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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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#1
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SOTHE BEND- BULLET HOLES IN FOOT a classic case of decline in American industry
While reading the many posts about the outrageous pricing that Le Blond was
trying to charge for a simple tailstock ram, I did some search about South Bend and found this article http://www.cesj.org/vbm/casestudies-...bendlathe.html It makes for interesting reading and really gets to the issue of why our manufacturing is going overseas. On a note of irony, I see that the same guys defending this pricing are the ones who always tout the values of buying old " American Iron" over new imports. |
#2
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In article , EdFielder
says... On a note of irony, I see that the same guys defending this pricing are the ones who always tout the values of buying old " American Iron" over new imports. Hmm. You're right. They should have just fired those 500 guys and liquidated the company in the '70s. That would have been much better. Jim -- ================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at pkmfgvm4 (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ================================================== |
#3
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On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 13:46:30 GMT, "EdFielder"
wrote: While reading the many posts about the outrageous pricing that Le Blond was trying to charge for a simple tailstock ram, I did some search about South Bend and found this article http://www.cesj.org/vbm/casestudies-...bendlathe.html It makes for interesting reading and really gets to the issue of why our manufacturing is going overseas. On a note of irony, I see that the same guys defending this pricing are the ones who always tout the values of buying old " American Iron" over new imports. While this is an interesting financial story, it has what exactly to do with the price of tailstock tubes or the price of parts? Throughout the article, I see constant references to pension plans, big labor interferance and power structure struggles, but no mention of parts costings. Gunner "At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child - miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke |
#4
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On 18 Jan 2005 06:09:48 -0800, jim rozen
wrote: In article , EdFielder says... On a note of irony, I see that the same guys defending this pricing are the ones who always tout the values of buying old " American Iron" over new imports. Hmm. You're right. They should have just fired those 500 guys and liquidated the company in the '70s. That would have been much better. Jim Ayup..then the tailstock tubes wouldnt be available NOS at any price. Gunner "At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child - miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke |
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"Gunner" wrote in message While this is an interesting financial story, it has what exactly to do with the price of tailstock tubes or the price of parts? Throughout the article, I see constant references to pension plans, big labor interferance and power structure struggles, but no mention of parts costings. Gunner The point is that the problems with South Bend resulted from high cost of production, mostly stemming from labor, pension etc., not necessarily materials costs. South Bend then did an innovative thing in the ESOP, but failed to make fundamental changes in the lock step mentality of the workforce. Your typical union guy says " Today I am getting 20.00 per hour for 8 hours work and by God tomorrow I should be getting at least 21.00 per hour OR only work 7.5 hours." In other words, as the world economy evolves and changes, he locks himself rigidly into the system to which he is accustomed and crys like a baby when his plant finally closes. So what does this have to do with that 330.00 tailstock ram? Its the same mentality that is driving these people. How did they arrive at that price? If its NOS, then the WWII price was probably under 1.00- did they just multiply the old price by some arbitrary figure like the distance from Cleveland to Cincinnatti? Do you think any one from Le Blond ever went to the warehouse and picked up this piece and said to himself " Boy what a bargain - only 330.00 !!" Do you think the parts guy would gleefully pay 330.00 for a set of spark plugs for his Studebaker Champion just because they had been sitting on the shelf for 50 years? |
#6
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Gunner wrote:
On 18 Jan 2005 06:09:48 -0800, jim rozen wrote: In article , EdFielder says... On a note of irony, I see that the same guys defending this pricing are the ones who always tout the values of buying old " American Iron" over new imports. Hmm. You're right. They should have just fired those 500 guys and liquidated the company in the '70s. That would have been much better. Jim Ayup..then the tailstock tubes wouldnt be available NOS at any price. ....and we'd be discussing how one would go about building one on a machine tool, rather than this overlong OT thread |
#7
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EdFielder wrote:
The point is that the problems with South Bend resulted from high cost of production, mostly stemming from labor, pension etc., not necessarily materials costs. Yep, Pension funds get a big mention as a way that companies loose cash to keep working. South Bend then did an innovative thing in the ESOP, but failed to make fundamental changes in the lock step mentality of the workforce. Whoa. There was also the typical "managment attitude" problem where "we have to be in control and make all the decisions" where they set it up so they controlled "unallocatted shares", which dwarfed the other shares. The other problem was that the workers union let them down. It was the union that was unable to adapt to representing their members in a different environment. So, you had a situation where everyone was suppossed to have a stake in the situation, but the workers really didn't. |
#8
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In article , Rex B says...
Hmm. You're right. They should have just fired those 500 guys and liquidated the company in the '70s. That would have been much better. Ayup..then the tailstock tubes wouldnt be available NOS at any price. ...and we'd be discussing how one would go about building one on a machine tool, rather than this overlong OT thread Where've you been, the OP has fixed one up about 20 posts ago. It's all over but the hollering. And there's always plenty of that! Jim -- ================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at pkmfgvm4 (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ================================================== |
#9
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On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 13:46:30 GMT, "EdFielder"
wrote: While reading the many posts about the outrageous pricing that Le Blond was trying to charge for a simple tailstock ram, I did some search about South Bend and found this article http://www.cesj.org/vbm/casestudies-...bendlathe.html It makes for interesting reading and really gets to the issue of why our manufacturing is going overseas. On a note of irony, I see that the same guys defending this pricing are the ones who always tout the values of buying old " American Iron" over new imports. Perhaps I'm slow, but I don't see the connection between the story of South Bend as told in the article and the issues you're discussing. It sounds like the root cause was the union's inwillingness to get involved exacerbated by poor management techniques. (The reason for putting it in that order is that if the union had been more involved the management could have been replaced.) Of course I could be wrong. :-) --RC "Sometimes history doesn't repeat itself. It just yells 'can't you remember anything I've told you?' and lets fly with a club. -- John W. Cambell Jr. |
#10
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Maybe if they would have spent some of there time on product design they
may have stood a chance in the marketplace. South Bend sold the same lathe that they built in 1929 (with the addition of a threading gear box and L00 spindle) in 1981 - o wait that was a 10" Brad Morgan - proud owner of a 9" model C |
#11
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sparkplug question if you cannot find them any were pay the money he has it
you need it the intrest on the money |
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