My pressing takes place at the lathe using the Bearing press ,if the pen is too long I use a Swiss Styliss I picked up brand new a few years old for 20 bucks mounted just behind where I turn. Interesting to hear comments on price (age pensioner for nearly 23yrs now) ,when amortised as I do with everything I use the cost over twenty or more years is peanuts. In reference to drills I feel no compunction using drills that are unable to sharpen, I get so many drillings from them and I figure the flutes sharpness is critical also they are cheap as chips so to speak, especially when bought in sets the cost is quite small for the larger ones. Guess it comes down to buying,sole earner for eight for so long I have always regarded convenience and quality as essential. Besides my main workshop consists of a double garage with two single garages in front that started as car ports then built in.
Renewing my house and contents last week the firm asked me how many sheds on the property and it came to eight plus a 20 ft shipping container for my bits and pieces as well. I clearly remember the container being slid off a truck 12 feet from where I wanted it and levering it on my own all 21/2 ton of it into position with a length of steam pipe and a one foot square block, lifting the corners one at a time the same way while Wilma slid a concrete block under. I was given top sheets of 11/4 inch top sheets of laminated stuff 12 feet long by 8 feet wide I loaded on my 6X4 feet traiier three at a time from quite some distance away, arriving home slicing the sheets to twelve feet by two feet and Wilma and I lugging them into the shipping container where I had welded large angle brackets for them. All scary stuff in retrospect,Wilma would forbid me to use the trailer and climbing on the roof, using ladders since I am a frequent flier these days (involuntary falls).
Last year I without my prompting fell from just three steps out the front door onto the old Mercedes all wheel drive onto the huge rear vision mirror,it buried right in to the spleen and took out two ribs. I came inside told my lass I think I busted a couple of ribs and went out back and finished weling a stand for my Carnivorous Plants. Next day Sunday I made a necessary trip by ambulance not feeling too bright where they confirmed two busted ribs etc.
People would like to bully and try to restrict my endeavors these days of very old age but with the help of a Disability Scooter in the boot of both vehicles I remain the sole driver and we live an independant life in our own home quite happily. My wide by the way is 5 feet !!/2 inches and 6 stone 7lbs when we married nearly 64 yrs ago.When I freefell off the roof a year or two back surrounded by 6 doctors and the boss doctor asked my dribbly name I was tempted to say stupid but I do like to have a go.
Bottom line I rarely remove anything from the headstock of my lathes and tend to use some things dedicated to purpose if they are needed often.OLd age is not for cissies,off to the specialist to finalise last months operation on both feet,bless the day I bought the disabilty scooters. Wilma is always saying don,t go so fast but they are so much fun for me.Aged Care helped me buy a ne one last year and I kept the old 2nd hand one and value both in the boot of the car,the battery pack is really heavy for both.
Kind regards to everyone,have a good year.
Peter.
