Old Fashioned Skills!

[DoubleD]

Just venting a bit-
Where are the skills we used to see in our labs??? I know most have retired or moved on, as myself, but is no training taking place to replenish our trade skills? Love the high tech capabilites, but we cannot even make lenses to match a frame without a digital pattern anymore (forget lens only orders?). A machine is off, lenses turn out a shade big, and we break barrels off, which prompts a call to the dispenser to buy a new frame!?
I know this is an increasing occurance, but lack of Optical Talent/Skills is no excuse for any retail OR wholesale location to say "thats the state of art of things today"
What happened to training our employees..

[specti-wolf]

It's not the "state of art today", it's just the "state of things today". No art.

S-W

[Jacqui]

Just venting a bit-
Where are the skills we used to see in our labs??? I know most have retired or moved on, as myself, but is no training taking place to replenish our trade skills? Love the high tech capabilites, but we cannot even make lenses to match a frame without a digital pattern anymore (forget lens only orders?). A machine is off, lenses turn out a shade big, and we break barrels off, which prompts a call to the dispenser to buy a new frame!?
I know this is an increasing occurance, but lack of Optical Talent/Skills is no excuse for any retail OR wholesale location to say "thats the state of art of things today"
What happened to training our employees..

No one trains their employees to do anything but push buttons. I do a lot of specialty lab work (Franklin bi's, higher correction, even make a frame here and there), I get a lot of work from people like you who are disgusted with the new moden high tech labs. I'm currently training a high schooler to do my type of lab work, but I hear that many places don't want to hire anyone with these skills.

I'll write more later, the cylinder machines just shut off.

P.S. I did have a lab in southern Wisconsin doing the same type of work that I do now.

[Now I See]

Hello!

I have to admit...I am a self-proclaimed "Gerber-Baby"..I say that because my first job in the lab was using Gerber Equipment...lots of button pushing, not much in the art of crafting a lens. My favorite part though was "fixing" a lens that would most likely be sent to the trash can. I liked getting in there and getting my hands dirty and really crafting something, not just pushing the buttons.

I was fortunate enough to get a little training on some older surfacing and finishing equipment, and I worked with seasoned Opticians who were well versed in the art of making lenses! I would have enjoyed the opportunity to spend more time making lenses the "old-fashioned" way (in fact, if I thought for a minute, I could find a P/T after-hours job in a lab, I would take the opportunity!)...I think that once you have experienced the lab-side of optical, you gain a better appreciation for the retail-side of optical.

I would hope that the other self-proclaimed "Gerber babies" are learning something from the seasoned Opticians that they work with, and really taking it to heart...because, IMHO, that makes a great combination and ends with great results! :)

[Now I See]

I'm currently training a high schooler to do my type of lab work, but I hear that many places don't want to hire anyone with these skills.

Jacqui, I'm glad to hear you have a high-schooler working with you...I think that's great!! :cheers:

But, I really hate to hear that there are places out there that don't want to hire someone with "those" skills..:angry:..aren't "those" skills the fundamentals?? If those skills didn't exist, then how could technology have gotten to the place where it is now??

[Jacqui]

I would hope that the other self-proclaimed "Gerber babies" are learning something from the seasoned Opticians that they work with, and really taking it to heart...because, IMHO, that makes a great combination and ends with great results! :)

I agree :D I use a combination of old tech and new tech to do my work. I was at a big lab recently (very high tech) and seen a finish department that only knew how to use a hand edger to put crude safety bevels on the lenses (didn't know anything about sizing)

[Now I See]

I was at a big lab recently (very high tech) and seen a finish department that only knew how to use a hand edger to put crude safety bevels on the lenses (didn't know anything about sizing)

That's a real shame...think about the limits that lab has put on itself by not combining the "old" with the "new".

[Fezz]

But, I really hate to hear that there are places out there that don't want to hire someone with "those" skills..:angry:..aren't "those" skills the fundamentals?? If those skills didn't exist, then how could technology have gotten to the place where it is now??

I am finding that the more you know in this business.....the less employable you make yourself. I have seen this first hand.

Very sad..........but very true.

[Now I See]

I am finding that the more you know in this business.....the less employable you make yourself. I have seen this first hand.

Very sad..........but very true.

hmmm.....that's interesting.......I wonder if other professions find the same type of thing??

Makes me glad I work for myself...the thought of someone holding me back, keeps me motivated! :)

[Jacqui]

the thought of someone holding me back, keeps me motivated! :)

It should

[LilKim]

Man, that's depressing. We've had people like that, but they don't usually last too long because they end up making more work for those of us that actually care about the work we send out!

