oops1
Buzzard Expert
How big is your oil pan..Sinclair?
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Vocational training
- Thread starter crackerdave
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crackerdave
Senior Member
You went to a lot better high school than I did! I was class of '71...failed the 8th grade because I wasn't interested.Girls,fishing,hotrods,and hunting were what I studied.I think I would not have finished school if I hadn't transferred to a vocational school for auto mechanics in the 12th grade.Dad wouldn't let me quit,or I would have when I turned 16.
The only class I enjoyed in my 13 years and 4 summers of school was sociology in summer school one year.
Auto mechanics at Griffin Tech was a cheap and easy place to build my hotrod Chevy and buy a good set of Snap-on tools cheap.
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fireman32
"Useless Billy" Fire Chief.
Yes. I took welding and construction in high school, then went to tech school and became a certified welder. Had a job as a teenager helping build sea walls and docks. Decided I didn’t want that life, and went into auto body repair and still had to weld. Made decent commission money until the small business had some money trouble. Fell into fire firefighting at 23 with odd second jobs to help out.
Learned a little electrical, a lot of mechanical and a good bit of construction just from being to cheap to pay someone for something I could do. I work part time on cotton pickers now, good boss, pay and hours. More work than we can do, and can’t find anyone to work with us. These kids need some tech skills to keep America moving, I’m pushing mine in that direction.
Learned a little electrical, a lot of mechanical and a good bit of construction just from being to cheap to pay someone for something I could do. I work part time on cotton pickers now, good boss, pay and hours. More work than we can do, and can’t find anyone to work with us. These kids need some tech skills to keep America moving, I’m pushing mine in that direction.
sinclair1
Senior Member
6.4 quarts but that's tomorrow. Tonight was diff change.
I went back to college pursueing a Horticulture and Landscape Architect degree and we were still hand drawing Landscape designs then.
I took some college landscape design/architecture classes, too. I loved the hand drawing of landscape designs. It's an art, and you just can't get the same feel with CAD or GIS. I did landscape design on the side for several years. I still have a drawing board, t-square, triangles, French curves, stencils, engineer's rule, and all the rest of the kit.
When I was in HS, our vocational department consisted of a Metals shop that taught welding and fabrication, Automotive shop, and a Construction program.
I took construction every chance I got. The school would purchase a lot and the construction classes would build a house on it. From the foundation up, we learned masonry, framing, wiring, roofing, etc. Then the house would sell and the school would take the profit and buy another lot and start all over again. I know of 2 guys that I was in class with that own their own construction companies today because of the skills they learned in high school.
That program eventually went away, but we are currently bringing it back again.
I took construction every chance I got. The school would purchase a lot and the construction classes would build a house on it. From the foundation up, we learned masonry, framing, wiring, roofing, etc. Then the house would sell and the school would take the profit and buy another lot and start all over again. I know of 2 guys that I was in class with that own their own construction companies today because of the skills they learned in high school.
That program eventually went away, but we are currently bringing it back again.
blakely
Senior Member
After about 25 years working in industry, I took on a teaching job. I teach drafting and welding along with a little fabrication and machining at our high school. Our school also has a construction and an automotive shop. One of my sons works out of Kennesaw with a framing company. The other son works out of Tucker with an electrical contractor. I am a big supporter of the trades.
Quite a few of my welding students go on to be welders but most of my drafting students who stay in the drafting field go on to engineering school.
The trades are definitely where the money will be found in the future and I hope that some of my students will be out there, filling the needs for welders, engineers, etc.
Quite a few of my welding students go on to be welders but most of my drafting students who stay in the drafting field go on to engineering school.
The trades are definitely where the money will be found in the future and I hope that some of my students will be out there, filling the needs for welders, engineers, etc.
Jeff C.
Chief Grass Master
I liked drawing them by hand, but they sure were time consuming.
Yep, we had a carpentry class that did the same thing, after the masonry class built the foundation, and the drafting class designed the house.
I think our high school kids are missing out on a lot of practical knowledge and skills since the focus has turned to more math and English. They need that, but they also need real-world skills.
blakely
Senior Member
I always tell my drafting classes that I'm gonna teach them something that no other teacher has ever taught them. Then I tell them that I'm gonna teach them to think for themselves and to solve problems. When students ask me questions, I often answer with questions like "what do you think ....." They just have to be taught to think instead of blindly asking questions and having someone give them the answers they're looking for.
Batjack
Cap`n Jack 1313
I had a flash back while reading this and had to check that you weren't my drafting / blue printing teacher in the early 80's. One question...have you ever given a grade of "A" on anything? I had two teachers like that, Mrs. Pearson in 4th and 5th grades (still keep her picture in my wallet) and Mr Hindrix 9th through 12th. Way to go.
blakely
Senior Member
I have given A's on very good hand drawings but I can't remember ever giving a 100 on a hand drawn part. I always tell the kids that no drawing is perfect.
When my students start working on 3d models, I will give grades of 100 because the computer can make a perfect model IF they give the modeling software what it needs to make the model perfectly.
Batjack
Cap`n Jack 1313
Harvey Hindrix REFUSED to give a "A". I got the highest grade he ever gave to that point with a "A-", he didn't like the way I spelled my name on it. Seriously.
Batjack
Cap`n Jack 1313
Add on "But don't keep trying."
NOYDB
BANNED
I very much enjoyed drafting. It paid off later in life being able to read a blueprint.
blakely
Senior Member
Kids now are not like we were when I was in school(graduated in 87). Most of them are happy with a 70 because it's a passing grade, where we all wanted A's.
I try to challenge them but I do understand that not all of them have the mindset to do drafting. Most of the time, I have mixed classes with students ranging from possible valedictorians to special ed students in the same class. Faster ones get more difficult drawings or fun little projects to keep them busy while the slower ones try to keep up.
Batjack
Cap`n Jack 1313
'83 here. And I know what you mean, had a "body" working with me on some high eave work once. Had to clime up near 100 feet and get the measurement.. go back down and make the cut, then send it back up. IF it was off just a bit...yep.. back up I went. Offered him a $2.00 per hour raise IF he came back on Monday and could read a tape measure. Even wrote it out for him.. 1/16"..2/16" = 1/8" and so on. Just beyond him.. and he WAS a high school graduate. I learned fractions in the 2nd grade. I don't understand it, either.
NOYDB
BANNED
I think it was in 2nd grade for me too.
This may be from a version of fake news, but supposedly there is a gender gap about being able to estimate measurements. Yes, I know the old joke about why women can't tell what 6" is. But that's supposed to be true and linked to gender. Also being able the see level. I can see if something is not level and can estimate measurements. Don't know that a gender gap is true but some people never seem to overcome that.
Batjack
Cap`n Jack 1313
I can see level and plumb too, use to work for a fella could see 1 stud out of plumb setting in the driveway (scary). I tried teaching this "kid" at lunch, afternoons at the shop...just couldn't see it. His Dad was a CPA, that don't carry over much I know..but jeeze whiz...simple math? It wasn't that he had any learning problems, show him how to do something with his hands..got it. 5 years after we got rid of him he got married, got a new job and ..Bam..in two years he's a top Harley mechanic. He just didn't want or the need to learn living in Mom's house.
grouper throat
Senior Member
I took drafting and construction in high school. My brother was a welder. Funny thing is he made more money as a welder than he did as a new project manager with a civil engineering degree after college.
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