Happy Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Fatwa, and Sven!
After a long week, Mrs. Paddy and I decided to go out to dinner in San Juan Capistrano. The parking lot and parking structure were both full with cars circling, looking for spots. The outdoor seating for all the restaurants looked full, as well. We changed plans and went elsewhere. It’s good to see more people getting out and the restaurants doing well. I saw much fewer masks, too.
We went to visit and have lunch with my partner, Titan, yesterday. What an incredible facility. Huge building with many millions of dollars of new machines, many or most donated by sponsors. Saw a big machine still on a pallet, wrapped up in back, maybe 5′ x 6+’ x 6+ feet. A 3-D printer that was worth about $750,000.00, donated by the manufacturer. Titan had stopped doing work for aerospace companies and closed the shop. The Blue Origin rocket Bezos flew in had some of his parts, as do the SpaceX rockets. His Academy has grown to where ho only takes work he can photograph and film, which he can’t do with the work he did. The machines are in use but are doing things related to the instructional videos or trying new tools and such. The shop is beautifully decorated, wonderfully equipped, and spotlessly clean. It is amazing but not surprising, this was his vision from the start. He did the best he could when we started but now he has the funding and space to do it all first class. It was funny, in the inspection department they had huge CMM (Coordinate measuring machines) and an incredible number of modern state of the art inspection tools and instruments, but they were still using some of the tools I had when we started. I was rather well equipped. He brought many of his people to Texas with him and it was fun to see people I had talked to on the phone or seen in videos. We were rather surprised when we walked in as there was no receptionist, just the shop with people working on the machines. Several of them looked up and recognized me, though we had not met. They had seen me on pictures and video and Titan had talked about me a lot. It was surprising. A while back he was trying to get some three years sponsorship commitments from some of his sponsors so he could really go all in on the Academy. I was on a conference call with a committee or board from one of the big names worldwide in tooling, talking about Titan. It worked out well and he had multi-million dollar three year commitments. It was hard to convince these companies as Titan retains full control, he will not recommend something he does not believe in and tells the truth in all tests and evaluations, but it paid off for the sponsors beyond their dreams. Now they are solidly on board and he has many offers he will not take as they don’t meet his standards. In some videos last year he reported remarkable results from a new endmill series that solved a problem for him with an aerospace job. After his enthusiastic report the company got orders for that tool that exceeded one and a half million dollars. One of the machine manufacturers was hurt by the lockdowns and was facing going under. When Titan featured their machines their sales doubled and they are good now. He has a huge impact and companies want to give him machines (normally a company might let someone use there machines but these are given to him so he can really explore what they can do. I have only seen 5 axis machines, and only on video, but he has 7 axis and 9 axis machines there making incredible parts. It was fascinating to see. Elena and I are so glad he escaped to Texas, and so is he.
We were chatting with a couple of the guys. I had brought some of my old cards showing me as VP of the Company. When Titan came out we walked over to a CNC laser engraver where one of the guys was making this. It is laser engraved on a titanium wafer, like an exotic business card. Awesome to see in action.
It was great to see, Paddy. It was what he had dreamed about for so long. He is 52 now, almost my age when we started the shop together. What a journey. He has an incredible team. There are many people bagging to work for him. There are over 120,000 members following the the group now, from all over the world.
I will post some pictures later. It is a beautiful new building. The front face overlooks a large pond with a big fountain. I had about half of the building but recently took the rest so they are working inside now. The space will be needed as he is expanding into precision grinding, 3D printing, aerospace machining, and other design programs. He also has new sponsors lined up.
I have rarely seen Jim as infuriated as he -- quite rightly -- is with a few of the folks at HH-A HOA. (It’s taken the better part of thirty years, but I think I’ve finally been a “bad influence” on him). 😉
Extremely glad he’s on-board with punching back twice as hard on this one.
Mac --
Happy 90th birfday to Elena’s papa; hope it’s a wonderful day for him.
Thanks so much for writing about your lunch with Titan; hope you allowed yourself a moment or two of pride while you were there. You have -- and will continue to -- change lives because you saw some potential in a troubled guy and took a chance on him.
I’d say some pretty terrific things have come out of that.
It got kind o’ dusty here at CasaK while I was reading that. Lurve the titanium business card, too.
I was rather well equipped.
Must. Stop. Typing. NOW. 🙂
Last edited 2 years ago by Fatwa Arbuckle: Misanthropologist
Titan made a very nice post about us and our visit on Facebook and on Linkedin. OMG. A lot of response. So many people credit Titan with inspiring or helping them, so when he goes on I get a lot of attention.
Happy Caturday, GN!
Good morning, Fatwa -- sounds like you are moving towards a more even battle with allies for a change -- good for you and JimCo.
Watching some cable news this morning. When they say “unvaccinated” now what I’m starting to hear is “unclean.”
Working all weekend. Gotta make a buck.
Poof
Happy Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Fatwa, and Sven!
