OT you know it is winter time when...

[brian Rupnow]

Ironbearmarine--Good one!! I started in engineering as a detail mechanical draftsman in 1965. At that time, if you took all of the necessary math courses at the local college and served a 5 year apprenticeship, you could become a certified engineer. After 5 years as a detailer, and having passed all of the math courses, you would be moved up to a mechanical designer in the company where you served your apprenticeship. After 25 years, you were neither fish nor fowl. You weren't really a draftsman anymore, but you weren't really a professional engineer either. But the world changed around me. There were more and more university educated engineers around, and fewer and fewer draftsmen. In /around 1990 I began to work totally independent of engineers, the only stipulation being that I wasn't allowed to design structures which could possibly fail and endanger human life. This was okay by me, as my main field of expertise was machinery and automation. In 2000 I quit working for major engineering companies and established Rupnow Machine and Automation Design. Working from home as an independent design engineer, I contracted to major (and minor) companies and inventors. They would require a machine or automation for a specific purpose. I would design it, get their approval, then go out for mechanical/electrical/control quotes and present them to the company involved. Sometimes that is where my involvement ended. Sometimes I would oversee the building and the installation of this machinery or automation. It has been a great ride, and I've loved every minute of it. I (sort of) retired two years ago, but still do a little bit of design work for old customers. My big thrill now is designing and building model steam and i.c. engines.----Brian

[loose nut]

Yeah, when i was a teenager winter camping was being tossed naked from a pickup into a snow bank with two rocks to beat together to keep warm.
I know someone will say “they never gave me any rocks!”

So where your friend pulling one on you or was it one of those "we will make a man of you" moments.

[nickel-city-fab]

Speaking of winter camping, I learned real quick what was good equipment, and what was junk. The Coleman stuff from K-mart was not good. BUT, I bought the neighbor's old sleeping bag at his yard sale, US Army down-filled mummy bag Korean War era. He threw in the wool outer bag and backpack. And I slept like a baby on top of a snow bank in January, with *no* tent. I never forgot how comfy it was.

[JRouche]

OT you know it is winter time when...

My fingers start cracking and bleeding due to the dry weather. JR

[Ironbearmarine]

Ironbearmarine--Good one!! I started in engineering as a detail mechanical draftsman in 1965. At that time, if you took all of the necessary math courses at the local college and served a 5 year apprenticeship, you could become a certified engineer. After 5 years as a detailer, and having passed all of the math courses, you would be moved up to a mechanical designer in the company where you served your apprenticeship. After 25 years, you were neither fish nor fowl. You weren't really a draftsman anymore, but you weren't really a professional engineer either. But the world changed around me. There were more and more university educated engineers around, and fewer and fewer draftsmen. In /around 1990 I began to work totally independent of engineers, the only stipulation being that I wasn't allowed to design structures which could possibly fail and endanger human life. This was okay by me, as my main field of expertise was machinery and automation. In 2000 I quit working for major engineering companies and established Rupnow Machine and Automation Design. Working from home as an independent design engineer, I contracted to major (and minor) companies and inventors. They would require a machine or automation for a specific purpose. I would design it, get their approval, then go out for mechanical/electrical/control quotes and present them to the company involved. Sometimes that is where my involvement ended. Sometimes I would oversee the building and the installation of this machinery or automation. It has been a great ride, and I've loved every minute of it. I (sort of) retired two years ago, but still do a little bit of design work for old customers. My big thrill now is designing and building model steam and i.c. engines.----Brian

What they would call “old school”
My job, more specifically was to take the design and develop a manufacturing protocol, create the fixtures and tooling for the craftsmen, and in some cases,
train the craftsmen on machines that were new to them. They were skilled at handwork, but the owner was taking the company to new heights.
All the best, and stay warm

[loose nut]

Speaking of winter camping, I learned real quick what was good equipment, and what was junk. The Coleman stuff from K-mart was not good. BUT, I bought the neighbor's old sleeping bag at his yard sale, US Army down-filled mummy bag Korean War era. He threw in the wool outer bag and backpack. And I slept like a baby on top of a snow bank in January, with *no* tent. I never forgot how comfy it was.

They are great until they get wet, then your screwed. It takes a long time to dry them out if you are in a place that can do it Otherwise it is an OH CRAP moment.

[Arcane]

OT you know it is winter time when...

My fingers start cracking and bleeding due to the dry weather. JR

What you need is some Bag Balm.

A little bit of related humour...many, many years ago here on a particular radio station there was a segment with Brent Loucks and his co-host Penney Murphy. One of the many things they did online was a quiz, they would find something, name it on air, and then ask people what it was. One of those things was "Bag Balm" and one caller had the best answer ever! He said "Isn't that the name of Penny's car?" Brent bust a gut laughing on air but Penney? Let's just say she was not amused.

[JRouche]

What you need is some Bag Balm.

A little bit of related humour...many, many years ago here on a particular radio station there was a segment with Brent Loucks and his co-host Penney Murphy. One of the many things they did online was a quiz, they would find something, name it on air, and then ask people what it was. One of those things was "Bag Balm" and one caller had the best answer ever! He said "Isn't that the name of Penny's car?" Brent bust a gut laughing on air but Penney? Let's just say she was not amused.

Funny! Yes Sir, that stuff works well.. I use any number of these which also work well. JR

[loose nut]

On Christmas, in the afternoon, I went out to the shop and as I closed the shop door to come back to the house my hand was wet from the snow on the handle melting, coming through from the inside. By the time I reached the house door 30' away my keys where frozen to my hand.

[OaklandGB]

you can't say it's cold until the snow squeaks as you walk on it.

Ha ha! I was just thinking the same.

Snow sounds go from "squish"....to "squeak" and then finally to that high pitch "squeal". While all of them are "cold", I much prefer the "squeal" weather over the "squish" weather.

[Ridgerunner]

Heaters, bubblers, etc.

[nickel-city-fab]

At my work, the outhouse freezes over solid. Nope, you don't spend very long in there.

[nickel-city-fab]

They are great until they get wet, then your screwed. It takes a long time to dry them out if you are in a place that can do it Otherwise it is an OH CRAP moment.

Yep, the Coleman bags were crap because they were all cotton 3-season bags from the 1970's. The Army bags were great: rip-stop nylon stuffed with down, and a wool over-bag. Might as well have been waterproof. Both down and wool stay warm even when submerged. Cotton just soaks it up and freezes.

[J Tiers]

Cotton: The death fabric........

[nickel-city-fab]

Cotton: The death fabric........

Oh, cotton is great as long as it's dry. I prefer it. It's just kinda hard to keep things dry in winter. I do wear multiple layers of cotton at work, but in that case I'm always on my feet and moving around and staying dry.