Joe Nemes, even though retired, continues to utilize his years of experience to restore those exquisite antique ashtrays.
As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. But turning trash into beautiful things is an art in itself.
For this, you need an artist. But not the kind who uses oil paints or clay.
In this case, the artist is Joe Nemes, an 88-year-old machinist who can see beauty in things you might discard. Over the years, his daily work involved manufacturing functional parts for various machines. Now, his works are in high demand.
Why? Because they are ashtrays – standing ashtrays that were popular from 1920 to 1960. You might find one in a thrift store covered in dust and worn out from a century of use. But after Nemes restores them, even if you don’t smoke, you might want one for your home.
Each restoration is unique.
“No two ashtrays are the same. I have some that are similar, but none are exactly alike,” Nemes said. He collects these items in antique shops or thrift stores. The restored ashtrays are priced between $50 and $500.
He has restored over 50 ashtrays. If you think he would make a thriving business by selling these ashtrays, you’re mistaken because he can’t bear to part with them. His daughter Denise once suggested he sell them.
She told Epoch Times, “I said, ‘Dad, people all over the world would love these. But he said, ‘No, I just don’t feel like getting rid of them.'”
Nemes is not in it for the money.
“I could sell them, but that’s not why I create them,” he said. “Most of the time, they are in bad condition when I get them, so I polish them up and do some detail repairs.”
He uses his years of experience in the machine shop to make missing parts, like the edges of the ashtray.
“I buy stainless steel sheet, then cut it with a laser, make a mold, so I can bend it into shape. Then I fit them in place,” Nemes said. “It’s just something I can do.”
Nemes has always been comfortable with things most people consider junk because his father once operated a scrap business. In 1929, it was Ohio’s largest auto dismantling yard, and when Nemes was 10, it was his favorite place.
“That was my playground when I was a kid,” he said. “I would go to the scrapyard, where there were all kinds of cars. I figured out how to start a car. Then I would drive around, which my father didn’t like.”
When his father asked what he was doing, he simply said he was learning to drive.
His love for hands-on work dates back to 1950 when he met the principal of a vocational school at the age of 14. Nemes still remembers the conversation: “He said, ‘If you want to learn a trade and have a job after high school, go to Howard Vocational School. If you want to do something else, don’t come to our school.” He recalled.
He chose the machine shop as his classroom.
After graduation, he worked in various industries until he bought his own machine shop in 1985. He still owns it today, operated by one of his four daughters and granddaughter. He spends a few days each week there with 10 employees, where he feels most at ease.
Today, the United States is heavily promoting interest among young people in trade professions. Nemes said being a tradesman is a great choice.
“Well, let’s look at it this way,” he said. “A plumber’s basic tools are a pair of water pump pliers, two screwdrivers, and a pipe wrench, and he can charge you $100.”
“A machine shop is a steady business. And with the use of modern machinery, it’s a clean environment and very safe.”
Although these jobs pay well, Nemes said there is a special meaning in working with your hands that goes beyond salary.
“There’s a lot of creativity in it. It allows you to focus,” he said.
The old stigma around learning a trade has disappeared.
“In the past, if you went to trade school, people would say, ‘Oh, you must be a dummy,'” Nemes said. “But I did pretty well.”
His daughter Denise said people can learn a lot from individuals like her father.
“These octogenarians have a lot to offer,” she said. “They have a wealth of wisdom.”
An employer once gave Nemes what he thought was a very high commendation. “He said, ‘If you threw Joe on an island, the first thing he would do is walk around and figure out how to make money with what’s around him,'” Nemes said.
With just a year and a half left until his 90th birthday, Nemes will continue to seek those “diamonds in the rough.”