Sunday, March 30, 2014

Phone outage update

German Telekom promises a technician will be here to fix the line next Tuesday. Hopefully somebody will show up this time and I will have normal internet and phone access again.

I connected the workshop computer to the TM1 yesterday and the data connection is working fine. i need a longer cable then the Mini Mill should also be back up and operational.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Status update ... Condor, surface in two hours and call the Major.

If moving to the new shop and setting up all the machines wasn't enough to keep me busy, I lost all telephone service, internet access and TV last Monday evening. Not in the shop, at home where I also have my office and handle all my email.

Luckily, I have this iPad with 3G wireless or else I would be totally shit out of luck. I do not have access to my email databank as it is too large for the iPad, but I am replying to all customer email as quickly as possible.

My service contract with German Telekom stipulates that they will remedy any service outage within 24 hours. Thing is, the technicians all went out on strike. My wife waited home all morning as we had a service appointment .... Nobody showed so she called and found out nobody was coming and Telekom can't even say when anybody will be coming. Can you believe that shit?

On the good side, I made a lot of progress setting up the new shop. Next week I will be getting 6 running meters of new heavy duty steel shelving and that should allow me to unpack and sort out the rest of the crap still sitting on pallets.

Right now I will be calling it a day and heading out into the kitchen to grill some steaks. My wife is pissed that she sat home waiting for a Telekom repairman who never even reported for work. At least the electricity for the stove is still on! ;-)

Sunday, March 23, 2014

The Eagle(s) Have Landed ... along with a lot of other stuff

Mr. Heinz and his employee got all of my big machines moved into the new shop last week. We have had fantastic weather in Berlin lately, so of course come moving day, it rained. But a little water can't hurt a Haas machine! They're from California and grew up surfing. I think.

Anyway, here are some pics and bad commentary for your viewing pleasure. I was a nervous wreck. I admit that. The lower sill of the window out of which the machines are being brought is 6.5 meters from the ground. Do you blame me?

Here are the two Haas CNC milling machines waitin' on a taxi.

Looking out the hole in the wall where the windows used to be... Gentlemen, your taxi has arrived!

The TM1 went first. Mr. Heinz used heavy slings and hooks to attach the machines to the forks of the giant forklift. He has been moving machines for a long time, still when a 3000 pound machine is hanging outside the window...


Here's Johnny! Both machines were a really tight fit through the window and Mr. Heinz' employee kept shouting instructions down to Mr. Heinz who was operating the forklift. Up! Down! Back! STOP! Did I mention I was a nervous wreck?


 Down it comes! Easy does it!

Here's everybody downstairs and loaded onto the truck. My surface grinder, bandsaw and big drill press were also too heavy for me to move alone.


And here they all are, safely inside the new ground floor shop! I'm not ever going to be locating my workshop in an upper storey again.

I still have to get the machines back in service and stow away all the gear. Fist thing tomorrow I will order some new shelving...



Sunday, March 16, 2014

The Beat Goes On...

Spent the 10 days since my last post moving around 6.000 kilos of stuff over to the new shop ... reminds me of that old joke: "I just flew in from Cleveland and boy, are my arms tired."

I'm pretty sure I could do without about a quearter of the stuff I moved. I just can't figure out which quarter. So I moved it all.

My electrician finished the electrical installation this past week, so I have both 220V and 400V power in the new place. The toilet also works now! Always a plus.

Next wednesday the Rigger (Mr. Heinz) will move the 2 Haas CNC machines as well as the other machines that are too damn heavy to move myself. I will be sure and take some pics to post here.

I hope to be able to begin halfway normal operation in the new shop by mid-April. In the meantime, I am continuing to sell grips and knives from stock... don't hesitate to buy something!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Starting to get There...

I hope! Moved the first load of stuff over yesterday and did another small load today. The lights now work and the electrician will continue hooking up the outlets tomorrow. I don't think I will get the big machines moved next week, but we'll see what the Rigger has planned. I loaded a pallet today with about a ton of precision ground steel... where did I get all this crap? Ten years of keeping stuff! I doubtr if I will be fully operational again before mid-April. I am of coarse still selling normally from stock. I am trying to keep up with email, thanks for your patience!