Lost skills/Art forms - Page 2

MR.BA.GT.332 · 07-10-2011, 10:15 PM

stainless trim repairs!!! seems to be hard to find old timers who still do it and has seemed to of been a lost art... I met a bloke at a swap meet in willowbank this year and he was giving it away and the stuff he did was amazing....

As for the book binding, if you go ahead with it let me know and ill gladly send you my Ford Factory service manual for my XA to get all put back together...

Geez Louise · 07-10-2011, 10:19 PM

I will be binding our our Ford repair manual, a photo album, a book I have that is dated around 1890 and a book I once wrote.

I will definitely let you all see the end results, however it won't be for a couple of months. I am booked to do a course mid November

Franco Cozzo · 07-10-2011, 10:20 PM

After fighting in WWII my grandpa and his brothers migrated to Australia, most of them picked up trades, concreters, builders, one owned a deli, etc.

My grandpa opened up a business repairing shoes in Preston.

Just thinking about that, the only place you see them is resoling shoes in shopping centers, with key cutting and watch battery replacements.

pottery beige · 07-10-2011, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

I will be binding our our Ford repair manual, a photo album, a book I have that is dated around 1890 a book I once wrote.

i knew you were getting on a bit.. but...

The Yeti · 08-10-2011, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XD 351 Ute

Give a fitter apprentice a file these days and watch what happens.......

Ed

well you have to give it to them beacuse if you asked them to get one form the tool box most of them would look at you with a blank stare, and as for asking them to get you a bastard file, after they have finished gigeling like a school girl its back to the blank stare with glased over eyes

FAT245 · 08-10-2011, 09:57 AM

that is handformed!

Some of the handywork of my Panel beater .. who said he will show me and teach me lead wiping!

FAT245 · 08-10-2011, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Yeti

well you have to give it to them beacuse if you asked them to get one form the tool box most of them would look at you with a blank stare, and as for asking them to get you a bastard file, after they have finished gigeling like a school girl its back to the blank stare with glased over eyes

I had a teacher at school, who would drum into us common tools and their uses.

he was a US Marine in WWII, god... to this day, i will remember every file and every tool.
we were not allowed to use any electric tools, all our work over the years had to be done by hand.

i owe him a huge thanks as, to this day, i use those skills when i am working on my cars, house, computers, or even customer systems!

jrfttf · 08-10-2011, 10:14 AM

Sad many old trades dying

As mentioned earlier doubt there would be many panel beaters who could lead wipe

Blacksmiths are also a dying art form as stated earlier, the blacksmiths left now are mainly older generation, i know of one who is still in his 30's but there not many left now at all

Also can't say i seen many young gunsmiths around

Even mechanics these days, how many of the young blokes would know what points/dizzy and a timing light are, did and worked?

**DJR-351** · 08-10-2011, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XD 351 Ute

Give a fitter apprentice a file these days and watch what happens.......

Ed

everyone knows what a file is....

Franco Cozzo · 08-10-2011, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrfttf

Even mechanics these days, how many of the young blokes would know what points/dizzy and a timing light are, did and worked?

Unfortunately that points/dizzy crap is covered in my auto electrical course, but the cars you tend to work on these days don't have any of that, its pathetic that at TAFE we're working on engines and electronic systems from the 70s through to the early 90s, the whole course references to things like VL and VN Commodores. We've got a new VE Commodore Holden gave us and we don't do anything with it other than use a scan tool on it, theres barely anything about CANBUS either. Its sad that its 2011 and we're being trained up for VN/VL Commodores.

Also there is a distinct lack of Ford stuff, its all Holden at our TAFE.

In my case, we only work on new vehicles, the latest Mercedes Sprinters and our control system we install in them is all CANBUS.

NAK302 · 08-10-2011, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

So it got me thinking, what other skills/art forms will we lose within the next few years? If no-one trains anyone on how these things are done, the skills will be lost forever.

