- Joined
- May 4, 2012
- Messages
- 121
Recently Me as the FNG may have some Philosophical difference of opinions with some members of the group. As a way of apologies I'd like to explain myself. I found this story on the IAM website and it better explains the Angst I feel everyday, as a 42 year old retired guy. it doesn't matter if this story is true, it could be any one of a dozen old guys that helped me as a kid including my Old Man. Being a Child of the 70's and 80's I had a real Keen interest in computers, and by high school, it was clear I was going to end up in the Tech Sector. But being the Kind of Kid I was I never should have finished High School much less gone to collage. Hell if there had been no VOC-Agriculture or shop I'd never made it, I was that Kid with a Motorcycle and Long Hair in Red Nek West Texas. And my Dad knowing what trouble maker(the trouble with trouble is it starts out as fun) I was, Made me learn a trade. I learned the Basics of Drafting. and after 20 GOOD Years in IT engineering these skills are serving me well both personally and Professionally, now doing Drafting and Mechanical Illustration to supplement my Meager Retirement. anyhow one of my Drafting/Illustration Clients called me yesterday to tell me how he could get some kid straight out of some strip mall Autocad Scam, with NO Knowledge of tools or Mechanical Design, to do Shop Drawings for 1/2 the Money. and what he doesn't get is he'll get 1/2 the product, that may take 4 times as long to produce, with no illustrations to sell to customers to get what may be a dangerous design.
Then this morning I was talking to the Guy that spent many PAINFUL Years teaching me Drafting, and he was telling me that this new job he took @63 is only paying him like $16/hr. because there's nothing out there. Now mind you this is a MASTER board Draftsman who can LEROY letter anything and make it look like it was laser printed! and with 40+years of experience
so after reading this story I had to share it, and while I nomaly HATE UNIONS or any Kind of UNION rhetoric it is copied from here
http://www.goiam.org/publications/pdfs/american_machinist.pdf
I'm only posting the last part, but I wish everyone would read the whole thing
The pick and place robot has been replaced by the pick, place and punch robot.
Load, punch the start button, and unload the part when the cycle stops. Soon, all we will
do is unlock the door to the plant and turn the machine on. Just think how many more
jobs are being eliminated as you read this. I do not recommend going back to all manual
machines, but someone needs to remember who built the first prototype of anything. A
computer didn’t think it up and build it, a man did.
Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, is credited with building the first milling
machine just to manufacture muskets faster with interchangeable parts, even though this
is in question by some who think he copied the milling machine and improved it.
Regardless, after Mr. Whitney had that one brilliant idea, the industrial revolution shifted
into high gear and is still gaining momentum. We have won wars with technology and
productivity, put a man on the moon, developed an artificial human heart, built the first
computer and so on.
I wonder who the machinist was that made the prototype for the artificial heart?
Much of this work was done by hand with pencil and paper or a slide rule. Remember,
Kelly Johnson built the U-2 spy plane and SR-71”Blackbird” with a slide rule and a
small-handpicked group of craftsmen. The fastest and highest flying aircraft were built in
the 1950s and 60s without AutoCAD or AutoCAM.
Mr. Paws stretches, almost falling out of my lap. I put him on the floor, but it
doesn’t do any good. He is back in my lap before I can blink. I slide the front back in
place and gently close the lid on the old Gerstner. Standing up, I put the cat back on the
chair to finish his daylong nap and lock up the shop.
I go back in the house, fix some lunch and get ready for work. I put on my blue
vest with all the buttons and tags on it and practice my line “Good morning, welcome to
Wal-Mart.”
Nope, there
Thanks
Then this morning I was talking to the Guy that spent many PAINFUL Years teaching me Drafting, and he was telling me that this new job he took @63 is only paying him like $16/hr. because there's nothing out there. Now mind you this is a MASTER board Draftsman who can LEROY letter anything and make it look like it was laser printed! and with 40+years of experience
so after reading this story I had to share it, and while I nomaly HATE UNIONS or any Kind of UNION rhetoric it is copied from here
http://www.goiam.org/publications/pdfs/american_machinist.pdf
I'm only posting the last part, but I wish everyone would read the whole thing
The pick and place robot has been replaced by the pick, place and punch robot.
Load, punch the start button, and unload the part when the cycle stops. Soon, all we will
do is unlock the door to the plant and turn the machine on. Just think how many more
jobs are being eliminated as you read this. I do not recommend going back to all manual
machines, but someone needs to remember who built the first prototype of anything. A
computer didn’t think it up and build it, a man did.
Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, is credited with building the first milling
machine just to manufacture muskets faster with interchangeable parts, even though this
is in question by some who think he copied the milling machine and improved it.
Regardless, after Mr. Whitney had that one brilliant idea, the industrial revolution shifted
into high gear and is still gaining momentum. We have won wars with technology and
productivity, put a man on the moon, developed an artificial human heart, built the first
computer and so on.
I wonder who the machinist was that made the prototype for the artificial heart?
Much of this work was done by hand with pencil and paper or a slide rule. Remember,
Kelly Johnson built the U-2 spy plane and SR-71”Blackbird” with a slide rule and a
small-handpicked group of craftsmen. The fastest and highest flying aircraft were built in
the 1950s and 60s without AutoCAD or AutoCAM.
Mr. Paws stretches, almost falling out of my lap. I put him on the floor, but it
doesn’t do any good. He is back in my lap before I can blink. I slide the front back in
place and gently close the lid on the old Gerstner. Standing up, I put the cat back on the
chair to finish his daylong nap and lock up the shop.
I go back in the house, fix some lunch and get ready for work. I put on my blue
vest with all the buttons and tags on it and practice my line “Good morning, welcome to
Wal-Mart.”
Nope, there
Thanks
