Machine Shop class 1958

[Tom-ADC]

I know this looks like a try out for the movie Grease but its really my high school class.
Yes I'm in the picture.
I'm doing a family tree and run into a block, when my Aunt sent a box of 100 pictures plus all the birth, death & marriage certificates to help me out. This was in there.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL174/1021972/18168454/390906746.jpg

[docone31]

Wow. I gotta laugh.
Where is Fonzy?
Hey, looks great. It is good to go back down memory lane once in a while. a find like that is especially good.
Memories.....
That was when they actually taught stuff in school.
My class looked like a Woodstock reunion.
Looks good.

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Tom,

Good luck with the Family Tree, and it was great of your Aunt to send the pics and docs.

I have hit several dead ends in some of my research.

Sam :D

[crabo]

Which one are you?

[JeffinNZ]

Which one are you?

The one in the white t-shirt of course.

[stephen perry]

I know that class and others like it. I was 8 years old in 1958 those guys were my Uncles. Back then you learned to fight with blood and guts no guns no knifes just what you brung to the table. And believe me you better bring some meat to the table or you looked bad with broken teeth and a bloody t-shirt. That wasn't the worst of it then you had to go home and face your Mom, that was worse than the fight. The times I fought I made sure my t-shirt didn't look the worst, might of only had 2 t-shirts couldn't afford to lose one.

Tom that 1958 group smoked Pall Malls, Camels, Chesterfield Kings, Lucky Strike and rolled them in their sleeves. Not a bad looking bunch of guys.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Wow, a Lathe.
we never had one of those in our shop class
Jon

[frankenfab]

You Greaser!

That's a really cool picture. I can only think how good I could be now, hopefully, if I had started that young.

[Tom-ADC]

The one in the white t-shirt of course.

Actually I'm next to the teacher, on the right looking at the picture, teacher was Mr. Howell he was from Wales, my favorite teacher, Ford has something to do with a sponsor or something for the class.
I used what I learned then the rest of my working life.

[PatMarlin]

I missed it.

On account a I was born in 59 ...:mrgreen:

Cool pic there Tom.

[stephen perry]

Every high school in our district had metal and wood and lathes. Two of the high schools had lathe tool rooms. Each school of those 2 schools had 24 South Bend lathes probably 10's. With General Dynamics, Rockwell, Northrup, Aero-Jet, Lockheed, Lowds in the area there were plenty of jobs in aero-space for the young trade guys. Not as much anymore but good CNC guys always work.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

[Doby45]

My high school that I graduated from in 92 had "Metals Shop". It consisted of two class periods and you could specialize in either a welding role or a machinist role. I took Metals as a machinist from my sophomore year until graduation. Freshmen were not allowed to take the class by request of Mr. McGuire aka "Pug" (instructor). I miss those days..

[crabo]

Actually I'm next to the teacher, on the right looking at the picture, teacher was Mr. Howell he was from Wales, my favorite teacher, Ford has something to do with a sponsor or something for the class.
I used what I learned then the rest of my working life.

I teach autobody in a high school and it is a great feeling when you have kids come back and they are supporting themselves and their families, and they got started with you.

[Tom-ADC]

Crabo, well said a bunch of us got our 1st jobs because of Mr. Howell, I remember going back in 71's as a Navy chief stopping in to see him while I was home on leave, I think he was proud he'd done a good job. Because of lessons learned under him I retired for good as a staff engineer in aerospace.

[Bret4207]

I'm betting Mr Howell was a good teacher too. I was born in'59 but we still had few of the "old style" teachers- never took a coat off, knew 300 ways to get an idea across, had a list of absolutely clean jokes a mile long and could freeze you solid with a glance, could speak Greek and Latin and French and probably Spanish or Italian too, had fought in WW1 or WW2, knew how to hunt, fish and trap, farm and mechanic. And the few remaining ladies, and they were LADIES, were in a class by themselves. When they said, "Dear, would you please pay attention..." your blood turned to ice and visions of the last kid that had the stupidity and gall to ignore this Valkyrie concealed in muted houdstooth and cats eye glasses flashed through your mind. Death would have been a better choice than crossing one of those ladies.

Dang, I miss those people. Miss Ives, Mr. Riley, Mr. Jordon, Mr Stahl, Coach Braley, even Mr Weiner who still parted his hair in the middle, just like he did when he started teaching in 1915.

[stephen perry]

Bret every school in the 50's had the kind of teachers you had, they were a hoot.
My Earth Science teacher would make the pretty young girls that were experiencing their first sweat/odor problems nervous telling them that he made his own deodarant, they didn't want to see his goop.

Generally the teachers of the 50-60's were working second jobs so their Summers off were an oppurtunity to make sometimes more money than their regular teaching jobs paid. The shop teachers were great that was the only place at school that you could make noise and not end up in detention. Actually our jr high wood teacher took care of detention with his collection of swatting paddles, every afternoon after school.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

[Trey45]

Great picture! I learned how to be a machinist on a WW2 era South Bend lathe. Very accurate machines.

[PatMarlin]

My mom's a retired teacher and much of the faculty from my JR years through HS were like family, including my metal shop teacher who is still kickin'. Has diabetes from drinking a little to much, but that guy is a genius.

