Hello from France

[northumbrian]

Hello,

I am British Gunsmith, now living in France.

For years I've alway worked for someone else, and now I am setting up shop for myself.

I've got a lot of experience, but I always think there is plenty to learn and there is alway someone cleverer than yourself.
So thats why I'm here, to find those cleverer than myself, and maybe be the clever one someone else needs.

I've been for last few months getting the house finished, and now I've been able to get on and start working on the machine shop.
Almost got my work bench finished, just a few finishing touches left, I've got one Lathe my old Harrison L6 wired up and running.
Just got to get the Aciera F3 mill rewired, and the Hardinge HC wired up, and I'll be ready to go.

As I have found getting the tooling I need is rather difficult & expensive over here, I've bought a Clarkson Mk2 Tool & Cutter grinder, so my plan is to get into toolmaking, so if there are any toolmakers on here I love to pick your brains.

[AussieJimG]

Welcome Northumbrian, you will find plenty of like-minded people here.

Jim

[awemawson]

Welcome aboard Northumbrian. Lots of toolmaking and sharpening 'happenings' round here so I think you've arived in the right place. Where abouts in France are you?

Andrew

[Meldonmech]

             Welcome to the forum, look forward to your posts

                                                                                     Cheers David

[Stilldrillin]

Hi Northumbrian! 

Welcome to the Collective. 

With your background and experience, we should get along very nicely. 

Join in, whenever you can. Enjoy! 

David D

[northumbrian]

Thanks for the welcomes.

I'd rather not say exactly where in France I am, but I will say, I'm in Limousin.

I'll post some pics as soon as I figure out how to on here.

[northumbrian]

As the smilies say 

So here's the pics I've got so far.


This is the upper level work area, the frame is Teak 3x3" and 5x5" legs.


Worktop in place, the drawers on the left are solid Oak, all the materials I've used are what was left by the previous owner, yes that includes the Teak.


The lathes, the Harrison L6 on the left, and the Hardinge HC on the right, everything is work in progress at the moment, the Harrison is wired in, but the Hardinge is not.


Aciera F3 mill, this was wired in, but a recent lighting strike now means it needs a rewire 

Well thats all for now, I'll try and get some more pics up as I go.

[mattinker]

Hi

I think your going to need to insulate fast! It was down to 4°C this afternoon here in the Parisien suburbs, my workshop which is pretty well insulated is at 12°C.  It is usually warmer here than in the Limosin so "bon courage"!

Regards, Matthew

[awemawson]

"I'd rather not say exactly where in France I am, but I will say, I'm in Limousin."

It's alright, you're safe we weren't all coming round for tea 


Workshop is a good looking space, I like your mezzanine guard post ! I hope that your winters aren't as bleak as I fear they may be with no insulation in that roof - I reckon it'll get mighty parkie after a while.

Andrew

[northumbrian]

I've got a wood burning stove, going in this week, so that should keep the temp up enough.

[awemawson]

Matthew got there first while I was typing 

I see there seems to be no sarking under the ?? slates ?? - I'd be expecting blown snow and quite a dust problem.

Andrew

[northumbrian]

"I'd rather not say exactly where in France I am, but I will say, I'm in Limousin."

It's alright, you're safe we weren't all coming round for tea 


Workshop is a good looking space, I like your mezzanine guard post ! I hope that your winters aren't as bleak as I fear they may be with no insulation in that roof - I reckon it'll get mighty parkie after a while.

Andrew

Given the work I do, and as I now work from home, keeping the exact location off a public forum, is just better safe than sorry, no offense intended to anyone.
Besides after I've got to know some of you, you'll be welcome to come around for tea, oh and I make home brew beer & wine 

The roof is going to get insulated next year, just ran out of time to get it done this year. So I'll just have to live with it  for the time being.

The mezzanine guard post as you call it is the back of the main work bench, where I do all the general gun work, such as assembly & disassembly, stocks etc.
I have another room off from the main lower level area, which I will be using as my "dirty" area, so the heat treatment furnaces, surface treatment kit will go in there.
But at the moment it's nothing more than a store room, so not really worth the effort of taking a pic just yet.

The upper level/mezzanine is where I intend to set up all the toolmaking kit, I've got my eye on a Schaublin 102 plain bench lathe, which would go very nicely with the Clarkson grinder I've just bought. I'll be making all of my own Chamber reamers and custom milling cutters that I need.

