Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 39
  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    near Warragul, Victoria
    Posts
    2,500

    Default Metalwork

    My first attempts at making anything from metal , were at high school in 1968-70 . The same teacher each year - this guy didn't give a toss what you did, as long as you didn't hurt yourself . He would show us the basics , then leave us alone. He would talk about football all day , he just wasn't motivated to teach us anything at all about metalwork . In my 3rd year, I was making a set of salt/pepper shakers from copper sheet , I never finished those , I worked the whole year on them , that lazy sod of a teacher took nil interest in any of us kids . All he had was trade certificates , he'd never been to teachers college . One of my fellow students tried to help me out a bit .... but using the metal lathe was scary , we tried to set up my workpiece in the lathe to polish it , using wooden mandrels at each end . One day , a kid was dragged into the buffer , his apron got caught in the wheel .

    In mechanical drawing, ( same teacher ) he was just as slack - this guy would not work in an iron lung.

    My first year science teacher nearly burnt us all one time,, she was about 19 . The school employed her as a lab assistant , and as they were short of qualified teachers , they put her on teaching science . She had been a student at the same school . She partly filled a 4 gallon tin with water , screwed the lid on and put a gas burner underneath it . It was just about to explode with hot water and steam when a kid alerted her to the danger

  2. # ADS
    Google Adsense Advertisement
    Join Date
    Always
    Location
    Advertising world
    Posts
    Many





     
  3. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Heidelberg, Victoria
    Age
    79
    Posts
    2,251

    Default A new oldie

    G'day Gra, me old northern mate, good thread.

    I can't remember how I found the WW Forums. Reckon it was when I was about to restore my old Hercus, and Googled Hercus, and this Forum came up.

    Bloody glad I did, I have learn't so much from yous members, and met some great blokes. Where's all the single sheilas? Never mind!

    This is the most informative Forum I've found, and check in many times a day. We have the wit of Greg Q, the high quality photos of AB, and all about everything else from Steam wisperer just to mention a few. Spell check didn't like Steam wisperer and offered Stripteaser, mmmm, interesting.

    That's all from this oldie.

    Ken

  4. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    275

    Default The local (Australian) angle.

    I admire the American and English metal working forums.
    However;
    I get jealous how well serviced they are by businesses that supply reasonably priced equipment and consumables...
    and
    The yankee obsession with guns and militarisation annoys me..

    Roll on 'Woodwork Forums Metalwork Forum' Australia(? mouthfull?) !

    AndrewOC
    'Waratah' spring hammer by Hands & Scott c.1911- 20, 'Duffy, Todd & Williams' spring hammer c.1920, Premo lathe- 1953, Premo filing machine.

  5. #19
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Lismore
    Posts
    26

    Default New to forums

    Hi all, I am a fitter/machinist/welder, who enjoys tinkering with all things mechanical in my spare time. I joined this forum in 2012 out of frustration, that my family and friends do not share my complete obsession with all things mechanical. They are very understanding, but I needed someone else to appreciate my work. I visited US based forums but always felt that there was a great difference between us. And there is. I understand geographical differences. I lived and worked in the UK for two years and learned that, although we speak the same english language, there is different ways of interpreting the same words, (eg. thong). So I have finally settled, and been able to build a workspace at home with machines I have longed for. I have a lathe, mill, drill presses!, grinders!, Repco tool & cutter grinder(which I am restoring), DC Tig (which I love). (more workspace needed) Bugger the cars, they can stay outside! I hope to soon start constructing an open wheel racecar for hillclimb competition. I find this forum fantastic for connecting like-minded individuals to share the hobby they enjoy.

  6. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,757

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AndrewOC View Post
    I admire the American and English metal working forums. . . . .
    My impression of some of these is, that there's a lot of people talking but not many listening.

  7. #21
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Minbun, FNQ, Australia
    Age
    66
    Posts
    12,881

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by morrisman View Post
    .... He would show us the basics , then leave us alone. He would talk about football all day , he just wasn't motivated to teach us anything at all about metalwork ....he was just as slack - this guy would not work in an iron lung. ....
    That is sad, I have to say again, I was lucky, the manual arts teacher I had in grade 8,9 & 10 was very good.
    Cliff.
    If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.

