# Coming up on 2 years still enjoying it!



## doc1955 (Feb 24, 2020)

It is coming up on 2 years of retirement. They did an artical in the local paper right after I retired.    
https://www.jamestownsun.com/news/4244598-little-engines-big-dreams
Still not missing the old work scene!


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## dnalot (Feb 24, 2020)

I retired 24 years ago. I don't know how I ever found time to work. 

Mark T


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## goldstar31 (Feb 25, 2020)

dnalot said:


> I retired 24 years ago. I don't know how I ever found time to work.
> 
> Mark T



I retired 35 years ago and it was the worst thing which I ever did. I should have retired much earlierRetirement is the time when you can choose your friends and companions- and they can choose you.
Indeed, it often hard work to  survive being old and to endure inevitable health problems. however, those who continue to work have the same problems but have to put up with people who you don't like and with  failing health and faculties will do their best to bully and try you.

I wish retirees good fortune

Norman at almost 90


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## fcheslop (Feb 26, 2020)

Only 7 under my belt
Worked in a job I hated with people I disliked now I can and do what I like well with swmbo permission
Wish people wouldna keep mentioning that dirty four lettered word
cheers


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## vederstein (Feb 26, 2020)

Screw You All!!!!   I still have 20+ years of work.  Ugh.


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## fcheslop (Feb 27, 2020)

By then I think I will be looking at the daises from the hairy end


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## JCSteam (Feb 27, 2020)

Long way off for me at 36 years young Funnily enough I was thinking about my retirement today. Oh such a distant dream........


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## ignator (Feb 27, 2020)

I grew up in Grand Forks, had to leave the state in 84 to find work. As of today, I've been retired 6 years. Mental health has not been this good since high school. When I moved, I had a 12x24 Jet brand lathe, I got from Forks Electric Motor, poor thing was sitting out in their city desk show  room.
Interesting article the Sun captured on you. Thanks for sharing.


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## propclock (Feb 27, 2020)

Retirement. I love it , but I needed a dog to keep me active. 
I have a new pup and machine time has been cut 90% 
but walking time has been increased the same amount. 
Just remember to keep the blood flowing, walk etc. 
Just my 1.414 cents worth.


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## fcheslop (Feb 27, 2020)

A dog is a must it gives the day a bit of purpose or else I would be playing in the shop all day
Wont be long Jon dont worry it soon passes
My two scoundrels


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## Mousetrap (Feb 27, 2020)

JCSteam said:


> Long way off for me at 36 years young Funnily enough I was thinking about my retirement today. Oh such a distant dream........


Don't wish your life away young man.


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## goldstar31 (Feb 27, 2020)

Mousetrap said:


> Don't wish your life away young man.


No!   We must plan for death and we must plan for the future.
Jon, there's a farm  on the border of us i.e. between the County Durham and Northumberland and Tyne and ear boundaries which has a  stone carving across on of byres which reads:-

'Farm as if you will live forever, work as if you will die tomorrow'


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## lathe nut (Feb 27, 2020)

I had 46 years in the Oil Field retired a year in April, I think I need to go back to work to get some rest, it sure takes a lot of adjusting, being gone a lot and now home a lot, don't think the wife is that pleased with me home that much, thank God for a shop.


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## JCSteam (Feb 28, 2020)

Mousetrap said:


> Don't wish your life away young man.


Hi,

Certainly not wishing my life away, im currently in a job that I love, working with people that are actually normal. The boss is a double edge sword, but hes sound enough most of the time, and its amazing how quick time flies when your not dragging your feet at work. As Norm says, it was more a case of looking at pension pots ect, we have three guys at work that are wanting to retire within the next few years, one of them maybe this year. It has set me thinking forward to when I can retire, how much ill have to retire on and what I need to start putting away to make sure im comfortable when im older.


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## fcheslop (Feb 28, 2020)

Plan for the future but most importantly live for today
cheers


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## lathe nut (Feb 28, 2020)

Just after I retired an older Lady living close by stop and asked if I would help her organize and sell off things at her place her husband not able to walk any more and health fading fast, I agree because I knew it was the right thing to do, been there a year in April, several antique trucks some far back as the 30's got the cleaned polished show room read and sold them, got several antique restore tractors to go, then to get rid of a lot of old tractor parts and old things he collected over the years, some days I just get tired and come home and rest, she has payed me good commission, and gave me a 21" South Bend lathe with all the tooling that could be bought with it, 9" Logan Lathe and a big camel back drill press (Royersford 21 inch) I hope to be done by July, I told her that I wanted to back to work and get some rest and when we done I want a divorce, she is 77 she just smiled and said go to the shop, sell more stuff, so if you retire and the older Lady show up at the door and ask for help run, live, love and enjoy life, it really short, Joe


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## fvd (Feb 29, 2020)

A few years ago an old man asked me to have a look around in my shop. He seemed to be satisfied after 20 minutes, saying I should come around and collect some of his tools. Why I asked. I'm 93 and my hand are not capable to wield tools anymore, he said. Three weeks later I called upon him and after a cup of coffee he invited me to go to his second stock, have a look and after one hour I came down with two buckets full of his tools and things. We did another coffee and he wanted to see what I had collected in the two buckets. I showed him all the pieces and he said he needed that set of pliers and this pipe wrench and that hammer. These had to go back. I brought 1 1/2 bucket bach to were I found them. Second time coming down he made me promise that he could ask some of his tools back if he needed them. Of course. A few weeks ago I heard he passed away and told his nurse the story. We both agreed that it is a bad day parting with your tools. Every time I see my bench power supply with the former owner's name on it printed I still agree.


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## fcheslop (Feb 29, 2020)

Funny how we connect to tools from our past
I have a metal piercing saw that belonged to a true gentleman from the days when I was a snotty nosed apprentice. Every time I use it, it always brings back very happy memories of its long gone owner.
I often catch myself using some of his sayings when things have gone wrong.


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## a41capt (Mar 1, 2020)

Regarding the connection to old tools:

My father passed 4 weeks ago, and before he died, I asked if I could have his set of planes.  I was taught the use of them when he was building one of our houses when I was six years old, and still remember the thrill of watching that beautifully formed hardwood curl coming off of his well sharpened joiner plane, and the solid feel of his jack plane in my very small hands.

As he was a finish carpenter in those days, I was “apprenticed”(?) into the fine art of 3 and 4 piece base, casing and hanging a door, and finishing the jamb and stop.  Of course, this was in the days before power miter saws, pneumatic nailers and screw guns, so I was also taught the use of the Miller’s Falls box and backed saw, a block plane, a brace and bit, a Yankee screw driver, and the reason for pre-drilling nail holes in very expensive finish components before nailing and setting...

Anyway, when I hold those finely made and cared for tools today, I hearken back to a time of wonder in education in the finer arts of construction, the beauty of a job worth doing-being done well, and the pure satisfaction in a young boy seeing his first pieces of a project done right and the pride in a father’s eyes as he watched it being done.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, and while I didn’t get along with my dad very well later in life, when I handle those planes, and stone a razor sharp edge on the irons, it makes the bad experiences melt away to a simpler time...


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## goldstar31 (Mar 1, 2020)

My dear old father- long gone, made everything apart from  a brass folding two foot rule and a stick of French chalk. We were too poor to buy things then, Dad made them whilst my Mother taught me how to use a sewing machine  by stitching old newspapers. I've still got a little axe that Dad made on the anvil and when we got a bit richer, an 'electric' sewing machine.  Between Dad and myself we grew and sold spinach to pay my school fees.
As Dad, a farrier, laying dying he commented about my late wife who 'would take me over jumps, hurdles and ditches in Life which  I never would have thought possible' He was right.
Along my way, I had a Freemason as a boss. I was just out of school and he taught me how to think. I suppose that isn't a secret


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## Motorman1946 (Mar 1, 2020)

Been retired 12+ years - as other folks have said, don't know how I ever found the time to go to work.  Being old brings health issues it's true, but it also means when you want to go and play you can, providing Senior Managements says so of course.

My SWMBO says she never stops me going to my shed, and she doesn't, but she does then mutter something about being left on her own....... but then goes off shopping and chasing around the charity shops and enjoying herself.

That sort of fun (for her) leaves me dead, I have stones all ready for my shoes when she suggests I go shopping too.  It's OK if I need something from the fasteners store, or from somewhere like Axminster Tools near to me (but they've gone all pricey now and heavily into tools for that brown stuff,  more than metal bashing) and I can take her, drop her off, get what I need while she plays, but otherwise it's a real pain, and don't mention having to go Christmas shopping - my mind goes completely blank!  I would cancel Christmas if I could (yea - bar humbug, that's me) due to acute lack of interest, but I usually turn it around these days and give the family a shopping list of things that would be useful in the shed, complete with supplier part numbers and contact details, which cheers them up as then Dad's pressie is sorted, and the good thing about having daughters is the help they give then sorting out pressies for SWMBO, and of course the pet dog has to buy for her as well.......  How did I get onto Christmas shopping?  Call it old age, or having a 'Senior Moment'.

Got told over the phone one day when I was still working (sorry to swear on here) I wasn't allowed to say Senior Moment these days, you had to say 'Age-est Moment'. Oh no I shouted back down the phone, not another blooming PC directive.  The caller then gave me the info I was after and finished the conversation pronto.  I regarded that as an insult, age-est indeed, when I say I'm having a Senior Moment I'm taking the p**s out of myself and thats  fine, but age-est, what an insult, how do all you oldies like me take to that?

My real regret is that I never started model engineering - despite being an engineer all my life - with my own shed until I retired, even though I got a Stuart Models catalogue from back in 1981 or so which is when I wanted to start.  Never had the money or the time, family came first which is fine, but in many ways now I wish I had found the time, just a little, and started very modestly, because in reality it was 25 years wasted.  Now I have the time and (most - you can never have enough) of the kit needed I find age is slowing me down and progress is alarmingly slow.   Plus I'm having to learn how to do stuff at an age when the little grey cells are generally on a go-slow. Typical. You can never win!

Chris


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## a41capt (Mar 1, 2020)

goldstar31 said:


> My dear old father- long gone, made everything apart from  a brass folding two foot rule and a stick of French chalk. We were too poor to buy things then, Dad made them whilst my Mother taught me how to use a sewing machine  by stitching old newspapers. I've still got a little axe that Dad made on the anvil and when we got a bit richer, an 'electric' sewing machine.  Between Dad and myself we grew and sold spinach to pay my school fees.
> As Dad, a farrier, laying dying he commented about my late wife who 'would take me over jumps, hurdles and ditches in Life which  I never would have thought possible' He was right.
> Along my way, I had a Freemason as a boss. I was just out of school and he taught me how to think. I suppose that isn't a secret



A winding staircase leads to a better understanding and the improvement of one’s life immeasurably!

WBLA,
John W
Camp Verde, AZ USA


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## fcheslop (Mar 1, 2020)

My Father and Grandfather  were  cabinet makers and I still use some of there tools to this day.Some are stamped with there initials always a reminder, and I can often hear the old bugger in my ear when I use his favourite old Bailey hand plane although its never as sharp as he had it
My father and I used to fight like cat and dog  dont think he ever forgave me for taking up metal work although he often had me making chucks for his Arandal lathe.
The gentleman who gave me the metal piercing saw once dropped a stone he was setting and I still use most of the expletives he taught me as we ripped up floorboards to find it
One of his few printable saying was Its not how hard you work but how clever. Never been the sharpest knife it the draw it took me a long time to realise how true it was
My uncle Jimmy had a farriers shop in Hetton le Hole and my education  in drinking and expletives gained greatly under his supervision. We used to rattle around the stables on his old BSA sloper with a box on its side full of kit.
I would not swap my education under those guys for a gold pig
cheers


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## goldstar31 (Mar 1, 2020)

a41capt said:


> A winding staircase leads to a better understanding and the improvement of one’s life immeasurably!
> 
> WBLA,
> John W
> Camp Verde, AZ USA



Amazing what this corn and oil does.
S&F

Norman


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## lathe nut (Mar 1, 2020)

Gosh guys what interesting reading, we were bless to have learn from people who saw potential in us, I was raised on a Rice Farm we built a lot of what was called "flood gates" to control the flow of water in the rice field or close off, made from 2"x 12" cypress four fee wide four feet tall and 8 good long at 8 years old he put a nail bag on me and bought me a new hammer, (which I still have) it was an art to hit that nail bet I hit 20 times before i finally got the hang of it, he said you will get it, he had a lot of patience then when I got that mastered he said now you build one, I was 20 when he passed on I am 69 and still miss my Dad, I like the word that a41capt, Apprentice, that is a dirty word today, these young people can google and then think they are experts, remember we are old school ?   This Lady that I am selling things for I asked her how about the kids and grandchildren I asked before I start selling these antique tractors, tractor parts and tools should they come and have first choice, she said I will call them and you will see, when I asked each one do you want anything here, they were insulted, one told me I am not getting my hands dirty and I will never do manual labor, I said you better get a real high paying job, don't respect yourself you will not respect others.


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## OrangeAlpine (Mar 3, 2020)

Motorman 1946 said "_Never had the money or the time, family came first which is fine, but in many ways now I wish I had found the time, just a little, and started very modestly, because in reality it was 25 years wasted_."

Reminds me of the old cowboy who said "I spent 90% of my money on booze and broads.  The rest of it I just wasted."

Bill - Retired 15 years and finally getting into the basement machine shop full time.


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