I remember this nitwit being discussed before! When i read of him and see his webpage, I still fizz with rage, The man is a moron,
I concur 100% with all the other contributors to the thread, One thing no-one has mentioned is the fact that no craftsman worth his salt, takes any delight in breaking up the product of another mans hands, All be it something made about two or three generations before ones own timescale
O.K. if something is beaten to a pulp when it appears in the scrap yard, 50% of it missing The rest hanging on like a pound of mince, I can see the point in recycling Many years ago, when i worked in an iron foundry, i always had a twinge of sadness, seeing the remains of nice things lying in the yard in a smashed up pile, so it was with the rest of my brother craftsmen
As a prelude to that era, i upon occasion go to meet Wull, my fellow apprentice, and we often talk of combing through the scrap mound at dinner time looking at various components, Although almost all the scrap was too far gone or large to become a "treasure"
At that time in the next house to my home, lived Mr Dunlop, who was to trade a turner (machinist to you folks) He operated an identical but similar pattern lathe to that nice old Walcott, and could make her talk! As a lathe his machine had like the sad machine to which we see in the article lots of refinements which would not be out of place in a machine of a later vintage Somehow or other i think those far off days, got me intrigued with the occasional American machine tool which would appear amidst its British counterparts
Things vanish as a country moves on, But as regards heritage looking back on what had been i admire all my fellow members of this forum who are excercised to do something, at a not inconsiderate sacrifice for posterity, not taking a delight in destroying the past knowing folks like your good selves would be saddened
Just when i thought things could not get any worse, I read of how our man smashed up a nice little Milclark bandsaw because he did not seem to have the patience to suss out how to track the blade "The happiest day of his life was when he relieved a weight from his life by dropping it off the tailgate of his lorry Yee Ha !"
Maybe some of you guys could club together &buy our man some cans of spray paint, he could go out &graffiti bridges etc for a change & save your heritage from further loss
Well maybe he has advanced from when he was young, Perhaps, breaking other kids toys, or tying poor unfortunate little frogs to the railway line Yee Ha,
"Grumpy old Sand Rat"