This beauty, this glorious chunk of steel, is an Atlas Diesel engine circa 1920 or so. To a subset of gear heads this is legend.
For most of us, not so much. An indication of my age, I suppose, is that I have begun to bemoan the lack of mechanical ability of the young men and women I work with. Yeah, yeah, get off my lawn and all that.
It isn't their fault. In my upbringing on the farm I was surrounded by machinery. Daily we greased and bolted, welded and wrenched. We had to. The stuff on the farm was inevitably used and and needed repairs. Plus at school we had Shop classes--welding, woodworking and auto mechanics. Boys and girls were expected to learn stuff. At very lease how to change a tire and work a screwdriver.
Which, left unchecked, leads to this. Here I am working beneath a tugboat. We are simultaneously painting and changing out props. So much fun.
To anyone else who has worked with their hands I say, yea, brother and sister. I honor your work. If you get a chance, share a little of what you know. the whole world needs it.