Major changes headed my way...

dkj4linux · August 18, 2019, 3:15pm

First, I want to say thanks, Ryan, for giving the world such a neat set of machines… and a revolutionary MostlyPrinted construction method that has given me – and undoubtedly countless others – literally months/years of enjoyment and satisfaction. Trying to stay as “sharp” as I can, for as long as I can, I could not have asked for a better, or more fun, way to spend my time than building machines using the techniques you’ve given us. You have my sincerest gratitude and appreciation for your obvious talent, generosity, and tireless support.

And, FWIW I think the rest of you guys here on the forum are pretty OK, also…

Something I never thought I’d do, I’m selling my place and moving to the San Antonio area. I’d originally intended to spend the remainder of my days here on my family’s plot of land in East Texas and, for now, I’m in reasonably good health and sound mind and can live alone and pretty independently. But, at 73 years old and with a family history of heart/dementia/Alzheimer’s issues, I can’t realistically expect that to continue for too many more years. It is inevitable that I’ll eventually need the increasing help/support of my kids… but jobs and family will never allow any of them to come and settle in rural East Texas, so I need to go to them. And, as It happens, there’s a perfect place available, right next door to my loving daughter and her family, that will allow me all the independence I still want/need now… but without the burden of owning/maintaining a place that’s gotten to be too much for me to handle alone. So NOW seems the perfect time to make the move and “down-size”… and not leave the burden of dealing with this place, and a lifetime’s accumulation of “junk”, after I’m gone. I’ll hopefully be completely moved by early October.

Thankfully, I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a position to “play” more than I “work” in my retirement… but, right now, I’m fighting what seems a losing battle, trying to “organize” [some of] my junk in preparation for my upcoming move/life-change. This is WORK! I do just a little at a time – until I’m sweating profusely and my heart is pounding and I’m huffing/puffing heavily – and then have to go sit down. What a mess!

Normally, messing with my machines is PLAY… doing to them what I want, when I want to do it. But, with time running short and needing to minimize the “bulk”, I’ve dismantled two of my earlier needle-cutting machines (a 4’x3’ MPCNC and a BuildYourCNC-inspired machine) so that I can pack the hardware and electrics. I can’t stand the thought of just trashing them…

[attachment file=110068]

[attachment file=110069]

[attachment file=110070]

[attachment file=110071]

[attachment file=110072]

[attachment file=110073]

[attachment file=110074]

So, that’s the latest with me… more WORK at the moment than PLAY. I am still online during my rest breaks, however, and keeping up with the several forums in which I participate, so I’ll chime in if/when the spirit moves.

Later.

– David

vicious1 · August 18, 2019, 3:20pm

That is kinda of exciting right?! I am not a fan of moving but getting to be closer to family (but you have a locked door between each other) is awesome.

I swear it sounds like you are saying you will need a new version to build when you get there?

dkj4linux · August 18, 2019, 4:11pm

It is exciting for sure, Ryan… but scary – and almost overwhelming – as well. Being near my daughter and grandkids again is certainly something I look forward to. But the thought of leaving my grandparent’s old homeplace and culling a lifetime’s accumulation of stuff/junk is a daunting task. It needs to be done, no doubt… and it’s better that I do it now, while I can, rather than leaving it to my kids to have to do after I’m gone.

Just easing along this morning, watching FedEx cup playoffs, I dismantled yet another machine (originally my CamSlider turned Phlatpinter-inspired needle cutter)… which indeed once carried a needle-cutter to cut my first 3-sheet DTFB vacuum pad…

[attachment file=110080]

[attachment file=110081]

[attachment file=110082]

[attachment file=110083]

[attachment file=110084]

– David

dkj4linux · August 18, 2019, 4:25pm

And, another bites the dust… an MPCNC-inspired CoreXY laser engraver. I did a number of nice, accurate, engraved rulers with this one… and cut up tons of craft sticks

[attachment file=110087]

[attachment file=110088]

[attachment file=110089]

[attachment file=110090]

[attachment file=110091]

– David

jeffeb3 · August 19, 2019, 5:51pm

Oh man. I’m right with you there. Those machines are full of heart. Thanks for posting these pictures. It’s a bittersweet record of these things. I have my first mpcnc in a similar situation, with the parts on shelves for me to look at, but even the tubes are still intact somewhere.

vicious1 · August 21, 2019, 7:58am

I have most of my old gantry’s in a box, a little piece of each.

barry99705 · August 21, 2019, 4:26pm

I have the beta center assemblies hanging on the wall in my barn. All of the lowrider v1 parts are in a bucket out there too.

dkj4linux · August 21, 2019, 6:52pm

Thanks, guys! Glad to know that I’m not the only one out there who can’t stand to unceremoniously trash a build I’ve poured considerable thought and energy into. Never quite thought of it as “full of heart”… but it really is, isn’t it?

dkj4linux · October 3, 2019, 7:32am

Gittin' close...

When I was a kid in 1950-ish, television was a pretty brand-new thing... small circular screen, b/w, etc. Howdy Doody, which I watched almost religiously, was probably my favorite show... but "westerns" were also one of the most popular early-on program genres. And westerns (at least the ones without any Indians...) were most often the good guys in white chasing the bad guys in black, who ran in outlaw gangs and had just robbed a bank... and always had a surprisingly inviting-looking hideout deep in the woods and/or in a remote box canyon somewhere. And, oddly for a small kid, I often thought those hideouts looked like they would be a really neat place to live...

Well, here’s my new hideout… and this weekend (with the help of my kids) I’m making a run for it!

[attachment file=116491]

[attachment file=116492]

If I don’t get caught and hung, or mortally wounded, I’ll see ya later

– David

PS: The kids are headed this way today. We’ll pack me up over the next couple of days… and hopefully make our break on Saturday or Sunday. I hope to sneak a peek now and then to try to keep up… you guys are moving targets and doing great! Thank you all!

jeffeb3 · October 3, 2019, 7:58am

That place looks awesome.

vicious1 · October 3, 2019, 3:02pm

We are not too old for a go cart or a quad out there right!? Awesome looking spot!

billsey · October 3, 2019, 3:05pm

Pretty cool place, though it looks hot.

dkj4linux · October 3, 2019, 3:43pm

Not really any hotter, I don’t think, than East Texas… but less humid. The Texas “hill country” is sorta where South Texas meets West Texas. Mowing is a lot more difficult, with all the rocks, but as long as it isn’t any taller/worse than in that first picture, I’m okay with it.

barry99705 · October 3, 2019, 8:10pm

Eventually the mower flings them out of the yard into your living room, so the mowing gets easier!

Awesome house by the way. Last time I was in Texas I was in Wichita Falls, many many moons ago.

dkj4linux · October 7, 2019, 7:11am

Hmm… my new place seems infested with these funny little rodents…

[attachment file=116972]

[attachment file=116973]

[attachment file=116974]

vicious1 · October 7, 2019, 7:37am

Perfect! That makes it all worth it.

kvcummins · October 7, 2019, 7:55am

As long as you get to spoil them, sugar them up, and send them home…

barry99705 · October 7, 2019, 10:07am

Teach them the joys of Jolt Cola and Twinkies!

dkj4linux · October 11, 2019, 6:21am

A quick update on my living situation…

I’m now getting settled in to my new home/hideout. Got new internet… quite the upgrade (for less $$, even) from 10Mbps to 250Mbps (fiber)! I’ve not got any machines set up yet… still trying to find stuff and get it out where I can find it again. Built a quick, crude, “entertainment center” to house a couple of prized possessions (TV and Prusa printer) within eyeshot… and several other machines are rather unceremoniously pushed/piled into one corner yet.

[attachment file=117503]

[attachment file=117504]

Also enjoying having my grand-daughter, and her friend, just drop in unexpectedly, on a whim… they like to pile into my cheapie massage chair and crank it up to watch TV. And I’m getting educated to a few new shows…

[attachment file=117505]

Getting there… slowly.

– David

dkj4linux · November 5, 2020, 5:07pm

As I mentioned in another thread…

In October, 2019, I moved down to the San Antonio area to be closer (next door) to my daughter and her family. A good thing I did, the COVID pandemic hit within a few months of moving here and thankfully I’ve had my kids to lean on during this past year. Had I still been up in rural East Texas, by myself, I might well have freaked out. So I’m thankful and have no regrets moving down here. But the pandemic has also changed the SA job outlook for the kids as well… and having my ET place still available has offered us all a safe place to land. So, we’re all packing up to move back home.

I have enjoyed this place to live in for the past year…

though, with the pandemic, I’ll bet I haven’t put 100 miles on my car in the last 11 months. I’m not at all comfortable driving in SA traffic and, with all the “social” changes, I really don’t know how to behave out there. I look forward to getting back to a more rural setting with all the amenities (Lowes, Walmart, etc) in closer/easy reach and less traffic. I also look forward to being able to set up a modest workshop again.

I’ve posted here again because it already documents my “graveyard” of machines past. To get ready for my upcoming move, three more machines have been dismantled… probably never to be intact again but only to add back to my stash of useful parts.

FoamRipper… mounted laser, needle cutter, and pen…

MPCNC “Joe”… pre-Burly, I think it was the “525” version…

and the recent printed linear rail CoreXY laser engraver, basic functionality but never fully developed…

Previously dismantled are ERC TimSav “minimalist” needle cutter andTimSavX2 hotwire machines… also a FolgerTech 3d printer and a little 3018 CNC machine. These provided a few 2020 and V-slot extrusions to play with and ultimately lead to building my rolling-gantry machine, which I think I’ll dub FoamRipper2 or miniFR2, now that original FoamRipper has bitten the dust. It’s currently smaller than FoamRipper and I plan to keep it… it’s easy to use and performs pretty well.

I’ve struggled with the idea of dismantling R&P MPCNC and MPCNC “Henry”. I really haven’t played with these machines much beyond calibration and a few initial tests… but they’re both unique/sentimental and performed well enough that I’d really like to play with them more. I’ll have more room to set them up again in my newly remodeled/uncluttered (thanks to my daughter) grandparents’ old farmhouse so I’d like to keep them intact if possible.

This is, of course, why moving is so difficult for me… I want to keep everything and most of it is too bulky to pack. It’s frustrating to say the least…

– Later.