So ya wanna be a gunsmith???

[El Pablo]

There are 2 rules for success.

1. Don't tell everything you know.
2.

I’ve done the exact opposite in my career. I made myself irreplaceable by making myself replaceable. Not many people willingly share their knowledge and their problem solving process.

Now, trade secrets, things that aren’t mine to tell, etc, stays secret.

 

[dennishoddy]

If I'd switched to bluing and parkerizing only, instead of trying to do it all. I'd probably still be in the business or dead from the fumes. Really liked refinishing.

If anybody ever needs an obsolete part hit me up. I have thousands I need to get rid of.

Smith in Ponca used to do bluing and refinishing. The cost of chemical disposal per epa requirement vs what the customer would pay drove him out of that business. He had customers from all over the US sending him work.

 

[Snattlerake]

If I'd switched to bluing and parkerizing only, instead of trying to do it all. I'd probably still be in the business or dead from the fumes. Really liked refinishing.

If anybody ever needs an obsolete part hit me up. I have thousands I need to get rid of.

Do you have a recoil spring for a Harrington and Richardson Model 165 LEATHERNECK?

Mainspring / Hammer Spring, New

HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON 165 Mainspring / Hammer Spring, New

www.gunpartscorp.com

 

[wawazat]

I’ve done the exact opposite in my career. I made myself irreplaceable by making myself replaceable. Not many people willingly share their knowledge and their problem solving process.

Now, trade secrets, things that aren’t mine to tell, etc, stays secret.

Yeah, I dont want to be a blackhole of knowledge. I absolutely abhor spoon feeding people but if someone has an interest to learn something I know a little about I am happy to discuss at length anything I know. Knock on wood, it hasn't cost me a position yet.

I don't see that as the same thing as not posting something on Youtube either though. Just because I have the knowledge puts me under no moral obligation to go through extra effort to make it public to the internet. In my circle of friends, coworkers, friends of friends, etc. I am more than happy to take time to walk someone through anything. Some random guy thats camped out at his computer and I will never cross paths with is a different story all together.

 

[HiredHand]

I’d say that you also have to decide whether you are going to work for someone or be your own boss. The thing about Ed Brown and the others that SPDguns mentioned is that they took their knowledge and created businesses. I’ve seen a few talented gunsmiths, machinists and tradesman destroy their reputation and go broke because they didn’t know how to run a business and/or let personal issues interfere with the business operations.

 

[El Pablo]

Yeah, I dont want to be a blackhole of knowledge. I absolutely abhor spoon feeding people but if someone has an interest to learn something I know a little about I am happy to discuss at length anything I know. Knock on wood, it hasn't cost me a position yet.

I don't see that as the same thing as not posting something on Youtube either though. Just because I have the knowledge puts me under no moral obligation to go through extra effort to make it public to the internet. In my circle of friends, coworkers, friends of friends, etc. I am more than happy to take time to walk someone through anything. Some random guy thats camped out at his computer and I will never cross paths with is a different story all together.

Yes, context matters greatly.

I hate the knowledge silos at companies, I’m destroying one now.

 

[Profreedomokie]

I took the weeklong lathe for the gunsmith class years ago at Murray State College. The gunsmithing class is a very hands-on class from what I saw. We got out of class one day a little early to watch an instructor bend and fit a wooden shotgun stock. I talked to students there that said you may start at 7:00am and get out at 7:00pm. They cram a 4-year school into 2 years. I talked to a FFL once that told me that MSC used to order their Caspian 1911 kits for their classes from him. I know that in the weeklong lathe and mill classes you ran the machines most of the time. I had heard that MSC and Trinidad, Co. were the best two gunsmithing schools in the country. I've never inquired into other schools, so I can't say.

 

[mr ed]

There are 2 rules for success.

1. Don't tell everything you know.
2.

 

[SPDguns]

Bump. Bumping for a friend….

 

[THAT Gurl]

Rijas lol

Bunguffer!! I spit diet coke all over my living room. I will NEVER be able to look at @Gunbuffer the same EVER again!!