With so many talented, well...multi-talented people on here that seem to be more self-sufficient than people that are generally found in society, I wanted to post this in honor of those members.
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John Ratzenberger
http://www.ratzenberger.com/manufacturing.php
http://www.ratzenberger.com/
He played a character on the old Cheers show. His father was a master carpenter. He believes that the media, thru television and movies have done their best to degrade skilled craftsmen who work with their hands. Portraying them as a lower class citizen. Like mocking the "plumbers pants" over and over.
But, he is trying to bring children to see these skilled craftsmen actually at work. The piece I saw on him show junior high and high school kids seeing welders at work. There were several girls who were amazed at the freedom of creativity that could be achieved.
Associated with this idea, it has been pointed out that "modern" fathers never grew up tinkering with mechanical things. They tinker with smart phones, computers and other things. Consequently, if their child's chain comes off their bike....dad cannot put it back on! Down to the bike shop.....when they open up.
I grew up taking things apart, like my mother's Kirby vacuum. It went back together well, except for a few misplaced parts. It self-destructed later. But, we learned the value of proper dis-assembly and re-assembly, and paying attention to detail. I guess kids, and their fathers, are not curious as to how things work. I guess they have no need for self-reliance, either. What to do when a storm or natural disaster knocks out power? Sit and wait, freeze to death? Or, have generators that you understand how they work, and you can use? If something breaks or malfunctions, then can they figure out what most likely is wrong and fix it? Or, not.
My father and his friends always made and fixed things. When my father and mother first got married, they had no car. My father took and old electrical motor, re-wound it and made a mower deck from wood to make a lawn mower. Maybe not impressive to the snob who could buy and expensive mower, but never used it because he could not take the Summer heat. Before there were lift kits for vehicles, they made their own. Same with snorkels for early ATVs, like the Honda ATC. Sears drier hose did pretty good. He made me some golf clubs from conduit. Nowadays, not all, but many young electricians cannot use a foot bender. They need an electrically powered hydraulic one. If they mis-bend a piece of conduit, they discard it, as they cannot back the bend out.
If my bike had a flat, my father taught me to patch it, or put a tube in it. We played all sports, and a neighbor who played golf was amazed at my little clubs made from conduit. When you cannot afford to buy something, you have to make the best thing you can or do without. Being able to repair things can save you a lot of money and sometimes what was a mystery turns out to not be so hard, it may just take the right tools or materials or techniques.
Without going on for 100 pages, you know what I mean...I hope. I truly hope this "Manufacturing Crisis in America" program Mr. Ratzenberger is a part of will expand for the good of the coming generations, and our country. Where would we be now without our manufacturing compatibilities and machine tools of World War Two and the men AND women who pitched in?
So if your family or friends think you are stupid or waste your time in the shop, they probably just don't really understand how much good you are doing for them, yourself and your savings account.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Ratzenberger
http://www.ratzenberger.com/manufacturing.php
http://www.ratzenberger.com/
He played a character on the old Cheers show. His father was a master carpenter. He believes that the media, thru television and movies have done their best to degrade skilled craftsmen who work with their hands. Portraying them as a lower class citizen. Like mocking the "plumbers pants" over and over.
But, he is trying to bring children to see these skilled craftsmen actually at work. The piece I saw on him show junior high and high school kids seeing welders at work. There were several girls who were amazed at the freedom of creativity that could be achieved.
Associated with this idea, it has been pointed out that "modern" fathers never grew up tinkering with mechanical things. They tinker with smart phones, computers and other things. Consequently, if their child's chain comes off their bike....dad cannot put it back on! Down to the bike shop.....when they open up.
I grew up taking things apart, like my mother's Kirby vacuum. It went back together well, except for a few misplaced parts. It self-destructed later. But, we learned the value of proper dis-assembly and re-assembly, and paying attention to detail. I guess kids, and their fathers, are not curious as to how things work. I guess they have no need for self-reliance, either. What to do when a storm or natural disaster knocks out power? Sit and wait, freeze to death? Or, have generators that you understand how they work, and you can use? If something breaks or malfunctions, then can they figure out what most likely is wrong and fix it? Or, not.
My father and his friends always made and fixed things. When my father and mother first got married, they had no car. My father took and old electrical motor, re-wound it and made a mower deck from wood to make a lawn mower. Maybe not impressive to the snob who could buy and expensive mower, but never used it because he could not take the Summer heat. Before there were lift kits for vehicles, they made their own. Same with snorkels for early ATVs, like the Honda ATC. Sears drier hose did pretty good. He made me some golf clubs from conduit. Nowadays, not all, but many young electricians cannot use a foot bender. They need an electrically powered hydraulic one. If they mis-bend a piece of conduit, they discard it, as they cannot back the bend out.
If my bike had a flat, my father taught me to patch it, or put a tube in it. We played all sports, and a neighbor who played golf was amazed at my little clubs made from conduit. When you cannot afford to buy something, you have to make the best thing you can or do without. Being able to repair things can save you a lot of money and sometimes what was a mystery turns out to not be so hard, it may just take the right tools or materials or techniques.
Without going on for 100 pages, you know what I mean...I hope. I truly hope this "Manufacturing Crisis in America" program Mr. Ratzenberger is a part of will expand for the good of the coming generations, and our country. Where would we be now without our manufacturing compatibilities and machine tools of World War Two and the men AND women who pitched in?
So if your family or friends think you are stupid or waste your time in the shop, they probably just don't really understand how much good you are doing for them, yourself and your savings account.
