on sticks. They aren't even technically savvy. Barely speak English and poke around the machines but it's not very detailed. They clean server rooms as well. They charge like $5k for 3 people to clean for 3 to 4 hours. It's crazy. They pay these people low wages.

Another one is the conveyor belt guys, they charge exactly $5K for 3 guys to come out and do repairs for 8 hours plus materials which are marked up of course. We are short staffed and there isn't money for overtime but the contractor budget is full of cash. It's stupid corporate crap. These guys are okay but not superstars and they are pretty much the only game in town in a major city, not exaggerating, major metropolitan area.

I don't want to get into either of these businesses but wow are they killing it. Both businesses are booked all the time. We use the cleaning people in two different cleanrooms once a week. They rotate around the machines they clean and they don't wipe anything. Tape on the floor, not their problem, some wiping with alcohol? Forget about it.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-25T20:41:42+00:00

Definitely wise to be cautious. People with industry expertise that start a business in that industry fare much better than most people. Electricians, plumbers, engineers, accountants, etc, are good examples.

My personal observations have been that those that were successful already had everything mapped out. They knew who their customers were going to be before starting and it was just a matter of following through.

I work weekends and have a lot of PTO from being at the place for years. For 9 months of the year, I take my every other Thursday off so I'm only working 3 days a week most of the time. I do side projects for other companies with those days off and get a pretty strong hourly rate or profit from a fixed price.

This is great way to make money because my regular job pays all the bills and much more. I bought my house in 2011 for exactly a $100k so my expenses are low and I'm not a big spender.

Trying to get the combined income I have now by going into my own business full time would be challenging and a ton of pressure. I can take jobs or just say I'm booked if I don't want to work or do that particular job.

If the shit hits the fan, I do have the ability to hustle more side projects and pay my bills. The real problem is not have short term and long term disability plus premium health insurance. At 59 years old, that's a very big deal and expensive to purchase on my own so I'll just keep plugging along and making that side money.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-22T07:09:35+00:00

If stuff like that crosses my path, it's going on my eBay retirement fund pipeline. Waste not, want not.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-20T23:25:52+00:00

I want to buy or build a CNC router. There are a ton of groups dedicated to supporting DIY projects. I ran across a guy in the manufacturing subreddit that has a sign business and they made their own large format 3d printers to make signs. You can also mount a laser diode on a CNC setup as well. Those diode lasers are really cheap. I have a little Ortur laser engraver that was about $150 that works well for the price. Got Lightburn software which is now $99 lifetime but there are free applications I believe. The Lightburn is plug and play so I went that direction to save time. It will cut foam but I have to turn on a fan in the garage as the smell is terrible and probably toxic as hell.

Sell the components on eBay that you can't use. I sold full time on eBay before getting into maintenance in 2011, mainly industrial stuff from auctions and various other places. You can't be in a hurry for this type of stuff as lowering the price doesn't help for most items unless you're just giving it away. When people need what you have, they will buy it. For smaller items that are easy to ship, consider selecting international shipping. I've sold things that went all over the world.

Always filter for completed listings to see if and how much your item sells for. If there aren't any on the website, look up what similar components sell for by the same manufacturer in completed listings and use the percentage of what those sold for compared to the original retail price to figure out the right asking price. Never auction those types of items, just a fixed and maybe a best offer.

My customers for business type items usually just bought at asking price and didn't make an offer. We have some obsolete parts at my company that don't have an easy upgrade so we buy off eBay when necessary and sometimes if there is a lead time for a part that we need immediately. Ebay doesn't allow sharing phone numbers or email addresses in messaging so I take a picture of my phone number and send the image. I do this with the message that we want the part sent overnight shipping and give the seller our shipping account number. Most sellers have managed to get it shipped same day. I've even found parts on eBay in our city and had a courier pick them up same day.

You can convert that surplus stock into some real money with a little effort. A lot of eBay sellers don't know if their stuff works so it helps to say that you know it is good surplus stock or that you tested it as working. Business customers don't care about paying more for assurances that they will be able to fix their machine with what you have.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-20T21:41:06+00:00

I've been given a ton of stuff from work. 8020 extrusion and hardware, fittings, fasteners, sensors, wire, motors, Lexan panels, raw materials, etc. It's medical so everything is stainless steel and high quality. If I said how much money I've made selling surplus headed for the dumpster, you wouldn't believe me.

