Geejay

.the younger Don who runs this account.🤣

Maniratnam chose real locations over VFX & that’s why Ponniyin Selvan will age like fine wine While many films chase scale with CGI, PS builds world through natural light, real landscapes & grounded production design.That authenticity gives timeless life even after 30 years

Disclaimer: This post may contain information that is unsuitable for persons with no sense of humor or irrational epicurean beliefs. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my family and friends, not necessarily mine, and probably not at all necessary.

This is a long post. Almost a blog post in 3 parts! I wanted to share the good news of addition of some new CNC Milling machines to my shop floor. I wouldn’t have shared it if not for the adventure I undertook to get them. We had only CNC turning machines and have always aspired to buy our own CNC milling machines. However being bootstrapped with debt and just finding our footing in business, we just didn’t have the cash to splurge on new machines. All our growth has been from our own profits and financial discipline is something I place as paramount in my job. However, by mid of last year we had started getting enough load to justify buying our own machine than keep outsourcing. I was getting desperate and was trying to negotiate a small chinese made desktop milling machine. Then in mid September my biggest German customer called and said “hey, there is a supplier of mine in Poland who has closed down. He has a couple of CNC milling machines he wants to sell. Would you be interested?” I was like “Hell yeah I am interested!!”. He immediately sent pictures of the machine and I was delighted to find out they were Deckel Maho 3-axis and 5- axis machines! Machining enthusiasts know the value of the Deckel Mahos. They are the OG iPhone 6s of the CNC machining world! The top line! Only negative was that they were 25 years old. But then, back in late 90s Germans built the machines like tanks to last 50+ years. I was anyway due to travel to Europe the week after and decided to go check them out. I drove to the middle-of-nowhere factory in Poland on a Friday evening. Saw the machines and spoke to the owner. The owner had sold the land on which the factory stood and wanted the machines out by end of September. And he was not finding any willing buyers to get rid of these tank-like heavy-ass machines. He said “Either you take this before end of September, or I will scrap it. Take it at whatever price you want”. This was music to my ears as someone who was scrambling just a week before to buy a toy CNC,and there was no way I was going to let him scrap the beauties which had at least 30 years of life left in them. So I decided to figure out how to get the machines out. I was supposed to fly back to India the Monday after. But I postponed it indefinitely. There I was in the middle of nowhere in Poland, all alone in 10 degree weather trying to figure out how to get the 20 tons worth machine back to India. I got to work on Monday trying to get offers locally to dismantle the machines, get them out of the shop floor. These machines were not build for overseas sales. They dint fit into a container. And they were not the easiest to work with. I contacted nearly 8 different machine movers and the cheapest offer I got was 16 Lakh rupees! There was no way my Indian pocket would pay 16L to just dismantle and get the machines out! I had hit a roadblock. Then an idea popped in my head! I spoke to the owner (a wonderful German man who was very cooperative and supportive throughout) to find me any old operator of those machines who would be willing to help me. The owner was obviously not in good terms with any of his employees after he had abruptly closed the factory earlier in the year. I told him to send a message out that I would pay anyone to just come meet me in regard to these machines! Thankfully we could find a guy who agreed to meet. He didn’t speak a word of English. Only means of communication with him was chatgpt and Google translate. With those communication tools, I negotiated and struck a deal with him that he will dismantle both the machines and help me get them out- for 1L! He was already working somewhere else. So the agreement was that he would come to this factory at 3 pm after his work and we would work together till sun down. With dismantling secured half the job was done!