Wow, Lee, your story is truly inspiring! It’s incredible to see how your hard work and dedication laid the foundation for something your children can now build upon and take to new heights. The legacy of your CNC shop isn’t just about machines and craftsmanship-it’s about family, vision, and the lasting impact of his efforts. Kudos to you for sharing this touching story! It’s a reminder to all of us in the trades that what we create today can inspire the next generation. Thank you for putting this out there-such a great tribute!
Thank you for all the kind words. I’ve always thought on the whole that tool makers and machinist were very underpaid. Yet nothing would exist with them. Nothing! I’m proud of my accomplishments for sure and the biggest is my son’s. My life was my boys. I had opportunities to grow and get bigger. Nicer building and more new machines etc. However we were doing well and I was happy while providing a comfortable living for my family. The less time I had to be at the shop then the more time for home and the boys. Taking it to the next level would have meant way more hours at the shop. Not the price I was willing to pay. I was the dad who was at every school and sports event lol. Being a big fish in a small pond is better than a small fish in a big pond. ( one of mom’s famous quotes lol ) . All of that being said I don’t regret any decisions I made. We have a great place in the industry. Glad you enjoyed the video. Hopefully when I make my home shop video it will go well like this one. 🤞🏻
Hi Lee, I made a few aluminum motorcycle parts for you a long time ago. Great to see your shop doing so well, and your sons continuing and expanding the business. Next time I hear the claim that nobody makes anything in America anymore I will send them a link to this video. Imagine what manufacturers could do if the stinking government weren't constantly inflating the currency and imposing crippling regulations. All the best to you and your family!
I remember that! We were so busy we were subbing parts out for a while. Your work was excellent. Yes it’s really a shame that we don’t get the protection we need. Higher tariffs on items coming here from China especially. And it’s impossible to compete with someone having no EPA . Not to mention what they pay ppl. Hey give me a level playing field at least, PLEASE. I put my heart and soul into that business and sales have simply gone way down in the motorcycle end. Not only from the China knock offs but so many ppl coping my designs here as well. Years back when I first started there were maybe 3 options you had in the catalogs. Soon after I came up with the many different types of intakes. ( I would venture to say we made more varieties than anyone in the industry) the imitators came in like crazy. Pretty sure they looked at me and said 🤔 Hum he’s making money on this stuff why don’t we get into it. I’m bitter about that fact. Next to the several pages I had in the big distribution catalog there were the competitors with their versions. Most were simply copies of mine in some way. Easy to come up with design changes to something someone’s already invented. Still all in all I’m proud of the things I’ve created. I’d like to think I’ve left my mark in the industry. Regardless I had a blast traveling, doing trade shows, the friends I’ve made and everything that went along with the motorcycle world. In fact if not for a certain famous motorcycle club ( not Hells Angles , but one in a running wheel lol ) I’d have never met my wonderful second wife. This club is so awesome, simply the best ppl and custom bikes. I’ve been a proud member for 23 years now. I’ve had a good ride and as the masters in the industry told me from the start. Sell the heck out of your product and move on to the next. This industry will steal things so fast it makes you head spin. And that’s only half the story. The parts we’ve machined over the years are pretty darn incredible for our size. Years back we were 2nd to prime on a lot of military contracts. We made some really great parts. One was safety arming rotors for Cruze missiles. We did medical parts. We also made parts for the Jaws of Life. And more recently devices for fire fighters air packs. At least this end of the business is doing great. .Super proud of my sons and what’s been accomplished not only by me but the many great employees I’ve had over the years. Sorry for the novel lol. I’ve taken up writing in my old age lol. Just another metamorphosis in my life. Thank you for the comment on here! Hope all is good with you!
@@Lwimmermastermetalart You mean I wasn't supposed to give copies of your prints to that Chinese fellow who stopped by? Oops! 😄 "Sell the heck out of your product and move on to the next. This industry will steal things so fast it makes your head spin." That sums up why you've been so successful. You didn't whine and demand that somebody protect you from competitors, regardless of how unscrupulous they might have been. You put your head down and kept moving forward, always innovating, and unafraid to tackle the next tough job. Well done! That's the spirit that makes America great. At 71 I'm learning to fly a Boeing 737-800 in my desktop simulator. Setting up the automated systems is a bit like writing a CNC program, except that the subsequent flight nearly always requires significant manual intervention as the weather changes along the way. I would like to reach a level of proficiency that would allow me to fly on a live virtual air traffic control network like VATSIM, but I don't know if I'll get there.
