On Tue, 7 Apr 2009 09:27:22 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

For years I have wanted to go to a school auction - kept hearing about
the deals on gently used equipment. Saturday a week ago my local
school district was having an auction to liquidate the machining lab
to be replaced by a computer lab - I decided to go. Ten years ago I
would thought that getting rid of manufacturing skills was poor policy
- but after watching so many tool & die shops go under a few years
ago, I understand why the school district is doing as they are.

Even though we are nearly in Depression level of economy here in Metro
Detroit, machine tools were still reasonably priced (a couple hundred
less and I would have been upgrading from my Clausing 5914 w/o DRO to
a 13x40 Sharp w/ DRO). Manual lathes and mills were Sharp brand, w/
DROs, several of each, selling for $600 to $900.

Having attended about 40+ machinery auctions in the past 8 yrs, this
was the first time that I attended an auction on a Saturday. What I
found most interesting was the age of the participants. WHile there
were a few dealers and a few (younger) shop owners / managers there
buying equipment, the majority of attendees appeared to be retirement
age and up. As a fifty year old, I felt like I was a youngster.
-------------
Your observation parallels what I have observed, not only at
machine shop auctions but also farm auctions in this area [SE
Kansas].

As several people have observed, the US is going to be screwed
but good when we have to start making stuff again in this
country, even if its the repair parts to keep the obsolete
equipment running because the parts are no longer available or
because the foreign producers want too much money in US dollar
terms.

I can't fault the people that are not going into the machining
trades or agriculture, because if they are smart enough to make
it there, they are smart enough to make it somewhere else with a
lot less effort, a lot less investment, and much better working
conditions.


Unka' George [George McDuffee]
-------------------------------------------
He that will not apply new remedies,
must expect new evils:
for Time is the greatest innovator: and
if Time, of course, alter things to the worse,
and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better,
what shall be the end?

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman.
Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).