boys skip raid treasure

[the snooper]

good post, not all people can see something's worth nor do they have the vision to see what it could be used for to them its just in the way, sounds like you got on with your grandfather really well.

 

[armalites]

I always got a bollocking and actually still do sometimes! from the old man for bringing "rubbish" home when I salvaged something for future use. It never stopped me though probably because I was encouraged by my grandfather who was a master of make do, re-use and mend - that skill / way of living was / is completely lost on the old man which always confused and annoyed grandfather and I.

We both kept stuff knowing that one day, when we had the right tools, that "rubbish" could be made into something useful - he never did manage to build up a workshop (other than woodworking / building machinery which was needed for his, now our living) but it never stopped him keeping an eye out for useful bits. His health started failing at the start of the year - it was the kick in the behind I needed to start getting machinery together and have since then invested every penny I can spare investing in and setting up a very decent drill press, Oil cooled Welder, 250Amp TecArc Mig, Metal Lathe etc to replace hand tools and budget or plain knackered gear that I had struggled with for years. I still have a few things on the list to buy sometime like a plasma cutter (or perhaps I should just rebuild the oxy/acetylene cutting gear he picked up at a local fab shop closure years ago and put it back into service).

Sadly he died just a month ago not really having seen it all pieced together and put to much serious use. All that stuff he and I collected over the years though is now coming in very useful - with some of it being turned into things that would cost a small fortune to buy (log splitter being one of the most useful so far and thankfully was something that was completed and working in time for him to see)

It is only now the old man will admit (barely, though) that we were right all along. He isn't quite so quick to moan when I turn up with more bits to add to the scrap pile anymore but does grumble when I can't give an answer to what I want it for just yet. I'd have loved to have had a father that had the same attitude to making /repairing things as my grandfather had as no doubt I would have been at my current ability 20 years ago should I have had and instead of wasting 3 years getting a science based degree I might likely have gone down an engineering route - which always was my first choice at school.

For those of you out there that can't interest your kids in the workshop - try again with your grandkids one day as you never know what it could lead to...

Sounds like you will continue with your grandads ethos. Weirdly I felt a bit emotional reading that.

I genuinely believe there would be far less youth problems in young men if they had the opportunity to tinker and build stuff.

My 2 love building stuff,I do get fed up with bollocking them because of the screws and nails they leave on the drive way

They are only 8 and 9 god knows what it's going to be like in 5-10 years time

That ability to build something or figure out how something works provides lot's of skills for other parts of your life.