Patrick L
08-28-2012, 07:42 PM
Yesterday was a sort of score since I had to pay for it (see separate thread.) Today was a true score since it was free!!! Small towns are amazing. Bear with me, this will ramble a bit.
Some of you who know me know that I am a music teacher by trade. I'm a high school band director. I have dabbled in musical instrument repair for years, figuring if I can save my district some $$ by doing repairs myself everyone benefits.
Anyhow, I took a part time job this summer working in an instrument repair shop. It's operated by two brothers, and they handle the repairs that are too much for me. They know me and my abilities and could use a little extra help over the summer, when the repair shops get backed up because all of the schools send their instruments in to be gone over. The shop is located about 70 miles from where I live in a very small rural town in upstate NY. Because of the distance I only work one day a week.
Well, these guys are also hunters and shooters (but not reloaders,) so I tell them about bullet casting and how I am on a hunt to scrounge up enough wheelweights to last the rest of my life. They are really intrigued with the process. Here lies the beauty of small towns. These guys grew up in this town, know everyone, and everyone knows them. They tell the two garages (back about a month ago) in town that a friend of theirs wants some scrap wheelweights, would they save them for him? Hell yes, be glad to.
Today was my last day working there for the summer, so one of the brothers runs out to his friends' at about 10:00, and comes back with about a third of a 5 gallon bucket. The garage must have thrown in the lead weights they can no longer use (thanks NY State) because the top layer is some of the cleanest lead wheelweights you ever saw. Then, after we finish for the day, the other brother says jump in your car and follow me. We end up at the other garage, and the guy who runs it says, Oh yeah, pull around back. He gives me a full 5 gallon pail! He even had it on the hand truck already for me. I could barely get it into the car.
It sure pays to be nice to people and have friends!
Some of you who know me know that I am a music teacher by trade. I'm a high school band director. I have dabbled in musical instrument repair for years, figuring if I can save my district some $$ by doing repairs myself everyone benefits.
Anyhow, I took a part time job this summer working in an instrument repair shop. It's operated by two brothers, and they handle the repairs that are too much for me. They know me and my abilities and could use a little extra help over the summer, when the repair shops get backed up because all of the schools send their instruments in to be gone over. The shop is located about 70 miles from where I live in a very small rural town in upstate NY. Because of the distance I only work one day a week.
Well, these guys are also hunters and shooters (but not reloaders,) so I tell them about bullet casting and how I am on a hunt to scrounge up enough wheelweights to last the rest of my life. They are really intrigued with the process. Here lies the beauty of small towns. These guys grew up in this town, know everyone, and everyone knows them. They tell the two garages (back about a month ago) in town that a friend of theirs wants some scrap wheelweights, would they save them for him? Hell yes, be glad to.
Today was my last day working there for the summer, so one of the brothers runs out to his friends' at about 10:00, and comes back with about a third of a 5 gallon bucket. The garage must have thrown in the lead weights they can no longer use (thanks NY State) because the top layer is some of the cleanest lead wheelweights you ever saw. Then, after we finish for the day, the other brother says jump in your car and follow me. We end up at the other garage, and the guy who runs it says, Oh yeah, pull around back. He gives me a full 5 gallon pail! He even had it on the hand truck already for me. I could barely get it into the car.
It sure pays to be nice to people and have friends!