In Mon, 22 Nov 1999 MMD Andrew Barrett wrote:

> I also frown upon the author on a well-known book on pianos saying
> rebuilding players was not for the general public.  Mr. Reblitz's
> book, Rebuilding the Player Piano, is strictly for that purpose,
> not as a reference book on the subject.

<soapbox>  Sometimes I wonder about the "general public".  There
was a time when almost everyone had a small workshop (at least for
maintaining things around the house, if nothing else).

Magazines like Popular Mechanics, Mechanics Illustrated and Popular
Science had projects to build anything from furniture to photography
equipment to electronics, etc.  Most published "special edition"
publications that would be on one subject like photography or building
a car from the ground up.

Now we live in a throw-away society.  Don't fix it: throw it away and
buy a new one!  Only the people highly interested in woodworking,
metalworking, photography, etc., have a workshop.  Most "mechanic"
magazines have very few projects; instead they report on the latest
"gadgets" you can buy.  There are some very fine magazines on the
market, but they are for one specific area -- Fine Woodworking, Live
Steam, Popular Photography, etc.

One local middle school I am familiar with had a very good wood shop.
They closed it down and now have a "computer lab" which has some neat
stuff.  It has a CNC tabletop milling machine, a wind tunnel area, a
computer graphics area, and so on, all computer controlled, all tied to
the instructors computer so he can follow the progress of the students.
This is great, but why close down the wood shop where students can
learn the basic shop skills?

How do we generate interest in our mechanical marvels and their proper
care and maintenance in the youngsters?  If it's not on MTV they are
not interested!  PBS does some very good shows, but unless people are
already interested in the subject, they usually don't watch PBS.  Unless
it has "mass appeal" it won't appear on regular television.

The Internet is a great place to find information on just about any
subject.  Again, unless you are already interested in the subject,
you don't go looking for it.

Don't get me wrong, I love computers.  I've been repairing them since
1963 or so (and I can remember then talking about wanting a computer
at home and fellow workers thinking I was nuts!).  But I also like band
organs, calliopes, player pianos, grind organs, steam engines, stern-
wheelers, airplanes, blowing glass, whittling, repairing things, tinker-
ing with things and, for the life of me, I can't understand people who
have no interest in doing anything with their hands!  </soapbox>

Later,
Mickey Sadler
Dublin, Ohio

 [ The community fathers (businessmen) likely told the school board
 [ that they need workers with high-tech skills, and so woodworking
 [ was replaced by high-tech classes.  The middle school is simply
 [ responding to the requests of the community.  However, doesn't your
 [ local community college offer woodworking and machine shop and
 [ photography classes for the folks who like to work with their hands
 [ and who will pay a modest fee?  -- Robbie