In response to a side discussion…

Yes, a few of us old farts actually DO know how to fix things, and grow things, and do all kinds of work with our hands that seems to have escaped the capabilities of the younger generations…grease poster

I will admit to scratching my nose on the back of a transmission before, because it was cleaner than my hands… Sigh…

Re the other, I’ve thrown away a few pairs of tightly whiteys because there was NO way to get the grease out!

The worst ones were always the repacking of bearings or rebuilding front ends on 4WD trucks…

Comments

In response to a side discussion… — 28 Comments

  1. Heh! I learned to wash my hands when I went into the bathroom, not afterwards. I knew my hands were filthy and what was in my pants, wasn’t.

    • When I worked at Fermilab in the early 70’s, we had a saying….

      “Technicians wash their hands before they go to the bathroom, and Engineers wash theirs after.

      Sums things up pretty well……

  2. The laws of mechanical repair are immutable.

    I don’t know why it is, but it’s a lot like gravity in that you can’t escape them.

  3. Truth.
    And transmissions are excellent places to scratch one’s nose. Especially when you’re under them.

  4. Been there, done that, and never got the grime out of the T shirt.

    Sad sight is a full grown person, of either sex, that can’t change a tire.

  5. After the first time repacking bearings, I always keep a clean shop rag nearby, to use for scratching my nose. But no biggie, it’s clean grease, right?

  6. It was sweat that got me. Working on cars on the carport or driveway in the GA summers not a comfortable condition. Sweat in the eyes, running into my ears, or just plain nuisance, I would end up with grease on my face. Often my starter-wife would ask me how I could use my head to turn a wench… one of the reasons she is my ex now.

  7. I can’t blame it all on the younger generation, even though I would be that to you. For one thing, a lot of stuff isn’t built to be fixed anymore. A friend of mine mentioned yesterday that he’d broken a wheel on a suitcase. Where, exactly, does one go to get suitcase wheels, for instance?

    Second, while there are self-taught people out there, it helps immensely if someone shows you the ropes. Kids have to first have a dad, and then the dad has to make time to do such things. A lot of kids don’t live anywhere close to grandpa. Between all of that and helicopter moms and baby boomers saying, “not my kid; not my problem”, the status quo should not be surprising.

    Kids are a reflection of the adults (and lack thereof) in their life. Sunday schools and Scout troops are always looking for volunteers. Helping somebody learn will make more of a difference the lamenting their ignorance.

  8. Hey old NFO

    I like the poster…but in my case…I am lubing an airplane, I am coated in aeroshell 33 or what the maintenance manual calls for and I am filthy..it can’t be helped…especially on the older 757 type airplanes and I would get a nose itch…or ear or..you get the picture.
    A lot of people don’t want to fix things anymore…they would rather throw it away and buy another…and drifter is spot on…on the kids not having anybody to show them anything…many kids don’t have the opportunity to “get dirty and fix things”. anymore. People are afraid to let their kids do anything…the stuff I deal with as a scout leader would astound you..

  9. Mrs.C/Dammit- MY secret…LOL

    Paw- Yeah, if time permitted… 🙂

    LL- Good point!

    Jenn- If it works…

    WSF- True, but VERY prevalent today…

    Rev- That assumed you could ‘reach’ the rag… And the dog hadn’t stolen it and hauled ass…

    CP- LOL, true, FL and LA the same way HOT!

    Drifter- VERY good point! I actually trained both my daughters, and working on the grandson now.

    Bob- Yep, even MORE fun on an acft. At least you have a bathroom close at hand… 🙂

  10. Being one of the Old Farts my daughters are learning to fix things and garden.
    They are also learning about firearms.
    Sadly, my health keeps me from doing auto repairs and changing tires. I have a nephew that is a mechanic at a Ford dealer in Indy he does the fixing for me.

  11. That poster is only 66% accurate. It got the first two items, scratching and peeing. The thing that it missed is that the DAMNED CELL PHONE WILL RING.
    Nastiest thing for me is changing oil in a diesel engine. Two words: Black sludge.
    I’ve got pants so nasty that when I took them off, I told them to walk themselves the washing machine, I wasn’t going to touch them.

  12. Rick- Yep! 🙂 Good on ya for teaching them young!

    WN- LOL, if I’m working on something, the cell is in the house! 🙂

  13. The cause of my torment when having totally greasy hands was nose hairs and ear hairs to long and the thought that they were spiders crawling all over my head. Only bothers me when I am immersed in SH**! You can tell I have been fantasizing while working by all the slap and drag marks all over the head when I’m done!

  14. Oh Lordy, Jim, The years of drop lights always glaring in my eyes or falling and burning my arm when I was not able to get away from them. The HUGE number of T shirts with oil, grease, carbon, anti freeze etc. that I have discarded. (Truth: I still have some in the bottom of my T shirt drawer for a future “need”.) Innumerable gallons of oil drained and refilled. Square yards of skin burned on exhaust manifolds, headers, motorcycle mufflers etc. (I wanted to say acres of skin, but I couldn’t prove that) The exhilaration when a new rebuild purrs like a kitten, the depression with that awful noise as my race engine became metal scrap about a mile from the finish line. Cold JP4 on my body (Minot ND) Hot JP4 on my body (Da Nang). However, I did have a greasy nose and ear and other parts as an itch MUST be scratched no matter what.
    I wouldn’t trade it for – – – – – – – – well – – – – – Yes I would take about anything offered to make drop lights stop turning and ALWAYS glaring in my eyes. 🙂

    • I first learned about the skin healing properties of the Aloe plant when I was helping a buddy work on his 1966 Pontiac 2+2.

      I leaned across the shop lamp and laid my arm right on the metal shield, which was just slightly warm from the 100 Watt bulb inside.

      I yelled loud enough that his wife came out of the house and saw what I’d done.

      She snapped off an Aloe “leaf”, and had me squeeze the gel out onto the burn.

      It eased the pain, healed faster, and no trace of a scar…..

  15. Ev- LOL, that would get me too…

    Roger- HATED drop lights… The ALWAYS turned… usually at exactly the wrong time! I’d blocked them from my mind, till you reminded me… sigh

  16. For the itch there’s always one kind of clean spot up near your shoulder. Never could figure out how to handle the needing to pee gracefully.

    My brother wound up learning an important lesson along those lines though. If your cleaning up tear gas powder, wash your hands before you go to the bathroom.

  17. drjim- LOL, yep it works!

    FB- LOL, me neither… And yeah, that WOULD be a good idea!

    Ed- Friend of mine had that same problem, he worked on BIG diesel engines, his wife made him strip in the garage, and he had his OWN washing machine for ‘his’ work clothes…LOL

  18. I remember explaining to a doctor one night, while playing poker, that the only difference between an A&P and a doctor was that I washed my hands before going to the bathroom.

  19. Who packs bearings anymore? All the ones I have seen recently were sealed. I don’t really trust a bearing I can’t add grease to, but that’s how they come now.