by novocaine » 21 Mar 2021, 21:31
So i guess it needs a bit more of explaination then.
I studied mechanical engineering at university. I was one of the few people on the course who'd ever actually worked on a fabshop floor or to be frank done more than gcse in design technology. So when we finally got a set of practicals at the local grease monkey trade skills college i was somewhat in my element and the shop steward quickly realised this. I was effectively left to my own devices having been given the passing grade on day 1 when i finished a scribe stand in 2 hour to a better quality than his show piece and to within tolerence on every part including brazing a perfect 3mm fillet that in his words "deserves to be kept in a show cabinet" (which is was, he took it and used it as the example for the next 10 years so im told). It was meant to take a week (as evidenced by some of the other attempts).
So whilst the future bank managers and accountants got to play dress up and make pretty little tin boxes with ropey soldered joints that might pass a field trough, wire a plug that i wouldnt dare plug in or rip chunks out of cutters on the shaper i (and anothwr lad called Andy)made stuff to keep ourselfs amused. Both me and andy were the outcasts, long black trench coat, drink ale in the railway instead of wkd in the nightclub, metaller sorts so one of those speicals involved a 20 gauge brake folded coffin and hinged lid. (Which sounds easy but is impossible without a decent finger brake and the knowledge to set it.) Andy had never used a brake,by the time we were done he could do it with his eyes closed (which is lucky as he later worked nights in a metal cutting plant with me to pay for digs).
As i had access to some fun stuff others wouldn't get to touch i got the storesman to let me into the plating room. He wouldn't let me near chrome "your lungs are wurf more than me job son" but the copper baths were fair game.
He didnt keep that one, but it did get swiped from digs during a suitably deborged evening (it was filled with condoms and sat in the hallway because 1. The girl in room four worked for SU and 2. Hi I'm Dave and I'm a bit special.
Carbon fibre is just corduroy for cars.