Lathe headstock repairs.

[Retired]

Hi,

Yes sad indeed Chez as it is for a lot of our heavy industry which has been allowed to go abroad. Firms like K Steels used to supply engineering companies but so many have now gone and I can't help but wonder how long before the rest will follow? It's not just the manufacturing companies but thousands of small companies which have also disappeared; second hand machine dealers and even most of the scrap yards are now history. I used to love climbing over piles of scrap and buying scrap machinery to rebuild. Not only has the industry dwindled so much but the skillforce with it our local foundry closed a few years ago.

Are woodworking and metalworking skills still taught in schools these days; it would appear not with all the second hand machines on the market pulled out of schools and academies like my Graduate lathe? New skills are being introduced like sports science? Do kids "play out" these days or are they happy at home in front of a TV or computer?

When I left school my work ethic was get a job immediately to earn some money. There is so much satisfaction in making something of use using ones hands and head: I'm rapidly becoming a dinosaur as are so many like me taught as apprentices many years ago. Manual skills have always been undervalued?

Kind regards, Col.

[ayjay]

Are woodworking and metalworking skills still taught in schools these days;

Manual skills have always been undervalued?

Yes and no! It's called "Resistant Material Technology" today: no really, it is.

Couldn't agree more: I've only ever been a lump of meat with a bag of tools to any company I've ever worked for.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks ayjay. I learn something new everyday and "Resistant Material Technology" is certainly new to me; it sounds like a wind up but given the names applied to many jobs these days it must be correct.

Before retiring I was in charge of three departments and I believe the young lady on the switchboard was on similar salary to me? Still I was only ensuring the days production was packed and despatched whilst looking after the timber department as well. I was also handed most of the best jobs to do like sorting out over 100 45 gallon filthy rusty drums containing lots of different fluids and once I cleared these the guy in charge of purchasing was on my case saying the company should have been paid for the empty drums? I was also given the delightful duty of clearing and looking after the car parks; across the road was a huge Mecca and gambling casino; the drunks used to dump empty bottles onto our car parks and one day I received an irate phone call from another member of staff informing me he had suffered a punctured tyre as he drove into some grass? Gritting in winter I hated and I always ordered salt in October. I'm delighted to be out of all this but suffered it for many a long year. If you want a job doing well ask a busy person? I still cannot understand why those in offices are rated more highly than those with hands on?

Kind regards, Col.