There's Hope For Us After All

While I'm always wondering about the state of manufacturing in the good ole US of A, it seems there are still plenty of bright spots out there. The above photo comes from a recent post at the Lovely Bicycle blog. The blog post is a tour through the facilities of Seven Cycles. You get a chance to see real craftsmen* at work and the post makes some comments about the importance of local business and industry. Coincidentally, The Handverker blog posted up the American Craftsman Project on the same day. 

The American Craftsman Project is a photo essay of talented people making things with skilled hands. Pretty simple premise and I think it is most handsomely done. Hand made boots, skis, banjos, baseball gloves - all kinds of things. All made with care and pride and right here in America. 

If you've got a little time to waste, and you must if you're reading this, I suggest you check both of them out. As a shop teacher, the hope is always that the students will turn out to be skilled craftsmen. Even if that were to come to pass, there would be no place locally to employ them all but the skills would be there. Skills, and the thinking process that comes along with the skill acquisition. And of course the pride that all skilled craftsmen take in doing their jobs. 

I urge all of you to support these types of businesses. Whether it's a bicycle or a baseball glove, banjo or boots, do yourself and these talented people justice by getting a real hand made item that will last and can be used with pride.

* I use the term craftsmen in a non-gender specific way. Craftspeople, in my book at least, always indicates people who make craft items. Nothing wrong with that, just not the same thing. Craftswomen? Just sounds wrong. Craftsman? - high order skill set regardless of gender.

Magnolia Time

Spring has definitely come to the Midwest. It's been hitting 80 degrees for the past few days, setting records each day it seems. I was surprised to see some blossoms on the magnolia tree in the top photo. This is the first year it has flowered. Not too many blossoms but they are lovely. The hand in the photo was to keep the wind from blowing it around but it also gives a sense of scale. The flower is about 4" across. The daffodils and crocus are all popping up as well. I'm on Spring Break in a week and it will probably snow then.

I spent most of the day outside yesterday working around the outside of the barn. The new barn sets inside the foundation of the old barn which means I've got a 2-3' space around three sides that will be perfect for plantings. I took the broken concrete from the front and filled in a spot about 12' long in the back for a spot to store my fire wood and then filled in the remainder with black dirt. I'm going to plant vegetables in there. I'm planning on getting a deck built on the south side but on both sides of that will be black dirt for more vegetables. There are three spots in the front, one between the doors and at both ends of the building, that will have plantings but the Missus has claimed those.

Looks like it's going to continue to be unseasonably warm for a couple more days so I need to get out and take advantage of the weather. You should do the same.

Friday Update

Photo From Here

This is what I need to make for the VW - Just need a month's worth of 30 hour days to get caught up

Tailstock Repair

Today's the end of the nine weeks grading period and we have one more week until Spring Break, after which, even the good students turn worthless. The weather has been record breaking warm and it looks like that will continue for a few more days. I'm glad to see it. I need to be outside getting a few things done and my mental health needs the renewal of life and promise of hope that Spring brings with it. Last year at this time it was off to Italy, this year it's off to the dentist, chores around the shack and boxing.

The Golden Gloves started last night in Indy but we didn't have anyone scheduled. We're having a fundraising show tonight at the gym to defray our expenses of taking guys down there in the following weeks.  We've got eight bouts on the card tonight - should be a good show. Jimmy will be fighting on the 30th. It looks to be his last pro fight. That's been a fun ride. I was with him from the start and I'll be there at the end. It's been a lot of work on his part, but chasing your dream typically is. He's done well and I'm happy to have been a part of it.

I've been fixing things right and left at school. I've got the wood lathes mostly tuned up. A couple of the tailstocks wouldn't lock in place. The locking rod had a groove worn in them from the "U" bolt that rides around the outside of the rod. Simple fix. Weld up the groove, grind, file, reassemble and adjust. Not hard, just another thing that needed to be done. The biggest irritation is the fact that the previous teachers could have easily taken them apart and brought them down to me for repair rather than letting them go. As an "Old School" shop teacher, equipment maintenance is just a fact of life and something most of us old guys prided ourselves on. It seems the new "Technology Educators" aren't quite as tuned in to repair. I know they don't teach that sort of thing in college but it's your shop, maintain it. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the shop classes in the next few years.

