A Radio Amateur's Workshop

Shaun O’Sullivan recounts how his engineering workshop skills support another hobby.

My main hobby since I was a schoolboy has been Amateur Radio. I enjoy constructing my own equipment and the challenge of tackling a new frequency band or mode of operation. In truth, I probably spend more time planning and making my projects than using them when they are completed, but I suspect that it true of many amateur engineers!

By profession, I am a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and as part of my training, in 1979 I was sent off to Hackney College to do my Engineering Practice I. This was a basic, three month introduction to making things with metal. I really enjoyed using the lathes and milling machines, but my career was in the construction industry and so it went no further.

However, the idea remained in the back of my mind that one day, I would like to set up a small mechanical workshop at home. I used to visit some of the model engineering exhibitions because they are a great place to pick up tools and materials. Just over two years ago, having spent an hour or two looking at the new machines on display, I decided that the time had come to make a start.

I acquired a small mill/drilling machine and a mini-lathe and positioned these on new benches in my workshop. I was warned that buying the machines is just the start and in the intervening two years, I have spent far more than the cost of the machines on the many accessories I decided I needed. In fact, setting up and equipping the workshop has been quite an interesting project by itself.