brothers and sisters

[darryl]

Thrud said something in a post that got me wondering. 'band of brothers and sisters'. I know there are some women in our ranks, but seldom do we hear from you. So I invite any and all of you to post something here, just to make your presence known, if nothing else.

[Rotate]

Darryl,

I guess it's just us guys

[hambone]

if there are women who drive trucks on the open road and women who works on cars and trucks there should be someone out there who likes to machine.

[docsteve66]

Naw Audrey is a lady. SHe has big hubby (she said he put his (weight) on something and it woud not move. She has also implied her wieght. But what amazes me is some of the jobs she does, Big stuff, like rebuilding some tracked equipment. When Audrey has problems they are pretty big, she also mentioned (memory serving) her skill with a motor cycle. Must be quiet a gal!!!

We also had one other post from a a lady but I think she gave up.

Hey gents!!!!! Today at home depot, I spoke to woman who needs new well. offered her 550 feet plus hole. Told her hole was 5 .5 inch ID. offerrd her the casing but she says home depot has PVC pipe. I intend to watch them pull the hole. Of course I cant give oak fire wood away here unless i cut and split it for them. so she may not even come by. I will give all way , first come first served.

[Thrud]

If I can get free tools I could shave my chest and wear a dress - wait, that would make me a tool slut. I can live with that.

[Joel]

A friend of mine sometimes posts. Years of working together has proven to me that he's a big woman, does that count?

[Doc Nickel]

Wanted: SWF, pref redhead and tall. Must be able to calculate feeds for turning 2" 4140 with indexible coated carbide. Cooking and cleaning optional, but must tolerate microwave food and aluminum chips in the carpet. Shouldn't giggle or laugh when someone says "leadscrew" or "tool lube". Should know the difference between kitchen table and rotary table.

Please send photo of mill and lathe.

Doc.

[dvideo]

You find the mechanically oriented in the arts - like sculpting - kilns - and the like... no reason for it, just how people were brought up. My daughters are going to learn casting, CAD-CAM, machining, welding, and the like... Give them a good start early. The 10 year old wants my '914 - which will take a lot of upkeep... the littlest one wants a cannon.

The emphasis now is on "software skills" - which is interesting considering how busted that industry got in a hurry.

A lot is in the bring up. And I think we let the little ones down by not teaching (CAREFULLY!) some decent mechanical skills...

So we don't see them here as time passes.

-- jr

[Forrest Addy]

Here's some women machinists of my acquaintence.

Anne Lindberg, Gloria Breed, Linda Bickle, and Eileen Gormly are all women who served four year machinist's apprenticeships at Puget Sound Naval shipyard. They graduated and went on to productive careers on the shop floor. Two are supervisors now directing the efforts of other machinists from day to day and a third is a shop planner.

They all went through the same schooling and toured the various shop sections both inside the shop and out aboard ship that I did thenty years earlier. These women were cut no slack. As women in a man's workplace they suffered a bit more than the male apprentices from nasty jobs, hard work, teasing, and hazing. While some of this treatments may have been a little cruel and maybe sexist, I thought it made them tougher mentally and more focused on the realities of the trade.

I remember in 1973 where a circle of men were standing around the coffee mess discussing the limited contribution a woman machinist could make in a machine shop. One fellow was going on how women were weaker and could never stand up to the hard work. Anne Lindberg a small woman and a hell of an athlete happened along in time to hear this.

She sang out "Hey you guys!" and swarmed hand over hand up a nearby jib crane's hand-line about twenty feet and slapped the top of the boom hard enough to make the accumulated dust spurt. She shouted down: "How's that for a weak woman, you bunch of fat f**ks". She descended and dropped the last 8 feet landing light as a cat and went on about her business. Silence accompanied by an exchange of stunned looks from a bunch of flabby guys who couldn't climb the same rope if forced to at gunpoint.

The women I listed probably have better things to do than chitchat about the stuff they do every day so I doubt if they'll come to visit. As healthy, well balanced human beings they have a life outside their jobs unlike a retiree I could mention.

Regardless, I could put any of these women in the same shop as their male counterparts and expect nothing less than an improvement in productivity. I know. I had a part in their training.

[This message has been edited by Forrest Addy (edited 08-23-2004).]

[ibewgypsie]

Sometimes my girlfriend looks over my shoulder to laugh at Thrud's comments. I think he is flirting with her tho.
Something about the hairless gorilla comment has her intrigued. I reminded her she has a tattooed gorilla now.
My first requirement for a woman, does she have a job? Next one, does she like my streetrods? Harleys? Or my GREASY foot tracking, welder smoking, metal chips in the carpet hobby?
The perfect woman will be 3 feet tall and have a flat head, (to sit my beer on) She will also own a tavern and a harley dealership, she should be dainty but still strong enough to hook to a plow. Mostly, I just look to see if they have them harley pushing calves on thier legs. (good mechanics don't need that much)