Quantcast

This is what's wrong with The Industry™

CrabJoe StretchPants

Reincarnated Crab Walking Head Spinning Bruce Dick
Nov 30, 2003
14,163
2,484
Groton, MA
True, same thing for the machinist, a good one would think about it or at least ask about it, although generally if something isn’t called out on the print, I wouldn’t blame the machinist if it got “screwed up”. I tend to default to blaming the engineers because most of the engineers I’ve worked with are absolutely clueless when it comes to manufacturing. Machinist and welders read the print and, hopefully anyway, make the part to that print.




Why not? I’m fun to work with, I have fireworks in my desk drawer and bring the doggos to work sometimes.

But really, I seem to mainly get hired at places with massive breakdowns between engineering and manufacturing, which is why I generally get hired, to fix that.
Sounds like you're team good guys then.

As an engineer, I always make it a point to let whatever shop is making my shit, be it our internal machine shop guys or outside, know what they're making and how it fits into the bigger picture. I'll make sure drawings reflect exactly what's needed, but will always share either a complete assy model or assembly views in a drawing for stuff that's CTF. Also what the thing does, not just what it is.

Similarly, I always ask those guys for input on material selection and general design intent for improvements on how to best fabricate and assemble stuff. It's most definitely a two-way street, IMO.
 
Last edited:

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
19,033
9,688
AK
Sounds like you're team good guys then.

As an engineer, I always make it a point to let whatever shop is making my shit, be it our internal machine shop guys or outside, know what they're making and how it fits into the bigger picture.
Even when it's part of a Sybian?
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,512
20,312
Sleazattle

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,512
20,312
Sleazattle
I can't remember the last flat I got. I think it was 2015.
They don't happen very often anymore, especially since I moved to the land of ice rounded rocks, but they still happen and I still have to carry a bunch of shit to fix one when it does happen.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,847
12,837
In a van.... down by the river
dingdingdingding!
I demo'd a Giant Reign in Moab back in 2009 that came with those. I flatted *twice* within 1/2 mile of "Lunch Rock." I then, the following spring, bought a Reign that had them stock as well, and I fondly recall flatting *numerous* times here on the Front Range. Good times...

I flat EXOs ~twice a year. Usually when I'm riding at a place called Rockville...go figure.
I bet you'd have been fine if you were riding Smoothsville. :D
 

FlipSide

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,388
826
forums have been dying for a long while, alas. so many platforms to compete with, dilutes discourse.
I also think the bike industry is getting less and less DIY-friendly. I believe forums are still the best platforms for DIY hobbies with lots of wrenching involved (like RC cars for example, for which some forums has an activity level that reminds me of RM around 2005). The path the industry took with a plethora of different standards ensuring nothing is compatible, a shit load of expensive proprietary tools and many non-user-serviceable suspension parts reduces a lot of the discussions we can have about wrenching. Mtb wrenching is now a source of frustration for me, while it was something I absolutely loved to do.

The fact that pretty much all bikes are good now also drastically reduces the opportunities for us to endlessly argue about stuff. Not sure if I should be happy or sad about that part... ;)
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,083
24,611
media blackout
I also think the bike industry is getting less and less DIY-friendly. I believe forums are still the best platforms for DIY hobbies with lots of wrenching involved (like RC cars for example, for which some forums has an activity level that reminds me of RM around 2005). The path the industry took with a plethora of different standards ensuring nothing is compatible, a shit load of expensive proprietary tools and many non-user-serviceable suspension parts reduces a lot of the discussions we can have about wrenching. Mtb wrenching is now a source of frustration for me, while it was something I absolutely loved to do.

The fact that pretty much all bikes are good now also drastically reduces the opportunities for us to endlessly argue about stuff. Not sure if I should be happy or sad about that part... ;)
i think part of that equation is that bikes & components themselves have actually gotten better overall over the years (in terms of quality and reliability, so there's less need for people to build a bike from scratch to get a decent build. companies have realized that they can't put out garbage anymore. i can only think of a handful of products that have been truly DOA in recent years (the last real bomb i can think of is the crank bros kronolog dropper). and these days theres not much need to really tinker with stuff to get it to work out of the box.
 

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,646
1,217
Nilbog
I also think the bike industry is getting less and less DIY-friendly. I believe forums are still the best platforms for DIY hobbies with lots of wrenching involved (like RC cars for example, for which some forums has an activity level that reminds me of RM around 2005). The path the industry took with a plethora of different standards ensuring nothing is compatible, a shit load of expensive proprietary tools and many non-user-serviceable suspension parts reduces a lot of the discussions we can have about wrenching. Mtb wrenching is now a source of frustration for me, while it was something I absolutely loved to do.

The fact that pretty much all bikes are good now also drastically reduces the opportunities for us to endlessly argue about stuff. Not sure if I should be happy or sad about that part... ;)
I would agree w/ this 100% and have had similar thoughts myself these days...
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,099
6,036
borcester rhymes
I don't know- I'm part of a facebook message board for cars and it's the same stupid shit every day. "Why is my check engine light on, what mods are good, can I spray paint my wheels purple and still trade in my lease". On forums you can post things under the same thread to get valuable feedback in one place. Plus, at least my generation of non-boomers is getting tired/fed up/leaving facebook, so I would imagine you might see some level of resurgence. Maybe not, as reddit offers similar info as facebook but a certain level of anonymity.

Anyways, I still love wrenching on bikes. Just installed a new stem. Woke up early just to do it before working out and going to work.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
86,083
24,611
media blackout
yea, i will never not love wrenching on bikes. sure, incompatibility and proprietary nonsense is a point of frustration for me as well, but overall i can still typically find stuff that's compatible. i still plan on building / assembling my own bikes in the future.