Our school looks to be switching to the Career Pathways approach, which will be what used to be referred to as vocational. The students will also have the Project Lead the Way option, which is focused on engineering. I like the idea of having real craftsmen in the shops. When I first started I taught at a comprehensive high school that had several vocational programs. I was blessed to work with some really good "mechanics". The Machine Trades instructor was an exceptionally good craftsman and school teacher - I really learned a lot from that guy. Potentially, the Career Pathways could make things more like they used to be. At our school that could be a good thing. The students will have lots of options if they don't flunk their English and math classes like many of them do. It's hard to take many good electives when you're retaking the required's.

Warm weather ahead - get out and enjoy it. Almost time to get the garden started around here.

A Few Comments -

on comments.

I got a comment from a Ms. A on my last post - two actually. Ms. A and Mr. B have started the blog Indiana Teacher Project to allow teachers to sound off about some of the negative things we encounter without having to worry about reprisals. It'll be interesting to see how that goes. I've got a few things I'd like to say but I don't care for the idea of anyone making statements anonymously. I know that if I had posted some of the stupid things that went on at my previous employer online, I would have had hell to pay. Believe it or not, I really don't have much to complain about right now. Unless of course you consider the idiot politicians and policy makers that are doing their best to destroy public education by ramming a bunch of reforms down our throats that don't address the real issues. Maybe there is something to anonymous posting after all.

The second of Ms. A's comments allowed me to identified her so I thought it prudent to eliminate that one in light of her mission with the Teacher Project. While taking care of that little detail I came across a few other comments that I hadn't read yet or replied to. I should probably check back a few more posts than what I normally do, it would appear.

Frankie Flood sent me the link to the Tradesman movie. Thanks to him for that. I've watched the first half and was a little disappointed. The plumbers act like some of my knuckleheads on the job and what I was hoping for was a little more of the art that the title alludes to. Someone finally made a movie to tell the story of what craftsman do and it just didn't click with me. I've been trying to put it into words and haven't been able to do that to my satisfaction either.  If you check the Handverker link you can see some of the art side of the trades that Mr. Flood is involved in and if you go back here you'll see a commercial for Danner boots that's more like what I thought the movie should have been.

Chris commented about an old post that had a photo of a cool Honda 50 powered bicycle. I looked back and couldn't find the original posting of the photo either. No help there, I'm afraid.

Sarah commented back in January on the barn project. Thanks for the kind words.

So that's all the comments in regards to the comments. I appreciate everyone reading and commenting.

The Missus and I are celebrating our 41st year of wedded bliss today. You can believe after 40 years of marriage there have been some interesting comments passed between us but we're pushing forward and plan to until death do us part.

Things are greening up and Spring is in the air. Have a good week.

Friday

It's been a busy but productive week. We had our visit from the AdvanceEd group to evaluate our school. From the remarks made by the group chairperson at the exit meeting, we're looking pretty good. I think everyone in the building when asked about our weaknesses mentioned the dismal state of our technology. Hopefully that will help bring about some changes in that department. So now that the inspection team has left, we can gather the Red Cross blankets and the ping pong balls back up and store them until the next visit.

The top photo shows the trolley beam all painted up along with a uniform rack and a stool for the new Middle School - made the rack, repaired the stool. While I was waiting to have my interview with the AdvanceEd team yesterday, the boss cornered me and wants me to make some stanchions for crowd control in the cafeteria. I made some when I first started here but apparently the principal of the new school  took them. They had four, now they'll have six.

Got a little work done on the boat this week. Just what the doctor ordered. I've been in a funk lately and the boat building seems to be loosening up the Vise Grip on my mental health.The oars for the boat came in the other day, so that was all it took to get me back on the path to righteous redemption. I'd like to have everything pretty well set on the sides before Spring Break. If not done, at least well along the way. Then I can turn it over and work on finishing it up during the break. I've got something going on just about every night until then, however. I might start showing up to work a little earlier every day to get a little time in on it. 

