Cars & Machines
Machinist · Restorer · Lifelong Tinkerer
The stuff that taught me to stop being precious about machines: make the part, fix the problem, learn why it failed.
Shop experience
The original portfolio documents six-plus years around machining, including lathe training at ADCO, milling, welding, bending, and machine maintenance.
Machines
I restored an abandoned lathe and have worked on a C4 Corvette and a roughly $3k Jeep restoration — the kind of projects where diagnostics, fabrication, and persistence matter more than a perfect parts list.
Build gallery
Recovered images from the original project page, preserved here alongside the write-up.
Cars and Machines — Original portfolio notes
When I am not in school I love machining and working on cars. Here are some examples of my hobbies.
I take great pride in maintaining my 1995 burgundy C4 Corvette, with a strong focus on keeping it stock for car shows. Preserving the vehicle’s originality requires a mix of careful maintenance and custom engineering, especially when dealing with parts that are hard to find. A notable example of this was when my turn signal broke, and the only way to repair it was to remove the entire steering column and jerry rig a solution. This challenge required not only mechanical knowledge but also the ability to problem-solve and adapt.
I purchased a 1993 Jeep Wrangler for $3,000 and took on the ambitious task of restoring it. When I first acquired the vehicle, it was missing crucial components, such as the dash, power steering, handbrake, and speedometer, and its second gear wouldn’t stick. My work on the Jeep has involved fixing everything from the transmission to the electrical systems (I found the previous owner had it wired with house wires), and I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge about automotive mechanics in the process. It’s a project that requires constant learning, as each new repair teaches me more about both the Jeep and my capabilities as a problem solver.
With over six years of machining experience, I gained a solid foundation in metalworking through professional training at ADCO, a manufacturing company in my hometown of Sanger. At ADCO, I was specifically trained in lathe operations, learning the intricacies of precision machining. Although my training was focused on lathe work, I made all my parts at other facilities.
One of my most memorable projects was when I brought an old lathe back to life, purely out of curiosity. This lathe had been abandoned in a remote area that used to be my high school’s old bus yard. It was in a state of disrepair, with several components malfunctioning, including the emergency brake. Determined to bring it back into service, I took it on as a personal project, disassembling and adjusting the gears and other pieces to restore its functionality. This hands-on repair deepened my understanding of machine mechanics and sparked my passion for proactive maintenance.
Beyond lathe work, my experience also includes welding, milling, and metal bending, which I learned and practiced simultaneously. Working with these techniques has broadened my skill set and allowed me to approach projects from a variety of angles, whether it's structural components or precision parts. Throughout my time in machining, I’ve also taken responsibility for maintaining and repairing the machines I worked with, ensuring they stayed in top condition to avoid downtime and maintain reliability.