Re: [CR]beloved file marks

(Example: Racing:Roger de Vlaeminck)

Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 10:45:45 -0800 (PST)
From: "Ted E. Baer" <wickedsky@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]beloved file marks
To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
In-Reply-To: <20050129123546.36302.qmail@web51108.mail.yahoo.com>


I have been following this thread for the past few days and have read some interesting stuff regarding file marks.

Here's what I know:

I actually lived with a framebuilder for a while who had his business out in the garage. He advertised as a framebuilder but spent more time doing smaller jobs like replacing downtubes, dropouts, toptubes, seat-tubes, etc. Anyhow he used this gold stuff with white-ish stuff (flux?) to join the tubes. He dreaded working on those frames. I would see him out there filing and sanding. But I also saw him use those electrical hand sanders with the spinning wheel--the same ones the big guy on "American Choppers" spots sitting the wrong way (circular sanding face down) on the table and in turn barks at the the other guys about.

I always wondered why he didn't just buy a nice Dremel or Makita tool (with all of the various grinding and sanding attachments to expedite his work.) Which brings me to a story of when I was 15 working at my first mechanical job at a bike shop:

The year was 1980 and I was hired as an assembler, lunch-getter, coffee-getter, floor sweeper, trash taker-outer, etc, at a shop here in Palo Alto. The shop is long gone now.

One day the shop got a brand new Dremel tool kit. I was instructed NEVER to touch it. I never would have touched it. But you see it's all psychology. The boss was a complete axxhxle and talked down to me when he told me "Never to touch it." Well, I came into work one day with a bag of six candy bars and a Slurpee from 7-11 and when no one was looking I pulled out the Dremel tool kit. I plugged it in and powered it up for a second to watch the little stone grinder (which was fitted in the tool at the time) spin. Then I began to wonder how strong the little motor in the Dremel tool was. I grabbed a shop rag and tightly wound it around the stone fitting. I then used my left hand to hold the stone fitting while tightly gripping the Dremel tool with my right hand. I flipped on the switch and was surprised to see that I could hold the stone fitting in place while the tool was struggling to turn. There were these little vents on top of the tool and all of the sudden a bunch of smoke came out of the tool. I switched the power off, but it was too late. The Head Mechanic was standing right behind me watching me do this. He promptly grabbed my time card, clocked me out, and sent me home. I was then banned from ever touching the Dremel tool again.

This was just another tool, shop accessory, etc that was added to the list of "banned from Ted" items. (Previous things included the shop grinder as I ground all of the teeth off of every key on a fellow employee's key ring; the solvent tank--as I did not realize it was a self contained unit on top of a barrel. I was caught pouring milk, Dr. Pepper, orange juice etc in it........I thought the drain went to the sewer or something. Lastly there was no cover on the float bowl fill/release section of the shop toilet. I went to the nearby pet shop, bought some gold fish and put them in there and I was also throwing pennies in there as well. So then I had to use the toilet at some business now the street.

Ted Baer Out of Depakote and on my way to the pharmacy now! Palo Alto, CA



> Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

>
http://www.bikelist.org/mailman/listinfo/classicrendezvous