Frustration

This week was the toughest week I've had yet. Not because the projects I've been working on were especially difficulty, but because of the schools policy for students that have fallen behind in their work. Unfortunately, I have managed to fall (slightly) behind in the number of projects that I've completed. Because of the fact that I've fallen behind, I was placed on Fridays to get caught up. Unfortunately, while on Fridays, each project turned in will be docked one full letter grade. So, due to that policy, I've recently gotten my lowest grade yet. I've been doing pretty well to maintain a good GPA, but I'm not sure how long I can support the automatic docking of my grades. Fortunately, my being "behind" is completely arbitrary, and I wasn't really that far behind. I'm hopeful that I won't have to go in this coming Friday and that I'm able to save my GPA.

After a long talk with one of my instructors, I've become painfully aware that I have been entirely too critical of the work that I've been doing. It's as if the school is trying really hard to promote extremely mediocre gunsmiths (the Fridays policy just seems to bolster that idea). The hardest thing for me this week was not quitting. I was quite close to walking out of school because it seemed like nothing was going the way I needed it to go. I've just got to remember what the end goal is and push through. A fellow classmate and I have adopted a "new standard" where we have become less picky and are starting to be OK with "good enough". Even though we aren't happy about it, that seems to be what our instructors want. I've always heard "Good, fast and cheap: Pick any two" and that really seems to be the case. Hopefully "good enough" is good enough to get me through school. I'll start being picky again when I'm working for myself.

Here are a few pictures of a project that was a thorn in my side from the beginning. It's a recoil pad installation fixture. I'm happy it's done.

Politics

Politics

This is just a brief note regarding the current politics surrounding firearms. I don't want this blog to become a political soapbox by any means, but I do feel it's necessary to address the topic. 

For those who are not a part of the gun culture, there really is no way to understand how deeply the passion goes on my side of the debate. For so much of my life, guns have been a means to recreate, a means to put food on the table and a means to defense. They have, however,  become much more than that for me and for my family. For the past two years, I worked in one facet of the the firearms industry, and now I'm working towards another. Guns have become much more than a hobby, they are my vocation. Guns put food on the table now in a different way (though they still manage to help in that area in the traditional sense as well). For politicians who are ignorant of guns and ignorant of the gun culture to try to restrict our gun rights as a nation is absolutely unacceptable. I agree that the loss of innocent life is one of the most tragic things that can ever occur, but criminalizing the actions of law abiding citizens is the wrong answer. I often hear the question "Why could you possibly need [insert any gun here]?" I don't really feel a need to answer that question. I feel that people who want to know should instead ask "Why would people need...?" And then do some research as to why things are the way they are. Do some history homework. Look at the situation that forged the Constitution. Read the Federalist Papers. Find out what the framers where thinking when they put the Second Amendment in place. Show me how gun control prevents crime. Explain to my wife and child why I shouldn't be able to put food on the table. 

This isn't meant to convert a gun grabber to a pro-gun person. Once someone has made up their mind, it isn't likely changed, however if I can shed some light on my side of the argument, maybe someone who is indifferent to guns will no longer accept the spoon-feeding from the liberal media and look into the issue for themselves. It is those people who I aim to convince. That being said, when I write to my politicians (and I do quite regularly) I know my thoughts aren't  likely to change their minds, but it is my responsibility to let them know how I feel. I would encourage you to participate as well, regardless of your position on the topic. Don't take the backseat approach to government. Be active. Let those who represent you know you're there and paying attention. Additionally, put your money where your mouth is. If you're pro-gun, join some of the organizations that work for your rights. Join the NRA (I don't always agree with their point of view or their politics, but over all, they do a lot for gun owners) or the Second Amendment Foundation (very active in litigation concerning the Second Amendment). If you're pro-gun control, I'm sure there is an organization out there who would love to have your support, however I don't know much about those groups. 

Hopefully, this hasn't been too abrasive. If it was, that certainly wasn't my intent. I'd like this to be the only time I bring up the political aspect of guns, and I hope if any of you are anti-gun, that this wasn't enough for you to stop reading.

Some quick links for you:
NRA Membership
Second Amendment Foundation
Gun Owners of America
NRA Institute for Legislative Action

Valentines Special

Valentines Special

This week has been quite a frustrating week. I missed a day and a half due to illness, and the two and a half days I was there were exceptionally challenging. I currently have two projects going and they've both had their challenges. One of them is a recoil pad installation fixture, the other is a thread checker use to determine the thread pattern on screws. The recoil pad fixture is a combination of three pieces which all had a fair amount of drilling and thread tapping on them. Unfortunately, due to some sloppiness in the drill press vise, the most intricate piece needed to be restarted. The final piece of that project has a couple of complex curves that need to be brought into spec and squared (in relation to the faces of the piece) and then all three pieces need to be polished to their final finish. Because of the restart, I will be over the allotted time for the project. Due to that fact and the fact that bringing the piece to its final dimensions wasn't going too smoothly, I was content to let that one sit for most of the time I was at school this week. I spent a lot of time on the screw checker, and had far fewer problems with that. I should be able to get both projects done early next week. 

One thing I've really been trying to determine lately is whether or not I am being too picky with some of the work I do. I'd like to say no, because I want to do the best work I possibly can. However, other classmates have been speeding through projects (not usually with very good grades) at a pace that I cannot imagine is giving them time to get the level of accuracy that I'm striving for. Thankfully, I'm not the only one in my class that feels that way. The problem for me is finding an acceptable level of inaccuracy. For me, the largest incentive to get through these projects as quickly as possible is the time savings at the end of the program. This course is a set number of hours with a mandatory number of projects to do. If I'm able to bank a bunch of time at the beginning, I will have more time to specialize at the end and more time to do more detailed projects. Hopefully I can figure it out soon!

Since yesterday was Valentines Day, I should really express my appreciation for my wife. I know I mentioned her in the first post, but over the last month she has been incredible. She is so busy keeping everything in order between her job, the baby, and all of their appointments. I think it could be argued that Sara is sacrificing more for this than I am. I am eternally grateful. 

Anticipation

Four weeks down. It's hard to believe that I've been at this for a month already. The next class starts next week so we won't be the junior class anymore. It also means that we won't have to do some of the clean up work that we've been having to do for the last month. But there will probably be new clean up jobs to do.

One of the highlights of my week was finally getting the stock blank and receiver for my project rifle. It's nice to have tangible proof that I am in fact going to school to work on GUNS. I'm quite excited to get to the project gun phase, but at the same time, I am grateful for the practice and experience with the hand tools that I'm getting right now. Filing on small pieces of flat steel is getting quite mundane and it is very tedious. While the tools we make will be useful, a comercial variant can be purchased in nearly every case for little money. But again, the skills we develop on creating these tools will be the same skills that prevent us from screwing up our own rifles and the guns of customers in the future.

I figured I would share the joy of my new rifle action with a couple pictures.

Montana Rifle Company 1999 Long Action
(I'm chambering the rifle in the classic .30-06)

 

This is my stock blank. I'm not sure on manufacturer, but will update when I know.

 

Until I get to start working on guns, this is what will keep me busy.

 

 

I would like to do another update each week, but finding the time is quite challenging. If it would be worth me making the time to do two posts per week, please let me know. Additionally, if you happen to have any questions about what I'm doing or anything gun related, please leave me a comment and I will try to be helpful!