The Machine Shop

I thought I would show you some pictures of our primary business - the Machine Shop. This is where the Machinist and Number One Son hang out most days. They love this place. They love the smell, the feel, the look of it. They love the sounds in it, too. The girls and I prefer to have coffee indoors, so when it is brewed, we buzz the men on the intercom and they come inside and sit by the fire. We let all the dogs in, too, because otherwise they'll do crazy things because they get attention deficit.

Our children were raised in the Machine Shop. They know how to grind, drill, weld, cut, fold, notch and more of recent years - they can use the CAD system to transfer designs to the plasma cutter. Only the Machinist can machine, though. Number One Son is learning to machine, but as the Machinist says "...real skill takes time...", also adding the phrase "wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off..." (the Karate Kid).

These pieces of equipment are the backbone of our businesses (erm.. of course the Machinist is also the backbone...). They have made NUMEROUS trolleys for hospitals, laundries and hotels, as well as other ergonomically designed manual handling equipment. Now they are going to also create beautiful pieces of useful and needful metal art, under the Metalsmithery trade mark, which will be on display at The Daily Pie. Without further ado, let me introduce you to -

The Plasma Cutter:

The Guillotine:
Pedestal Drill:

One of the Machinist's Store Cupboards:

The Lathe:

Another shot of the Lathe. Note the window. The Machinist sometimes watches a variety of birdlife on the creek when things get a bit monotonous...

The Mill: