[Tensaiteki]

My name is Chris. I've been a weldor/fabricator for almost 20 years. I also dabble in manual and CNC machining, 3D printing, electronics, and foundry work.

I started in sheet metal work with a pair of tin snips, a Harbor Freight drill, a pop rivet gun, some galvanized flashing from Home Depot, and Dave Gingery's Sheet Metal Technology book. I built mt first toolbox using a brake built from plywood and door hinges.

These days I program and run a 6-axis Mazak laser, a 5' x 12' CNC plasma that I built more than a decade ago, a 4' x 10' 5-axis waterjet, and a 130 ton Trumpf CNC press brake.

While I've done a ton of straight bends and more than a bit of slip-roll work, I've never had the chance to try true metal shaping.

So, to start, I've been working on building a ShopDog 12EA. I'll start a thread in the reciprocating machine build diary sub-forum shortly.