On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 16:23:47 -0400, Wes wrote:

Too_Many_Tools wrote:

Thought you might find this discussion of interest.

In regards to metalworking, in your opinion what are the 25 skills
that every HSMer should know?

The List: How to...

1. Repair one's vehicle
That is what #2 son is for - a top class mechanic, installs
turbo's & builds custom intercoolers for his "boy racer" clients
2. Backup and restore one's computer
Can do
3. Rescue an ice fisherman that went though.
Only ice here is in little cubes from fridge
4. Frame a house
Double brick is better but I spot welded extension frames for
my previous house
5. Join metals
I can do it, have a stick , spot & mig but #s 1 & 2 are much
better than me, anything critical, they do
6. Back up a trailer
Easy, have 3, smallest is hardest as it is 400mm narrower each
side of the Patrol and is off the line by the time it is visible in
the mirrors
7. Build a campfire
Used to be a Scout Leader
8. Perform Electrical work.
can do, but work on mains is illegal here without a ticket, do
radio
9. Navigate with a map and compass
see 7
10. Be able to perform wilderness first aid / surgery.
Have out of date St John's
11. Sharpen tools
Dad taught me when I was 8, damn, that is over 60 years ago
now
12. Perform CPR
See 10
13. Catch a fish, rabbit or anything edible.
Rabbits used to be my pocket money as a boy
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
Learnt to drive on dirt roads, taught my sons the same way
when they were 10
15. Get a car unstuck
Have winch, will travel
16. Pour and finish a slab
Done that
17. Build a rifle
I suppose I could, but would not vouch for its accuracy
18. Make black powder
Don't all boys do that? Saltpetre, sulphur & charcoal for a
cannon
19. Critically think.
This is the most difficult task VBG
20. Maintain one's vehical Vehicle?
See 1
21. Heat treat metals
Yes
22. Cast metals
next project in brass, locomotive wheels in Sn3.5 then learn
how to plate them
23. Machine metals
have lathe, will make blue chips (again) when workshop built
24. Fix any flat
Not that stupid to try it on a Wabco tyre, can fix my Patrol's
if in the bush otherwise I prefer to let someone else get dirty for
$7, I change tyres just before TWI shows my life is worth more
than a $10 saving, 92000 so far on this set of Desert Duellers, about
10k wear left. My tyre dealer rotates & re-balances every 10k at no
charge which is probably why they have lasted, also no fast takeoffs
25. Design jigs and fixtures.
Regular procedure for woodworking & welding

Some are lame. It is getting late for me.

Sunday evening, nothing worth watching on the idiot box, no
workshop to use yet, finished emails, going to finish reading my
latest Anne McCaffrey book after I send this.