Josh, What a great HS program for students to learn the trades. My hats off to you for your involvement with our youth. Connor, What a great opportunity to learn. You go young man! You have learned skills a lot of people will never have. God speed, be safe, Boe

Passing on your skills to an eager to learn young man is one of life's pleasures. And congrats on the 100k.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Absolutely. Thank you!

I wish there were more opportunities like you and the WAP are providing. Thank Conner for his upcoming service. Go Army!

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Another local shop is doing it also and doesn't give the kids any experience besides a bad one. It's sad.

Many best wishes Connor as you begin with the National Guard. Thanks for helping him Topper Machine LLC

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Our pleasure!

Best of luck to you Connor. And thanks to you Josh for teaching him.

Kudos to you for taking Conner under your wing. Nice to see a young man interested in his future. Best of luck to him in the future. I went in the Army National Guard myself 56 years ago. Thanks for the video.

Conner - best of luck to ya bud! You've got a work ethic and a sense of humor, so the only thing that can stop you is you.

The T Rex mask was hilarious! Nothing wrong with a little comic relief these days. 👍👍

Sad to know that Connor is leaving, but good to know that he's learned so much and he has a bright future ahead.

I am glad to see the young man learning and serving in the guard.

Thank you Conner for your future service!

So sad to hear you’re leaving Connor, but thank you for taking the call to serve our country! Hopefully see you again on the channel in the future.

Congrats to Connor upon his graduation from both high school and the Josh Topper Machinist School. He also has my support and admiration for joining the ANG becasue I was active Army from 1968-70. I hope he can get some more machinist schooling from Uncle Sam.

CONNER ROCKS 🤘🫡

Big congratulations to Topper Machine LLC, Connor and Youth Appie programme for helping him into the apprenticeship work plan. And a big thanks to Josh Topper for showing the youth that Machining is an honourable career. Wishing you all all the best for the future.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Much appreciated!

Conor is a man of character.

I wish you and and Connor the best going forward. Really heart warming to see you take the time to teach Connor.

@carlthor91

Ай бұрын

Yes 👍👍

Congrats to Connor and I wish him all the best in his endeavors in the military I do hope he peruses a trade while he is in.

Sad to see him go as well but you gave such a gift. That education will last a lifetime thank you for teaching our young people that want too learn this tradition

That’s awesome I was once an apprentice. I just trained my 3rd apprentice in my field of Nuclear Medicine Equipment. Congratulations Conner on your decision to serve our country

As a US Army Veteran myself, I give my thanks to Connor for enlisting, and hope the best for him. Its good to see young people learning so much from people like you that have very important skills that none of us in other fields could do without. Im a facility maintenance tech who does some HVAC work, i love to watch videos like yours and learn quite a bit, even if it does not directly relate to my work it is very useful.

hey gents and gentesses, aint Topper the place to find the holy grail of youtube heavy metal magic

I don't know anything about drag lines but I do know about working on worn out machinery. Takes time, money and patience. Good luck with this project. Hopefully you will realize a return. Thank you for this and all your other excellent, entertaining videos.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

I would have never taken on this project if I didn't own a machine shop. I'd go broke farming this out.

I drive local truck from the Twin Cities and have been to and through Spooner multiple times! 9 year regular Army veteran myself. Good thing Connor has done by enlisting in the Guard. The young man is doing something bigger than himself which is refreshing in these modern times! Better yet he is learning a trade in your machine shop and not wasting his time by going to college to get a worthless degree! 👍

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Absolutely. Well said.

Congratulations to Connor and Topper Machine for helping him with the apprentice work plan. Great young man his parents and his community should be very proud of him. Thanks for sharing.

I wish Conner all the best for the future. Its very kind of you to offer him a job after his enlistment. Thanks for the video as always

Best wishes Conor and thank you for your service. I'm proud of everything you have done and hopefully you take a lot of knowledge with you.

A spray weld video would have been good. Everyone likes spray weld videos. Keep up the good work and good job protecting our youth.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

I have yet to find a realistic application for spray welding. Most jobs don't justify the expense of the equipment nor warrant that kind of repair.

Conner, my 2 cents worth of advice from an old guy. Become an armorer, it involves everything machinist’s do and you can have a 20-year career, work with the finest warriors in the world and be set for life. Then, when you retire, setup your own shop. Way to go buddy.

@johnw.peterson4311

Ай бұрын

Great idea sir or mam. Excellent advice.

Sounds like Connor is heading the right direction. Remember Josh's motto: "Get it done right the first time!"

All the best to Connor!!!

Thanks for steering Connor in the right direction! You don't see too many youths today wanting to do anything but waste their lives away, proud of you and Connor! ❤

@rogerschlitter5116

Ай бұрын

I see plenty of well educated and motivated young people participating in school and church activities, FFA, music and band and theatre. The good ones are light years ahead of where we were. We had plenty of unmotivated guys and girls in high school when I was there 60 years ago.

Congrats to Conner and I look forward to hearing about his future accomplishments. Working with you has provided him with a wealth of knowledge and skills that will serve him well in the future.

Congrats, Connor on your enlistment! Thanks for choosing to serve. I think I would still use some crack dye penetrate on that other roller.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

I am already planning on it.

F-YEAH…………… MERICA !!! God bless him!!

Good luck Connor and thank you for deciding to serve. That is not an easy decision with all that’s going on in the world

Good for Conner! I hope he ends up enjoying his time in the service. jack

Appreciate your concerns in keeping Connor’s identity confidential. Maybe his real name isn’t even Connor. 🤔 Best wishes for him in all his future endeavors.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thank you. It's all about his safety for the future.

Good for Conner.

Looks like that cracked wheel would be a good collaboration with Windy Hill Foundry! Keep up the great content. I look forward to seeing upcoming videos. Cheers! 👍🍻😊

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

It will be an easy repair.

Thanks for serving Connor. Hope your time in the Guard is fulfilling.

Congrats on 100k!! Fun and informative watching your channel. Best of luck, Connor and thank you for serving our country!!!

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thank you

Go get 'em Connor!!

We need these "Conners" so badly and I'm happy to see a youngster like he is to do this work. I wish him from out of the Netherlands good luck in his new job.

Thanks for the longer answer to Conner.

Congratulations of reaching 100,000 subcribers. I found your channel when you were building your Gray Drum Drive Garden Tractor and I have enjoyed following your KZread journey

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thanks! I am still working on that project, just a little at a time. It will get done someday, no rush!

Thank you Josh!

good job with conner hope he keeps interested in the trades

Great for Conner. He can use what he has learned from working with you wherever he goes and whatever he does. If that track wheel casting is cast iron, I suggest veeing out the cracks and brazing them for the repair. If it is a steel casting, veeing the cracks and welding is a good choice.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

That is the plan!

Wishing God's blessings for Connor, I will miss him!

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

So will I.

Go Connor Go!!!

Good luck to Connor.

Big lathes: I was in the last graduating class at Drexel University where mechanical engineering students were required to take shop courses. Our machine shop had several lathes that came from the Philadelphia Navy Yard. 20 inch swing, 10 feet bed length. The work pieces were 1.5 inch bar stock. Usual assignment was to face off then turn down diameter about 0.050”. And if you got a second shot at the lathe, we had to turn a taper - by offsetting the tailstock. That was 1965. Ever since, the students take computer courses I guess…

@The_DuMont_Network

Ай бұрын

@stevenslater2669 Similar story here. I was in the last two years of Mech Engineering shop classes at Texas A&M. Learned patternmaking, welding, foundry (Cast iron, aluminum, bronze). Then took castings into machine shop full of pre and post WWII lathes, SHAPERS, 36" drill press, machined all the parts and poured that Babbitt bearings for a Jim Dandy drill press. If you aced the work, you got a nice Jacobs chuck. Then it all went away. Would give my Front Seat in Hell for one of those shapers. I still have my drill press and use it a lot, and now I have my Dad's drill press he made in that class in 1946. How in the HELL can Engineers graduate without learning the basics of industry and manufacturing? I'm now 77, still use those skills, and even after retiring from 62 years in Broadcast Engineering, I still work keeping stations on the air, as all the kids today know is "reboot the computer" or "change the module". BTW I was up on one of the 1500' towers last week, welding an antenna fitting while the kids watched. But not one wanted to learn how to do it. Sigh...

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

It is sad that nobody wants to learn these skills. What happens when those of us with skills retire? We go back to work to do these jobs for big money?

@The_DuMont_Network

Ай бұрын

@@TopperMachineLLC That happens a lot. Thus far it's bought me a new Tesla and a bunch of AMTRAK trips. My rate now is about 3X what I used to make, plus expenses. My Subchapter S corporation owns everything. Can you say "write-off"?

Congrats on hitting 100K subs, Josh! In my opinion it was inevitable! What a fortunate experience with your first apprentice--you can see by his demeanor and work ethic that Conner has a desire to learn fabrication and machining (they have machinists in the Army too!). Way to go passing on the fading knowledge and skills of manual machining. With a fresh engine, undercarriage and tracks (the cracked wheel spokes is a bummer--another side project) you'll have a like-new dragline without the like-new cost. Nice. Thanks for bringing us along, Josh. Really enjoying this rebuild series. Have a good week. Cheers.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thanks. Conner will do fine in life. I'm not at all disappointed in the cracks. Easy fix and another video. Definitely looking forward to pulling some levers in it and moving some dirt.

Hey, 100,000 subscribers! Well done.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thank you!

Gongratulations on the increase of subs. Been with you since about 15-20 thousand

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thanks for sticking with me.