As I said everything is work in progress, as we have not been here very long. So work on the house & the other barn that is almost falling down takes priority.
But, I do look forward to posting on here. So far I seen some very interesting stuff.

[krv3000]

hi and welcume

[Brass_Machine]

Welcome to the collective

I must say...

Love the workshop!!

Eric

[mattinker]

I've got a wood burning stove, going in this week, so that should keep the temp up enough.

I don't want to ran on your parade, but my experience in the South West of France was that it was far colder and damper than I had imagined. My first winter in the Tarn et Garrone, everybody said "it never snows in Caussade" right, snow, frozen washing machine inside the house! The winter of '84, I moved up to Paris, the thermometer went down to -25°C! OK it's not every year, but I really wouldn't like to see all your nice machines going orange from the condensation!

From the pitch of the roof, your not too far south, a bit of altitude? I uderstand you don't want to say where you are, but how are you going to find customers if you keep your whereabouts secret?

Chopping the wood for the stove will get you warm!

I wish you all the best, I'm into my thirty-fifth year here, wouldn't move back! Regards, Matthew

[northumbrian]

Your point is well made, and thank you for the advice, I've only been here for a few months, and not had a full winter yet.
So your advice is very much appreciated.

As to getting customers, I have already started putting the word around with local gun clubs, shops, etc.
The other side of the business will be online, and a lot of the stuff I'll be producing can be sold online & sent out via mail order.
I have also made inroads into the local community, and more importantly the local Marie, as he's also the head on the local Chasse, he's a very good one to be friends with.

I think I might insulate the roof, when the stove goes in, with what you've said it might be worth doing sooner rather than later.

Altitude wise I'm at 560m, and I am in the centre to the east of Limoges, in a very sheltered location.

[awemawson]

You really do need some form of sarking under those slates before you insulate. Preferably one of the breathable membranes. I know it means removing the slates but without it you will always get blown snow and dust in over your otherwise nice metrology kit

A friend of mine moved to France and ended up with a very similar barn attached to his house. He eventually built his workshop as a separate entity, properly waterproofed and insulated within the barn for these very reasons.

Andrew

[northumbrian]

Within a few posts I can see that joining this group was a good idea.

Sorting the roof out properly is not going to happen this year, I can only take measure to keep all of my precious toys under wraps and protected.
I did not fit the roof, it was already done by the previous owner, It seems to be the story of my life sorting out other peoples mistakes, but hey that's life ;)

Thank you both Matthew & Andrew, for your advice, it is greatly appreciated.

[awemawson]

Your more than welcome - please take comments as constructive. This forum is habituated by many helpful and generous members, but you will have to take the occasional leg pull. (me more than most  )

Yes it's a bit late in the year for roof stripping. If you are back in the UK in the near future at the moment I have a surplus of the treated paper that prevents rust - excellent stuff for protecting delicate stuff if it is in a confined space like a tool box (or also wrapped in cling film.) I could spare you a 10 kg roll if you can collect

Andrew

[mattinker]

Hi,

I wouldn't strip the roof! It would have been better to put the membrane in when the slates were laid, but taking them off would be time consuming hard work! From what I can see, you can staple a membrane to the inside, or, if you use plasterboard with polyurethane/polystyrene already fixed to it acts like a vapour barrier.

It's a great adventure changing cultures and languages!

All the best, Matthew

[awemawson]

Trouble with the membrane inside the roof timbers is long term rot.

Andrew

[northumbrian]

I think, the best option for me at the moment, would be insulation & membrane stapled/fixed to the inside, then at a later date, when funds & time are more willing, strip the roof and do it properly.

As per pulling of the leg, I expect nothing but the best 

I alway take comments as they are meant, and on here I'd like to think they're constructive 

[PekkaNF]

You have a very nice shop.

How about using it a yar or two before rushing into endless interior decoration?

If I were you, I would just get one (or two) of those canavas gazebos and put it inside. You don't need to worry too much winload inside and that would keep any droppings of the tools. Might even be a good idea if you use a little heating or suffer from insects any time of year (the models that has insict netting with zippers on all sides).

Pekka

[northumbrian]

Thanks, Pekka, not a bad idea, worth thinking about.

But I've got to do some work on the roof to put the chimney for the stove in, so I thought I might as well just put up some membrane or something, whilst I'm at it.