[familyop]

"Skills I learned at my grandmother's knee. Most of my garden will get canned, cured, pickled, or dried before next winter sets in."

Great advice. Thanks to both of you. I had machines (e.g., generators) and other non-food items in mind and didn't make that clear while mentioning the means to produce. Sorry. I've learned to do all kinds of repairs, am experimenting with low-tech. energy (heating) system builds (cold place here) and have experience in custom machining, mechanics, electrical work, electronics, structural building, PV solar systems, etc.

My point was that people capable of casting/forging and cutting good metal parts will rule after this collapse caused by lack of manufacturing and other mistakes (social declines, etc.). In my area, machines can get extra current from homebuilt wind turbines (very tough designs with large, open alternators for the frequent high winds here). Other areas might dictate steam/electric generation (careful, hazards there requiring much study or designs made by consulting engineers). Depends on local conditions.

We might see what a real technocracy looks like before long (not the dishonest use of the word in contemporary, sponsored propaganda but the original definition). See men at work.

[tacticalogic]

My point was that people capable of casting/forging and cutting good metal parts will rule after this collapse caused by lack of manufacturing

I am comforted that my bookcase holds the collected works of David Gingery and Guy Lautard.

[JRandomFreeper]

Ah... those would be the skillsets the men in the family taught me. And not only do I have a nice scrap pile of my own, I also inherited one to go with it.

With the lathe and milling machine, there's not too much I can't figure out how to make happen. Forge probably won't be set up until summertime. The garden and the mud-brick bread oven eat up most of my outside time right now.

/johnny