# How Did I Become One Of Those Old Guys?



## P T Schram (Apr 12, 2016)

It has only been since joining this site that I've bene forced to realize that I've become one of "Those guys".

I used to read the posts of older gents about things they'd done during their careers that was applicable to the topic at hand.

What I've realized is that I have finally become one of these old guys.

I suppose that between having attend an age where I've had many jobs, attended college or other educational institutions for a huge part of my life and having had a wide array of jobs, I have become one to "Those" old guys.

No, I have never played piano in a house of ill repute.

Thanks for letting me play in your sand box. Despite my love for cats, I'll keep them out of the sand box.


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## Whyemier (Apr 12, 2016)

OMG!  You mean we're_ *OLD GUYS*_!?  Who would've thunk it.
Wait!  Le'me see, gran'chirren, married to the same woman over 40 years, Changed careers a dozen times in my life, tell _*'OLD DAYs'*_ tales.
Gracious!  I'm an _*OLD GUY*_!


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## higgite (Apr 12, 2016)

> *How Did I Become One Of Those Old Guys?*



Perseverance, my friend, perseverance. Getting old ain't for sissies, but it beats the alternative. Welcome to the club.

Tom


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## John Hasler (Apr 12, 2016)

Whyemier said:


> OMG!  You mean we're_ *OLD GUYS*_!?  Who would've thunk it.
> Wait!  Le'me see, gran'chirren, married to the same woman over 40 years, Changed careers a dozen times in my life, tell _*'OLD DAYs'*_ tales.
> Gracious!  I'm an _*OLD GUY*_!


Don't think of yourself as an "old guy".  Think of yourself as one of the Old Ones.


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## mikey (Apr 12, 2016)

I figure that as long as I'm on this side of the dirt, I'm good. I have all the old guy complaints - back hurts, reflexes have slowed, can't read without glasses, etc. - but every day I wake up I thank God and get on with it.


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## FOMOGO (Apr 12, 2016)

Yup, used to be "ten feet tall and bulletproof". Now 5'8 and shrinking, and all too mortal, but as said above it sure beats the alternative. Mike


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## jim18655 (Apr 12, 2016)

I was teasing my Grandmother about getting old on her birthday and she told me "Getting old is a privilege denied to many" and she died a month later. She was only 65 and I thought that was really old but now I'm getting close and it doesn't look so bad. What bothers me most now is I'm older than the "old" guys that taught me a lot of my trade when I started working.


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## tomh (Apr 12, 2016)

Well you did something right !!!!   and that says a lot.  congratulations,  live looooooong and prosper my friend  

Married to the same woman for 40+years now that's   *Perseverance *


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## stupoty (Apr 12, 2016)

John Hasler said:


> Don't think of yourself as an "old guy".  Think of yourself as one of the Old Ones.



Ahhh run for the hills !!

http://lovecraft.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Old_Ones



Stuart


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## Charles Spencer (Apr 12, 2016)

We used to have three key old guys at work.  We called them "The Counsel of Elders".

Now I'm older than they were.  However, being retired I consider myself to be entitled to act like old guys did when I was young.  That is, "If you don't like me and my behavior, you can kiss my ass".  

Oh, and my 40th anniversary is next month.  And I do NOT tell her to kiss my ass.


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## kvt (Apr 12, 2016)

Got a ways to go till it is 40, but past 30+, and DEFIANTLY do not tell her to kiss my ass,  she might kick it.  Retired from one career and now working on second, with a bunch of different ones jobs and stuff  before the first career.   But still kicking and that is what counts,   beat what the docs told me and am still walking and not in a wheel chair so I feel lucky, just wish getting older did not involve so much pain.  But welcome to the Guys club.   We're not old we are just well used,  and comfortable with things.


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## jim18655 (Apr 12, 2016)

38 years in construction - that will wear you out fast. Semi-retired and became an electrical instructor. Best part is a somewhat temperature controlled setting and a lot less physical. Down side is gaining 20 lbs. from not working as much. Working on fixing that part. Soon will have 39 years of marriage to a wonderful wife that gets mad if I *DON'T *buy what I need or want.


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## Bill Gruby (Apr 12, 2016)

Can the word old. I refuse to recognize it. The proper way of getting to this point in your life,  is that you have become one of the older guys. Old is an end result of overuse. Never happen.

 "Billy G"


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## brav65 (Apr 12, 2016)

The funny thing for me is that I only feel old when I share my 35 years of experience in construction with you guys.   They aske when I learned about something and I tell them 20 years ago and their mouths hang open. I work longer hours then they do, move faster on site and get twice as much done because I know how to worker smarter not harder.


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## master of none (Apr 12, 2016)

I only feel old in the morning for about a hour or two then I feel middle age then in the evening I feel about 100 but in spite of it all I'm having the best time of my life.


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## Terrywerm (Apr 13, 2016)

I'm still just a snot nosed kid.  Well, I keep thinking that way anyhow.  Like my grandmother used to say:  "Old is a frame of mind. You're only old if you think you are".


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## Grumpy Gator (Apr 13, 2016)

_Attrition_
_*G*_


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## master of none (Apr 13, 2016)

aint that the truth.


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## higgite (Apr 13, 2016)

My kids asked me why I only hang out with people younger than me. Told them I don't have a choice.

Tom


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## cvairwerks (Apr 13, 2016)

Went to my youngest son's 2nd grade class show last night. Got a little bummed as I realized that I was old enough to be a parent to most of his classmate's parents...
What ended up being funny about it, is that it's first time that at one of his school events, I wasn't asked about which one was my grandkid


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## kvt (Apr 13, 2016)

cvairwerks,   one of my uncles had 6 kids,   by the time the last one was born it was younger than three of his grandkids at the time.  Now that I have grandkids I think boy,  how did he keep going all the time.


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## P T Schram (May 17, 2019)

I had to bring this thread back from the archives

In the time that has elapsed I have survived cancer and just as the last few dollars were running out I got a job!

Somehow I was hired to be the engineer in a machine shop that repairs broken machines!

Better yet, I’m working with HVOF spray welding

Earlier this week, I was telling one of the kids about telling my
machine tool tech instructor I was attending that semester
Solely to learn how to sharpen lathe and drill bits-I spent the semester sharpening drill bits.

This kid rolled his eyes and said something about the old college educated engineer telling stories about his golden years, when he saw me walk up to the belt sander and sharpen an almost 7/8” bit and then proceeded to drill a hole through a two inch piece of steel. Later that day he walks up to me, hands me an 1/8” carbide drill bit and sheepishly asks me if I would sharpen it for his friend who was stuck trying to remove broken stainless fasteners. 

The shop foreman overheard this and thought they were teasing me... he proceeded to watch the kid drill all of the busted fasteners!

The following day, I was handed an 18” long 1/4” aircraft drill bit. In spite of my finding long bits to be a bear to sharpen, I did my best and told him to bring it back later in the day as I was in a pinch. Turns out he finished the job with that bit.

Today, the shop foreman saw me removing a broken height adjuster from a quick-change tool holder... Next thing I know, he hands me two with broken height adjusters and three new height adjusters 

I think the shop foreman (who might be 35) finally realized I really do have some skills!

Sadly, now, even the older journeymen are bringing me bits to sharpen, but worse yet, just imagine the broken bits I am now called on to help with-in a shop that repairs broken machinery-LOL

The best part of this job is that in spite of my having been declared cancer free in October, and being a “Well-experienced Gentleman” I can endure eight hours of hard work standing!

AND I’m earning more than I made slinging Chrome with Snap-On, AND I only work 40 hours a week!

Thanx for letting me continue to play


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## Janderso (May 18, 2019)

Repairing machinery is a dream job for me.
I was paid to fabricate and repair machinery for one year back in the early 80’s. I couldn’t wait to get to work.


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## P T Schram (May 18, 2019)

Janderso said:


> Repairing machinery is a dream job for me.
> I was paid to fabricate and repair machinery for one year back in the early 80’s. I couldn’t wait to get to work.


In ‘90 or ‘91 I enrolled at IPFW to study machinery design. Through several poor twists of fate, I wasn’t able to follow through, but ended up as the machinist in a small factory-where I built bitsa for motor home satellite dishes. This morphed into making punch press dies (I’d not had a second’s formal training, but I had a library).