After a long week, Mrs. Paddy and I decided to go out to dinner in San Juan Capistrano. The parking lot and parking structure were both full with cars circling, looking for spots. The outdoor seating for all the restaurants looked full, as well. We changed plans and went elsewhere. It’s good to see more people getting out and the restaurants doing well. I saw much fewer masks, too.
We went to visit and have lunch with my partner, Titan, yesterday. What an incredible facility. Huge building with many millions of dollars of new machines, many or most donated by sponsors. Saw a big machine still on a pallet, wrapped up in back, maybe 5′ x 6+’ x 6+ feet. A 3-D printer that was worth about $750,000.00, donated by the manufacturer. Titan had stopped doing work for aerospace companies and closed the shop. The Blue Origin rocket Bezos flew in had some of his parts, as do the SpaceX rockets. His Academy has grown to where ho only takes work he can photograph and film, which he can’t do with the work he did. The machines are in use but are doing things related to the instructional videos or trying new tools and such. The shop is beautifully decorated, wonderfully equipped, and spotlessly clean. It is amazing but not surprising, this was his vision from the start. He did the best he could when we started but now he has the funding and space to do it all first class. It was funny, in the inspection department they had huge CMM (Coordinate measuring machines) and an incredible number of modern state of the art inspection tools and instruments, but they were still using some of the tools I had when we started. I was rather well equipped. He brought many of his people to Texas with him and it was fun to see people I had talked to on the phone or seen in videos. We were rather surprised when we walked in as there was no receptionist, just the shop with people working on the machines. Several of them looked up and recognized me, though we had not met. They had seen me on pictures and video and Titan had talked about me a lot. It was surprising. A while back he was trying to get some three years sponsorship commitments from some of his sponsors so he could really go all in on the Academy. I was on a conference call with a committee or board from one of the big names worldwide in tooling, talking about Titan. It worked out well and he had multi-million dollar three year commitments. It was hard to convince these companies as Titan retains full control, he will not recommend something he does not believe in and tells the truth in all tests and evaluations, but it paid off for the sponsors beyond their dreams. Now they are solidly on board and he has many offers he will not take as they don’t meet his standards. In some videos last year he reported remarkable results from a new endmill series that solved a problem for him with an aerospace job. After his enthusiastic report the company got orders for that tool that exceeded one and a half million dollars. One of the machine manufacturers was hurt by the lockdowns and was facing going under. When Titan featured their machines their sales doubled and they are good now. He has a huge impact and companies want to give him machines (normally a company might let someone use there machines but these are given to him so he can really explore what they can do. I have only seen 5 axis machines, and only on video, but he has 7 axis and 9 axis machines there making incredible parts. It was fascinating to see. Elena and I are so glad he escaped to Texas, and so is he.
We were chatting with a couple of the guys. I had brought some of my old cards showing me as VP of the Company. When Titan came out we walked over to a CNC laser engraver where one of the guys was making this. It is laser engraved on a titanium wafer, like an exotic business card. Awesome to see in action.
In case the photobucket picture does not show.
Excellent, Mac! What a treat!
I’m glad Titan is doing so well and that his dream has been realized.
It was great to see, Paddy. It was what he had dreamed about for so long. He is 52 now, almost my age when we started the shop together. What a journey. He has an incredible team. There are many people bagging to work for him. There are over 120,000 members following the the group now, from all over the world.
I will post some pictures later. It is a beautiful new building. The front face overlooks a large pond with a big fountain. I had about half of the building but recently took the rest so they are working inside now. The space will be needed as he is expanding into precision grinding, 3D printing, aerospace machining, and other design programs. He also has new sponsors lined up.
I’m speechless, Mac, except to say what an accomplishment and what a legacy to you.
Very interesting and thanks mac for the alternate image. I’m on TOR today and not getting Photobucket images, generally.
Elena took some pictures, I will post a few later. Today is celebration of her father’s birthday, 90 years old.
Drive-by:
Hi, Sven, Paddy and Mac!
Sven --
I have rarely seen Jim as infuriated as he -- quite rightly -- is with a few of the folks at HH-A HOA. (It’s taken the better part of thirty years, but I think I’ve finally been a “bad influence” on him). 😉
Extremely glad he’s on-board with punching back twice as hard on this one.
Mac --
Happy 90th birfday to Elena’s papa; hope it’s a wonderful day for him.
Thanks so much for writing about your lunch with Titan; hope you allowed yourself a moment or two of pride while you were there. You have -- and will continue to -- change lives because you saw some potential in a troubled guy and took a chance on him.
I’d say some pretty terrific things have come out of that.
It got kind o’ dusty here at CasaK while I was reading that. Lurve the titanium business card, too.
Must. Stop. Typing. NOW. 🙂
That was rather a softball, wasn’t it?
Titan made a very nice post about us and our visit on Facebook and on Linkedin. OMG. A lot of response. So many people credit Titan with inspiring or helping them, so when he goes on I get a lot of attention.
What America used to be -- playful.
And I just got back on normal access again. Off TOR.