@@rwalkenhorst That’s a good one LOL. Hey that’s great about leaning to fly. I had a flight simulator YEARS ago. Absolutely nothing like today. I always loved flying. If it wasn’t so expensive I think I’d get my license. I just turned 74 so I think about the bucket list more lol. Good luck with your venture. Sounds really neat👍🏼
Thank you for the kind words. I was a bit reluctant to show the shop. The building is a bit dumpy and most machines are older. Certainly not a multi million dollar shop like so many on here. However I think it shows what can be done with some blood, sweat and tears lol.
A problem I'm facing at the moment is that a finished product, including plating/anodizing, and inclusive of freight charges, from an Asian supplier costs less than I can buy the raw material for here in the US before I even perform a single operation on it starting with the bandsaw. Raw bar stock of pretty much any material has gotten obscenely expensive here in America in the past decade. At the same time, Asian suppliers have improved in competitiveness and can do smaller batch sizes now... so it's definitely a game of survival.
Exactly! There is no protection for ppl like us. I feel your pain. Fortunately for me/us the motorcycle parts were not our primary source of income. As you said places like China have no EPA and pay so little that you’ll never be able to compete in the USA. Also they are such good imitator’s. The only way I could tell the difference on some items was the fact that machining marks were different. I wish I could give you a solution to your problem. Perhaps some viewer may have some input. Thx for watching and best of luck to you.
That’s so true, sadly not a whole lot of young ppl are interested. ( heck many don’t want to even work at all sadly) However there are still many who with the right guidance will realize just what a great trade it is. If you have a mechanical aptitude and a great work ethic you can make it a great career. My personal opinion is high school guidance counselors don’t do a good job of steering ppl into this industry. This was a battle I had for many years at the Vo Tech I was involved with.
Nice story very inspiring for us all.
@@briantate8656 Thanks for watching!!
Wow, Lee, your story is truly inspiring! It’s incredible to see how your hard work and dedication laid the foundation for something your children can now build upon and take to new heights. The legacy of your CNC shop isn’t just about machines and craftsmanship-it’s about family, vision, and the lasting impact of his efforts. Kudos to you for sharing this touching story! It’s a reminder to all of us in the trades that what we create today can inspire the next generation. Thank you for putting this out there-such a great tribute!
Thank you for all the kind words. I’ve always thought on the whole that tool makers and machinist were very underpaid. Yet nothing would exist with them. Nothing! I’m proud of my accomplishments for sure and the biggest is my son’s. My life was my boys. I had opportunities to grow and get bigger. Nicer building and more new machines etc. However we were doing well and I was happy while providing a comfortable living for my family. The less time I had to be at the shop then the more time for home and the boys. Taking it to the next level would have meant way more hours at the shop. Not the price I was willing to pay. I was the dad who was at every school and sports event lol. Being a big fish in a small pond is better than a small fish in a big pond. ( one of mom’s famous quotes lol ) . All of that being said I don’t regret any decisions I made. We have a great place in the industry. Glad you enjoyed the video. Hopefully when I make my home shop video it will go well like this one. 🤞🏻
Hi Lee, I made a few aluminum motorcycle parts for you a long time ago. Great to see your shop doing so well, and your sons continuing and expanding the business.
Next time I hear the claim that nobody makes anything in America anymore I will send them a link to this video.
Imagine what manufacturers could do if the stinking government weren't constantly inflating the currency and imposing crippling regulations.
All the best to you and your family!
