Hi from a young "old geezer"

[Maschinenbau]

Hi everyone,

You're probably wondering about the subject line. Let me explain. I'm in my 20's and I have been messing around with machining for about 5 years. Several years ago I built a simple wobbler engine in a night class at the community college. One night, while working on the engine, I noticed that the guy next to me had his ham radio call sign written on his tool bag. I started up a conversation about ham radio, and he asked if I was a ham operator. I told him that I wasn't, but my brother is, and I kind of picked up a few things from him. He then asked what I was building, and I told him that I was working on a steam engine. He looks at me and says, "Ham radio and steam engines...you boys are too young to be old farts. Guys my age do that stuff to get away from the wife." :big:

So a little bit about me. I'm an engineer, although I'm back in school working on my master's degree. I've never been in such a "tool deprived state" as I am now. I own a lathe and a decent amount of tooling, but I live in a 1 bedroom apartment now, so it's all at my folks' house, several hundred miles away. I'm thinking of getting a Taig lathe, so that I can spend a bit of time fiddling with model engines and such. I've always enjoyed tinkering with machining because it's the really fun part of engineering. No long calculations, just the joy of building something.

I'm looking forward to participating here, although I'll probably be mostly an onlooker for the near future.

 

[rudydubya]

Welcome Maschinenbau, from an old engineer. This hands-on stuff beats the desk work any day. wEc1

Regards,
Rudy

 

[Maryak]

Maschinenbau,

Welcome to our forum Ec1

Best Regards
Bob

 

[bearcar1]

Welcome machinenbau. When I was a young lad in the very same position that you are in right now (although I wasn't smart enough for an MBA) I also lived in a one bedroom apt. I bought some tempered masonite and covered the entire kitchen floor and half way up the walls to protect them from whatever might come their way and that was my workshop. I did everything but cook and eat meals in that room. Electronics, woodworking, PCB manufacture, you name it. (uh, no, *that* never occurred in there ;D) When I moved out I took the masonite up and all I had to do was wash two walls and I was good to go. Stick around, you'll figure something out.

BC1
Jim

 

[Maschinenbau]

Thanks for the welcome all.

Jim, thanks for the masonite idea, I like it.

 

[Tin Falcon]

Do not worry about space. I had the pleasure of several conversations with the late great Rudy Kouhoupt. His workshop of later years was a 98 square foot shed. And all of the projects in the Shop wisdom of Rudy Kouhoupt were built in a 5ft x 5ft room on a unimat and Perris lathe and a small mill. The biggest requirement for this hobby is desire. The second is time if you have the desire you will find space, tools to fit in the space and funds to buy the tools . I suggest you pick up a copy of the Rudy K shop wisdom book(s) there are five volumes but no 1 will get you going there are 6 engine plans in the book plus lots of tools.
A taige or sherline mill and lathe in a corner of a room will get you going and folks have built some nice portable shops with a small lathe and all the accessories in a cabinet and a second cabinet with a mill . a sturdy folding table and a sheet or two of Masonite like bearcat1 suggested to protect the carpet and away you go . we want to see some projects. You can do it.
I have seen where a guy has a portable shop that he takes on an airplane and has the hobby with him when travelin for work .The guy flies air tankers and follows summer fire season back and forth between the hemispheres.
Tin

 

[don-tucker]

Nice to hear of a young guy with the interests you have instead of PC games,It can only get better,I have the feeling you will develope into a good engineer and have a lot of fun with it.
All the best
Don