Used to be in America there was always an old guy in town who had a decent set of machinist tools and the knowledge to use them, and loved taking on projects - sort of an outgrowth of the village smithy concept. Most all those old guys are gone now, and their tools have been converted into Hondas and refrigerators. For that matter, how many people do you know who embark on projects requiring the help of "that old guy" anymore? Few people tinker on stuff - we've become consumers of the first order, not makers of things. The country was built on the likes of our own Mike, Lightfoot, who saw a need/niche and filled it, people who could actually create stuff out of raw materials with their heads and hands.
I cannot echo that loud enough. As the folks who come here well know, our country today is nothing like the one we grew up in. The Greatest Generation style of living and values have evaporated. Most look down there nose at blue collar work. They would rather live in their parents basement and on the internet. If there is ever another World War it will all be gone. I have no confidence we could do it again.
Sigh...
