Hi Karl welcome to the forum. Nice to see younger toolmakers on here as an ex- apprentice toolmaker myself when CNC was never heard of and auto lathes were the latest thing. I have seen many changes like we had to file a shape to a couple of thou for RR turbine blade dies by hand and checked on a shadow graph. Now three years into retirement I hope you have as varied a time with engineering as I have had.

David

Hi Karl I'm in Cheshire so not too far from you, and it's great to see the next generation of engineering talent appreciating the old skills. When I did my apprenticeship NC/CNC were just becoming more common in engineering workshops (in ours anyway!).

It's a great time to start an engineering company, STEM training in schools is really being promoted, ensuring a pool of workers. Grants and loans are available for start ups especially in the advanced manufacturing in the Liverpool region. There are loads of specialist CNC machining and engineering companies in the area such as Maxton in Frodsham doing very well in motorbike racing suspension. Go for it!

Ian

I still do machining Karl, although it's small hobby stuff now in my garage with small lathe and mill, with a CNC mill all bench top. I've had some career changes but when I was on the tools it was all big heavy chemical plant machining, pump shafts, railway loco wheels, heat ex-changers, pump casings, relief valves, etc, in every conceivable material you can think of. We machined everything really. Probably very much like you want to do.

Ian