There are only 3 of us in our finishing dept, but all of us know how to shape a lens by hand, as well as manipulate a frame to get difficult lenses to stay in there. It takes practice, though. I slowly started learning how to shelf bevels for 8 base wraps and certain other kinds of frames, then got really good at putting aspheric lenticular lenses into small metal frames, getting them perfectly on size and bending that eyewire in all kinds of weird directions. The lenses stay in solid! And the frame looks good too. Some people don't even bother to take advantage of the multitude of functions on a edger, like adjusting the bevel (percentage, front, back, base curve, etc), putting a light, smooth pin bevel on the lenses, just all kinds of things. It's so frustrating! Go the extra mile and scrape the swarf off the poly lenses man! Jeez! Takes all of 2 seconds. Why make the final inspector do it all?

The thing that's I still hate to do are grooving executive lenses. Our 6E groover used to work, but we've had all kinds of problems with the motor and it just isn't worth replacing when I can do them by hand. Those, and grooving long lenses for 8B wrap frames...ugh. Luckily we don't see too many of those.

We also edge our glass on an old Weco 440...what a mess that thing is! lol

[Jacqui]

Jacqui, I'm glad to hear you have a high-schooler working with you...I think that's great!! :cheers::

She's getting really good at it too, does everything except some of the terrible things we get in. She's ready for the ABOC, I just need to find out if there is an age limit (she's 17). The big thing with her is, she wants to stay with it for a long while !!!

But, I really hate to hear that there are places out there that don't want to hire someone with "those" skills..:angry:..aren't "those" skills the fundamentals?? If those skills didn't exist, then how could technology have gotten to the place where it is now??

No one teaches the basics anymore, everyone wants to hire button pushers at $7.50 instead of the $12.50 we pay the Marybeth. I realize this is pretty high money for highschool, but she makes us that much.

:cheers:

[CME4SPECS]

I started as a high schooler...$1.65 an hour! 1976

[DoubleD]

Hate to say, I think I have you beat: started at House of Vision in 1973 rocking in cylinders in glass for $1.36 hour. I got the big bucks for having college and Optical Tech diploma!:cheers:

[Fezz]

Jacqui,

Thank you so much for taking this little bird under your wing. I hope she appreciates the opportunity, knowledge, and skills that you are teaching her.

I salute you! Bravo!

:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

[DragonLensmanWV]

Hate to say, I think I have you beat: started at House of Vision in 1973 rocking in cylinders in glass for $1.36 hour. I got the big bucks for having college and Optical Tech diploma!:cheers:

Bah! 1972 @ 1.25 an hour.
Durn young whipersnappers!

[Slugathor]

I agree that noone wants to teach anymore, especially in the lab. We lost 4 of our experienced guys all at once in our LC lab. They were replaced by a former lead tech, a guy who had just started "training," and me. The new LM was too busy getting things in order as the old LM used to just do paperwork and stack mountains of special orders. So that left us two newbies to fend for ourselfs. I admit, the other guy and I got a ton wrong at first but we eventually got a idea, at least I can size down down lenses with the hand stone without causing gaps, and I had to learn that under fire with a customer giving me the death stare through the glass :shiner:.

The culture in LC is the reason why techs really aren't motivated. Once you hit prod tech II and get your ABO (taking in a month), your just kinda stuck unless you brownie a lot. Noone ever complements you for doing work that should never be done in our antiquated labs, we just get owned for our mistakes which are getting rare, yay. Although sometimes, I get a chain of breakages from the Rx moving to the edge of the lense, I dunno why that is happening.... Just recently I our RDO came by in our lab, took hold of a special CSAT special order. Chipped the plastic in the corner and gave it to me and said "here, tell the customer outside it is gonna be another couple days." The customer went ballistic on me and stormed out sayin he was gonna call corporate, sigh. Couple of days ago I went to the MBE training and there was nothing for our lab techs. The only thing remotely related to the lab was in a picture of a store where the lab was this really tiny drawn box with the word "LAB" that looked like it had been scribbled by a 4 year old :hammer:

Anyway, Im just gonna trudge on and learn as much as possible, till a opportunity comes up. I suggest that all of you beginners do the same :cheers:

[HarryChiling]

She's getting really good at it too, does everything except some of the terrible things we get in. She's ready for the ABOC, I just need to find out if there is an age limit (she's 17). The big thing with her is, she wants to stay with it for a long while !!!



