Sunday, January 27, 2013

No Worries Mate. It's a beautiful world.

James Thompson posted a comment on the Old Tools Mailing List that triggered a minor off topic rant so I went off list to comment. It made enough sense I shared it here on my blog.
 
"-----Original Message-----
From: James Thompson
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2013 10:15 AM
To: Phil Schempf
Cc: oldtools@ruckus.law.cornell.edu
Subject: Re: [OldTools] Bow saw project
 
Sometimes I wish I couldn't remember when good ice cream was a nickel a scoop. How in the hell did it get to $2 a scoop? Inflation has a psychological effect on those who can remember it. I will not pay that for an ice cream cone, but younger people don't have my frame of reference. They have no idea that the price is an outrage.This same thing applies to most everything else we buy, including pins for bowsaws.
 
 See? Getting old is unpleasant. Let me count the ways..... :>)"
 
I agree completely with you on the appalling rate of inflation. In 1970, at the Midwest Foundry, working as a Class C millwright/maintenance/machine repairman 8 hours a day 6 days per week I made $11,000.00 a year. For a 19 year old kid that was good money.
At $9000.00 the government said I had paid all the Social Security I need to and stopped collecting it.
I could buy a top line Chevy pickup for $3000.00
I could buy a 15 year old 3 bedroom ranch house with a full basement in Coldwater, Michigan for $16,000.00
The following is from http://www.1970sflashback.com/1970/economy.asp
Cost of a first-class stamp:     $0.06
Cost of a gallon of regular gas:     $0.36
Cost of a dozen eggs:     $0.62
Cost of a gallon of Milk:     1.15
After 3 months I had earned the price of a truck.
With an additional 18 months I earned the price of a house.
In less than 2 years of working by the age of 21 I had all I needed to live in Coldwater for the next 35 years just as my father had.
 
Let's move 42 years into the future.
Fortunately my income has increased at a rate above inflation because I was able to advance to higher positions. If I hadn't wanted to go to school at night, move through 12 companies, and accept driving 150 miles a day for work I would still be working at the same level.
 
Today a Journeyman millwright/maintenance/machine repairman at my company makes approximately $37,000.00. Looks like a great increase doesn't it? Especially when we consider that is 8 hrs a day 5 days per week. Almost 3.4 times what I made in 1970. Say business picked up and they were able to work the hours I did. At 6 days per week and you add $11,232.00 per year. That bumps it up to 4.3 times what I made in 1970.
 
According to the Social Securities own website at http://www.ssa.gov/planners/maxtax.htm if I were still working at my original job I could stop paying social security at $113,700.00. That's 12.5 times higher than 1970.
 
I can buy a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 for $24,585.00 msrp. That's 8.1 times higher than 1970
According to Hotpads.com at http://tinyurl.com/bbcpc4x
 
In Coldwater, Michigan a 3 Bedroom house For Sale Median Price is $159,900.  Just a little less than 10 times higher than 1970.
 
Letters 1st Class 45¢ or 7.5 times 1970 prices. If you don't use a standard envelope there is a bad envelope penalty 20¢ for anything larger, thicker, or otherwise not a standard business envelope. That bumps it up to 65¢ or 10.1 times 1970 prices.

 As listed on Numbeo at http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=United+States Gasoline (1 liter) is 0.98 $   Not to bad until you consider 1 Liter = 0.264172052637296 Gallons. That bumps the price to $3.71 per gallon only 3.79 times higher than 1970. 
Eggs (12)     $2.00   3.22 times higher than 1970
Milk (regular), 1 liter     0.99 $      Not to bad until you consider 1 Liter = 0.264172052637296 Gallons. That bumps the price to $3.75 per gallon only 3.26 times higher than 1970.
Water (1.5 liter bottle)     1.75 $     Water was free in 1970.
 
So what does this whole exercise end up with?
A kid today works 4 years to reach Journeyman. With the number of laid off skilled trades finding a startup position in skilled trades is next to impossible.
We'll just assume he hires in right out of high school at Journeyman level.
After 2.5 years of work he will have earned the price of a pickup truck.
With an additional 4.3 years he will have earned the price of a house.
After 6.8 years of work todays kid at 25 can reach where I was at 21.
If he can find a job.

 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Salvaging a Wood Auger - a video tutorial from Old Sneelock's Workshop

Wood Plane Setup - a video tutorial from Old Sneelock's Workshop

Ford 8N and the Hydro Hoe - Power Toys

Sharpening A File With Acid - a video tutorial from Old Sneelock's Workshop

Safe Operation of a Bench Grinder - a video tutorial from Old Sneelock's...

Sharpening a Cold Chisel - a video tutorial from Old Sneelock's Workshop

Saw Sharpening Part I Jointing - a video tutorial from Old Sneelock's W...

Saw Sharpening Part III Setting the Teeth a video tutorial from Old Snee...

Marshall Academy Carolers on the sidewalk in Marshall - Old Sneelock's W...

Using A Hand Tap a video tutorial from Old Sneelock's Workshop

Adjusting Hand Grinder Spindle Lash - a video tutorial by Old Sneelock's...

Sharpening A Hudson Forge Crosscut Hand Saw - a video tutorial by Old S...

Clean & Finish A Saw Tote - a video tutorial by Old Sneelock's Workshop

Saturday, January 12, 2013

If you don't use it you lose it.



I used to weld for a living but now that I only strike an arc every once in a great while I always have to weld 6 or 8 inches before I get back in the swing of welding.
When I was a kid making go-carts with my first welder I found that what we called bird s**t welds were caused by not having enough amps to melt the rod. The rod would stick and melt off but left the welds on the surface with no penetration. It looked like a bird dropping. I learned to increase the amps to ...... wait for it.....the settings on the box of rod and then it worked a lot better. 
In the garage there is a 120 amp wire welder, a 200 amp stick welder, an acetylene torch, a propane lead melting pot, propane torches, and enough blow torches to burn down Chicago. I haven't struck an arc in the year and a half since we moved.
I installed a new service in the garage last summer. Got to get the garage wired up for 220 volts to the welders soon.

Best laid plans.

The intent was to move and unload the truck, move the tractor into the garage, and replace the ignition switch on the tractor.
So much for planning. The truck won't start so I put on the charger. No truck means I can't jump the tractor so that won't move. I don't want to change the switch outside in the rain so I'll have to wait until tomorrow.
When the truck wouldn't start I went to Plan B. After straightening out the garage I cut down 2 scrub white maple trees in the front yard next to the driveway. After bucking them into 6 foot lengths I drug them around to the back yard near the compost pile by hand. Right no truck and no tractor.
Went shopping with SWMBO and when I got back it was raining.
Went out to the truck and closed the hood down to keep it dry while the battery charges.
There's always tomorrow. 

Plan for the day.

January 11, 2013 4:14 am.

It's supposed to be 55 degrees today.
The plan is to unload the 1/2 ton of crushed limestone from the back of my old pickup. The last 1 ton load I picked up in Richland sat just a little too long and ended up frozen to the bed of the truck.
Since I usually go to work at 5:30 am. I'm sitting here planning my day for when the sun comes up. Sadie is planning her day also. She thinks I should be playing with her instead of typing.
She's right.