Business side-SAVING TIME

[Yves Halliburton]

Marcus, Ken, I agree that the experience is part of what you charge. I also agree that just because the time spent is not part of the "touch labor", per say, that you do not charge for it. Of course you charge for it, its all part of the overhead, including the experience. This is just a tool to look at what the overhead is relative to actually doing the job. I agree that the artistry and reputation is a lot of what the client pays for. No argument there. We all get complacent and go through the motions of everyday operations. This is just a tool to look at how you do things and maybe create options to do them better. Marcus, your last line is exactly what I am talking about. Now if he takes an hour to wipe the grease off his hands then you may have a point. . And the question is, does the mechanic think he is taking to long. Maybe that's the way he has always done it, so thats the way it is and no one notices it. It's not that its right or wrong but could he be more efficient. This tool is not to remove operations away from your business, or make them less important or to determine what to charge, but to look at how you do your business. I agree that the terms I used ultimatly caused mass confusion and are probable geared more toward the production environment and I do appologize for that confusion.

 

[Tim Wells]

Dog gone Jim, that avitar looks just like you. Where did it come from?

As for the subject matter, I work at Lockheed Martin building the F-22 and I hear that "value added" stuff so much it makes me want to go somewhere and just goof off!

I think we as Americans get way too far in over our heads trying to get the moolah when we just need to realize that every day is a gift and so is every minute of that day. If you spend it trying to do only value added things and constantly are pre-occupied trying to maximize it you miss out on what life is all about.

In life and in business we can't be 100% productive all the time nor are we designed to do so. As such we have to "eat" a little time that we can't charge for and just be humans rather than robots. This is not to imply we shouldn't strive to be efficient but there are limits to how far one should go with this in mind and that is tailored by each individual as per their own desires and needs.

Life is good.

 

[Yves Halliburton]

Tim, I realize I am to serious about this concept, but it is what I do for my main source of income. I work for Gulfstream Aerospace, so you know where I am, always being pushed to reduce the cost. But I will say in my sector it works. I created this thred only to show a tool I use in my mfg. area to identify how we build something. We use these terms to make it easyer to identify specific tasks so we can decide if we need to make changes. If it makes someone look at what they do and they maybe say, "Hey, I can do that better", then I have succeeded. I'm the first person to use "NON-VALUE" at home. Drinking by beer and smoking my cigar on my back porch. In the grand scope, I see it as very valuable. DIG THE PLANE - are you aerobatic rated.

 

[Tim Wells]

Well, I don't know about rated but I do go up and do whatever aero I feel like at the time, you just can't tear a Stearman up in the air. It's a little like flying a truck compared to an Extra 300 I did a "shark Tooth" in once...ONCE. (insert vomitting smilie here)

I love that old thing and the PT-22 I fly every now and then but it will hurt you if you're not paying attention to that little ball in the middle, it likes to snap roll on you with little provocation and drops like a stone.

You understand that IE stuff better than I do because it's your forte' as opposed to me being a mechanic/electrician/inspector doing tests and such. Like you say it certainly has its place in our line of work otherwise we'd never get anything done.

Tomorrow we deliver # 83 to the Air Force (wish they'd let me fly it up to Langley) and if it were'nt for what you do we'd still be delivering serial numbers in the 50's range. So there are places it applies and some where it isn't necessarily the desired approach I guess. If I get laid off next year I may come lookin' for a job down that way... ;-}

Incidently though it's amazing how many of those IE type thought processes go through my mind while doing tasks at home due to simply being immersed in them every day at work. I reckon it filters in via osmosis... Thanks for the topic.

 

[Yves Halliburton]

Tim, let me know regarding the job. I will be willing to help. Feel free to send the RESU to my e-mail.

 

[pilkguns]

Yves, I wondered if you worked for Gulfstream when you said aero engineer with the Savannah address. Say hello to Bret Washburn for me. His wife and I were in state HQ for the Georgia National Guard together, in the Department of Logisitics no less, where I also got a bad taste in my mouth for overdone analysis. ;^{

 

[pilkguns]

So Tim , when we gonna have the Engravers Cafe open house/flight time for some of them Raptors? I think I told you but the Stearman I got to occasionally fly was owned by some freinds who live near Griffin on aerodrome. Their son, who just graduated from the Air Force Academy is getting assigned Raptor training in June. Wonder if he can sneak me a ride sometime!!! woohoo!! But I'm still a F4 guy, I'd give my left testicle to ride in the back seat of a Phantom... heck who's kidding who, I'd give both of 'em in a heart beat. But I suppose these days I would have to go to a third world country to find one flying though.....hmmm, third world country, strapped for cash....hmmmmm

