What is the price of your data?

What is your data worth to you?  What do you keep, or lose?  How long do you expect to keep your data? How do you go about keeping your data?

OK, so I've lost my backup drive again, and it will cost $1800 to get the data back, maybe.  I've never been able to keep anything until about 2005.  Now I've got a lot of paper stuff, but nothing electronic type of data.  Is there any reason to keep anything?  I heard the other day that people in the fires are taking there pictures, paintings, photo albums, Bibles, family keepsakes, not to mention pets and children.  This though is making me sick.  I'm not ready to give it up yet.

This is a questions that people don't want to talk about.  Nor do they even want to think about it.  I've got a friend that has been scanning all of his paper document and storing them electronically.  NO PAPER.  But how do you go about keeping this?

I've been told and I've preached, if you don't have your data backed up on at least two different drives, and one of them off site, then there's a good chance of losing your data.  I've had at least three of these drives fail.  And two of them at the same time.  And now I'm doing the dance again of getting my data back.  When will I ever learn?  Most of this data is just pictures.  Could I do without it, why of course.  But why would I want to be without it?

Speaking of CAD...

Computer Aided Design/Drafting is known as CAD. I like anything CAD. The place where I worked as a Tool Designer, we used Microstation mainly because the Plant Engineers were using it. Later as we hired new Tool Engineers, they wouldn't learn Microstation so the company bought AutoCAD. Heck that is what I've learned with. I even learned some programing using 'Lisp'.

Later I've seen people talking about learning centers and asking how should they teach AutoCAD. Firstly, if they really want to teach they must to find what 'Standards' there students will be using. You can teach Circles, Lines, Arcs, and Text. That simple. But using AutoCAD at work requires a working knowledge of the company 'Standards'.

The example I think everyone would understand, you wouldn't use a vacuum set to carpet to vacuum tile, would you? Well standards are like that. Everything in its place and a place for everything. So the instructor needs to know the different discipline these students are working in.

The problem that I had at work, first, they wouldn't allow us to use the 3D model in our drawings. Second, we were not allowed to work in 3D. Everything we did was 2D. Third, our drawing were too large in file size. We came up with some methods to make our drawing smaller. Fourth, learning. The company would pay for training, but it was the simplest type. We did talk our management into getting custom training for the same amount of money. That alone got us faster than anything else.

But the surprising thing I learned was, who used our drawings. Finance even used the timer inside of the software to do Billing. But most the repair people used the drawings to fix the machines.

This raises the question between product and manufacturing support. Most CAD software show there software as for creation of a product. Now that same documentation is used for machine repair.

There is more about this subject and you'll have to search it out.

W. Kirk Crawford

Tularosa, New Mexico

What make me think I know better?

I've been hearing about people who lose there minds and do things they would normally do. So I think. Anyway, what is driving these actions? I'm not much different. The other day as I was arriving at the local library some kid was trying to get in and the door was being held by a few girls. This kid put his foot on the wall to get as much strength as possible. It was unreal. I told that kid I never wanted to see that kind of action ever again. Of course, he blamed it on the girls.

There is so much of this type of stuff going on and worst. All over the world people are losing it. Heck there are people or countries that have lost there way if they don't get what they perceive to be right. Then again what is right? Long story of the world and it's not over yet.

Ok, now for what is driving me crazy. I have purchased a number sheets of plywood that should be better than they are. They wrapped but not by much. So I thought I could use them anyway. Well over time and this and that and the other, I was wrong. It has cost me more time and scrap than I want to account for.

Now I sit and wait for what I am not sure.

W. Kirk Crawford

Tularosa, New Mexico

Are you seeing what you want to see?

I am watching TV and it doesn't matter weather it is the Big Four or Cable, nothing is appealing. First is the fact that I can't hear too well. It makes hearing children and some women difficult. And what I want to watch is limited by reality shows. Reality isn't worth watching, in my option, cuts shorts anything worth watching.

Who care about a father and son arguing and wasting time on showing how to do anything. Reality sucks. Did say that before? I watch TV to learn something like woodworking show or technology. Finding these type of show are limited to video podcast. Searching for them is getting harder.

I found out that I got something a friend want me to build. Problem, the shop is not any way shape or form getting anything done. With the South wall torn apart and everything shoved into the table saw and there isn't away to move around. Half the lights are down and no electric on the south wall. My radial arm saw is hanging off the engine hoist. There isn't anything working. At least no room to work.

But like I said there isn't anything worth watching on TV. And the Internet has some good stuff, but then again there is some garbage in with the good stuff. It has caused me to start looking for some workshops or seminars that are near by. Nothing seems to come out near me. New Mexico is the land enchantment yet nothing appears down here. Got to look else where.

