Countdown

[bogstandard]

Time for another countdown.

It wasn't long ago we were celebrating the 100th member.

We are now very close to doubling that figure  


Bogs

[sbwhart]

  :ddb

I reccon we'll get the 200th on Saturday the 28th at 3:30 PM UK time give or take 30 min.

Have we any advances on this:- just for fun.   

 

Stew

[Bernd]

All I'm going to say is it will probably be another person from the UK.

At the rate John has been recruiting it could be before Sat. 

But since it looks like your so sure of yourself Stew, I believe you to have an inside track. 

Bernd

[Brass_Machine]

I am going to guess it will be by next weekend. We seem to go in spurts... We get 5 or 6 people that join then nothing for a week or so.

#200... will be from the UK   

Eric

[sbwhart]

Well I do live close to John so I suppose that's an inside track

  

Stew

[bogstandard]

I reccon we'll get the 200th on Saturday the 28th at 3:30 PM UK time give or take 30 min.

My guess would be the next one after number 199.

Bogs


It is a shame I don't belong to more US sites, then I could most probably drum up a few more from there. It is getting a bit top heavy with Brits, but what the heck, we are all human beings (well almost).

No special talents needed, we can all do it, you only have to point the way, and if people like what they see, then they will take part.

[SPiN Racing]

Might be me.. or because Im in FLorida.. but there seem to be a lot more modeling shows, engineering groups, and small engine building groups from England.

That or we here in the states are soo spaced out that we get lost in the dead space.

I can honestly say.. the FIRST Lathe I ever saw, other than one in a hobby catalog for turning balsawood!?!? was at the race shop I work at on weekends when needed. And at the time I was a client needing some custom stainless exhaust work done.
I saw it.. didnt know what it was... watched him turn a brass bushing for something and kinda scratched my head trying to understand the universe of possibilities to it. And still couldnt grasp its potential.

Several years later I saw that, the REAL lathes were next door in the machine shop.. where they have some huge Mauser lathe, and a variety of mills and smaller lathes.
Thinkig back.. I think the mauser lathe can swing some really big stuff.... not sure but Im thinking 3 foot or 4 foot? I remember the chuk being so large I had difficulty grasping what it was.

To this day.. those are the only two people I actually know who have machine tools. (Outside of production shops) I dont even know OF anyone who has tools of that style.


SO yeah.. I vote British member.. likely Saturday Evening GMT.

[bogstandard]

Spin,

Distance means nothing in the world today, if you have an internet connection, it is like you are next door.

Projects wise, the US is more open in what it can do compared to the UK, you have large open spaces, we have nothing like that. So in the UK, unless you are in a very special group with access to off road space, you would never consider making something like a buggy.

If I dug a hole outside my house and filled it full of water, the next day you would find fishermen elbow to elbow around it. And that is no bulls**t, a farmer not far from me has what looks like a small round bomb crater that is full of muddy water, and he charges people to fish there.

So to me there should be a lot more US members with major projects on the go, those are the people we should be concentrating our efforts on. The model engineering and machining side will self perpetuate itself now, we need to get the other interests going, otherwise we will just end up as another engineering site.

John

[John Hill]

I think it would be good to get some members from former Eastern Europe.  I was astounded at the level of home machine shops in small Czech villages,  some of those guys have small factories in their barns and they have a recent history of forced improvisation. 

At my friend's house he had a nice looking trailer for his Skoda, I asked if it was factory made and he replied that of course it was home made and that all good things were home made!  He showed me the electric lawnmower that his father had made,  he showed me the motorcycle powered winch his father had made to pull a small plough on his strip of land.  He has tilting garage doors which work really well and were made by his friend from down the street.  So I started to take notice and saw numerous home made systems and devices equal of any.

Of course I felt some empathy with them as when I was a little kid we had the same culture in New Zealand, not for the same reason, but the culture of making whatever one needed had been inherited from the pioneers and refreshed during post-war shortages.

[Bernd]

Might be me.. or because Im in FLorida.. but there seem to be a lot more modeling shows, engineering groups, and small engine building groups from England.

A lot of the mentality in the US is "where can I buy it". Very few want to build anything because it takes to much time. People over here seem to want everything in a hurry, even there relaxing time. Plus with the schools today no longer teaching a shop class kids won't learn or understand anything about machines. Besides they might get their hands dirty and that doesn't pay much.

It still amazes me when somebody says they have never seen a machine tool before, but I grew up with things like that. I know there are things out there that I've never seen before. I guess I'm kind of lucky my dad was a tool and die maker so I learned at an early age about machines. Had he been a CPA I'm sure I'd be a wizz at numbers.

I also have a very high curiousity index so I usally try to find out anything I can about the subject that interests me.
And I'm getting  here. 

Just my take as why there aren't as many machine groups over here, plus the distance.

Bernd

[SPiN Racing]

Ya know I think you are right. Sadly.

All the people I know, outside of the race shop where the answer is Hell no dont buy it.. MAKE IT!, are of the how fast can I get it and where can I buy it genre.

Its really kinda sad I guess.

My father was a Colonel in the Air Force. Actually he joined the Marines as some sort of high school program when growing up in Hawaii where his parents died when he was 14, then 15. He then Joined the Army, and was an Engineer. Then Joined the Army Air Corps.. and then they said.. Hey were making this thing called the Air force.. who wants to join? He was there when Pearl Harbor was attacked, asleep in the barracks. From Here to Eternity's author described exactly what happened to him. He thinks the author was in his company.. but is foggy on it.

