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The Annoyed Man wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 8:48 am

Rafe wrote: ↑Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:14 am

The Annoyed Man wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 10:50 pm FWIW, I’m not "transferring" any of mine…not in this climate. I foresee some tragic boating accidents.

Oh, and we’re looking at buying an old but good condition Bridgeport mill, so we can "make stuff" if we want to.

Even used, a Bridgeport can set you back a penny or two. And they're pretty big. Sigh. I'm not the handiest guy on the block, but if I had it to do all over again I'd, 1) be wealthy; 2) buy and build on a nice chunk of property in the Hill Country; and 3) as a hobby, set up my own metal working shop with all...well, many of the bells and whistles. I also can't gunsmith my way out of a Brownell's catalog, but it would sure be fun to have all the tools and learn to actually build components...especially considering parameter number one that I'd be wealthy and not have to work for a living.

But I'm not transferring anything either. And I'm even a bit poorer now. The ease and speed with which such an abominable and clearly anti-Constitutional bill swept through the House was just another reminder that complacency is not a strategic plan. So I've ordered a few more odds and ends.

My son is a CNC machine programmer and a very experienced machinist. The Bridgeport in question is an old machine his employer had laying around in the back of their factory, no longer in use. It runs. We’re essentially acquiring it for the price of its value in scrap metal. We have a pretty decent sized little shop in the back of our garage, and it will fit perfectly in one of the back corners of that shop. We’ll have to relocate a big air compressor, but otherwise it shouldn’t be a problem.