Michael Helliwell
Hi, I am the Maker Lab Technician, and I can be found in the Peter De Wint building, first floor. I have been employed within the College of Art since August 2018.
My working life started as an apprentice manufacturing technician within the Royal Air Force(RAF) way back last century. This apprenticeship covered general engineering including welding, fabrication and the machining of parts from vehicle bodies to aircraft panels. Initially focusing on welding and fabrication as the years progressed, I gained CNC milling and lathe qualifications. After leaving the RAF I lectured engineering at Lincoln and Boston colleges before deciding to set up a small business supporting the trophy and awards industry. This is where I began using lasers, table top cnc machinery and a host of other hand and machine tools to meet customer needs. I became proficient in CorelDraw X5, SureLab Pro and PTC Pro Desktop 8 3D to support design builds and used these as my main interface with laser and CNC projects.
This industry quietened down in 2014 so I became a technician in a secondary school supporting STEM subjects until joining the College of Arts in 2018. Although the wrong side of 21 I am keen to learn new things and enjoy the challenges that present themselves from students wanting to explore new and old concepts. No reasonable request for help will be turned down if it can be performed safely and with consideration for other Maker Lab users. Bring on normal times. Hopefully see you soon in the Maker Lab.