Gotta get the good ones while they're young. My new best employee!

lendaddy · 07-10-2006, 04:19 PM

My wife dropped off my two year old (2-1/2 really) at my shop for an hour or so at the end of the day. I was testing a new machine that knurls the ends of stainless flutes and he was watching. He asked if he could help so I let him hit the button to process the next cycle.

He was loving it.

About 30-40 parts later he said he wanted to put the part in the machine, I figured what the heck. I didn't even have to show him what to do, he had been watching me and had it down

Then he wanted to pack and unpack the parts as well!

The boy was running the entire cell completely on his own after 3-4 minutes!

I was quite impressed to say the least. You have to get one end on the snout, then align it with the centering piston, then activate the cycle switch and finally remove the part and pack it away. I am not kidding when I say he ran 40-50 parts completely by himself.

Daddy is proud

Tervuren · Tervuren's Garage

Yup Yup. I'm twenty now - and have been working with my Dad ever since he started making his own parts back in 1991.

lendaddy · 07-10-2006, 04:26 PM

For those that are wondering, the machine is guarded by a light curtain, so NOTHING moves if someone reaches inside. It is completely safe.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

What about child labor laws??

lendaddy · 07-10-2006, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by azasadny
What about child labor laws??

They don't apply to family, I learned that decades ago

Besides he's 39" tall now, it's about time he learned to fend for himself

Joeaksa · 07-10-2006, 05:46 PM

What does that machine make? Looks like gun barrels!

charleskieffner · 07-10-2006, 05:47 PM

just teach him how to be a machinist first.................then a programmer......................then a button pusher! and then give him a sandvick/ingersoll/iscar/valenite/mitsubishi catalog and teach him about tooling and carbide grades and functions! then you can go on vacation!

Jims5543 · 07-10-2006, 05:48 PM

My 2.5 year old (going on 3) would want to bang the pices together to hear a loud sound.

You have a unique kid there Lendaddy. My 2.5 y/o wouldn't even have the attention span to process one part let alone pack it.

5axis · 07-10-2006, 05:51 PM

Great kid and great pics. Tip a cold one to the future of American manufacturing. Or just hoping there is one.

lendaddy · 07-10-2006, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
My 2.5 year old (going on 3) would want to bang the pices together to hear a loud sound.

You have a unique kid there Lendaddy. My 2.5 y/o wouldn't even have the attention span to process one part let alone pack it.

Believe me I know. I sat there completely in awe at how well he was doing, but there was no one around to show as we were the only ones in the building. So I pulled out the camera phone. He would have kept going if I had left it up to him, just a hillarious evening.

lendaddy · 07-10-2006, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joeaksa
What does that machine make? Looks like gun barrels!

They are the flute end of a stainless airhorn. They go on Mack and Peterbilt rigs.

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

If you can find 200-300 more of them you'd be just like Santa CLaus!

Another proud papa!

RickM · RickM's Garage

Great son you have there, Joel.

You (or your son,

) could make the ultra popular tube burners for just about every gas grill out on the market today.

lendaddy · 07-10-2006, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RickM

You (or your son, ) could make the ultra popular tube burners for just about every gas grill out on the market today.

???? I think I know what you mean, but I'm not sure. Are you talking retrofit or OEM?

jim72911t · 07-10-2006, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 5axis
Great kid and great pics. Tip a cold one to the future of American manufacturing. Or just hoping there is one.

Amen to that.

Len, you should be proud. Our last machine operator wasn't that intuitive after a year and a half on the job. We have a good one now, though.

lendaddy · 07-10-2006, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jim72911t
Amen to that.

Len, you should be proud. Our last machine operator wasn't that intuitive after a year and a half on the job. We have a good one now, though.

Lol, I was thinking the same thing at the time

He really just took to to it, it was kinda weird.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by lendaddy
Lol, I was thinking the same thing at the time He really just took to to it, it was kinda weird.

I think he's a terrorist mole. You should let Jack interrogate him...

RickM · RickM's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by lendaddy
???? I think I know what you mean, but I'm not sure. Are you talking retrofit or OEM?

OEM, I went with a few friends to look at the newest grills. They all boast "tube burners". For the most part I was thinking it was the cheap junk way to go. However, it seems that even the high end grills are using this format. (I'm old school thinking the old cast round burners are the cheese)

Basically it's a stainless tube with burner orfices running along the length of the tube. I've even looked at the Viking grills and some use them.

Jared at Pelican Parts · 07-10-2006, 06:31 PM

I was smoothing out concrete at 7 years old with my dad, lol

Good stuff

Moses · 07-10-2006, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
My 2.5 year old (going on 3) would want to bang the pices together to hear a loud sound.

I figure my 16 year old would do the same. (He'll be pissed when he reads this!)