I you know of something that is going on around here please let me know. I am struggling here.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico

A reason I don't like rain.

It has been a few years since they built my workshop. A 30' x 40' x 12' with the wall 8" thick and the ceiling 24" on the south end and 34" on the north end. It allows me an R30 walls and R50 ceiling of blown fiberglass insulation. I also was concern about ventilation under the roof. So I had some vents put in. One other thing about the west wall siding and roof decking, we painted the OSB with e-Bearer paint. It keeps the inside 20 degree cooler.

All was well and good up until last week. I had seen a stain on the floor for a long time but I figured it was leaking under the overhead doors. I guess it wasn't. I haven't found anyplace where it leaks except for those vents. Besides, on the inside that where the water appears the greatest. I just hope not much as gotten into the ceiling insulation. That would be unreal to fix.

I had a sheet metal shop make some deflectors. Hopefully that will take care of the water.

I have to remove all of the stuff on the wall to get access to the insulation. Boy is it wet. and there is some white mold growing in at least one of the cavity. I don't know what it is yet, got to find somebody to tell me what it is. As for the fiberglass I think it is ruined. I am really worried what is the long term of this damage.

The worst part of this is moving things that I had on the south wall and trying find a place to put it. If I didn't have the Triumph in there, it would be so bad. I never thought this would ever happen to me. This is one of the worst things that could have happened. I have so many projects on hold because of this it is insane. I have other things better to do than this. I'm getting to old to climb a ladder and these sheets of OSB is heaver with a little water soak in.

Help, who would want to. This is drive me crazy. I don't know what else to say.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico

What going on with my life, nothing.

It has been a while since I have done much of anything. I mean I only got one eye operated on and it am having problems trying to see the left eye, it didn't get the operation yet, is trying to take over what I am looking at. Hare to focus a camera. And speaking of a camera, since I am left eye dominant, my nose will often push the shot button and it is either set for timer or repeat. That has cause me to miss some shots. Sucks.

So I have been unable to do much that takes hand-eye-coordination. So I have worked on that '70 Triumph getting it read for the sand blaster. The engine stand that I built out of wood failed and I made one out of steel. Not real happy with the bolting locations. We'll see. I still haven't decided what to do about the engine. One cylinder doesn't have good compression. Not sure why, something i have to look into.

I made a boboo. While using a air chisel I cut some of the floor pan. The distance between the edge of the body is impossible to reach with a Hammer & Dolly. So I build a holder to hold a sledge hammer. I uses an 1 1/4" threaded rod because I need it adjustable in height. Oh it looks nice all right, but wait and see.

Whaile all of this have been going on it started snowing here and we got about 3". OK, but that just made mud and makes it next to impossible to walk to the shop. That would have been it but it started raining for three days and now it has gotten worst. The road in front of the house, the gravel as gone down into the mud. It is a mess at this minute.

That's not the worst part at this time, the rain has leaked into the south wall of the shop and gotten the blown fiberglass insulation wet. Now I have to take the OSB down so it can dry out. I called the guy that built the shop and told him, 'that I noticed stains on the floor, but I though it was coming under the overhead door.' It appears that where I caulked might have keep the water from draining out.

Boy am I heart broken.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico

I wouldn't be what I am without the job I had.

Does that make any sense? It seams that I never did anything that management appreciated. Yet management would rather see me redo existing work. The would never consider making our work easier. As far as I am concerned, we were doing 1980's work using 1940's methods.

I have another question. What if the Big Three didn't try to build car volumes per car demands. What if the just build to there limit, and not push the limits of there quality. Look, Rolls Royce has a backlog of orders and don't hire because of the demand. Look what has happened to Toyota, there problem with the floor mats.

It appears that Hyundai has many more hot car designs than the Big Three has had since the 50's and 60's. And don't even got to the point that all cars are starting to looking alike. Who cares?

What do you care about? Stop and think it through to see if it can come back and slap you in the face. Is your wants bigger than your needs? All I am wanting anymore is a car the size of the 50's models and around 200 to 250 hp. As for gas milage, well is it gasoline, batteries, or something else.

All I know now cars last a lot longer than they did in the past. Also, I heard, the internal combustion engine isn't about to die in your lifetime. I believe that most of the latest downfall to the auto industry is because of some bad judgmental calls back in the 70's. They have lost track to what the American want in the way of an automobile.

A lot of good people have move on and the ones who have caused the problems are still there. Something like Washington.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico