Paging the Bonwickisti and engineers

I've always regretted not having ever learned any metalworking and
basic engineering skills and so this seems like a good New Year's
Resolution.

So what's the best way to start? Evening classes? Through the local
council or tech college or something? I'm assuming that it's too late
to enrol now, as they do that sort of thing in summer/autumn, don't
they?

Anyway, current skills amount to, erm, well, 'itting things with an
'ammer. I've got a couple of files. And a set of Mole grips. And a
small vice on my workbench. Oh, and there's a hacksaw hanging up in the
garage. Somewhere. So I think I can safely say I need to start at the
"This is a piece of steel. This is a piece of aluminium." stage.

Ideally, I'd like to learn how to use a lathe and maybe other machine
tools. How to weld would be good, as well. I realise this may take
time.

I also realise that if the bug bites, then we move up to the "Need a
bigger workshop/garage/outhouse" stage, and that things could get very
expensive in the long term.

I also appreciate that there's a danger of losing appendages, fingers,
minor limbs and suffering all sorts of imaginative injuries.

Anyway, there's the question. How to set about it?

<Sits back and waits for thread to go off topic>

 

What about Monty today, eh? A great five-fer and we're back in with a
chance, I reckon.

How's that?

 

On 14 Dec 2006 04:00:59 -0800, TOG@toil,

We've just had the flyer round from the local AdEd/CommColl, they're
enrolling around now for new Year starts. Proper courses tend to
follow the academic year, so you might have to wait for one of them.

Ring around your localish places and see if they do short courses or
hobby courses - Engineering 101 would prolly start September.

When I wanted to upgrade from 'able to stick two bits of metal
together' to 'can weld properly' I did Welding 101/102 which followed
standard term times, required homework, reading and passing exams.
Took two years, one evening a week, ~30 weeks/yr.

That's a problem? Get a job in the City, ffs.

 

Gunner who?

 

I reckon Rommel isn't beaten yet.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
TOG@toil.?.murray.invalid typed

These guys:

http://www.suttonmec.freeserve.co.uk/home/home.htm#

May be able to point you to local resources.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

LOL !

 

Blimey. I was, er, thinking of something larger scale. Though I concede
the skills and principles are the same.

 

In

..... or flog some bike reviews on Ebay

 

In

http://www.suttonmec.freeserve.co.uk/features/pcivati.htm

Impressed!

 

Try your local college. As part of my apprenticeship we
had to do a mechanical engineering course and used the
whole range of tools from pillar drills to lathes to the bending
machine, and made stuff ranging from a plumb bob to
a scribe to an adjustable spanner (I kid you not, I even
made the spring!) and a box to put it all in. It was only
a couple of hours a week for about 8 weeks, but it
was great fun!

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
TOG@toil.?.murray.invalid typed

Very much so. Measuring, marking out, working to tolerances, it's all
the same, just smaller.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Podium Placed Ducati Race Engineer as featured in
Performance Bikes and Fast Bikes

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha Vmax Honda ST1100 wiv trailer

 

Have you seen the state of Bonwicks limbs? I'd hardly call it
appealing.

 

"Legs like one of Gandhi's split into two"

 

Nothing wrong with a little danger biker boy ;-)

 

CT came up with the following;:

Nillson? Didn't he sing a crap record some years ago ...

 

wrote;

Sorry this is on topic and late,
See if you can find a copy of 'Workshop processes, practices and
materials'. It's the standard intro text book for C & G engineering
students.
Get it in your head and you'll be ahead of the game when it comes to the
practical skills.

 

TBF it never seemed to hold the boy back, did it

 

He has plenty of garden. In fact his garden/garage ratio is an utter
disgrace

 

What sir needs is Workshop, not Engineering skills. Engineers are highly
trained to manipulate spreadsheets, instruct people with workshop skills to
do things, and drink mountains of coffee.