 

[Mike Cirelli]

Marcus
I also had a pinched nerve a few years ago in my neck I think it was my c5 c6 c7 vertebrates. My right hand went numb and it was very painful. I thought I was done. That's how I ended up with a gravermax. Give me an email maybe I can lend a hand having experienced the same. gldsmith@ccia.com
Mike

 

[Yves Halliburton]

Mike and Macus, funny you should say the pinched nerve. I am finally fully recovered from surgery on the removal of a broken disk, the C7. My left side was completely numb over night. Emergency surgery 4 days later and I was back to 90% in post op. After 2 months I am back at 100%, just a slight numbness in one of my finger tips. A very scary time.

Scott, Bret's office number is (912) 965-9862. Been in a an F-4. What a led sled, but it still is an awsome aircraft. I prefer flying the A-4J skyhawk, small, nimble and a roll rate of 720 deg. in 1 sec. But I will say the F-18 in no slouch. My favorite by far is the P-51. That is a mans plane. Takes a lot of work to fly that baby and doesn't take much to kill yourself. The P-38 is fun to. And the B-17, those boys have a set of balls to fly that thing into combat. When I worked for Douglas AC in Long Beach CA, I got to fly right seat in the only DC-2 flying. Opportunities I could not turn down. Navy Intell and working in aerospace has its perks.

I am still having difficulties getting up after ya'll backed that bus over me a few times. HA!!!!

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Hi guys
well I went to the hospital yesterday, the results of the MRI are that a disc has collapsed and because of a little extra bone growth it's pinching the nerve. Seems I have 2 choices, leave it as it is and continue with painkiller treatment which in the long run could end up with weakness in the tricep muscle. Or go for the surgical route, which I don't mind saying has really upset me, Lord I feel depressed this morning. It's a real scarey time and a decision has to be made in the near future and my mind is in turmoil as to what to do. They tell me that the risks are very low but there still is a risk of permenant injury or at worse paralyisis! Great! The customers don't pay for this either Yves, LOL: not one I built into my business plan I can tell you.

still, chin up it could be worse. At least its not MS or some other nasty!

cheers,
Marcus

 

[Sam]

Marcus: You're right, it certainly could be worse, but I'm sorry you have to be in this situation. Please keep us posted. We're all pulling for you. / ~Sam

 

[Abigail]

Hi Marcus,
What is the spinal level of the disc that collaspsed? What have your symptoms been? Numbness?
Really thinking of you here. Keep us posted here. We're rooting for you!
Abigail

 

[Yves Halliburton]

Marcus, I know exactly where you are comming from. If you want to call me and discuss this feel free to. I went through this 3 months ago. I told Sam the story at class last month. Woke up one morning with major shoulder pain and was perscribed pain medication and steroids for the inflamation. My GP was concerned since my physical condition was excellent so why is this happening. He sent me for the MRI the next day which was Friday. Saturday night I was in the emergency room with my left side paralized, couldn't even hold a pin, and receiving morphine for the pain. Saw the Neuro on Monday with the MRI in hand and had surgery that Friday. Woke up in post of with all the feeling and usage back in my left side. Let me say I was petrified. I have never had surgery before. I was fortunate that my Neuro was head of Georgia Neurosurgery and the best around. He said he could medicate me, but felt this would just hide the problem and could cause perminant damage. So I opted for surgery. They operated on me from the sitting position and went in from the back. I was out for 1 week, and that was just for the insition to heal. My surgery was at 4pm and I went home the next morning at 9am. They removed the broken part that was pressing on the nerve in the C7-T1 area. It worked out good for me but I guess it all depends on your condition. As I said feel free to call (912) 965-7213

 

[pilkguns]

Hey Marcus, been through some scary times myself, and not having insurance , all the more scarier. Had to have my aortic valve replaced that had had a slight leakage from birth. Fortunately, I had a friend from Olympic shooting who was a heart surgeon, and unknown to me prior to, was one of the surgeons that people come and study with from all over the world. Because of his influence, the whole deal cost me around a 10th of what it should have. But we are all pulling for you. Expect to see a hobo nickel soon with an operating room depicted on it.

 

[Tim Wells]

Scott,
As you may remember I was an F4-G Wild Weasel crew chief for most of my enlistment but never got the chance to fly in it.

I'd give both of mine to ride in one too, heck I don't need them anymore besides, my wife has them in a drawer next to her bed...

Seriously though, not a month ago I was standing out on the flightline at work after an engine run and what came in for a landing but a dat blamed G model F4! I couldn't believe my ears and then my eyes. Tyndall AFB has all of them that are airworthy and use them as "airial targets" a good many of them are fitted with remote control so they can do live fire on them and shoot them down.

The one I saw came from there and just landed once then lined up and blasted off with those J79's...made my heart soar like an eagle! My first assigned airplane when I entered the service was serial number 69-7254 and it was the prototype G model, the first one built and I was sure proud of that plane.

I called Tyndall last year and they had already sent that one to the bottom of the gulf of mexico with an AIM-9 It should have been put on a post somewhere or in a museum. A piece of aviation history now doomed to be an artificial reef.

 

[Yves Halliburton]

Tim, I remember the Wild Weasel's being use in the 1st gulf war. Were you station at Norton AFB in CA.

 

[Marcus Hunt]

HI Abi, Sam and all

Thanks very much for your kind thoughts, they are very much appreciated at this time. Yves, I suppose in some ways your medical system is better than ours in that there's no hanging around. It may cost you a small fortune but at least it's seen to quickly. We don't pay (as such) but have to wait.

Just over a year ago I woke up in so much agony I was screaming! I went to the doctor and he prescribed pain killers and an anti spasmodic. It didn't seem to help so I went to a chiropractor and spent a small fortune with him. After about 3 months he agreed that things weren't getting any better so I went back to my GP and he sent me for a course of physiotherapy. After a few months of this it still wasn't getting any better so it was back to the GP who then sent me off to see the Neurologist. Apparently with the opperation he's talking about they come in through the front of the neck, remove the disc and put a plastic cage in to replace it and stop the nerve being crushed. If I decide to go ahead there's a 4-5 month wait.

I'm not sure which disc it is that's collapsed (I was a bit shell shocked and it's lucky I took anything in at all yesterday afternoon). But the original symptoms were that it felt as if my whole right arm and hand had been put into a vise which was being tightened on it. Post physio I had a numb hand and a bit of an ache in the arm which was occasionally painful but for the past 6 weeks it's been constantly painful,like having toothache in my shoulder and arm which suddenly shoots into the hand. Acoustic guitar playing makes it worse due to the angle of reach (mandolin ok) so this might be an excuse to get an electric!

Thanks again,
Marcus

 

[Mike Cirelli]

Marcus my pinched nerve was from a head impact that compressed and inflamed the nerve endings. Unbelievable pain. I was told from years of being hunched over my work arthritis had set in and narrowed the openings for the nerves. I did all the pills thank God I needed no surgery. Went to an excellent physical therapist and he did an amazing job. He knew exactly what exercises and stretching and heat therapy and it relieved the numbness. My disks weren't collapsed through. Hang in there guy it'll get better.
If you’re a young guy getting started into engraving or jewelry arts take care of your back and neck. It's unreliable what poor posture over the years can do to it, and it affects everything in your body and life style. I would say the microscope is one of the most important tools to keep you straight in your seat.
Get well soon Marcus
Mike

 

[Tim Wells]

Yves,
I was there for the duration because our squadron motto was "First in, last out" and they meant it. I was stationed at George AFB near Victorville, CA, there were no F-4G aircraft at Norton, that was an airlift and tanker base.

Shortly after I left GAFB they closed it down (couldn't make it without me..) and the jets went to Nellis in Las Vegas until they were phased out of active duty to the Guard units. The only Weasel base in the states was George, the only other was in Spangdahlem Germany.

The F-16 currently has the "Weasel" role. Incidently that was the best job I ever had, I loved the responsibility but the pay sucked. I did get to become friends with my childhood hero Roy Rogers, we used to eat breakfast together at the only good ham & eggs in town. I also got to do a lot of rock climbing up in Yosemite and Joshua Tree parks which at the time (21 years old) is what I lived to do. I miss that weather out there.

I want to learn to engrave jewelry good enough to make a living at it because I would like to get out of the aviation business; it's too cyclic and un-predictable as to career longevity. This is my main goal and is why I started getting serious about engraving about a year or so ago. I ain't foolin' around. Every day I try to get things in order one step at a time to free me up to do more practicing.

 

[Yves Halliburton]

I concure. That's the same thing I am working towards. But I do admit I miss the GOV at times. I did ok pay wise being an "O" but the perks were awsome. Got to fly some cool stuff.