[TheForge] Re: Old Putterers

[Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer]

Thank you gents;
It's this kind of stuff that helps justify the inaine number of 
hours that i spend staring into this ephemeral piece of obsolete 
electronics.
As Ries infers, we are, as technological bottom feeders, enjoying 
an incredibly rich arena in which to play. The social freedom and 
toys to support a wide range of styles are ours.
We may object as certain values we see as necessary , get 
trampled in the rush. But there is extraordinary freedom to be 
plucked from the chaos, for a little while.
Ah, drunk and online again, tisk...nite all...pf

Ries Niemi wrote:
> 
>>
>> Ries> Modern tools are not made for old putterers like most of us...
>>
>> I *do* understand that you didn't mean that as a condescending slur --
>> you did, after all, use the first person *plural*.  But I've had my
>> perspective at least since I was 27, arguably earlier.
>>
>> I have neither the skill (aka ignorance) nor the temperament (aka
>> stupidity) to run a business such a Ries does.  But I'm (possibly
>> overly) touchy about such locutions as "old putterer".  There is a big
>> and variegated middle ground between bottom-line oriented biz and
>> feeble old farts puttering around, between biz and "hobby".  It's
>> getting gradually more difficult to occupy that ground with dignity
>> and style but it is, IMHO, worth the effort.
>>
>>
>> - Mike
>>
> 
> 
> I certainly didnt mean the term in a derogatory fashion.
> But what I am trying to get at is that there are people who limit 
> themselves by insisting they will never buy new, or use modern tech, or 
> even get a job.
> I have a friend who is one of the smartest guys I know- he is a whiz 
> with lasers and holograms, and can build just about anything from junk, 
> and have it work.
> He has a self limiting attitude, though, which would never allow him to 
> play with the big boys.
> I am not advocating selling out, or running with the big dogs on Wall 
> Street.
> But I do think that certain modern tools, even though they are expensive 
> to buy, use expensive consumables, and wear out expensive parts 
> regularly, are indeed superior to homemade stuff cobbled together from 
> scrap.
> There are a few guys I know who can work wonders with dumpster rejects- 
> I have a friend who built a working airplane from exercise machines and 
> lawnmowers he got from peoples yards on garbage day, and a propellor 
> made from a pallet with a router.
> But only because he was such a singular genius could he ever get to that 
> point, and if he just got over it and used real tools, he probably would 
> have a working homemade space shuttle in his yard.
> Tig welding is a good example- yes, you can use a gas torch to do some, 
> but not all of what a tig welder will do, and yes, a new tig welder is 
> fiendishly expensive. However, the time and money saved, and the higher 
> quality of welds means you can use your brains and hands to better 
> purpose, and get more, better things done.
> Similarly a CNC milling machine can do things quicker, easier, and 
> better, than the greatest old machinist on a bridgeport.
> Nothing wrong with old guys with bridgeports- I am one. But making those 
> technological leaps enables some really cool stuff to get done.
> Frankly, those boring dudes in industry dont deserve all the good toys- 
> we could do much better things with them, if we could only get our hands 
> on em.
> To see an artist, or a real craftsman, explore the potential of a tool 
> is awe inspiring- like the stuff Abrasha does with a milling machine, or 
> Grant Sarver does with his 3D CAD and CNC mill-
> 
> 
> Ries Niemi
> Industrial Artist
> 
> http://www.RiesNiemi.com
> 
> 
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