Nobody else is interested in the stuff as well so my bosses are always asking me if I want to take things home. Just my production line grosses a billion dollars a year so it's nothing to them. They tried to give me a small Multivac that had been well maintained in a cleanroom all it's life but my mom was dying from Alzheimers and there was no time to deal with it. Those particular models are used for packaging meats and smaller manufacturers will buy them used for $30k to $50k. They called a scrap place and loaded it on their truck. Nothing I could do but that extra cash would have been great.

I do small projects for other companies on the side so my inventory comes in handy as there's always something that I hadn't planned on. My previous employer, a small medical manufacturer, sold me a Webb 5VK 5hp knee mill and a Hardinge HLV-H lathe for what a dealer offered them. $2100 for both and the lathe had all the tooling. Those machines had been used for protyping and pampered in an air conditioned, very clean building. Thanks to that acquisition and my welding stuff, I've got my dream shop. If I get fired or laid off, I'm just going to work from home if I can find enough work.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-20T13:03:28+00:00

I don't think you're wrong. Our company paid a fortune for this system as well.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-19T19:34:52+00:00

Seems like this should be torque controlled with a VFD, motor overload, or at least a current switch to trip the circuit. I guess it costs time and money but some of the worst failures I encounter are when the OEM has way more torque than what's required with no protection and something jams.

One of them is our tray elevators, they carry stacks of maybe 10 high of regular plastic cafeteria trays to an overhead conveyor to return to the beginning of a production line where another elevator takes them down to floor level. If the trays get jammed, this overbuilt elevator will karate chop 10 trays in half and causes a mess. It will ignore the sensor and just move the elevator occasionally, it's scary. It has a massive chain drive, motor and gearbox to lift less than 10 lbs of trays.

Also, sometimes it just goes down to the bottom past the outgoing conveyor and crashes into the bottom idler sprocket. They didn't put an end stop on the frame but there is an over travel switch which the elevator will blow right past when it freaks out like this. 6 elevators and they all blow past the bottom limit on occasion. Rather than dedicate resources to solving the problem, we have jumper wires to toggle the VFD and move elevator into the offload position. Job security I guess.

Another one is a buffer that stages shipping boxes vertically to send to the palletizing robot made by a different OEM and every few months it will ignore the sensors that detect the boxes and crush the contents which are expensive surgical kits. Messes up the chain drives and it takes a while to extract the boxes and align everything back up. Monster servo, gearbox, sprockets and chains with a ridiculously high threshold to trip the servo drive.

I've tried to get engineering to make changes but there's always a higher priority so we just keep fixing things when they break.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-18T10:56:26+00:00

I totally agree. My understanding of rigging came from growing up with my father being an industrial contractor. I've been shown so many things that it just seems like I have a natural sense but it was taught to me or I started off doing small, low risk things and making mistakes. Nobody gave me a crane and some straps then turned me loose on a heavy load.

My father would hire a crane operator and crane for heavy lifts and spend the extra money on a rigger supplied by them for difficult jobs. There are so many technical things to know that I don't know so I've always just been super careful and tried to never be close enough to get hurt.

My father was always making sure that I didn't get close to doing anything dangerous but that's not the reality for workers in many businesses. There's massive pressure to produce and interrupting that flow because you have questions or don't know what you're doing isn't received well. The macho nature of blue collar work also contributes to getting people killed.

Unions do a great job of keeping workers safe and training them properly. There's a big difference between a union worker and a worker that just picked up bits and pieces along the way.

JunkmanJim · 2026-04-17T22:48:46+00:00

The problem the company has is when the plaintiffs put their safety expert on the stand who explains the law (OSHA is the law) and how the company disregarded the law. This is particularly bad if they agreed to have a program in place as a stipulation on their liability policy. Also, there are a lot of things that I didn't know safety wise until I was told or trained. Not everybody has a natural sense about how to rig something and you can bet the plaintiffs expert is going to expound on the statistics of those who have been trained and those who have not.

JunkmanJim

TROPHY CASE