barry peel Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 I did my Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship at ROF Leeds (Barnbow in Crossgates) where they used to build Tanks. They got rid of all the apprentices when Vickers bought the place so had to go out into the real world. Took a machinist job in Sherburn but soon moved into office side of things to help with document control and auditing. Never left Engineering but now an Estimator in structural engineering for a company making large sculptures (kelpies the horses heads if anyone's seen them in Scotland), bridges, and unusual buildings. Used to project Manage some of the projects so did a lot of travelling which ruined my love of driving for a while. Would love to travel now !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen_I Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 14 minutes ago, OldStager said: Funny how many of us have overlapping interests, I too loved T.D. at school This was something I was fairly good at and my teacher at the time clearly could see this and pushed me to continue. My uncle had his own business as a draughtsman and I still remember the day my Dad said shall I have a word with your Uncle and see about working with him? My response was "Nope, I am going to be a mechanic" which to be fair hasn't caused me any issues but wouldn't say it was my greatest decision looking back?? Oh well....I am now that Dad trying to encourage my daughters to pursue what they really have a passion for, I am not sure sat on sofa watching YouTube will cut it for a future career, but what do Dad's know🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim RS Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 2 hours ago, OldStager said: Funny how many of us have overlapping interests, I too loved T.D. at school ( is it still taught ?) and I actually got a summer holiday job in a drawing office, for me it wasn't as expected and didn't go back the following year. I perhaps should have done as I think I was just too young to be put into such an environment ( 14 or 15 ish). Not sure a headmaster should steer you into something else if you had ambitions on something else, should he ?. T.D. was great for me but for A level it changed to Engineering which was quite a bit different, but I love showing the drawing skills to the grandkids, which I was told to forget once I learnt how to properly draw at work. Head masters then, late 60s, had extreme power and the cane was still the ultimate persuader, I can remember when the deputy head caned half the school approx. 300 kids, ahhhhhh those were the days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard (OldStager) Posted March 3, 2021 Author Share Posted March 3, 2021 Yes, the days of the cane - long gone I assume. I was lucky and never got that, did have a few blackboard rubbers bounce off my head though. 🤪 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen_I Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Oh yes, blackboard rubbers was a favourite. I never had the cane but a plastic rule across the knuckles once or twice and this was early 80's, I am not sure it was strictly legal but I knew if I told my parents the first response would be well you probably deserved it! So I would keep quiet!😉 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerglas Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 I'm new to all of this but here goes, retired now but after a MOD Coppersmith apprenticeship, I became a draughtsman employed on frigates systems, moved on to Industrial radiography as a NDT inspector finally leaving the MOD environment and became a CAD draughtsman, working on contract at various establishments including Wrigleys. I drew (cadded!) a couple of Westfield grilles and wheel arch shields to be laser cut for both of my Westfields. Will be doing it again for my soon to be possessed third Westfield. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard (OldStager) Posted March 3, 2021 Author Share Posted March 3, 2021 10 minutes ago, Kerglas said: I'm new to all of this but here goes, retired now but after a MOD Coppersmith apprenticeship, I became a draughtsman employed on frigates systems, moved on to Industrial radiography as a NDT inspector finally leaving the MOD environment and became a CAD draughtsman, working on contract at various establishments including Wrigleys. I drew (cadded!) a couple of Westfield grilles and wheel arch shields to be laser cut for both of my Westfields. Will be doing it again for my soon to be possessed third Westfield. Lots of draughtsman related careers as well it seems, I am guessing as you have eluded to that no paper and pencils are needed today?. Welcome BTW to WSCC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim RS Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 4 minutes ago, Kerglas said: I'm new to all of this but here goes, retired now but after a MOD Coppersmith apprenticeship, I became a draughtsman employed on frigates systems, moved on to Industrial radiography as a NDT inspector finally leaving the MOD environment and became a CAD draughtsman, working on contract at various establishments including Wrigleys. I drew (cadded!) a couple of Westfield grilles and wheel arch shields to be laser cut for both of my Westfields. Will be doing it again for my soon to be possessed third Westfield. I wish I'd continued with cad but the early work I did was far removed from the programs now, back in the early 70s the computers were massive and only could do basic repetitive calculations. Even the companys new whole floor computer was seldom used preferred by us to use Kings College's phone in device(a bucket you threw the telephone receiver into) and it would hiss and buzz around until you got an answer usually wrong - rubbish in rubbish out - the favourite saying. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Parker (Red Spider) - Yorkshire AO Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 2 hours ago, barry peel said: I did my Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship at ROF Leeds (Barnbow in Crossgates) where they used to build Tanks. I was opposite you at Charles H. Roe, later Optare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry peel Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 1 hour ago, Robin (Red Spider) - Yorkshire AO said: I was opposite you at Charles H. Roe, later Optare. I seem to remember seeing bus chassis driving around with no body on. The driver sat in the elements on a seat with goggles on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibby Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 1 hour ago, OldStager said: Lots of draughtsman related careers as well it seems, I am guessing as you have eluded to that no paper and pencils are needed today?. Welcome BTW to WSCC. At uni (1999-2003) we were taught on drawing boards with a nice set of Rotring pens before we were let loose on CAD. I'd done a year out before uni with a big design consultancy where they stuck me on a CAD machine for 6 months so I could already do everything on the uni CAD module before we started. I can still do the basics on AutoCAD but it's more to sketch stuff up to scale on site layouts and I leave the real drawing to the CAD guys, it's got so complicated with lots of different CAD packages and most stuff going 3D and BIM in the last few years. Aced the vibrations modules and for my masters project, analysed and adapted mountain bike suspension shocks for single seat race cars (popped a mate's shock on a test rig, oops) and had dreams of becoming a rally suspension designer but ended up in water. I like destroying graduates' dreams telling them the water industry is full of people who have given up on their dreams, nobody grows up wanting to work with sewage, we've all failed at our dreams of designing rally suspension, water isn't something you can import/ export cheap from China so at least there is job security if you don't dangler up too many designs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Another one here to have started out as a draughtsman back in the '70s. Electrical: - wiring diagrams for control systems for steel plants and sewage treatment works, and some sheet metal. All by hand on A0 drawing boards/parallel motion. Then got made redundant and a year or two later (mid 80's) did a degree in Industrial Design. Been in that ever since - designing injection mouldings, extrusions, sheet metal fab, joinery etc. Problem solving essentially. Using Solidworks for the last 20 years. Of course, as with others, it started in childhood taking things to bits, then bicycles, then motorbikes, then cars, and eventually building the Westfield, then taking that to bits every winter, developing it. It never ends... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard (OldStager) Posted March 3, 2021 Author Share Posted March 3, 2021 5 minutes ago, Dibby said: nice set of Rotring pens Ah yes, in the summer holiday job I mentioned about the drawing office used those, I broke the nib on one and was given tea duties for the rest of that week - wow I had forgotten that until now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 On the subject of Rotring pens, do you remember using a scalpel to scrape out lines, or using an electric eraser - mains powered with a rubber held in a chuck? Used to get really hot in your hand if you were doing lots of mods 😁. Or if it was on a certain type of film, turning the sheet over to scrape the backing off? Those were the days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard (OldStager) Posted March 3, 2021 Author Share Posted March 3, 2021 Not me personally, but I do recall what I thought were craft knives in the little recess bits at the bottom of each drawing board, I knew what they looked like as my mum used similar for her crafts hobby, but I didn't use them myself. Thinking about it they may have removed them due to my age at the time sharp blades/ kids etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.