As always, lots of other little jobs sprinkled in with some actual school teaching - worked on welding symbols this week. Need some time on deciphering the new CNC manual. Maybe see about a little of that this weekend. The Woodshop boys are about finished with their little boxes. We'll be working on the lathe and something else next week. Not sure what but I'll think of something.

Have a good weekend and don't forget to stop and count your blessings.

Cycling Days Are Coming

I got the new elk hide on the handle bars as mentioned in the previous post. Pretty straight forward job. I put the bars in the vise, turned on the radio and sewed them up. There's some sticky tape on the inside of the hide which helps hold it in place while you're sewing. The bars look pretty sexy with the new wrap and the custom end plugs. I need to get some hoods for the brake levers. I've got new white cables that I'll throw on when I put the hoods on. I'm heading towards the bike shop next weekend, I think. They probably won't have any in stock but the guy will order anything I need. Nice little shop with pleasant and helpful people. I took the bike for a little spin after I got it home. I sure don't have the legs I did a couple of years ago but I'm planning on riding to work a couple days a week at least starting real soon. My cardio isn't too bad, so as long as I can get the back/chest under control I'll be riding again. I was talking to my nephew last week and he's doing some cycling now. I'd like to get back into shape and maybe he and I can do a metric century or something together this summer. 

Have a good week.

Update

Raring To Go

I got the new CNC plasma pretty well ready to go. I'm going to pick up a couple of wire holder downers or whatever they're called to fasten the wires coming from the control box onto the wall to neaten that up a little but otherwise it's ready. There's a water table coming as part of a rebate deal, so as soon as that shows up it should be all systems go. As long as I'm ready, that is. The instruction manual for the software is 195 pages long - lots to digest there. It has a tutorial and when I opened it up a dialogue box popped up and told me there were a couple of errors in the tutorial. I'll call them next week and see what the story is on that. Even without the table I can do an offline run to develop my programming skills. 

Crank Ring Repair

Bar End Plugs

Put a little time in as Bicycle Repairman as the old Monty Python skit went. One of the students brought me his bike with the big chain ring bent pretty severely. I took it off the bike and was able to massage it back to pert near straight. It still has a little run-out but it shouldn't be noticeable when riding. I'm working on my touring bike a little as well. The bar end plugs in the photo are sporting a logo from an outfit that used to make furniture and cabinets. I'm supposed to be related to them somewhere way back when. I blanked out several pairs a couple of years ago, figured out the coordinates of everything and my pal Kevin wrote the CNC program and machined the logo in for me. I put them in the handlebars and put my new elk hide bar wrap on last night. I couldn't find any brown bar tape to match the color of the bike frame when I was looking for it and instead of putting on new tape at least once every season, this stuff looks a whole bunch cooler and should last a few years. I'll post a photo of the finished job when I get the bars back on the bike.

I knocked out a couple of projects in the Woodshop this week as well. I got the new plywood on the scaffold planks and a couple of other piddly things done while the boys were working on the little boxes they're making. It seems to be going much better than the footstool project. I took a much different approach this time. I put drawings and the sequence of operations on the board and had sample pieces made up. They can't look at a drawing and figure out what they're supposed to make even on simple parts. Now that the year is about three quarters over, I've finally got a handle on how to get through to them - drawings, written instructions, demonstrations, sample parts and repeat all oral instructions at least six times. They're still making mistakes but not near as many. We're going to be starting the wood lathe pretty soon. That should make for some interesting/scary times.

I'm going to put a little more work in on the garage door openers this weekend. I had one of the boys make a couple of brackets I needed to hang the opener from the ceiling yesterday. Depending on the weather and what else comes up, I should have the second opener close to being finished this weekend. I've got a few other things I'd rather be working on like the boat and my 900 but I really need to stay with the barn project until I've got the electric done.

Hope all of you are coming through this crazy weather unscathed. A couple more little towns here in Indiana wiped off the map the last few days. Having a barn blow down was tough but nothing like having your whole town blown away. My heart goes out to them.