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Note; This is an excerpt from a fictional tale...

They finished up filling the container full of oak rails for their new chairs and they went up to the house. The Old Man sat down with his nephew. Then he said; Did you know it's not natural for the average person to know some of the things I have been showing you? I can say that because I have worked in many places. Most people don't use machines the way I will be teaching you to use them. Then Shawn asked his Uncle; "How did you learn so much about manufacturing all these things?"

Henry Ford once said, after creating the largest auto company known, that "I don't 
know 1/10th of 1 percent of everything."

I use to be a highly paid adviser to a few manufacturing firms. Shawn, I was 
paid more in a day than some make in a week, and probably more. But it took it's toll, and the jobs were short-lived; plus I had an enormous responsibility. I often flew in a private jet, where the coffee table was worth more than all of the tables we made in the shop last week. I flew along with the big time industry executives. These were busy people, with tough jobs. We would show large clients about the latest machines, and set them up with the best programs to improve their operations wherever there was waste.  We were a waste detection  team, and unfortunately, some paid the price when the upper brass detected an abundance of it, and I certainly  didn't like that end of the job.  

But, do you know what Shawn? 

" What I have been teaching you is really all that we small timers need in order to start out. Most smaller shops  can get by just fine knowing the basics, and using our manual, hand operated machines. Going super high  tech can wait until you generate the profits to afford more." 

"Well, the word got out about some books I'd owned. Shawn passed him a beer and the Old Man continued....I once read a book about Jig making.  The book explained clearly about the secret methods that many use to improve our table saws and machines,  cutting out mistakes and waste.  Shawn, I can tell ya, the ones with the big degrees are very smart, but they will have nothin on you if you read these books. Sure, you need to finish college, but these other books will get you up to snuff about the inside workings nobody will let ya know."   

"Shawn, as a young man, I didn't take productivity serious.  After I grew older, I was told 
that I needed to compete or else I would never get the chance to prove that I was able to lead others and to do great things.  You are going to grasp the real potential of machines. Just follow along in the next few days.   The purpose of machines needs to be presented in a whole new framework, but we have refused to  do it for so long.   Men always strive for agreement, and are always careful to follow certain  tradition. Sure, we should not try new things in a process without proven results first. We shouldn't  make changes just for the sake of change, but we can change a students outlook, and whether it is  agreeable, or whether it is not pleasing to some, change has to come.  That's where the artist "artificium" makes change happen, and the artist in you will lead the challenge.

Here's  more about the Northirst Student.....

The owner of a chain of tool suppliers  then stood up to 
honor Uncle Zack...he said;

"Along came this woodworker named Zack to our town.  Sure, he assisted the students, but I  found out that he helped build his devices for numerous local organizations in the surrounding counties. These new organizations then started to purchase our tools and supplies, and we have hired back all of our employees, and our main supply warehouse is now going to expand.  His guides alone have renewed a lot of interest in local industry."

"Much of our economic growth is because of this Old Man, the one who taught so many about enterprise, and the secret techniques that he knew. He said that we live in a world filled with information. Much of it is unusable without a certain method, or a guide, and Zack was just that guide.  I will admit, he showed me some things that were amazing, much of it because of his unique insight. He could spot the problems as to why it took so long to acquire certain methods, or why we didn't do certain things properly.  He taught me that learning was not just about the right information, but the right timing, the proper sequence of events and above all,  the liberty of doing what it takes to make things happen.  We are indebted to him more than you can imagine."

Northirst County found their prize in Uncle Zack.. He understood that tool suppliers, banks, stores, lumber companies and hardware stores would suffer if they didn't continue spreading a tradition of manufacturing.  They needed insight, clarity, and most of all, a clear understanding of jigs and their relevance to a productive system.  He explained to them that standardizing things are unavoidable, and then he  demonstrated his jigs to woodworkers and trade schools, and explained about making things in volume. Rarely could this much technological talent find it's way into Northirst County.... 

An except From.....  The Northirst Student Overlooked."