my diy needle wheel dart pump

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Bill That really looks sweet. You meany you couldn't get that funnel in your oven?? :lol: I know mine didn't fit. I had to prop the oven door to keep enough heat in. You will go down in history as the ultimate DIYer....although DIYers are suppose to SAVE money.:)

trmiv & hahnmeister Owning a company isn't what it is cracked up to be. it's hard work, especially if you build it from scratch, and a lot of people depend on you making the right decisions. There are benefits of course, but typically a long happy life isn't one of them. Every time you make a move forward, some competitor or government agency is there taking some away. I know that sounds harsh but I always get the attitude from people who don't know me well that not only must I be rich, but my life must be so easy. Nothing comes easy when you own a business, but you do learn how to cope and hopefully success in business gives you the self esteem needed to make good choices in the rest of your life.

Sorry for the lecture...it's a hot button with business owners. :)
 
I think you missed the humor in my post jnarowe.

Regardless, I still have plans/desire to be a business owner. I'd rather work 12-15 hours a day and have my hard work directly benefit me, than work 8 hours a day for someone else. I'm tired of busting my *** so some middle manager can look good to his manager.
 
trmiv Well and that's a good point. It will be a cold day in hell when I fire myself! I worked for Marriott out of college and although I really enjoyed working for them and I had great autonomy, their financial goals and my financial goals competed a little too agressively, IYKWIM. I got 15% raise the first year and 25% the second and then we were all in a meeting with our DM and he said no one is getting over 6% for the third year and that's when I bailed.

And I know my post was a little dreary but I always encourage people to do their own thing.
 
Beautiful job!

Bill, did they machine the cone (using a lathe/CNC mill)
or did they use vacuum-forming? I thought you mentioned
the cone was being machined, but it looks vacuum-formed.
I didn't expect it to be so tall. If the cone was indeed machined
from solid acrylic, did you see how they made it?
 
#1 reason for owning your own business: there is no money or reward in working for other people. Of course, you have to know what you are doing, and enjoy it. It also depends on what market/industry you go into. Owning a Firm is alot different than a Garden Center. But at that, if you get your family involved to carry it on when you get older, you end up with a source of income (and sometimes status as well) that can benefit your family for generations to come.

I was 'best man' last summer for a friend who is taking over, and will be a 4th generation owner in, the family business...what business is that? http://www.minorsgardencenter.com/content/company/static/aboutus.php.

It sounds kinda 'hokey' at first, but they have a market all to themselves, and loyal customers year after year, contractors that come in from all over the state and even Ill. Their 'take-home' for just the 3 brothers that run it now is just shy of a million dollars a year, and they still have plenty left over for expanding the business (they grow their own stuff on 12+ farms that they own around WI and down south), salary for the many workers, and investing in other businesses (they are silent partners in several other businesses like pickle makers, large hiney farms, etc). The grandfather (2nd gen) lives 1/2 his year in Cali and the other half in WI, buying a new Jaguar convertable every other year. School for the kids, and even cousins, is payed in full up front. Its unbelievable. They joined True-serve corp as a showplace dealer(True Value hardware and Service Star), so I can get Rubbermaid stock tanks and other pet supplies (eheim pumps, mag-drives, heaters, etc) at wholesale cost with them, and the list just keeps on going.

All because great-grandpa minor decided to open up a little corner flower/garden shop 50 years ago. He lived intil a few years ago...happy guy too. They make millions every year, and have secirity for their whole family for many generations to come.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7202194#post7202194 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hsvtoolfool
Beautiful job!

Bill, did they machine the cone (using a lathe/CNC mill)
or did they use vacuum-forming? I thought you mentioned
the cone was being machined, but it looks vacuum-formed.
I didn't expect it to be so tall. If the cone was indeed machined
from solid acrylic, did you see how they made it?

the cone was thermal formed and then machined to fit the cone. i dont think bill could afford to machine a cone out of a solid block of acrylic that big.
 
hahnmeister Garden centers are cash cows. Particualarly family owned and operated for decades because they own enough land to produce what they sell, cutting out all middle men.

Sell the car to build the skimmer? Now that's dedication! :D
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7202501#post7202501 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spazz
the cone was thermal formed and then machined to fit the cone. i dont think bill could afford to machine a cone out of a solid block of acrylic that big.

Ah. Just the tube-to-cone and cone-to-neck fittings were
machined. That makes sense for a cone that tall. They did
an awesome job. It fits with the rest of his work which is
the best compliment I can give.

I'm using a 10-inch skimmer tube, so I can build up a 6-inch
tall cone from scrap pieces then turn it on my lathe. Turning
wastes more material than forming, but turning is less trouble
(at least for me) and should produce a very accurate and strong
piece in about 10 minutes. The only down side is the possibility
that the cone might disintergrate while spinning at 800 rpm
thereby killing me with a flying chunk of acrylic shrapnel.
 
yeah but what a cool way to go. ;)

You know I really enjoyed baking and forming mine. It was fairly easy to do and the result is good. Not as nice as a machined piece of course but I wish more people would use that method mostly because it requires no special tools. Just getting it warm enough to shape and then spraying it with water to freeze it in positon.
 
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