Jobs you hate

[tenngun]

We build guns cause it's fun. However, I just was fitting an indelible in the stock and hat it. I don't know why but it's my least favorite thing to do. I think it's because it's a blind spot. I don't know.
Am I the only one who has a job or two against an otherwise enjoyable pastime that you just hate to do?
I do dislike soldering also.

 

[Captjoel]

My late FIL used to tell me that if the job was easy, everyone would be doing it and you'd be out of work! :grin:

 

[wattlebuster]

For me its buttplates. They treat me bad an do me wrong :idunno:

 

[Eric Krewson]

Me to, steel butt plates, not much leeway for error and no tapping like brass to close gaps.

 

[Dane]

What in the world is an indelible?

 

[faste350]

filing, smoothing out the flats of the barrel. seems to take forever and I swear on the next one I will do it first and get it out of the way, but don't, its always the last thing to do!

 

[tenngun]

Spell check. I wrote underlug, didn't notice till you pointed it out. :redface:

 

[Dane]

The two most difficult, and frustrating for me, are the buttplate, and entry pipe.
You are inletting two directions at once. Can't just mark around and inlet.

 

[ZUG]

Tenngun:
"Spell check. I wrote underlug, didn't notice till you pointed it out."
OH -- I was wondering what that was also!

The two most difficult, and frustrating for me, are the buttplate, and entry pipe.
You are inletting two directions at once. Can't just mark around and inlet.

Me three -- they are at least a PITA :haha: !

 

[tenngun]

Most guns I have built did not have entry thimble , but yes they are a pain. Butt plates are a pain but I find enjoyable, I can't say why I hate lugs it makes no sense but it's a ugh for me. The last gun I built with a nose cap I also hated.

 

[Only Round]

Polishing brass. The best thing I can say about it is that it's tedious.

 

[Vaino]

Perhaps it's one of the things I learned in my 5 yr tool and diemaker apprenticeship.....patience. I don't dislike any of the tasks of building MLers, why should I? I "volunteered".

Some tasks when building MLers are tedious and boring and require perseverance and patience......just like some of the tasks I did as a toolmaker. A proper attitude is all it takes.....again it goes back to my training.

As my wife of 60 yrs can attest.....I'm not normally a very patient person, except when I was toolmakng, doing house repairs or building MLers. To me, building MLers is therapy and all aspects of building are enjoyable.....Fred

 

[Keb]

I hate sharpening chisels and sweeping the shop floor.

 

[Larry Akers]

Polishing.

 

[wulf]

Good on you...I learned that patience is it's
own reward. I worked with Formica for 25 years.

Wulf

 

[Col. Batguano]

I'm with Fred.

The tasks you can control are those that you can. The ones I can't, like waiting for finishes to cure, Browning to brown, or the parts to make their way in the mail only add to the torment of not being able to move forward on a build until tey do what they are going to do, and on their schedule, not mine.

 

[Tinker2]

I know the thing I like the least are when my customers ask is it done yet, :rotf: :rotf:
when they were told when it would be done and that date has not come yet. :slap:

:v:
William Alexander :blah:

 

[old gunsmith]

I've never ever done a job that 100% perfect-that drives me nuts. Now and again I'll get right down to the end of the project when I'm distracted or tired or pressured and I make a boo boo that forces me to tear out some of my work to fix. I don't like to think how much time and money I've lost over the last 47 years. And I'm not getting better with age.

 

[tenngun]

I know the thing I like the least are when my customers ask is it done yet, :rotf: :rotf:
when they were told when it would be done and that date has not come yet. :slap:

:v:
William Alexander :blah:

I am glad there are people like you who show us what a good job is and give us a goal to work toward. But... I can not imagine building s gun on order for some one. I did make clothing and small stuff for sale for a while...took all the fun out of it.

 

[Vaino]

Took orders for a few yrs and contended w/ picky and impatient customers and finally decided to build spec MLers even though I didn't make quite as much money.

A prospective customer who saw some of my LRs early on being sold on TOW's consignment sales called TOW and they gave him my address. The reason he told Dave Ripplinger in wanting my address was that he wanted a very fussy guy to build him a LR. At that time I wasn't taking orders but this guy sent me a list of all the specs on his LR.....the list was long and warned that if the quality in his judgement was lacking, he would return the LR. Well...I turned him down and then his "campaign" started.....sent me Xmas cards and then Easter cards and in both he included the same list and pleading w/ me to build his "dream gun".. He finally went away after 6 mos.

I did violate the "not taking orders" a few times and everything worked out fine, but there's always the chance that just the opposite might happen.

Had one customer who wanted to pay $1000 less than the amount agreed upon, so refused to ship the LR.....after 3 wks he called and I told him I was going to sell his LR. A check for the correct amount was rec'd 2 days later and the LR was shipped. He kept the LR, but never called to confirm that fact. There was a 10 day inspection and return policy on the LR.

Admire those builders who take orders and deal w/ impatient, picky customers.......Fred