Needless to say, he has a Masters in Aviation Psychology, a Masters in Mathematics, and a Masters in International Relations. Taught at west point, etc etc etc etc. Master swordsman on and on and on.

Growing up he would take apart whatever was broken and fix it. With a hammer chisel, file, screwdrivers, and whatever he had in the garage. Had a BMW Isetta he rebuilt the engine on the workbench.
Built all our TVs and stereos till I was a teen.
Built the first PC we have.

A Zillion things... but one thing always rang true....  Not One other friend I ever had growing up, and even now.. has parents who know how to do more than hammer a nail or turn a screw.

I also am 41... with a father who is in his late 80s. 

Can you say Surprise? 

SO I think In my case seeing him doing all this, is a result of him being a product of the pre/post war generation.
All my friends had parents who were born in the early to mid 50s. A Different mindset here in the states.

Also there is a different mindset I see everywehre in the general populace. From what I gather.. in England and Europe.. craftsmen who are able to do the things required of a machine shop are well respected as craftsmen. There are hundreds of generations to instill that mindset.

Here in the states.. the populace seems to look down thier nose at people who are craftsmen, and inventors. Everyone wants to be a salesman, or a banker, or investor, stock broker.. middle man.

Looking at our economy, and the state of the nation... I think the issue we are running into.... nobody makes things anymore.. Only big companies.

Granted.. the automotive customising side of things has craftsmen.. but a lot of its just bling.
You simply dont see that inventive spirit anymore. Everyone wants to make the next Myspace or Flicker, so they can cash out and retire. /shrug


Oh and yes.. Im STILL pissed I was never given the chance to take Auto Shop, or Shop of any kind.

Sorry for a mini rant LOL

[sbwhart]

I think it would be good to get some members from former Eastern Europe.  I was astounded at the level of home machine shops in small Czech villages,  some of those guys have small factories in their barns and they have a recent history of forced improvisation. 

John

I agree it would be nice to get some members from Eastern Europe, but I suppose, the English Language would be obstical to this, having said that there must be some people over there with a resonable level of English who could join:- but how do we reach them ??  .

It would also be nice if we could get some ladies to sign up to the forum 

Scot

You've hit the nail on the head with

 

the populace seems to look down thier nose at people who are craftsmen, and inventors. Everyone wants to be a salesman, or a banker, or investor, stock broker.. middle man.

Looking at our economy, and the state of the nation... I think the issue we are running into.... nobody makes things anymore.. Only big companies.

Its the same in the UK, I feal very sad about the situation comming from a long line of artisans and craftsmen :- Tool makers, turners, fitters, woodworkers, stone masons, tailors and tailoresess, farmers, I'm very proud of this ansestory, good honest hardworking people who manufactured real tangible usefull things, not something abstract.

This is one of the reason I've built myselve a home shop, in the hope that I can pass something of this heritage on.

Thats the end of my rant
Sorry Guys I'll go and beat myselve up 

Cheers
 
Stew

[John Hill]

Stew, I am reminded of an incident some years ago when I was working with a computer company in Monterey, California.

One of the guys came in all dejected one morning because he had car troubles and really didnt want to spend the money on a "new trans".  So I asked him whats wrong but the most he could say was the transmission was "kaput", but obviously it was not too bad as he was still driving it.  We went out to the car and lifted the hood/bonnet, he started the engine and I could immediately hear the problem as the hose from the manifold to the vacuum modulator had fallen off.  I jammed it back on and he took it for a test drive coming back absolutely beaming then everyone, and there were a number gathered by now, began remarking on this miracle and one comment I well remember "He's from Nuuuu Zeeeeeland, even their wimen can weld and mix concrete!"

[sbwhart]

                                       

"He's from Nuuuu Zeeeeeland, even their wimen can weld and mix concrete!"

Nice one John         

I didn't know you could speak American

Stew

[John Hill]

The comment was really quite funny Stew, maybe more than he intended!  By coincidence it was only a few weeks after I had promised to help a friend lay concrete foundations for his new garage.

He, the friend, had been to the library and even had books on how to mix concrete, he had the electric mixer, the wheel barrow, water hose, gravel mix, sacks of cement and he had carefully made gauge boxes according to the directions in his book.  His wife came out to watch proceedings and when she saw what he was doing with the gauge boxes etc she scolded him and sent him indoors to look after their infants while she and I got down to mixing concrete in the time tested method of "five shovel fulls of this and one shovel of that".

[sbwhart]

Looks like prediction went up the swanie 

Stew

[bogstandard]

ONE TO GO

[Darren]

That'll be Ralph up all night again....where is he anyway......

[Brass_Machine]

One more to go! Soon we will hit the big 200!

Eric

[Divided he ad]

That'll be Ralph up all night again....where is he anyway......

Ta Daaaaaa!!!!!!        I'm here     I've been playing snooker and putting the world to rights in the pub with some friends   


Wooo Hoooo..... 1 still to go.... I'm bound to miss it!!!! 


Well I'll have a little party when I see the newest member 



Come on lucky 200!!!!!!!   

[sbwhart]

                       WOW 199 that creapt up on me, come in number 200

[bogstandard]

# 200 is in ----- Welcome Boxtriker