Another Sunday school friend, another story, more pics

[squawberryman]

I have a friend named Bill in my Sunday school class that has been attending our church for over thirty five years. He was in the Navy and was a mechanic for a while after his service. He attended Rochester carburetor school in Rochester New York and spoke fluent Holley as well. In the late sixties he was a police officer and had been for a while when someone told him he should be in sales. He scoffed, but the man was the right hand man of the person that created Jenks Metals out of Orlando Florida. This was back when machine shops were still thriving and were all over the place and they needed material and Mr. Jenks understood that. As a salesman he was able to get the brass business from Bo Randall. Bill said he tried to get his stainless business but Mr. Randall was loyal to his vendors (Bill's words). Ten years after starting to work there he owned the company. Under his guidance they grew as any business could dream of. Bill understood customer service. When NASA called (KSC back then), if they had the material in stock it was there within two hours and Bill delivered it. At one point their client list included NASA, Knight's Armament, Diamondback firearms, and Randall. He sold the business twice, getting it back the first time for thirty five cents on the dollar. He had the opportunity to buy it a third time but his wife said she'd kill him if he did. Bill came in knowing nothing about metals at that level. Jenks had a cursory info pamphlet listing their inventory. Bill looked at it and saw what these pictures represent as his vision of a good tool. The books were property of Jenks meaning you got one when you were employed, but it stayed with the company when you left. No vendor got one, not even NASA. No one ever claimed they'd lost theirs when they left. I was showing him the pictures of Floyd Byrd's shop Saturday (Bill and Floyd's sister Ann are my students) and he stopped me and said he has something he wanted to give me. We finished the conversation and I went to his house today and got the book and a couple old note pads. I've put pages up of one carbon steel and one stainless steel. If anyone wants to see a different material just ask.

[contender]

Very interesting stuff.

[x101airborne]

Now that is pretty neat! I dont know much about metals and that would be an interesting read!

[squawberryman]

The mission statement is other wordly.

[LeverGunner]

Wow, that's awesome, thank for sharing the story and the book.

I'd like to see a couple, if it's convenient. Primarily bullet alloy metals: Lead (I assume all the different alloys are not given separately, If they are I'd like them all lol, but I guess reasonably though I'd like to see pure, lyman #2, linotype, 20:1), Tin, and Antimony.

I'd also like to see Mehanite, which is what RCBS moulds are cut from.

[squawberryman]

Will check sir. Here's is Bills micrometer, Bill is 80. His father bought it in 1941.

[squawberryman]

Lever, they aren't in there. This is a proprietary book containing the materials they had on hand or were available to specific industries. The materials that you mentioned aren't listed but I'll ask him about them sir.

[squawberryman]

From Bill:

"I googled Mehanite and apparently this a proprietary casting metal, which I was not exposed to. Our metal products were either rolled, wrought, or extruded."

[messybear]

That’s an interesting story man! It brings back memories of a different time when men tryed to do his best. Neat mission statement. Also the valuable info those books had. Neat neat.
I miss the time when you opened the J&L or Graingers or other catalog and they were very accurate and true. Either phone them up or sent order by mail. COD or check or money order or credit card. Always seemed to have great buying experiences.
Don’t get me wrong- I use the inner tube but it just doesn’t work sometimes.

[LeverGunner]

Thanks for looking. And thanks for sharing those calipers, that's awesome! Do you know if they are they still accurate? I'd assume so, or they would have been canned.

[squawberryman]

Look where they rest Lever, I'm guessing so. I'm also guessing Starrett could refurb a well used tool. That model is still available for a little over two hundred dollars.

[ezekiel38]

The machinist world runs on Starrett calipers. Great example of American craftsmanship and ingenuity. We truly are a "God Blessed" and "exceptional nation".

Thanks for teaching Sunday School! This nation is blessed because of our covenant with God! The Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock!

Jesus is still the answer!

[ezekiel38]

Duplicate Post!

[LeverGunner]

Jan 5, 2024 13:23:46 GMT -5 ezekiel38 said:

The machinist world runs on Starrett calipers. Great example of American craftsmanship and ingenuity. We truly are a "God Blessed" and "exceptional nation".

Thanks for teaching Sunday School! This nation is blessed because of our covenant with God! The Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock!

Jesus is still the answer!

He is for me! I'm grateful to live in a place where I can freely worship.

[squawberryman]

He gave me a sales tool. There are four folds to this "pamphlet" with sixteen slugs of stainless in it, and sixteen different finishes. It did not surprise me to find a printout of Swindoll's "attitude" in there.