I started my working life as an apprentice at a local garage. After about 12 years in the motor trade I finally tired of dirty hands and decided a move was on the cards.

As luck would have it a local engineering company was looking for someone to learn how to use a large Fanuc based CNC lathe they had acquired. I got the job and spent the next 4 years producing all sorts of components, one or two are even now whizzing around in space as parts of various satellites.

This eventually came to an end and I moved back into education. I started a Computer Science degree which kept me busy for the next 4 years and then a decade working round the world for various blue chip companies.

The lure of a home life then grew strong and I started teaching using the various skills I had acquired over the years. A couple of jobs later and here I am, still teaching and delivering various electrical and mechanical subjects, HND and Degree level to students that actually want to learn.

This is where it all started to go wrong and costing me a fortune. Some of my students decided to build a magnetic accelerator as part of their project work. It was interesting for them but ultimately frustrating as there was very limited money available and health and safety said it had to be pretty harmless.
OK, it worked and fired 2p coins nearly 12 feet before they hit the ground. My interest was kindled though and research, YouTube and too much eBay later here we are, half way through lots of other projects that will enable me to complete this first one. The 3D printer was first followed by the Clarke CNC Mill conversion. Next came the CNC Lathe and so the process goes on.

31/5/2019: It’s earlyish 2019 now and I have two mills, one lathe and a laser cutter. All of them in various states of not working. Some minor, others not so much so. Of course there is all the software to learn as well so this will be ongoing for a few years yet. Up to my eyeballs in wiry stuff at the moment as I start work on the Mach3 conversion of the VMC300

24/6/2019: I have managed to get one of the machines mentioned above into a working state. The laser cutter is now alive and well and being used for making gadgets etc. Some of these have even been for work too.

1/11/2019: After several minor miracles I now have one of the the milling machines pretty close to working. Read more about it in the VMC300 section VMC300 section