Cheers
Col

i would have to say writing something that isn't abbreviated (eg: text messages) or spelt the US way will become a skill in itself. another will be the actual art of physically writing

jrfttf · 08-10-2011, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Unfortunately that points/dizzy crap is covered in my auto electrical course, but the cars you tend to work on these days don't have any of that, its pathetic that at TAFE we're working on engines and electronic systems from the 70s through to the early 90s, the whole course references to things like VL and VN Commodores. We've got a new VE Commodore Holden gave us and we don't do anything with it other than use a scan tool on it, theres barely anything about CANBUS either. Its sad that its 2011 and we're being trained up for VN/VL Commodores.

Also there is a distinct lack of Ford stuff, its all Holden at our TAFE.

In my case, we only work on new vehicles, the latest Mercedes Sprinters and our control system we install in them is all CANBUS.

Sounds like a interesting tafe you go to, can see your point on what they showing you and what they not, good to see the old basics and elementrys are covered, not all young blokes in the game have seen that stuff and know how it is.

Its a shame that your tafe doesn't run over a bit of a wider range of gear, i know alot of the basics are the same but it would be good for people to see more than one look at the picture if you know what i mean!

The Yeti · 08-10-2011, 12:04 PM

I know mechanics that have never worked on drum brakes

One I took a car too for a rego pink slip that was 4 wheel drum rang me and told me my car had a faulty brake booster, I had a chuckle to my self and said no problems if you can find it you can replace it

They rang back in an hour and said my car was good to go and didn't need the booster in the end :o)

FAT245 · 08-10-2011, 12:38 PM

hahaha ... thats like someone going WTF when they dont see springs in the front of a valiant

flappist · 08-10-2011, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Yeti

I know mechanics that have never worked on drum brakes

One I took a car too for a rego pink slip that was 4 wheel drum rang me and told me my car had a faulty brake booster, I had a chuckle to my self and said no problems if you can find it you can replace it

They rang back in an hour and said my car was good to go and didn't need the booster in the end :o)

My XY bash car is currently on loan to a Ford dealer as a training tool for his apprentices and young tradesmen who have little to no knowledge of carbies, drums, non power steering, manual locks and windows and all the other goodies from the 20th century.

In return I get every part of the car refurbished (some parts several times).

Franco Cozzo · 08-10-2011, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

My XY bash car is currently on loan to a Ford dealer as a training tool for his apprentices and young tradesmen who have little to no knowledge of carbies, drums, non power steering, manual locks and windows and all the other goodies from the 20th century.

In return I get every part of the car refurbished (some parts several times).

Thats a nice thing to do on your behalf and the dealership to be teaching apprentices something different, when I was at Honda we had an old 80s carbied Civic come in for a service, the workshop manager and the service manager came out to show us some things, but thats it. We never got anything like that.

Pis-ton broke · 08-10-2011, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

I have been looking for the past couple of days. into doing a course in book binding. Now I know that books themselves seem to be dying out, however I have some old/antique books that I want to preserve with leather binding and I would like to give it a go myself.

It appears that it is harder to find somewhere to do this than first thought. There is a course at RMIT in Melbourne, however lack of numbers etc, didn't see the course run. So I contacted a private book binder and he does run courses, however it is $1200 for a 5 day course! (Yikes!)

So it got me thinking, what other skills/art forms will we lose within the next few years? If no-one trains anyone on how these things are done, the skills will be lost forever.

So what would you like to see made readily available to everyone to learn or what would skill would you like to learn if you had the time?

Cheers
Col

you might have been interested in the tv show on the abc the other night about the bloke in the UK that defiled one of the first copies of Shakespare, he got 8 years jail.

I need a saddler in Sydney, S,W Sydney area??

**DJR-351** · 08-10-2011, 03:48 PM

The GPS/Chart Plotter equipment on the ships we use will put us within 1m anywhere in the world....BUT......to get a ticket to drive these you are still required to be taught and examined on Celestial Navigation (Sextant)....