[PatMarlin]

Generally the teachers of the 50-60's were working second jobs so their Summers off were an oppurtunity to make sometimes more money than their regular teaching jobs paid. T
Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

Not the ones I know. They were so tired out by the end of the year they treasured their vacation time, and deserved it.

[David2011]

Great photo of a blast from the past. Looks just like the lathes in our gunsmithing class only I'm talking about current classes. Next semester starts Sept. 7. They seem to run forever in a classroom environment.

David

[Tom-ADC]

Another old picture my Uncle Donald he was a car guy!!

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL174/1021972/18168454/390935464.jpg

[theperfessor]

The shop picture in post 1 reminds me of some of the training films from WWII - post WWII that I've seen. Some of them show people running big lathes and such without wearing safety glasses. Scares the snot out of me.

Not referring to your picture with above statement. Its one of those photos that marks a time and place in our lives. Many of us can relate to that.

Barely remember that one of our neighbors had a car like that. I know bupkus about cars. What year/make/model is that? Anybody know?

[stephen perry]

That's my good guess on the car.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

[felix]

Yes, because of the faint metallic stripes on hood from window to bumper. No stripes would have been an Olds. They used the same body for those lookalike models. My first girl's family had the 4 star model, instead of the 3 star (side panel ornament). ... felix

[Tom-ADC]

Sorry its a 55 Pontiac Star Chief.
Somewhere I have a picture of the shop class at work during a school open house night, not one pair of safety glasses in sight and I'm standing at a grinder...:shock:

[felix]

Prolly so, looking at the little fins at the trunk area. Just don't remember all of these models because art is not my forte. ... felix

[Buckshot]

.............My 6th grade teacher (1963) was a WW2 Burma vet, had been shot through his right wrist so it was rigid. My 7th grade German teacher, Gunther Palm had been a Hitler JÜngen, was not proud of it and was an American's American. My 11th grade U.S History teacher lost his left leg from mid thigh outside Bastogn with the 630th Tank Destroyer Battalion.

Re: The shop picture. I have one of my uncle (mom's brother) posing on his 1940 Indian Chief, probably pre 1953. Levis pants cuffed, engineer's boots and white T-shirt.

...............Buckshot

[KCSO]

LOOK at all that danderous machinery in there! Nowdays you couldn't even put those in a school for a display. NO warning signs anywhere, no lockouts, how did we ever survive.

[GLL]

Took the same high school machine, metals, drafting, and wood shop classes in 1957-59 and everyone wore the exact Levi/T-shirt outfit as in your photo ! :) :) Woodshop teacher had a nice assortment of paddles to keep order in the shop areas !

Discipline was draconian and yet not a single parent ever complained !

GREAT times !

Jerry

[Tom-ADC]

Uncles 1957 Plymouth convertable hot rod was even supercharged.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs258.snc4/40253_1166841547175_1712012103_324384_525774_n.jpg

[Pavogrande]

KCSO -- Very good observation about the machinery and todays over protection of all hands.
Todays folks would have a hissy about my high school days --
As a junior and senior I drove the school bus! 1950 --
That 55 pontiac was a fine car -- first V8 as I recall, well since 1932 anyway.
gb AD-2 - VR-7/VF191

[PatMarlin]

http://www.patmarlins.com/jpbaby.jpg


Me in my 57 Chevy. Bout' 1960.

[izzyjoe]

i beg to differ pat on that being a '57 looks like a '55 to me. 8-)

[Tom-ADC]

i beg to differ pat on that being a '57 looks like a '55 to me. 8-)

Have to agree I don't see the two round gage pods on each side of the speedometer one I think was a temp gage?

[PatMarlin]

My memory isn't what it once was in the 60's fellas. Fast cars, fast wimmens, slow horses. Ya know what I mean ...:mrgreen:

[Tom-ADC]

Pat, I call hem senior moments!!
Well have fun I'll miss the board for a week or so off to Alaska this morning...[smilie=2:

[mroliver77]

We had "Wood Shop", "Metal Shop" and "Drafting" during junior and high school. My nephew said they pulled all the equipment and sold it a few years ago as it was too dangerous. They offer horticulture and "Random acts of Kindness" class now! Lucky we still have farmers around as some of their kids grow to be real men. Most younger men I know could not think their way out of the bathroom without being told how!!
Jay

[PatMarlin]

Pat, I call hem senior moments!!
Well have fun I'll miss the board for a week or so off to Alaska this morning...[smilie=2:


Awesome! Have fun Tom!

[Shooter]

My son took shop in HS. They welded some, but could not use any metal working machines because of safety concerns. He graduated in '99.

[izzyjoe]

i spotted that one pretty quick pat, i know what you mean about forgettin' things. and i'm to young to forget things, but i do. anyway i spent all my life around cars mainly '55 '56 '57 chevy cars & trucks. my uncle and dad spent there youth on them to. but i learned alot about cars from them. my shop class in school sucked. we had a good instructor, but he left when i started 10th. grade. and they closed it down. so me and friend took home ec. so we had somthing better to look at with all the girls [smilie=p: if you no what i mean. i can remember though, when you could spot a car a mile away and tell what it was. not anymore!!!:-P

[PatMarlin]

Well my real excuse Joe is I don't know the difference between a 55-56-57 Chevy convertible interior, and since that picture is actually me sitting there, I was to young to know.. :mrgreen:

Now the body styles of the 3 years I know without a doubt.

Never remembered that car because my dad sold it before I was old enough.