  8. #22
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Victoria, Australia
    Age
    74
    Posts
    6,132

    Default

    Thanks Graeme, interesting thread, I migrated over from woodwork and main interest in metal work was (is) making hand tools, mostly saws, chisels, planes.

    With the combined move to CNC, and the decline of manufacturing in Australia, there is a wealth of quality manual machinery going begging at bargain prices, if you have the inclination to look for it, the trick is acquiring the skills and knowledge to rebuild and restore older machines where needed. The scraping courses run by Phil (Machtool) are a great example of the benefits of this forum.

    This forum has a enormous depth of machine knowledge, and a willingness to freely share the knowledge, over the years Josh and I have met many people via this forum, and without exception, you would not meet a more interesting and friendly and knowledgeable group.

    The example recently of .RC.'s great epic bandsaw clamp give away, is a perfect example of how helping one person flows on to helping others. That's the sign of a good community.


    Regards
    Ray

  9. #23
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Castlemaine
    Posts
    144

    Default

    I originally joined the forum to contact Bigshed who has the same brand of mill I was looking at. I have only started recently to regularly read the posts and to post. The things that attract me to this forum is the very knowledgable members, the lack of BS and the way people help each other out. Things that stand out are people picking up gear for others from auctions, guys letting others know about good gear that they are not interested, people giving other members bits and pieces they do not have a need for etc etc.

    My background is industrial engineering with a love of cars inherited from my father. Now my 3 kids are school age I am getting a bit of time to work on cars again. I am in the process of building a tubular space frame rally car from scratch so I am slowly building up my workshop with tools as I need them for my build or when I can pick them up cheaply(or make them)

    Cheers

    Piers

  10. #24
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    2

    Default An old new bloke

    G'day all

    I have been “lurking” on the forum for a while now and I must say I have learnt a lot and often find myself laughing at the dry humour.

    My mum used to say “don't blow your trumpet unless you know what your talking about”
    I have been a bit shy of offering my opinions when I know that I am in the company of some very knowledgeable metal men. In fact this is my first post here.


    I have the usual stuff hand tools and electric tools a couple of pedestal drills, stick welder, a bit of spray painting gear and am into a bit of aluminium metal casting with my home built furnace and all the bits and pieces that go with that.
    I recently replaced my toy 3 in one lathe with a “Mc Millan Tiawanese lathe built 1973 which is currently undergoing a clean up and a new coat of paint, new motor and a quick change tool post addition.

    I am 65 retired.
    Started my working life in a very dirty factory assembling hydraulic cylinders but spent the last 20 years of it on the drawing board and later CAD doing layout planning for a commercial furniture company.

    Bill.

  11. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    San Diego
    Posts
    31

    Default

    Gentlemen. I'll never understand how such talented and articulate members cannot or will not in many threads, be capable of composing a title that accurately describe the gist of what is within the body of their posting. Obviously this is my pet peeve on any forum that I frequent.

    Gene

  12. #26
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Australia east coast
    Age
    71
    Posts
    1,469

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by easymike29 View Post
    Gentlemen. I'll never understand how such talented and articulate members cannot or will not in many threads, be capable of composing a title that accurately describe the gist of what is within the body of their posting. Obviously this is my pet peeve on any forum that I frequent.

    Gene
    You'd love it on PM then. The moderator regularly locks threads with comments like 'Locked due to meaningless topic title'.

    PDW

  13. #27
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    North Of The Boarder
    Age
    68
    Posts
    16,794

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by morrisman View Post
    My first attempts at making anything from metal , were at high school in 1968-70 . The same teacher each year - this guy didn't give a toss what you did, as long as you didn't hurt yourself . He would show us the basics , then leave us alone. He would talk about football all day , he just wasn't motivated to teach us anything at all about metalwork . In my 3rd year, I was making a set of salt/pepper shakers from copper sheet , I never finished those , I worked the whole year on them , that lazy sod of a teacher took nil interest in any of us kids . All he had was trade certificates , he'd never been to teachers college . One of my fellow students tried to help me out a bit .... but using the metal lathe was scary , we tried to set up my workpiece in the lathe to polish it , using wooden mandrels at each end . One day , a kid was dragged into the buffer , his apron got caught in the wheel .

    In mechanical drawing, ( same teacher ) he was just as slack - this guy would not work in an iron lung.

    My first year science teacher nearly burnt us all one time,, she was about 19 . The school employed her as a lab assistant , and as they were short of qualified teachers , they put her on teaching science . She had been a student at the same school . She partly filled a 4 gallon tin with water , screwed the lid on and put a gas burner underneath it . It was just about to explode with hot water and steam when a kid alerted her to the danger
    Have to remember this was the period of Vietnam and the Teacher shortage tradies were basically those who were not conscripted or unfit and often scorned on because of it. Brought into schools and thrown in the deep end. I had such a woodwork teacher although he was great taught us heaps.

    Metalwork teach was educated teacher and although he was good in teaching he had issues as he was ex-WWII and wanted to rejoin but was told to old mid 40's.

    We had a Canadian who was seconded during the same period started to bring Grid Iron into the all boys school at first he had a team then all of a sudden nothing. he kept putting Aussie sports down.

  14. #28
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    North Of The Boarder
    Age
    68
    Posts
    16,794

    Default

    I wasn't sure where this thread was heading but here goes. First contact with metal was my stroller/pram I guess. From there on wheels became a part of my life hence the handle. School metalworking i still have and use my tool scribbing post, engineers clamp, various odd bod tools made during TAFE a Cold Chisel needs edge re-worked, and work life as Mechanic and Motor Vehicle Builder.
    Started Ass Mech Engineer dip with TAFE external but suffered chronic fatiuge and had to let it go after 4 years of study and only some exams that was about 1995. Many years spent driving buses & coaches whilst also workshop repairs etc prior that. Injury and CFS took it toll and forced retirement if you can call it that so now woodwork and metal work s my way of keeping active. There is some deeper history on the blog.

  15. #29
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    27,757

    Default

    My WW teacher (I had the same one for 3 years) was an old tradie. He was a good teacher in terms of WW and I learned a lot from him, especially patience, but he thought nothing of wandering around the class with a T-square in hand looking for an excuse to belt any recalcitrants on the back of the legs. He had some reason for this as I think I was the only one in my class that liked woodwork and the rest of the class seemed to spend their time farting around or breaking something. Our class was one of the so called "professional streams" ie expected to go onto upper secondary etc. I still have and use the marking gauge I made in year 9.

    My MW teachers were also quite good as teachers but one was a bit on dodgy side.He ran a small trailer making business from the school metal workshop and had teams of his favourite boys building the trailers during classes and after school. While there was a certain attraction in doing this, as you got to to use the big (well we thought it was big) welder for long periods, I avoided become a favourite as I was more interested in using the lathes. I still remember the heat treatment of metal classes and making punches, scribes and a cold chisel. It all came flooding back several weekends ago when I attended a blacksmithing class and we made a cold chisel.

  16. #30
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Tas
    Age
    66
    Posts
    40

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by gngh View Post
    I joined in 2008 so I'm hardly new, but as I've only posted several times in 5 years I guess I'm sort of a newbie. I find the members of this forum rather clicky so I don't bother posting, there is some good info though. Looking at the machinery some of you blokes have I'm wondering if you all won lotto.
    I joined in 2009 with very few posts and have to agree. I actually came across the site while searching for model engineering information. Now in my mid-fifties and having worked since age 15, I am starting to think about getting some long lost hobbies and interests of mine underway again.

    I have found the information and spirit of the forum absolutely outstanding. Although I started primarily for the metalwork, it wasn’t long before the welding and woodwork sections started being visited.

    My problem is that rarely do I have anything useful to contribute, but I have learnt a lot. My perception is that it is a bit clicky, which I do prefer not to intrude but rather absorb the information.

    My only concern is the proliferation of sub forums lately. Personally I find it distracting and concerned these sub forums may not be sustainable long term.

    In summary, love the site, visit at least every one or two days, contribute when I have something useful which isn’t often and have learnt a lot.

Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Blokes Day Out.
    By issatree in forum ANNOUNCEMENTS
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 24th March 2013, 11:53 PM
  2. A Giggle for you old blokes
    By HazzaB in forum WOODIES JOKES
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 3rd October 2008, 12:32 PM
  3. Three Blokes
    By fenderbelly in forum WOODIES JOKES
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 13th August 2008, 09:09 AM
  4. Ok which one of you Blokes is it?
    By E. maculata in forum HAVE YOUR SAY
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 8th January 2006, 09:45 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •