Comments

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  Paul Beyer August 14, 2009 at 5:53pm

  The Pattern trade has been especially good for me. I've been building Patterns since entering the Navy. Attended PM "A" school in 1963 after starting Molder school and protesting to the school command that I was promised PM school. Much to their displeasure after writing my Congressman about it, I was given PM school. They even said that I would probably end up on a frigate heading WestPac in a matter of weeks. I said "Fine Sir, then I will tell that to my Congressman." Now I think about that and wonder what would have happened if I had lost that battle. But from the days then the trade has changed so much, especially in the past 25 years. Computers have made the trade so much similiar and almost perfect, notice almost! You still have the human element in there. What would take weeks and months then, now is transformed to days and weeks. About 10-20 years ago when this really started to take shape alot of money could be made in the shops, but now it is branching out so fast that alot of machine and mold shops are grasping onto this work. Competition is tough and its going to get tougher. I will retire from job shopping in December, recently I had stents installed and my thumbs are needing surgery after years of use and abuse. I will retire to my little shop of small home projects and memories and of course of my fishing and hunting. All this while dodging my wife endless honey do list. The Navy gave me my future in this trade and I have many fond memories while serving on the USS Markab AR-23. In Sept I will attend another reunion in Dearborn. It's fun to relive the old days.
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  Joseph A. Landry July 27, 2009 at 12:55am

  This a great site and I am proud to be in such great company of fellow Navy Pattern Makers and Molders
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  Paul Beyer July 12, 2009 at 4:12pm

  Been awhile since being in this sight. The economy and the so called leadership we have in this country in presidency and congress are destroying the very fabric that our forefathers had fought for. Laying the foundation for socialism to the hilt.
  Still hanging in there building patterns. Now I have to admit, the trade has changed to such a degree that its pretty hard to call a complex trade anymore. The prints are pretty much gone, replaced by computer sketches that have to be modeled or given shape and then given tool path to cut in CNC. Then sanded and a preparded for foundry use. our shop over eight years ago had about 8 years ago had 21 guys. Of which three was what you could classify as Pattern Makers. For past 5 we have 1 (me) and a couple of trainee type helpers, that will grasp with hand knowledge. Programming becomes more and more complex and the more they learn the less needed you as a Patternm Maker are necessaary. I would say that in five years this trade will be gone. I have loved the trade for over 45 years, itl's been good to me and my family. But I am ready to retire soon and move on. Paul Beyer
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  John R Sellars MLC USN RET July 12, 2009 at 10:16am

  It's an honor to join the ranks of the people who made it possible for us to do our job. I have had contact with Andy Anderson out in Oregon. The Patternmaker I will always remember is Paul Shumacher from the Jason 1973 to 1976. Thanks for the invite Dennis.
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  Dan Brown July 12, 2009 at 9:37am

  I was in the foundry on ten different tenders, and believe me when I say that I have always appreciated the efforts of the PM's. I had quite a few who worked in the sand with me, and while most of them were a bit klutzy, they made up for it in effort. One of the best PM's I ever saw was Don Collins, a PM2 on the JASON. The guy was an artist, and I have yet to see a pattern that he couldn't make. I worked with him for three years, and it was a kick. He later became my brother-in-law, but that's another story. I have always thought that every shipboard foundry should have a couple of PM's around, if for no other reason than to dump the shit cans. =)
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  Paul Beyer March 2, 2009 at 10:28am

  Hey all, I received email from Jim Cowan a week ago or so. In it he stated he had meant a First Class by the name of Roy Thornley, I served with him on the Markab AR-23 from 63-66. Jim said he lived in SC, so I looked him up on net. I wrote him a letter and he called me last weekend and we talked for about 3 hours. What a character and what a time we had sharing our memeories. If any of you had been aboard ship or land with H.M. Anderson a First Class Pattern Maker, he shared some info on him that blew me away. Seems that when Thornley left the Markab, Anderson made Chief and was transferred to Pattern Maker school. In the process of all this he apparently went home and his wife and her ex-husband and what ever transpired, Andy shot and killed them both. I mean something that happened that long ago, but still shocks you.. Thought if any of you out there was in around that time or knew him might like to know . Paul
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  Paul Beyer February 16, 2009 at 12:34pm

  Great site, I don't how I stubbled into it, kind of like I found the USS Markab site about three years ago, I guess. I've been to two of their reunions, interesting and friendly. I haven't found anyone aboard when I was though. I was aboard 63-66, checked aboard the same day JFK was assasinated. When off in 66 in Okinawa when the great air plane strike was on and it took 10 days to get off that island. Worked Pattern Shop whole time aboard, except a couple occasions when I would help in foundry. When I came out of boot camp they had given me ML school, when I was promised PM school. So I went to ML school for I believe 13 weeks before I was able to fight my way into PM school. So that really help give a better understanding in both, obviously. Have been building Patterns ever since and still work in trade in job shop in Waterloo. Trade has changed so much last 25 years with computers and CNC, mostly to the best, but I have to admit, it would be nice to go back to building by prints once in awhile. Those day are gone and will become more distant as technology develops. Will retire this year after about 45 years of this trade. Will be an adjustment for sure. But still have shop in garage and basement to keep busy, let alone fishing. Later, Paul Beyer
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  Glenn Kamppi February 7, 2009 at 2:51pm

  Brooks Bellows! Damn, I wonder where he is these days? When we were on the Orion in La Madd, he made this pump casing assembly pattern for the Belknap in Gaeta. I can't remember what system it was for, but it was no longer available through supply and was discontinued by the manufacterer. Everyone said there's no way any PM's or ML's can make something like that. That was the most awesome and intricate pattern I ever saw. It took us ML's about 3 tries to get it absolutely perfect (it had a butt-ton of cores and drawbacks required), but we did it! We put in on the PMA's desk and said "Tell us something else we can't make!" We crated it up ourselves and sent it to the Belknap with a note that said "Merry Fucking Christmas!" We heard about the little comment a few months later when the ship went to Gaeta, but we didn't care. Anyway, Brooks nailed that pattern like no one else could!
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  Carl Dann February 1, 2009 at 1:23am

  Without a pattern, molders would just be big kids playing in the sand...haha
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  Joe Rhea January 31, 2009 at 10:40pm

  Mark, ............. did Carl ever make a pattern while he was on the E.S. Land AS-39 with us? I recall potiums, plaque backs, doing alot of rigging and even him making a rocking chair for the CO, but not a pattern. Just busting on you Carl, one of the best PM's out there.