I remember that! We were so busy we were subbing parts out for a while. Your work was excellent. Yes it’s really a shame that we don’t get the protection we need. Higher tariffs on items coming here from China especially. And it’s impossible to compete with someone having no EPA . Not to mention what they pay ppl. Hey give me a level playing field at least, PLEASE. I put my heart and soul into that business and sales have simply gone way down in the motorcycle end. Not only from the China knock offs but so many ppl coping my designs here as well. Years back when I first started there were maybe 3 options you had in the catalogs. Soon after I came up with the many different types of intakes. ( I would venture to say we made more varieties than anyone in the industry) the imitators came in like crazy. Pretty sure they looked at me and said 🤔 Hum he’s making money on this stuff why don’t we get into it. I’m bitter about that fact. Next to the several pages I had in the big distribution catalog there were the competitors with their versions. Most were simply copies of mine in some way. Easy to come up with design changes to something someone’s already invented. Still all in all I’m proud of the things I’ve created. I’d like to think I’ve left my mark in the industry. Regardless I had a blast traveling, doing trade shows, the friends I’ve made and everything that went along with the motorcycle world. In fact if not for a certain famous motorcycle club ( not Hells Angles , but one in a running wheel lol ) I’d have never met my wonderful second wife. This club is so awesome, simply the best ppl and custom bikes. I’ve been a proud member for 23 years now. I’ve had a good ride and as the masters in the industry told me from the start. Sell the heck out of your product and move on to the next. This industry will steal things so fast it makes you head spin. And that’s only half the story. The parts we’ve machined over the years are pretty darn incredible for our size. Years back we were 2nd to prime on a lot of military contracts. We made some really great parts. One was safety arming rotors for Cruze missiles. We did medical parts. We also made parts for the Jaws of Life. And more recently devices for fire fighters air packs. At least this end of the business is doing great. .Super proud of my sons and what’s been accomplished not only by me but the many great employees I’ve had over the years. Sorry for the novel lol. I’ve taken up writing in my old age lol. Just another metamorphosis in my life. Thank you for the comment on here! Hope all is good with you!
@@Lwimmermastermetalart You mean I wasn't supposed to give copies of your prints to that Chinese fellow who stopped by? Oops! 😄
"Sell the heck out of your product and move on to the next. This industry will steal things so fast it makes your head spin." That sums up why you've been so successful. You didn't whine and demand that somebody protect you from competitors, regardless of how unscrupulous they might have been. You put your head down and kept moving forward, always innovating, and unafraid to tackle the next tough job. Well done! That's the spirit that makes America great.
At 71 I'm learning to fly a Boeing 737-800 in my desktop simulator. Setting up the automated systems is a bit like writing a CNC program, except that the subsequent flight nearly always requires significant manual intervention as the weather changes along the way. I would like to reach a level of proficiency that would allow me to fly on a live virtual air traffic control network like VATSIM, but I don't know if I'll get there.
@@rwalkenhorst That’s a good one LOL. Hey that’s great about leaning to fly. I had a flight simulator YEARS ago. Absolutely nothing like today. I always loved flying. If it wasn’t so expensive I think I’d get my license.
I just turned 74 so I think about the bucket list more lol. Good luck with your venture. Sounds really neat👍🏼
Excellent story, wish you success as you keep growing!
Thank you for the kind words. I was a bit reluctant to show the shop. The building is a bit dumpy and most machines are older. Certainly not a multi million dollar shop like so many on here. However I think it shows what can be done with some blood, sweat and tears lol.
Very nice workpieces. You can be proud on your people and machines.
Beautiful work here..
Great video 💯
Glad you enjoyed !!
👍well done sir
A problem I'm facing at the moment is that a finished product, including plating/anodizing, and inclusive of freight charges, from an Asian supplier costs less than I can buy the raw material for here in the US before I even perform a single operation on it starting with the bandsaw. Raw bar stock of pretty much any material has gotten obscenely expensive here in America in the past decade. At the same time, Asian suppliers have improved in competitiveness and can do smaller batch sizes now... so it's definitely a game of survival.
Exactly! There is no protection for ppl like us. I feel your pain. Fortunately for me/us the motorcycle parts were not our primary source of income. As you said places like China have no EPA and pay so little that you’ll never be able to compete in the USA. Also they are such good imitator’s. The only way I could tell the difference on some items was the fact that machining marks were different. I wish I could give you a solution to your problem. Perhaps some viewer may have some input. Thx for watching and best of luck to you.
Ya’ll must have age minimums to work there
Also note average machinist age. They don't promote the young guys so they leave
Young guys don’t want to do this kind of work. It’s a hard long learning curve to become a skilled machinist.
That’s so true, sadly not a whole lot of young ppl are interested. ( heck many don’t want to even work at all sadly) However there are still many who with the right guidance will realize just what a great trade it is. If you have a mechanical aptitude and a great work ethic you can make it a great career. My personal opinion is high school guidance counselors don’t do a good job of steering ppl into this industry. This was a battle I had for many years at the Vo Tech I was involved with.