Back in early August, Charity and I visited my parents out in Western New York where I grew up. While we were out there, we did a few waterfall hikes and went to the Erie Country Fair. But while I was one, it was important for me to spent some quality time with my Old Man as I am only home once a year.
The big guy using a deburring bit to grind down the inside weld of this piece of square steel tubing.
My Dad's glasses slipped down his nose while he was grinding away.
My Dad has always been a dude who is working with his hands to fix or build things. He is always fixing cars, tractors, and other engine driving things. He was always fabricating stuff to make work easier or more efficient. I remember Dad building an auto-articulating wood splitter that would control the direction of the drive piston automatically for hands free operation on the wood splitter. Probably not the safest thing in today's world, but it got the job done.
Some tools of my Dad's trade
Cuttings tools for the old school lathe
Over the years the Old Man acquired a lot of machining equipment like a Bridgeport mill and a metal working lathe. Now that he is retired, my Dad spends his time building gizmos, specialty tools, and jigs for my brothers. When I was home I followed him around his shop as he fabricated a beefed up trailer hitch receiver for my brother Andy's new truck.
My Dad using the Bridgeport. It more than just drilling the hole. " It has to be the right hole in the right spot."
My Dad using the belt grinder to even out the edges of the square tubing
It was a special day for me watching this guy at his work. I may be an electrical engineer by training and trade, but I get all my mechanical skills by growing up and being taught by this awesome man!