Great job with the channel and Conner , Josh congratulations.

100k hype!

That cracked wheel being stuck together is a great advantage to you. I saw both Kieths, Rucker and Fenner, have to get their parts to stay in place while brazing the crack. You'll be able to die grind one side, braze and flip to repeat, nice.

Best wishes to Connor. I hope he enjoys his future life. Thanks for sharing your work with him.

Congrats on the 100k and best of luck to you Connor. I hope you get as much out of the military as I did.

Best electric cutter Amy's army reserve training and duty will be coming back to the shop look forward to seeing him where we don't have to see where the mask on

I was hoping to meet conner in july, Another great video

Congratulations on 100K!

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thank you so much 😀

Congrats on reaching 100k subs !!!

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thank you so much 😀

Well done to helping Connor, I wish him well in the services👍🇬🇧

Will be sad to see Conner leave.... but best wishes to him! We are very grateful to the men and women who choose to protect this country! Are you going to get another apprentice at some point?

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

As kids come into the program, yes. I plan to continue with YA

I Iike this project.

Wow, what a nice surprise to see you and the dragline. I can not wait to see your repairs and the machine running with new life. It is so cool that you are giving of yourself to help Conner. I am real glad that he is going in the Guard. He should be able to get some money for college. When I was in the Guard/Reserves, I was training others (I also worked there full time in Civil Service). I miss my time in the Air Force and I am thankful for those who serve. Thanks for the video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

congrats , Connor ,... and good luck in future endeavors Mike

Best wishes to Connor, and thank you for your service.

Congrats on the100000

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thank you!

Way back when I first started watching your videos and you were on your own, I was one of a few I would think that suggested you approach the local high schools to see if any of the young guys there were interested in possibly having a career in machining. I was so glad to see that you followed through and got Conner with you, sad to see him go, but I am hoping there is another young guy to take his place. Kids need to be inspired to make things. 👍

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

I am talking to the YA coordinator already.

If I was a young man I would pay you to give me an apprenticeship. Your one hell of a machinist. Great place to learn this gig. Good luck Connor, you got an awesome start in life, your going to do fine Mate.

@stuarthardy4626

Ай бұрын

Before I did my time an electrical apprenticeship ( at the local iron works so it was industrial inc. armature and stator winding ) that was 62 years ago . my farther did not have to pay but enter into a contract with the iron works to get my indentures . but years before that your parents had to pay the firms and your got no pay . just a note of how times have changed we got married at 20 and bought our house all on £12 a week took a mortgage out ( well both our parents had to be guarantors because here in the UK you could not own property under 21

Sorry to see Connor leaving. He added a touch of his own personality to the workshop. Are you going to put on another "apprentice" in the mean time?

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

We are currently looking for someone to take his place. Hopefully it will be another great candidate.

I'm curious how those sprockets can be fixed. "Welding it" is obvious, but it's probably not as easy as that seems at first. Also, as far as I'm concerned that dino hat is funny as heck :) Nothing wrong with that.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

It will be an easy repair. Just wait for the video.

Josh thanks for the up date on the drag line and some of its bits to be done and yet to be done big Shout out for Connor you have taken him under your wing taught him a lot and have given a young man a start in life best wishes to him and his move the the military to further himself and lets face it i was in as with others a different time thow but i can see him doing well as he has good values and a good up bringing all best Connor Cheers all

Well best of luck to Connor in his pursuits, and congrats on hitting the 100K subscriber mark. I will be very interested in the repair of that pulley and see what you come up with there. Cheers and all the best.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thanks

The mask was a brilliant idea. And there is an important message behind it. Things get easier and more fun if you take it all a bit less seriously :)

Good stuff.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Thanks!

Is that cracked wheel cast iron? Could be tricky to repair that, so looking forward to seeing how you fix it. Good that the others at OK, so less work there. Sure are a lot of things needing fixing on this old dragline, but it's going to be in top condition when you finish all the repairs.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

You'll have to wait for the video. Should be an easy fix. Most of the problems in the dragline is the crawler portion. The crane itself is actually quite surprising.

🎉🎉🎉🎉

Are you going to dye check the second roller for cracks? Rust, etc could be hiding some hairline cracks.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

Great point. I will be now. Thanks.

Hooah Conner!!!!

👍😎👍

Send that hub with cracked spokes to be casted at windy hill Is foundery. It will never be strong enough again.

@TopperMachineLLC

Ай бұрын

It will be an easy repair. Nothing to worry about. I've fixed a lot of stuff like this with zero problems.

@The_DuMont_Network

Ай бұрын

That WOULD be one way, and there would be some education resulting from it. But properly done, welded or brazed repairs can make the part stronger than new. Of course, if Windy Hill made a pattern and even cast a wheel, there would be a spare available for someone else...

Morning