[Synchro909]

My thoughts on why foundries are busy and why I think they are:
One of our club members is a pattern maker and does some casting at home. Since China has gone rogue, many companies that used to have stuff done there are turning away from them. That means local businesses which have been gutted in recent decades because their customers went for the cheap option are now so depleted that they can't keep up. His company is flat out and would run 24/7 if they could get the skilled people.
My friend said that job advertisements for all sorts of foundry work have gone up 6 fold here since China stared their campaign of bullying and coercion. We have only been talking about foundries, all of the skills downstream of them are also in high demand but lacking. You guys are most likely not fully aware of how China has Australia in its sights right now. I think they are starting a campaign to become #1 in the world by picking off smaller countries first before they take on a USA left with no allies.
I know we are not supposed to get political but this relates directly to our hobby (which in the big picture is nothing). My advice to you guys is be aware of what is going on and be worried. An over assertive China spells trouble for all of us.