Big pics of big machines --------->

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/William_Doxford_and_Sons#The_Manufacturing_Process







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I love this stuff.

The Case for Working With Your Hands

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_Maintenance

Thanks for posting the link to the NYT Mag article.

Something I've never been able to articulate very well. Craftsmanship is as "good" as a PhD. I LOVE watching someone DO something they are good at.

And the point about the economics is important too. "Can't hammer a nail over the internet.":toast:

as he pointed out

(I'm not putting successful scholars down, just saying that world is not perfect
and that there are plenty of people doing brilliant, skilled work in the "physical" world)

Our parents wanted us to be as far removed from physical labor
as an education could take us. It didn't take with me, I love
being in the shop, making something that has never been made.

I wasn't allowed to take auto tech in High School. (took a couple shop classes in grade school - made the requisite metal box and dust pan - ha) It was mostly because they said I just want to be in a class with all boys (which was partly true) but man, with the mechanic-ing I have HAD to learn over the last 20 years it would have saved a lot of time and money if I would have taken those classes instead of a few of the others I did take.

I definitely took a step down in my fathers eyes coming to the ranch. Mom was ok with it.

I really want to learn welding. Been told to just jump in and start doing it, but I'm askeered of 'lectricity.

taught me the fundamentals of blacksmithing.
Being able to manipulate metal is my only super power.

i've yet to really try any blacksmithing, but i'm paid to be a machinist, and spend all my spare time learning to shape sheetmetal. i'm very glad i made the choice in high school to pursue the dying arts of manipulating metal. i guess it does make one feel like you have super powers when you can make almost anything out of metal. personally i just don't feel like i've had a productive day if i can't step back and look at something i made to show for my efforts. my "education" was trade school. there are times i wish i had spent more time to get a "real" college education when i was young, but really, i don't think i'd trade my metalworking knowledge for any other.

there was gas welding long before electric arc welding. no doubt you have an oxy-acetylene torch on the ranch.

I have respect for machinery. Sure do. Band saws, worked with them...fascinating, hypnotizing and kind of scary but satisfying, too.

:hi:

A neighbor had steam implements that he still used.
I think that picture was taken in 1962 or 1963.

For some reason, Edgar Bergen visited to see them in action.



Our first celebrity autograph!

Everybody talks John Deere but, I wouldn't mind having:

kind of omnious looking.......

World's biggest trencher:

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2006/11/biggest-and-hungriest-machines.html

Spent a lot of Saturday mornings with my son there so he could be the first one of the day to toot the horn and ring the bell on this baby!





Got to blow the whistle on this one, too!

:thumbsup:

How fun that must have been for you and son.

Model trains, riding trains, watching trains...

He loves'em, and I was more than happy to oblige him his passion :hi:

Is that possible?

Great video of a marvelous machine in action.
Thanks.

Now that's a tool!
(30 yr machinist)

Look at the size of those chips!

Where my husband worked (before he retired) they would have
an Open House every ten years or so and we all got to look
inside the really huge autoclaves....

Tikki

:shrug:

Tikki

Mind blowing.

nothing else would have engines nearly that big

or those guys are four inches tall.

That's an amazing machine.

Thanks for the photo.

:thumbsup:

steel-toed boots. How times have changed!

And you're right, times have changed.

:hi:

and I used to drive 18-wheelers!!

I didn't enjoy it...too technical and boring. But, I did it for 10 yrs.

I like the technical.

:hi:

:hi:

I know the likes of you! ;) Big job! I also sold energy management systems where I dealt with the facility managers more often.

I started in the profession when the engineers still hung naked lady calendars on their walls from Bud's Auto Shop and places. Those things changed after the early 90's. But being the only female in that industry years ago was pretty interesting.

Here is my dad, assembling one...



Three Waukesha diesel engines power each rig. They're like regular diesel engines, but eight feet tall.

Thanks for the rig photo too.

:thumbsup:

Thanks.