People you should visit (Lindsay Publications)

It is getting to be the time of year when everyone is looking for new places and new people. We look for places to buy presents, and we look for places that can help us meet our goals for the upcoming year. I had the thought that I would do a series of blogs on different companies that I think should be known. Whether you are striving to work on your own, or just looking for something a little bit different, these companies at least deserve a visit.

The first is Lindsay publications. Lindsay is a company that sells books by men such as Dave Gingery, as well as books from the early and mid 1900's reprinted. If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Gingery, it is alright. He wrote an entire series on how to build your own metal shop. The first book was how to create a casting furnace, and the rest of the books used castings from that furnace to make everything from a drill press to a metal lathe. There are books on how to build a hobby casting furnace with an electrical heating element, or even how to build your own cupola to create cast iron.

Now not everyone is in the mood to start a metal casting shop right in their backyard, but Lindsay has books on many other subjects as well. Books on everything from how to build your own radio set, to creating an electric motorcycle, or your very own wind turbine. For those who are rail fans, they sell books on railroad construction and repair as well as creating models.

One of the best things that Lindsay publications offers is their catalog. A free catalog, black and white, and printed on newsprint. The catalog is immensely entertaining to read through, with descriptions of their books, reprinted books, and stories and anecdotes for anyone interested in their own shop or technology in general. While you will not find anything on creating your own computer, or many other "high tech" devices, if you are looking at building something for yourself, and it would have been useable in the 1950's or 1960's, Lindsay publications probably has a book to help you.

Give them a visit, you might be surprised what you find

Wally

www.uncommonskills.com

p.s.- All of the companies mentioned in this series are here because of their merits, none paid or in any other way compensated uncommonskills, so you know that these recommendations are genuine.

Things that I am thankful for

It is the time of year to look back and see what you are truly thankful for. I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Most of all is my beautiful little girl AnaSophia. She was born in late October and is the main reason I haven't got a whole lot done on the website lately.

I am thankful for my wife, without whom I would never be able to handle a newborn, or the stress of changing jobs, or the miriad of other things that she takes care of so that I do not have to worry.

I am thankful for Lecompton Alternate, the webdesign team that created the new site. They did a great job and were infinitely patient with me through the whole process.

I am thankful to be able to pursue a life in which I can learn and teach, and stumble my way through a new business without worrying that it will destroy me and my family if I do something wrong.

I am thankful that I have the ability to learn new things, and am constantly surrounded by people who teach me something new everyday.

I am thankful for the gift of life, to be able to enjoy everyday, and to rest every night knowing that it was a good day.

Wally

www.uncommonskills.com