ENCINITAS —— Roger Taylor forged unbreakable bonds with hundreds of high school students during a 30-year career as a metal-shop teacher at San Dieguito Academy in Encinitas.

"It's been a great run," Taylor told welding students Wednesday morning at the beginning of a class period that marked the 62-year-old educator's last lesson before retirement.

"He's a legend," said Rich Smith, who oversees career technical programs at schools throughout San Diego County.

Smith said Taylor is one of "the last old-school shop teachers," adding that there are only a handful of active metal shops left in North County high schools. Taylor said he is probably one of the only teachers in the country with 36 years of metal-shop experience.

Taylor taught a variety of technical classes for six years at Hawthorne High School in Orange County before coming to the San Dieguito Union High School District in 1974. He's been teaching at San Dieguito Academy —— called San Dieguito High School prior to 1996 —— ever since.

Students Wednesday described Taylor as friendly, knowledgeable, trustworthy and a caring teacher who connects with kids.

"He commands respect," said 11th-grader Cory Kerr.

Students said Taylor taught them to safely use industrial machines that can bend, form, grind, chop and cut metal. High schoolers said they used their skills to craft a number of things, including a street luge, mailbox, armored breastplate, mock silencer, rivet-rounding tool, hammer, anchor, truck bumper, forge and motorcycle parts.

"(Mr. Taylor) can teach you how to do anything," said 10th-grader Steve Taft.

Senior Bryan Leist, who noted that he's taken at least six classes with his favorite instructor during high school, said he made a 15-pound steel top hat that he sometimes sports at school.

"It builds up the neck muscles," Bryan said.

In addition to his role as teacher, Taylor also administers the district's Regional Occupation Program, which operates on an annual budget of about $750,000.

While Jason Berend will take over Taylor's metal-shop classes, the retiring teacher will continue to coordinate the district program, which, in partnership with the county Office of Education, offers a number of technical career-oriented courses to San Dieguito students.

"(Taylor) has been basically a one-man show in keeping these kinds of courses available," Smith said, adding that he's concerned about the viability of practical vocational programs in local schools.

Smith and Taylor said courses such as metal shop arm students with practical skills that they can parlay into good manufacturing jobs and small-business opportunities, or that they can fall back on if their primary college or career plans don't pan out.

"My favorite memories are all the students who come back and tell me they're still using their skills," Taylor said.

Taylor lives in San Marcos with his wife and two of their seven children. Five of the Taylors' children are adopted. Three are Korean natives and two are from Mexico.

With plans to embark this morning on a seven-day fishing trip to Zihuatanejo, Mexico, Taylor said he thinks he'll spend his retirement fishing, playing tennis, spending time with his family and working in the shop in his garage.

"I don't have any thought of being bored," he said.

Contact staff writer Ben Frumin at (760) 943-2313 or bfrumin@nctimes.com.