I loved that job, but I’d been hired as a “temporary” employee and ultimately found a job in my primary field, analytical chemistry and moved to Baltimore. That job only lasted 69 days!

That was my last job machining outside my home shop until this one

Funny how we can return home, because that’s what this job feels like.

It took a lot of loss, suffering, and pain, but I’m back among my tribe


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## P T Schram (May 24, 2019)

Somehow, I have become the official bit sharpener in the shop

To the extent that when we had a hot job that I couldn’t get the bits sharpened in time, I took them home and sharpened them at home

The irony is that one of the conditions of employment is that I’m not to do machine work at home for outside folks

I never expected that I’d be doing work at home for my day job


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## Suzuki4evr (May 26, 2019)

Your not old..........just vintage.....it sounds better. Preserved with care.


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## P T Schram (May 26, 2019)

Suzuki4evr said:


> Your not old..........just vintage.....it sounds better. Preserved with care.


I prefer

Well Experienced Gentleman myself


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## Suzuki4evr (May 26, 2019)

Even better


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## P T Schram (Nov 30, 2019)

It happened again

I was separated from my last employer and somehow found myself working in yet another machine shop.

This one has all the good and none of the bad from the last one.

I have found that once again, I am one of the more "well-experienced Gentlemen" in the shop.

This gig is really cool. I have not only gotten to run machinery I never would have been allowed near at the last gig, I've run all three of the big jig mills and have gotten much more comfortable running the big stuff.

To think I thought a 28X60 lathe was cool, my first turning job here was on a 40X144 lathe!

My mill has a 96X72 table Woo Hoo


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## Suzuki4evr (Dec 1, 2019)

Holy.........,well you know. Thats big. Enjoy it


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## PHPaul (Dec 1, 2019)

Enjoyed reading this thread.  69, with a half-dozen great-grandchildren and all the usual aches and pains.

My favorite age-related quote:  "As I got older, I thought I was getting more tolerant.  Turns out I just don't give a s**t."


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## jbobb1 (Dec 1, 2019)

Was talking to my wife and daughter this morning and mentioned something that happened in the late 70's. Then it dawned on me, that's 40 years ago!
Worked at the same job for 39 years then decided to become self employed. That was almost 7 years ago! I guess maybe I'm am old!


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## Suzuki4evr (Dec 1, 2019)

I am 42 going on 52 after a motorcycle accident in 2009, but I am thankful for the older members here,because that is where all the knowledge comes from that they get to pass on to others and therefore I thank you. I myself have learned a lot from the "experienced", not old machinists here.


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## Winegrower (Dec 1, 2019)

Somebody asked me the other day how long I’d been flying.   I said it was coming up on 50 years.   They asked if I was planning to fly until I couldn’t do it anymore.   I said no, I plan to keep flying until just _before_ I can’t do it anymore.

I guess it’s the same strategy about machining.  Probably most everything else, too.


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## P T Schram (Dec 4, 2019)

Suzuki4evr said:


> Holy.........,well you know. Thats big. Enjoy it


I was walking through spray-weld department, and there were three guys standing on the bed of a lathe,
That they used stepladders to climb onto the bed!

I spent today running a radial drill to drill 25 1-3/4" holes, took me almost seven hours


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## P T Schram (Dec 4, 2019)

Suzuki4evr said:


> I am 42 going on 52 after a motorcycle accident in 2009, but I am thankful for the older members here,because that is where all the knowledge comes from that they get to pass on to others and therefore I thank you. I myself have learned a lot from the "experienced", not old machinists here.


I just saw where you are

my best friend was born in Petermaritzburg, grew up on research stations


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## Suzuki4evr (Dec 5, 2019)

P T Schram said:


> I was walking through spray-weld department, and there were three guys standing on the bed of a lathe,
> That they used stepladders to climb onto the bed!
> 
> I spent today running a radial drill to drill 25 1-3/4" holes, took me almost seven hours


I would've suggest you watchout for those chips........they might kill you


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## Suzuki4evr (Dec 5, 2019)

P T Schram said:


> I just saw where you are
> 
> my best friend was born in Petermaritzburg, grew up on research stations


O that is good. I live near Cape Town in the Western Cape,a bit far from Pietermaritzburg, just shows how small the world is. Is he also a machinist?


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