Shop Talk: Both Sides of the Fence

When the toolmaker laughs at your drawing, you know you’re about to get a real-world engineering lesson. Source: ChatGPT

Like many in this industry, I started out in drafting and design back in high school. I loved taking a sketch and turning it into a technical drawing. That path led me into tool and die and plastics, where I witnessed the shift from the drafting board to full 3D modeling — which makes me look really smart (sometimes).

Early on, I drew mold plates straight out of the DME catalog. It was remedial work, but the real thrill came from seeing something I designed being produced on the floor. That pride steered me toward mold design.

Then came the wake-up calls. One I’ll never forget: a senior toolmaker walked into engineering holding one of my drawings. Very politely, he asked how I expected him to actually make the part I designed. My reply must have been ridiculous because he started laughing. That’s when I got my first real-world education — just because you can design something doesn’t mean it can actually be built.

That experience made me want to run machines myself. The opportunity came when the owner of the shop asked, “Who wants to run the wire EDM?” There were three of us in the room. My boss. Another engineer. And me, blurting out, “I’m in.”

That’s when the real fun began. Suddenly, I was on the other side of the fence — looking at my own prints and asking, “Why did I dimension it like that?” or “Why didn’t I add another view so this made sense?” Talk about humbling. It was one of those reflection moments where you realize how easy it is to give someone else a headache.

Over the years, I found myself caught between two worlds. Engineers sometimes thought I was a toolmaker, while toolmakers thought I was just the “design guy.” Honestly, that misunderstanding always makes me laugh. What I really became was a translator — someone who could picture how a design would (or wouldn’t) be made on the floor.

That perspective eventually led me to teaching as an adjunct instructor, sharing these lessons with the next generation. The biggest takeaway? No matter which side of the fence you’re on, you’ll never truly get it until you’ve walked — or worked — on both.

Sharing Manufacturing's Most Human Moments

Canon Virginia Inc. celebrates the real-world moments that unite shop floors everywhere. We hope that by sharing industry stories together, we can all laugh, learn and grow. After all, even in world-class operations, things don’t always go according to plan — but that’s where the human side of manufacturing shines. So, the next time you’re stuck or something throws a wrench in your plans (perhaps even literally), reach out to us because Canon might be the moldmaking and manufacturing partner you need.
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