I did woodwork in high school was reasonably good at it and realised I liked working with my hands. I think I would have prefered a metal shop, but we didn't have one.
After school, in 1961 I started a 5 year apprenticeship as Fitter and Turner, by the end of 3rd year I was offered the chance to do an extra year in Tool Making. I took it, as I liked the extra precision, and the wider variety of machines.
The company had bought an aluminium and zinc die casting plant, and I was given the opportunity of working on die maint. I must have been good it as the boss soon had me in charge of the die maint section, still on apprentice wages, this was at the beginning of my 5th year.
About 6 months after completing my apprenticeship I got itchy feet and left that job moved interstate to Sydney (about 1000m) got a job in a hydraulics firm, within a few months I was given the job of testing new equipment. I thought that I could design a better pump than the one they were making. So after a few weekends and nights at the kitchen table I had produced a set of drawings for a new pump. Took them in and showed the boss.
A couple of weeks later they had built a prototype of my design, and gave it to me to test. I was pleased that they thought it was a good idea, but on the other hand, a bit miffed that I had not been given the opportunity to have a hand in making it.
Tested every which way and was really pleased that it performed so well, showed the results to the shop boss, he took me upstairs to meet the top boss, the plant owner, who shook my hand, and said well done lad. (I was 22 at the time) Then sent me back to my old job.
About a month later I learned, from the shop gossip, I was never formally told, that they were going into production with my pump and not a word was said to me, not even a bonus offered.
I was so disillusioned that a few weeks later I quit and took a job driving semi's interstate, Sydney to Perth, a 5 to 6 day run. Loved it I was my own boss, sort of, and a lot of time to think, also the pay was much better. During the next few years I learned to stand up for myself, and realized how much I'd been ripped off.
Realised that I liked to be on the move and travelling, but got sick of driving all the time, so had an opportunity to get on a ship as an engine room hand, once I got over being sea sick I loved it and within a couple of years i was back at school studying to be a marine engineer, which is what I did for most of the rest of my working life. Ending Up as 1st Engineer on the second largest ship ever to fly the Australian flag, an oil tanker owned by Shell Australia, carrying 136,000T of crude oil.
During that time I had learned how to repair just about any machine you can think of, often with inadequate tools, so much fun, and they paid as well.
Now that I'm fully retired, for the third time, and well past the age that I can get job, I realised that a guy needs a hobby, So here I am, I just have so many other things on that I don't get nearly enough time in my little shop, hopefully that will improve
