My best to Gerald, Thanks for making my dream of cnc a reality!
Thanks Mike for keeping the dream alive.

Justin Luna

Thanks Gerald.

Hello Mike

.

Gerald: After being away from the forum for a while I just saw the thread above that you have actually pulled the plug! I am glad you were able to achieve your goal but will miss your constant vigilant support. All the best and many, many thanks for the design and support you have given. If you are ever in the Seattle area I hope you will call and let me buy you dinner.

Joe on Whidbey Island

Mainly been a lurker with intent to build. Thanks Gerald for sharing your inspired design and elegantly simple approach to engineering. This Cape Town born, SA expat is a little regretful at having left that well known South African ingenuity behind him so many years ago. We've all become so used to having large corporations solve our problems for us and sometimes seem to loose track of our own abilities. It's been a really refreshing change. Mike, congrats and wish you the best with the forum.

Gerald, I completely missed this tread and I just finished reading it. I was shocked but I understand the reasons why you made this move. I just want to express my gratitude to you for putting with us over the years. Without you and the Mechmate community, somebody like me would never have dreamed of building something of this magnitude on our own.

Thank you Mike for picking up the ball. I look forward to continuing to participate in this wonderful community of supportive people. It's the people here that make this site different from a great many others.

Gerald, thank you for what you have created and for what you have done for all of us. Perhaps now you will have some time to create and share some MechMate projects:)

Mike, welcome board captain, you have the wheel.

Gerald,
Thank you for all you have selflessly shared...may it return to you tenfold.

Mike, Shalom
You have made a wise investment...


I have a question....Does Gerald still have his finger on the 'ban' button?

I have something I've wanted to share for a long time but have not done so for fear of getting the boot again...

I think you have answered you own question. Figuring out when to speak your mind (or when to bite your tongue) is really an art that must be carefully crafted throughout the course of life. There are times when it works, and times when it does not. The trick here is knowing when and how it will benefit you.

If you were banned at one time than it might be wise to just bite your tongue because changing people is not up to you. I find that I seem to share a lot of my frustration talking to my little blue friend in the basement. He always makes things better for me. :)

Just my 2cents.

Okay Leko, I promise I won't ban you, but I can't guarantee that nobody else will :) Spill the beans!

Yes - tell us what your thinkin ;)

come on Leko... we're all waiting in suspense... :D

Sorry, spent the weekend out of town celebrating my son's 6th birthday with cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents and everything that makes being 6 great!

You're right James, it isn't up to me to try and change people...nor is it my nature...and as for biting my tongue, that's not my nature either...but I managed this time. I do sort of feel that this thread is kinda turning into an honorarium to Gerald...a somewhat depressing one at times...

I think I would like to try and lighten up this whole transition thing! It's not like we're losing a Gerald, we're gaining a MetalHead! Actually, it's more like Gerald suckered someone into taking over all the crappy work so he can follow the interesting threads, ignore the rest, and comment at will!

But, it also allows us to venerate Gerald as is right and proper!

Long ago, (maybe a year or more, or so...) there was a series of cries for official MechMate wear...a uniform for the brotherhood, so to speak...one industrious blue fellow even fashioned himself such a frock!

This was ill received and elicited grumbling from the big man himself. Hence I tucked this little sketch far back in the bits and bytes so as not to further incur his mighty wrath! But, now I think it might educe a chuckle and a rosy blush. For, while being honorific...and silly, it caries a concept that I'm sure is appreciated by most everyone that lurks this board, especially those afforded the opportunity and ability to undertake this build!

So here is a little something that popped into my head late one night, and I hope will make sense to those outside the States (I'll explain later if need be)

ROFLMAO! :D

Hey, a shirt like that will get you strip-searched at the airport!

yeah.. in the US, they dont like Castro so much :D

...and with a MechMate manual in your luggage could grant you a 5 day vacation in Guantanamo :D

Bribe the custom officer with the Mechmate Plan & you can get away with anything... :)

Heck, in Cuba they don't like Castro much....:(

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/...jEwNDIyWj.html

I'd be more worried about getting picked up by the Swiss Guard!

Ok How much is the XL size delivered to Knappa Or.?

care to elaborate? :confused:

I like my shirts and hats better!

Retiring ?!?!?!
 

Geeez, I get busy and don't check in for a year and finally get back to all the reading and catching up. The old man wants to retire ???. :)

All the best to you Gerald. You've done a great thing here.

Congrats Mike. This is one fine community.