A Different Story . . .

Discussion in 'Introductions' started by Bruce Andrew, Jun 7, 2021.

  1. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    I've been a toolmaker (moldmaker actually) since I got out of high school in 1968. I've been self-employed, shop in backyard, since 1985.

    People have asked me in recent years when I was going to retire (I'll be 71 in August). I've always said that I'm not stopping until I can't do it anymore. I do enjoy it that much -- plus it gives me a reason to get up in the morning and gives me a purpose in life.

    So along comes early April and I get sudden (overnight) severe pain in my right wrist, and I'm right-handed of course. A couple weeks later I get it my left wrist, not quite as bad. So I went to an ortho, got diagnosed as arthritis, and he gave me a cortisone shot in my right wrist which helped immensely.

    So I'm on meloxicam anyway for tendonitis, and it also helps with the arthritis -- I can tolerate the pain so far. So I asked the ortho about working, after I described what I do. He said it would probably be wise to retire.

    So here I am, and I'm not happy about it, but that's life.
     
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  2. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Well hello there Bruce and welcome.
     
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  3. Bill Boggs

    Bill Boggs Supreme Member
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    Welcome to the Forum, Bruce.
     
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  4. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    Thank you both. :) There was no noob thread, so here I am.
     
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  5. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Are you in the USA, Bruce? I'm in Texas. I forgot to congratulate you on your retirement, so congrats!
     
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  6. Mary Stetler

    Mary Stetler Veteran Member
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    If I were you I might keep working, just lighten the load a bit, and see how it goes.
    However I am a bum. It is much more difficult to lighten that.
    :rolleyes:
    Congrats on your retirement and welcome to the forum from Wisconsin.
     
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  7. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Welcome from Virginia, Bruce.

    There is a noob thread, but it's kinda tucked away here. It's no biggie...we're pretty informal.

    I spent a good part of my career in purchasing and worked with a bunch of metal fabrication & machine shops. The most fascinating (and complex) were the stainless steel vacuum chambers I had made. My brother-in-law was a design engineer and had his own business making custom injection-molded parts out of his garage.
     
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  8. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    I'm in the deep woods of NYS (yes we have woods here, I'm in the Finger Lakes area). I'd rather not be retired, but thanks anyway. :)
     
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  9. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    Can't, the days of throwing around 50+ pound chunks of steel are over for me. I wish it were otherwise.

    Thanks for the welcome. :)
     
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  10. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    Familiar stuff! I built hardened steel injection molds all my life, from the auto, camera, copier, electronic, medical, firearms, etc. etc. manufacturers.
     
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  11. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Veteran Member
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    Glad you joined us, Bruce.

    upload_2021-6-7_22-41-20.png
     
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  12. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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  13. Mary Stetler

    Mary Stetler Veteran Member
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    A couple of thoughts:
    What if you took to teaching what you did to a younger guy or at a tech school?
    My brother was a teacher and was very depressed about being retired. I told him you can teach anywhere.
    Or course, I don't know how to do anything so I can't. ;) But I hate to see old techniques die with new technology. If the threats of emp's or infrastructure hacking happen, knowing how to actually do stuff would be invaluable.
    Since you are resigned to being here, do you have hobbies you enjoy or would like to try?
     
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  14. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Welcome from northern Colorado.

    My 1/2 brother worked for, and retired from, the State of PA in repair of heavy equipment. Whether him and his wife are in PA (main home) or Florida in the winter, he absolutely loves hard labor work. He is like 4 years older than myself. I'm going on 72. If he isn't doing some kind of remodeling on property he has bought, is going to sell, or working on one of his vehicles, he isn't happy.

    He burned part of his arm in an accident at his PA home, was in quite a bit of pain, but after the pain decreased, he went back to hard labor again.

    He hates computers, with a passion. "Absolutely no need for them" he will tell me, but I totally disagree. My career was in warehousing, shipping/receiving, stockroom, Purchasing and Inventory Management. I was definitely not a "labor" type person and loved it when I got my own office, computer, filing cabinet and phone.

    I'm completely retired now and the only labor I do is a little work on our powerboat, some (but nothing heavy) on our vehicle. Most of my time is spent on our desktop doing different things.

    Again, welcome.
     
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  15. Bruce Andrew

    Bruce Andrew Very Well-Known Member
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    Being old, I learned moldmaking from the old German and Austrian immigrants. That was the "old way." Then along came computerized machining. I started getting into this in the mid-'90s. It was a huge learning curve, but once I started getting comfortable with it I found that it made it all much easier. Precision handwork, which I learned from the old-timers, was mostly unneeded now.

    There is a college not too far away and I had thought of your idea in recent years. I never looked into it however. And now I am seriously contemplating moving to Florida, so everything is up in the air.
     
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