The only thing is no one uses it anymore, i haven’t seen anyone, myself included, use one in anger for over twenty years. I still do a few running fixes and star shots to keep from going rusty, but never use it seriously, it’s mainly just a hobby now....

flappist · 08-10-2011, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJR-351

The GPS/Chart Plotter equipment on the ships we use will put us within 1m anywhere in the world....BUT......to get a ticket to drive these you are still required to be taught and examined on Celestial Navigation (Sextant)....

The only thing is no one uses it anymore, i haven’t seen anyone, myself included, use one in anger for over twenty years. I still do a few running fixes and star shots to keep from going rusty, but never use it seriously, it’s mainly just a hobby now....

Until one day.......your electrics fail or the sats stop working.

Same with aviation.

To keep a rating I have to be current with all sorts of antique navigation aids as well as just to fly VFR have to prove I can navigate with a compass and a chart every 2 years.

And surprise surprise on at least two occasions in the last 10 or 15 years the GPS constellation has had a woopsy and if I did not know how to navigate I would have been in a HUGE amount of stress.....

The Yeti · 08-10-2011, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

you might have been interested in the tv show on the abc the other night about the bloke in the UK that defiled one of the first copies of Shakespare, he got 8 years jail.

I need a saddler in Sydney, S,W Sydney area??

Dave gardener was thelast guy I used he was in the old rouse hill shops I don't know any one now :(

**DJR-351** · 08-10-2011, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Until one day.......your electrics fail or the sats stop working.

Same with aviation.

To keep a rating I have to be current with all sorts of antique navigation aids as well as just to fly VFR have to prove I can navigate with a compass and a chart every 2 years.

And surprise surprise on at least two occasions in the last 10 or 15 years the GPS constellation has had a woopsy and if I did not know how to navigate I would have been in a HUGE amount of stress.....

Dammit, we can only wish our navigational schooling and testing was as relaxed as you aviators get it.....

My old man was a Pilot instructor for BA, we used to compare notes on the similarities, differences and instruments used for nav....really you guys have it easy

Satellites, nothing new there, you just have to believe they are ok and not going to fall out of the sky......

Franco Cozzo · 08-10-2011, 07:58 PM

How does a sextant actually work?

Stefan · 08-10-2011, 08:34 PM

Not a dying art but a sign of the times.

I took my 4 year old in my XY GT to get some fuel today.

Then the question that blew me away.

"Dad, how do you put the window down?"

**DJR-351** · 08-10-2011, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

How does a sextant actually work?

http://homepage.smc.edu/kennedy_john/SEXTANT.PDF

http://www.minitransat650.com/Sextant_Users_GuideV6.pdf

LyleXR8 · 08-10-2011, 11:18 PM

As of 2 years ago a lot of tafes have stopped teaching brickies how to brick chimneys, because nobody has open fireplace/bricked chimneys anymore

Airmon · 11-10-2011, 04:39 PM

Panel beating, Pin-striping (etc.) and mechanics who actually fix things as opposed to mechanics who unbolt old parts and bolt in new parts.

trippytaka · 11-10-2011, 06:53 PM

Writing is a dying art. No one values the skills anymore.

290v · 11-10-2011, 07:35 PM

Or a Hacksaw
I also agree we are loosing the art of writing i see a lot of people coming out of school into the working life and their writing takes a lot to desire they would rather type letters now

Quote:

Originally Posted by pottery beige

ffs bro.. i've seen second years that dont know what thread tape is....

HVAC PRO · 11-10-2011, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAT245

hahaha ... thats like someone going WTF when they dont see springs in the front of a valiant

classic.... reminds me of when i used to try and explain to my mates how the vacum wipers worked on my old XK Falcon and why when i floored it they stopped..haha

foxtrot3 · 11-10-2011, 08:15 PM

Hi. As children myself and my brother were taught how to clean rabbits and duck which we had shot and clean fish caught in the Murray River. The shooting skills and cleaning of food are skills that I wont pass on to my boys as the days of having a gun under the bed are long gone and the bull.... to register guns and get a licence to have one along with the greenies and duck huggers along with the new rabbit control measures and rivers full of carp have ruined hunting for food. Cheers MD