• TOPICS
    • Design
    • Manufacturing
    • Inspection
    • Heat Treating
    • Lubrication
    • Materials
    • The Gear Industry
    • Gears by Type
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Departments
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Subscribe
  • VIDEO
    • Gear Technology TV
      • Ask the Expert Live
      • Revolutions
    • Industry Videos
  • BLOGS
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • NEWS and EVENTS
    • Product News
    • Industry News
    • Events
  • ADVERTISING
    • Brand Awareness
      • Print: Display Advertising
      • Online: Web Banners & Keyword Banners
      • Online: Native Advertising (Sponsored Content)
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
    • Response & Lead Generation
      • Online: Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: Newsletters
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • Online: Buyers Guide
    • Print Advertising
      • Print: Display Advertising
      • Print: IMTS Showstoppers
      • Print: Buyers Guide
      • Print: Manufacturing sMart
      • Print: Specifications
    • Online Advertising
      • Online: Web Banners & Keyword Banners
      • Online: Native Advertising (Sponsored Content)
      • Online: Buyers Guide
      • Online: Specifications
    • E-mail Advertising
      • E-mail: E-Newsletters
      • E-mail: Newsletter Sponsored Content (Native Advertising)
      • E-mail: Custom, White Papers & Webinars
      • E-mail: Specifications
    • Special Promotions
      • Print: IMTS Showstoppers
      • Print: Buyers Guide
      • Print: Manufacturing sMart
  • CONTACT US
  • AGMA
    • Membership
    • Events
    • Education
    • Emerging Technology
    • AGMA Media
    • Standards
Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Home » Blogs » Gear Talk With Chuck » The Next Big Thing?

Gear Talk With Chuck
Gear Talk With Chuck RSS FeedRSS

The Gear Industry / Emerging Technologies / 3-D Printing
Charles schultz
Chuck Schultz is a licensed engineer, Gear Technology Technical Editor, and Chief Engineer for Beyta Gear Service. He has written the "Gear Talk with Chuck" blog for Gear Technology since 2014.

The Next Big Thing?

July 16, 2015
Charles D. Schultz
No Comments
My last post covered the importance of enthusiasts in keeping technology alive. For many of us the “crazy bug” came from wandering through Radio Shack or the surplus store at the mall or from reading Popular Science or Popular Mechanics at the barber shop. It may be hard to imagine, but once upon a time some boys (and some girls) were more interested in those magazines than the activities of celebrities. Kids built stuff at one time. Their clueless parents let them risk fingers and eyes by playing with tools in the garage, barn, or chicken coop; many parents even helped. Thousands of ice boats, soap box derby cars, model airplanes (even real airplanes) were built from scrap materials or kits. Thousands more were started and never finished but the lessons learned from even attempting to build something on your own are life altering. When was the last year erector sets were near the top of kids’ Christmas lists? I am not so foolish as to think we can turn the clock back to the 1950s but the emergence of 3-D printing gives me hope that within a few years kids will be building model star ships of their own design on Christmas afternoon. The morning will have to be spent learning to use a 3-D drafting program, of course. Unless a child is satisfied just reproducing the work of others, they are going to need to learn to design. My son, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati graphic design program, is a fundamentalist on this topic. He argues that you can’t learn to properly design anything by just mastering the popular “program of the month.” His argument is the same one I use to convince clients to skip the short cuts and really learn about gears. The “program of the month” will change — the founding principles of how gears work won’t. So here is one curmudgeon with hope for a future where kids once again make things at home. Hopefully, with less risk to digits and eyesight.

Recent Comments

Thank you for this - Happy Saint Patrick's...

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Free Gear Technology Subscriptions
Subscribe
Free Gear Technology Subscriptions
Subscribe
FEATURED VIDEO
  • A Look at Helios Gear
March 14, 2019
RECOMMENDED
  • Kapp Niles Examines Intelligent Rolling Grinding for E-mobility

    April 25, 2022
    Opening Image.jpg
  • The New Age of Bronze

    April 25, 2022
    Barton1.jpg
  • Relationship Building — The Critical Component of Success

    April 25, 2022
    Depositphotos_80147336_XL.jpg
  • LPC Carburizing: The Affordable Alternative to Gas Carburizing

    April 25, 2022
    Nitrex2.jpg
  • Hardness Testing Gears — Know Your Options for Best Results

    April 25, 2022
    Starrett1.jpg
  • LPC Carburizing: The Affordable Alternative to Gas Carburizing

    April 25, 2022
    Nitrex2.jpg
  • Hardness Testing Gears — Know Your Options for Best Results

    April 25, 2022
    Starrett1.jpg
  • Kapp Niles Examines Intelligent Rolling Grinding for E-mobility

    April 25, 2022
    Opening Image.jpg
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • AGMA
Powered byAGMA
Copyright © 2022 Gear Technology
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact