Don McErlean posted:GMAN-24: You will not believe this but I know "Harrison Grinding" and I LIVED at 637 Schuyler Avenue with my parents from 1953 until I married in 1966 ! WOW - this really is a small world.
Regards Don
It really is a small world. I don't remember the exact address of Harrison Grinding but I remember it backed up to an old cemetery which always creeped me out because when he would open the back door the tombstones were right there ! Willy Hood was quite a character. Most guys would used compressed air to dry off parts that came out of the wash tank. Instead he had this huge blow torch on the end of a wand , the snorkle on the end must have been 6 inches in diameter and it was hooked up to a big propane tank off a tow motor. The first time he lit that thing off my eyes were as big as saucers as the flame came roaring out. Didn't even faze him he'd stand there with some kind of Scottish mince pie in his greasy hand while laughing the whole time. We became good friends and he and his wife Cathy came to my wedding. When I left my father's shop and went to work for Exxon I didn't get to see him anymore and our lives took different paths. He was probably 20 years older than me which would put him in his 80's now. I hope he's still out there somewhere he was a good guy.
Gerry
Edit:
Ha..I found a picture of ol' Willy in my scrapbook. Taken inside Harrison Grinding sometime in the early 80s.
The only time I ever saw him "cleaned up" was at my wedding. Otherwise he was grease and grinding dust from head to toe.
If I was standing around he would put me to work and I look as dirty as he was on that day. He's got me on the chop saw cutting up some square tubing. The days before OSHA and safety glasses !
