Hello from Manchester

Oh no, a speech...

My name is Colin, I'm from the outskirts of Manchester in the north of England.

I'm getting a bit itchy for a proper hobby, something productive to get me away from the pub (keep that under your hat, it's blasphemy around here). I don't really have an agenda, just to learn something and have a tinker.

As a kid I was always helping my Dad build rabbit hutches, garden sheds, you name it. By trade I am a Computer Programmer, with a bit of Web Design etc thrown in as the economy dictates. CNC machining has always interested me, combining good old *making* things with the precision and aid of computers just evokes something.

I don't currently have any CNC machinery but in the coming months I will be acquiring a bit of space to use as a workshop and I'm using this time to prepare myself, whether that be what machinery would make a good initial investment, or as much information about how to build my own starter rig.

I don't have any experience with CNC/Machining itself, but I'm pretty good on the computer side of things. I've worked with (and generated) code similar to G-Code in the past and I can rig up bits of software and computers pretty easily. My electronics skills could be a bit stronger since my Dad is an electrician (sorry Dad!) but I'm a quick learner and avidly obsessive when I get into something.

I'm more than happy to try and help out where I can in exchange for poring over the archives here and picking brains where needed.

hi Colin and welcome to.the site. plenty of info here to help and don't be afraid to ask questions!

Thanks for the welcome, time to get snooping and learning.

How do Colin.

Welcome aboard.

Ps Electical and Electronics don't necessarily go hand in hand ieYour dad is an Electrician doesn't mean he studied/trained to be an Electronics Engineer. :wink:

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Originally Posted by GeorgeD

Ps Electical and Electronics don't necessarily go hand in hand ieYour dad is an Electrician doesn't mean he studied/trained to be an Electronics Engineer. :wink:

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Fair point George, my experiences are kinda minimal and at both ends of the scale. I did a couple of courses in chip design, laying out simple arithmetic units using CAD etc at uni but it's not very applicable to the real world (no surprise there then!), and I can follow instructions and solder circuits and assemble ICs onto PCBs and whatever no problem, but my understanding isn't enough to modify or create my own circuits. Anyway - hopefully I can figure out enough to get by and get my first machine on the go and take it from there.