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The old timer who taught me about filler work in a dusty shop in Wichita
Back in 1987, an old guy named Ray showed me how to feather sand edges by feel instead of sight, saying 'your fingers know more than your eyes ever will' while he ran his thumb over a fender. Has anyone else had a mentor who taught them something that no modern tool can replace?
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mark_fisher4817h ago
Ray had a way of making you trust your hands over everything else. He'd tell me stories about body men in the 50s who could eyeball a dent and know exactly how many pounds of pressure to put on a hammer. One time a kid brought in a newfangled stud welder, all proud of himself, and Ray just looked at it and said "that thing'll make you forget how to listen to metal." He was right too. There's a reason old shops still smell like lead and Bondo, it's because those guys built their knowledge into their bones, not into a computer chip.
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oscarwilliams29d ago
Who was the guy who could tell metal thickness just by tapping on it?
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emma_young29d ago
Used to think tapping was just a party trick, but @oscarwilliams, seeing those old shipbuilders do it on a documentary changed my mind. They could tell you the steel's thickness just by how it rang out. Turns out there's actual science behind it with sound waves and density. Made me realize some old-school skills are way more legit than I gave them credit for. Now I'm kinda fascinated by it, not gonna lie.
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