>
> Message: 6
> Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 13:14:35 -0500
> From: Jeff D
> To: AMC List
> Subject: [AMC-list] machinists
> Message-ID:
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> The kid at the tire store when I put new tires on the Eagle, didn't realize my car had hubcaps.. he was about to put the impact wrench to them.. I said he needed to take the hubcap off first, and he had no idea..
>
>
But this happened at the factory when the Turbocast wheel discs were
introduced in the 1960's.

Peter Marano
Kenosha WI

=======
Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found.
(Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.14520)
http://www.pctools.com/
=======
_______________________________________________
AMC-list mailing list
AMC-list@amc-list.com
http://list.amc-list.com/listinfo.cgi/amc-list-amc-list.com

I'm guessing from my sporadic writing, mostly lurking, on this list for
a few years that I am one of the younger, although by no means young
(except at heart mostly), list members. I was speaking to a coworker of
mine about cars and electronics, saying that although I have a degree in
electronics, none of the employers I've had over the past 14 (yikes!)
years has really needed me to be any more than a troubleshooter and
parts/component changer. Components that could have been reworked are
sent to the landfill. All of the things that interested me in
electronics in the first place, I never get to do. It would be scary to
see how many good used, re-workable, automotive parts go to the scrap
heap. Sad.

Russ (from Pa.)

Jeff D wrote:
> How sad..
> the whole world seems to be going that way. just replace the component. all the way up to the "component" being an engine.. probably rebuilt in Mexico
> No one has any idea about carburators or breaker points either. The kid at the tire store when I put new tires on the Eagle, didn't realize my car had hubcaps.. he was about to put the impact wrench to them.. I said he needed to take the hubcap off first, and he had no idea..
>
> Have a great AMC day.. Jeff
>
> Got a letter from them today telling me that after the next round of
>
>
>> certification (this fall) they will drop the "Automotive Machinist" series.
>> They said declining number of members taking or renewing this certification
>> made it impractical for them to continue supporting it.
>>
>>
>
>
> Yeah Bruce, that is sad. And it reflects what's going on in high education
> too. I think though that the 80's and 90's bubble mentality will stop
> dominating and people will realize you can't replace the physical world with
> paper shuffling.
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection.
> http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469227/direct/01/
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL:
> _______________________________________________
> AMC-list mailing list
> AMC-list@amc-list.com
> http://list.amc-list.com/listinfo.cgi/amc-list-amc-list.com
>
>

_______________________________________________
AMC-list mailing list
AMC-list@amc-list.com
http://list.amc-list.com/listinfo.cgi/amc-list-amc-list.com

Sadly most of what has been posted here on this subject are contributing
factors to the decline of the "speed shop" as we used to know it or to
automotive machine shops in general are true.

Of course there's the influx of "imported" (take your pick they come from
several countries) parts selling at cost's equal to or lower than
reconditioning the OE parts. The last SBC I put together had Aluminum heads.
He got them COMPLETE with SS valves, springs and screw in studs for $325
each SHIPPED!! The rotating assembly (crank, rods, pistons, rings, bearings,
balancer, flex plate all NEW, all BALANCED), shipped to his door for
$699.00!!! You just can NOT compete with prices like that. So selling parts
for profit is long gone.

The machines necessary to equip a modern shop would cost "around" $750,000-
ONE MILLION dollars!!

I use an old Quik-Way portable align bore bar (not made in 20 years) that
probably cost around 8 grand new. The CHEAPEST bar I saw at the PRI show was
18,000 with some as high as 30,000. Unless you are using that bar every day
it will NEVER make a profit. Sunnen CK-10 power boring/honing machine??
Probably about 60k now. A full EPA approved "no chemical" heat cleaning
setup?? Was 30k last time I looked several years ago. When I bought my
vertical (Bridgeport type) milling machine 15 years ago the Chinese machine
was HALF the cost of the American made one. Want a CAD type automatic
machine center?? MIGHT be able to find one for $250k.

Then there's the labor rates which have NOT even kept up with inflation much
less been raised to a point where these high cost machines can earn their
keep. When I opened my shop in 1978 the local rate to surface a head was
12.00!!!! JUST to keep the same rate today (adjusted for inflation) would be
about $35. How much does your local shop charge? Unless they are in a big
city where the rates are higher I'll bet it's not even that high. We quit
running the crank grinder 5 years ago. Guys raised holy hell when we tried
to raise the cost to grind a crank to $85.00. It takes several hours to do
one. How much profit ya makin on THAT job??

Valve jobs? On a DOHC 4-valve per cylinder(or even 5 valve!) variable valve
timing head I TRY to get $250 but guys will usually not do it and replace
the motor instead. Hell the motors that are coming STOCK in many cars now
look like something that ran at Indy just a few years ago!! Don't even THINK
about fixing them!!

Nope,,, there ain't much money to be had doin machine work now days and at
60 I don't think I'll be doin it much longer. I was lucky enough to have
grown up during the heydaze of the "hot rod machine shop" (60's and 70's). I
LOVED every minute of it!! The only computer we had was the one between our
ears! If we wanted to improve something we had to do it ourselves. We didn't
go as fast then,,but we LEARNED a lot more and SURE had a lot more FUN!!!

But HEY,,, that's just ME!

Bruce Hevner

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL:
_______________________________________________
AMC-list mailing list
AMC-list@amc-list.com
http://list.amc-list.com/listinfo.cgi/amc-list-amc-list.com