Inliners International Forums General Discussion Bench racing What has this country lost?

I want to share a story about my engine machinist.


His name is Andy Werner. He's in his mid 70's. He started as a machinist in the 1950's. He's one of the friendliest people I've ever met.

I'm worried our country is loosing it's Andy's; the guys who know, like the back of their hand, the skilled trades. Andy is the guy who remembers going on site to local garages and boring straight 6 engines while the engine was still in the vehicle (with a special vacuum equipped machine).

Andy tells me about going to Van Norman's to learn about their machines, he said they were the biggest engine machine equipment manufacturer. Now they are out of business. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Norman


Andy tells me about the pistons that they used to sell; he'd have over-sized pistons and if you wanted a 30 over and he only had a 60 over, he had a machine that would grind it down, including the proper skirt taper.

He's the guy who can explain how in the old days they could reface lifters and send them out knowing that they would work. He explained to me that spring pressures used to be low enough that it wasn't a big deal like it is now.

He's the guy who showed me his crank grinder and spent an hour explaining how it works, and offered that I should come back and watch while he was grinding a crank sometime.

His shop is the one where a cast iron Kohler engine sits ready be renewed and provide another 20 years of service to it's owner.

He's the guy who sadly told me that our city used to have 5 machine shops; now it has only one.

He's the guy who told me he feels like someday they won't be around, because engines will be throw away.

He and his partner Ron are great guys. If they ever close up shop it will be a sad day in my neck of the woods.

Why do we put up with this "throw away" society? How greedy do our corporations need to be? When the only "Andy's" are in China, where will that leave us?

And don't get me wrong, I don't hate China or Chinese people. But we can't afford to bleed out the skills that helped make this country great.


Dan

You're preaching to the choir.
My dad was one of those guys. A lot of our inliner members are still those guys. When I was young 1966-67 I was taught to drive a stage coach by a man who lost his stage driving job in 1922 when he was only 15 and automobiles were allowed in our national parks to haul his passengers. That same year I worked with a 3rd generation California blacksmith and wagon rite to build a stage coach from scratch. You are right we are loosing them but there are some pretty handy young guys out there. They just can not make a living doing such labor intensive stuff anymore. Most people don't fix stuff anymore and wouldn't if they could. You should apprentice yourself to that guy. Here is how a couple of families have coped.
Saw Mill
Machine Shop

Beater, those were awesome videos!

I try my best to support my local craftsmen when possible.

From the design, pattern building, casting, machining (myself), and polishing. My parts are American made. Try to recruit local young men and have good luck with some that want to learn (and make money).

People complain about not having good jobs. It is their own fault, buying US made creates jobs. Those paychecks buy products and it will be a revolving wheel. Factory jobs are the key, not service industry.

The Andys can still be found.I have some vintage non-automobile tools and have found several web sites with excellent resources, and knowledgeable people.

The Old Wood Working Machinery - owwm.org and owwm.com
They have added Old Metal working machinery to there index.

SMOKSTAK - http://www.smokstak.com/

"Antique engine forums related to collecting, restoring and showing hit and miss engines, vintage Diesel, steam engines, antique tractors, old generators, pumps, industrial antiques and collectibles. There are thousands of old engine photos and thousands of discussions about all types of engines and old iron topics." They were very helpful with my Onan.

I also subscribe to a machinist newsletter there forums are better.

Larry

I wish the shop Dan has found was in this area. So many local shops have closed that one of my concerns is that the shop will be open long enough to complete the job.

Its a shame. I see the younger generation of kids these days having no desire to learn a skill, trade or craft like they did back in the 50's and 60's when you needed one to make a living. My supervisor at work is an advisor for a local community college's machine shop program, and the shop instructor tells him that more than half never finish the machine shop course, and fewer than that actually get a job in a machine shop if they do finish it.

On the other hand there are a lot of young people we never see because when they get home from work that go into their garages and build some really neat stuff. Young people need mentors and you can just about trace the whole 'Rat Rod" thing to young guys that were snubbed at car shows by old guys in straw hats and Hawaiian shirts sitting in lawn chairs beside plastic '32 Ford roadsters that they had built for them with the attitude that they invented and owned hot rodding. Those kids went the other way. There is another younger group building some really fine cars and doing all the work themselves.

True. We need to encourage the younger ones that do take the inituitive to do things mechanical and pass the torch.

And we need to kick the chairs from under some of those rude old *&^%$#@$.