No one teaches the basics anymore, everyone wants to hire button pushers at $7.50 instead of the $12.50 we pay the Marybeth. I realize this is pretty high money for highschool, but she makes us that much.

:cheers:

Jaqui your gonna give her the wrong impression like opticians are made of money or something. :D She's gonna be a force to be reckoned with working with you.

Unfortunately the more lab skills you have the less desireable you become, every lab only needs one of these guys/gals and a whole bunch of button pushers since the number of labs is finite the number of jobs for these skills is finite.

Like Fezz mentioned the more you know the less desireable you sometimes make yourself, but that doesn't mean there is no benefits to the skills. It takes me a fraction of the time to do things that it takes the other opticians in our office to do the same task because I am skilled at what I do so when teh economy gets slow (ie now) and hours get cut, I actually get more hours because my productivity compared to others is astronomical. You'll always put the skills to use and if money is not the biggest benefit then you can easily get what your worth, but if money is the benefit you hold dear you should be in some other profession anyway.

[Slugathor]

Jaqui your gonna give her the wrong impression like opticians are made of money or something. :D She's gonna be a force to be reckoned with working with you.

Unfortunately the more lab skills you have the less desireable you become, every lab only needs one of these guys/gals and a whole bunch of button pushers since the number of labs is finite the number of jobs for these skills is finite.

Like Fezz mentioned the more you know the less desireable you sometimes make yourself, but that doesn't mean there is no benefits to the skills. It takes me a fraction of the time to do things that it takes the other opticians in our office to do the same task because I am skilled at what I do so when teh economy gets slow (ie now) and hours get cut, I actually get more hours because my productivity compared to others is astronomical. You'll always put the skills to use and if money is not the biggest benefit then you can easily get what your worth, but if money is the benefit you hold dear you should be in some other profession anyway.

Thats kinda interesting. My LM gives hours to whoever is productive. However, my GM cuts whoever doesnt look like they are working . So unfortunately, to feed myself, I have to leave the laps, metal blocks, and such to look busy when everything is done early. In other words, I can get lots of hours by my LM but my GM will cut em to a half day if she sees me all done :angry:.

[JRS]

1965 @ a whole $1.00 per hour. Got married when I was making $50.00 a week. Bought my first house when I was making $100.00 a week. My how times have changed.

Had to work my way through, and understand, surfacing before I was even considered to move into bench (finishing). First task in finishing was figuring set sizes and decentration (for blocking and edging) under supervision - they checked my work at each step. Then... after they thought I was good enough, I actually got to use the equipment and work lenses by hand. I enjoyed hand shaping most of all. Of course, in those days, it was almost all glass except for CR-39 cataract lenses.

Yes, there was a time when when everyone got serious training. But also then, most opticians were x-lab people too. So the training moved forward into retail.

[scriptfiller]

Jacqui, that high-schooler you are training was me about 15 years ago, 3 weeks after my 17th birthday I started in this industry and I was trained to do things the "old" way. I now have a "push-button" lab, but those skills I learned have gotten me out of a jam more times than I care to remember. I remember we used to leave our execs. big so we could bevel the temporal and nasal sides by hand. I spent a greater part of a year doing nothing but finish work, not the edging, the pin beveling/grooving/polishing, those months are now priceless.

It pains me to see the quality I see that comes into our store from other places.

[MarcE]

hmmm.....that's interesting.......I wonder if other professions find the same type of thing??

Yes, every career field. The more skilled you are, the less jobs that are available. Just look at all openings for fast food workers. Yet no-one wants those jobs @$7/hr.

[harry a saake]

1965 B@L 75.00 per week polishing cylinders and moving on up to 125.00 in 1971

[chip anderson]

1957 after school at Modern Optics polishing "buttons" to be fused into glass bifocal segments 3 runs of 4500 at a time every night.
This machine was so old we had 9 spindles that I walked up and down an applied polish with a paint brush from a rubber bowl.
Trued the polishing pads with a hack-saw blade bent in a curve and a piece of tubing for a "handle." Diamond grinding tools were just starting to come on line.
Kept the polish moist and stirred with a hose.
Later learned to do roughing, fining and smoothing on similar machine.

Chip

[Johns]

1965 B@L 75.00 per week polishing cylinders and moving on up to 125.00 in 1971

...in '65, the Dow Jones was around 950 points, and a gallon of gas was $.31 a gallon!

(How many gallons of gas are you making an hour now?)