casting aluminum plaques

[TMGT]

Most people don't have a home shop, or the skills to teach there kids this or that anyway. For all practical purposes, I don't have a home metal shop either but that's why we have school systems. We need to make sure our schools are teaching kids basic stuff like this.

I didn't have shop at home growing up, I also wasn't in the school system. My dad took me to adult education classes when I was growing up.

I never said schools shouldn't have the ability to introduce kids to skilled trades, it's a great way to find out a kids interest.

The problem I'm seeing is too many parents want to rely fully on the school system for every aspect of their kids upbringing.

Unforunantly I get to see a lot of this first hand.

 

[hosspuller]

50 years ago I had shop classes in an urban setting. I turned those into a professional career that paid well, supported a family and provides a good retirement. I supervised my prissy daughter doing maintenance on her car. Too bad her suburban high school didn't have shop classes for her. She surprised many boys with her knowledge. To the point... shop classes teach more than goofy projects. Countless urbanites have no concept of food production, manufacturing, or any of the processes that provide their life. And there is little chance for them to learn. Contra *****... coding is no panacea for society.

 

[mcfarmall]

I was fortunate enough that my high school had an outstanding Industrial Arts program and our metal shop had an aluminum foundry. We could make giant schoolhouse/church bells, and many, many other items. I really enjoyed ramming molds, pouring, shaking out, making new green sand for the foundry, etc.. All that stuff is gone now that kids are being pushed into college and in front of computers.

I felt that having experienced the many different aspects of metalworking has made me a more rounded journeyman in my career. I feel sad that kids nowdays will likely never have that experience.

 

[BrokenTrack]

I had an interesting high school experience.

I realized as a Freshman, that if I did not take study halls, and instead took extra classes, as a Senior I would have all the classes I needed to graduate, and so I could take Vocational School all day. (Normally it was just half a day).

So as a Junior I went to Vocational School and took my first year of Diesel Tech. As a Senior I took welding in the morning, then Diesel Tech Two in the afternoon. A bunch of kids said it was "not fair". But it was. they could have done the same thing as me, it was just they wanted to throw spit balls and talk during study halls, instead of taking extra classes and doing homework at home. So it was fair: I just put the time in up front, to reap the rewards later.

I was bound and determined to be a Heavy Equipment Operator. But I really liked welding, and was good at it, so I ended up welding. For a year I was a heavy equipment operator, but I did not like it. I was BORED. So I went back to welding. Then I was a machinist, but the economy tanked in 2008, so I went back to welding: you can always get a job welding.

Like school I kept my eye on the prize, and did double shifts which for me on the railroad and tug boats, was staying out for 12-16 weeks out instead of coming home every 6 weeks. So at 42 I had enough money to retire.

But I never planed on getting cancer.

But after almost 4 years since working, I got this job as a welding instructor. It is good to pass on what I know to others which was in the construction, railroad and maritime industries. I got a wealth of experience to help a variety of students find their welding niche.

Interestingly, I am still going to school: to college to get my High Pressure Steam Boilers License.

 

[AnotherBueller]

I want to cast some plaques to commemorate Boy Scout Eagle projects. Any one know where I can get some letters / symbols to use in the sand casting mold to show who did the project and when? I've been looking for some years without success,when I saw this thread thought I'd ask figured with the vast knowledge base here someone might have something that would help me.