Andrew,
I was an industrial chemist, so I know a good bit of metallurgy; pretty strong on metal finishing and printed circuit manufacture; and made electroplated diamond and CBN tooling for "the trade". Just about enough engineering knowledge to be a dangerous thing!
My current project is fitting out a 13' x 6' workshop I attached to our garage which will then hold all my kit for both wood butchery and tin bashing. When that's done I'll be making a set of lathe tool holders, a tool grinding jig, and bodging a four jaw chuck that wasn't designed for it onto a backplate.
Regards
Eug