The jobs time forgot; In an age of silicon chips and high-speed Internet, these craftsmen embrace the processes and products of the past.(craftsmen Jeffrey Cappelli, David Cooper, and Walter S. Arnold, and their trades)(Statistical Data Included)

Crain's Chicago Business, September, 2001 by Littman, Margaret

David Cooper isn't an average mechanic, but that's not because he has a degree in political philosophy from the University of Chicago and a decided lack of motor oil under his fingernails. As the owner of Cooper Technica Inc. in Chicago, he's a restorer of vintage European automobiles, pre-1968 Land Rovers and Campagnolo bicycles, a self-described ``champion of obsolete technology.'' ``I'm keenly aware of the loss of the art of making fine mechanical things,'' he says.

``In the 1920s and 1930s, cars were not appliances. They were, at best, the finest work inspired mechanical engineers could devise.'' Mr. Cooper, 45, is part of a tiny but devoted community of detail-obsessed craftsmen. Instead of looking for the next software upgrade, these small business...

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