As long as I can remember I have always wanted to be an engineer! Some statement to make for a 13 year old boy having his first meeting with the careers officer at school. I followed my own, and everyone else’s advice at 16 and got a trade, the best thing I could have done at the time. I started first year apprentice school at Holroyd gear works but as an apprentice for Manesty Machines LTD, it felt like I was working at Rolls Royce, it was brilliant! I excelled at machining, quickly learning it was easier to get a machine to do it, rather than do it yourself. I specialised in milling and jig boring working with every metal you can think of, plastics and other exotic materials, and every tool known to man. I then graduated to the illustrious NC/CNC department which was even better as the machine did even more of the work. I learned programming and even more about the operational side of production and how it all fits into a manufacturing industry. At the same time I studied at Rochdale Tech for a HNC in production and Mechanical Engineering. 

    Unfortunately as the 1980’s came to a close so did the boom and even the need for engineering, it kind of ended and the company reduced in size eventually moving to Liverpool. I did not follow, so I left engineering and flirted about with a few other careers for a few months. I then spotted an opportunity in woodworking, which I saw as an area I could excel in, “engineering in wood” as the adoption of CNC technology was just beginning! I spent the next 30 years at JJO plc working my way to senior manager in charge of Maintenance and technical services.  Part of my role was machine and tool development, a role I would like to think I was very good at. When I started in 1990, PCD tooling was in its infancy, it was rather like knocking it off with a cricket bat! Fortunately things have moved on somewhat and I have moved every step of the way with it! I have been working with Cruing tooling for more than 20 years and in my opinion, they are the best tools in the world! But times change, so  after taking redundancy last year, 30 years is a long time in 1 place, I decided to see if I could share some of what I have learned and do my best to put proper tooling where it should be. So, here we are with Arrow Diamond Tooling LTD, my company, I think I made the right choice and I hope you do too. 

A Devereux.    

Still a budding engineer, still adore machining and now at 57, a web designer! Thankfully engineering is making a massive comeback in the UK and I think it’s fantastic.