Hello

[Mchopperpilot]

Just wanted to take a moment to say Hi and as a genuine tinkerer say that this seems to be a great forum for minds that won't stay in "the box". It requires a special something extra to be able to visualize the kinds of tools and fixtures that are common here. But, it takes a lot more than that to turn those visions into a functional reality.

I have always been mechanically inclined and blessed with a sense of sorts that makes it easy see the workings of components and systems just by looking at them. Because of that I gravitated into the maintenance of every type military equipment the units I found myself in employed. So I wound up as a Maintenance Officer first for wheel vehicles, then tanks and finally as Maintenance Officer and Test Pilot for Army Aircraft, primarily helicopters.

Retired today and with serious mobility issues from disabling conditions and injuries I can no longer pass a Flight Physical and have keep my feet [I]and mind[I] on the ground. After retiring I started making fiddles, learning the process on my own. Since then I have graduted from a Gunsmithing Course with Penn Foster College and learned upholstery by way of dvd's and hands on experience. My next goal is pick up Machining (lathe and mill). Living in the outback of Arkansas there are no trade schools or training courses available locally, so I am searching for all the help I can get in targeting training, formal or informal, online or otherwise via computer or dvd. If any of you have knowledge of training program availble please send the info my way.

Thanks for taking the time to sort of discover who I am and I wish everyone the best of everything.

Mark "Preacher" Wells

[kbalch]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to HomemadeTools.net!

Let me say right up front: Thank you for your service!

Sounds as though we've got some significant overlap in interests. Always a tinkerer, I have an aviation background (CFI/homebuilder/acro/warbirds/etc.), and have been thinking of doing a gunsmithing course.

I'm sure you've got lots of neat projects to share - and we'd love to see them!! Anything you post to the forum will be added to our database and will undoubtedly find an interested and grateful audience.

Ken