Charles Angelich wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:



RJT>> Speaking of that toy store, I had the misfortune to work a 
RJT>> "season" at one of those, a few years back. Third
shift, which I 
RJT>> *hate*. And what kept going through my head, over and over, 
RJT>> during a lot of my time in that store was how _MUCH_ of what they 
RJT>> were selling was just differently shaped and colored bits of 
RJT>> plastic. Probably 90%+ of what was in that store consisted of 
RJT>> that and packaging... 

CA>> Yes, from an adult perspective it is just trash. In the hands of a 
CA>> child who can supply all the imagination and fantasy they are  
CA>> valuable things to be treasured. All in life is this way. At my 
CA>> age much of what I valued some years back is now just trash.

To a point,  but I can still relate to a kid's view of things,  and these
grandkids help me keep that perspective.  If I start to lose it they remind
me.    I *still* think that a lot of that stuff is trash.  Look at
some of what Jim mentioned in his post,  the chemistry set,  the
microscope,  what while not lab grade was still decent (as compared to the
crappy one I ended up with),  the vacu-form you mentioned,  the plastics
set I mentioned,  and all sorts of other stuff.

RJT> Still, looking back at a lot of the stuff I used to have, much of 
RJT> it was things where you could *do* stuff with it, learn from it, 
RJT> build things, etc. 

CA> Children can learn things from toys, just not what we learned. The
CA> world has changed and much of what I learned is only marginally 
CA> relevant today.

I think that it used to be a lot more common for folks to work with their
hands,  and that these days an awful lot of people would tend to pay
somebody else to do that same kind of work.  That's reflected in some of
the stuff we're talking about here,  in terms of what sorts of toys are out
there.

RJT> I don't even know if they make such stuff any more, haven't even 
RJT> heard of a "chemistry set" in ages. 

CA> Alan Zismna mentioned a $100 microscope that attaches to the USB 
CA> port and displays on the computer monitor that his school has for
CA> the children. It's comparatively low power but as a child I would 
CA> have enjoyed using it.

Sure.  I wouldn't mind something of the sort myself,  but the quality of
what's out there at the lower end of the price range is *way* lower than
what it used to be.

CA> Chemistry sets contained toxic chemicals and a few opportunities to 
CA> make explosives. Probably better to wait for kids to enter HS and 
CA> do these experiments in a well-supervised environment anyhow? (I 
CA> had one)

I dunno.  I don't remember much in the way of supervision,  nor blowing
anything up.  The worst was when I was melting some wax and a drop of water
went into it -- that went all *over* the place,  but didn't damage
anything. I even extended electrolysis from the agonizingly slow process it
was with run-down batteries to operating it off 117vac,  which was *way*
quicker,  and illuminating as to how dark that beaker got after I'd added a
bunch of water to it several times.

RJT> Much of what's being sold now relates to commercially-produced 
RJT> "entertainment" that more often than not I don't see as just being 
RJT> entertaining, not like what stuff used to be. Too often it's also 
RJT> pushing a particular agenda as well, but that's a whole other 
RJT> thread.

CA> In my time WWII was being 'glamorized' and boys were encouraged to 
CA> want to shoot things and blow things up. That really wasn't a 
CA> greate idea (as they learned later on). 'Brainless Barbie' dolls
CA> for girls and guns, tanks, etc. for boys.

Some of that stuff is still out there.  I was just at the local
supermarket, and on the "99 cents" rack right inside the door was
"firefighter" or "cowboy" kits for the boys,  and
"cosmetic" kits for the girls.  Yes,  toy guns are still out
there.



RJT> I don't quite understand what "patternmaking" is compared to some 
RJT> of the other related things I've seen mentioned in here by you and 
RJT> others. Care to elaborate on that a bit?

CA> Everyone knows what a 'mold' is, right?

Yep.

CA> Jello molds, toy lead soldier molds, cake pans, etc. A pattern is 
CA> tooling to make molds. The molds wear out in mass production so 
CA> rather than make millions of molds they make 1 pattern for every 
CA> 150K engines they want to mold and the pattern can make the required
CA> number of molds (sand casting) before wearing out completely 
CA> (beyond repair).

Ok,  gotcha.

CA> Patternmaking is tricky because you must visualize solids in
CA> reverse and use double metal shrink 

What's that?

CA> at times plus work with compound angles on most surfaces. It is the 
CA> longest of all the metal working apprenticeships requiring more 
CA> tech classes than the others. I have most, if not all, the required 
CA> schooling and training to match all of the other metal working 
CA> trades. That's why patternmakers are considered master mechanics 
CA> and not just another metal working trade.

I must admit to ignorance when it comes to the schooling involved in this
stuff too.  Closest I came to that was "metal shop" in high
school,  and one short semester in "machine shop",  where I had a
lot of fun but didn't get a whole lot done.

CA> I worked a decade or so in moldmaking with no additional training 
CA> and even ran one mold shop based on my skills and training. 

CA> I found patternmakers, as a group, to be highly intelligent,
CA> extremely competent, and great story tellers (a plus for me).  

There's a place a couple of blocks from here that seems to do some sort of
packaging or display stuff,  mostly cardboard,  and I was in there once for
a day and watched this guy do setups with various complicated bits of
frame,  blades for cutting,  etc. so that they could do a run of that sort
of stuff. I guess that's slightly related...

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