Maya Alvarado is the first Fixperts Resident, looking for fixes from British furniture manufacturer Benchmark’s Berkshire workshop. In this weekly column she’ll be sharing a day in her new life every Monday. Today we hear about her first day, including adventures on a bicycle, a new storage system for metal press parts and a lucky encounter with some of the local residents…
06:30: My phone alarm goes off. I wouldn’t say it has been a lazy summer, but this feels like a shock to the system. Luckily the hot water in my new flat is working to wake me up. I will be based in the workshop, so I search out some casual clothes that I don’t mind getting messy – and my new work boots.
06:45: I make a good breakfast of cornflakes, yogurt and honey, with ginger tea.
07:00: I double-check my bag for everything I need: paper, pens and a camera.
07:05: I leave the flat with my bike and a map open on my phone to figure out the best cycle route. I plan to go over Hungerford Common and along the canal to come out close to Benchmark.
07:35: I arrive in Kintbury after a rather difficult ride – it turns out my Moulton bike is not the best for the canal footpath! The wheels are far too small and thin for all the rocks and grass. I cycle for a further five minutes to the grounds of Benchmark. I feel nervous starting out, but hopeful for a successful day.
07:40: I settle in to the office and meet some of the design team. I find my desk, which is close to Sean’s office, with a wide Velux window and a beautiful green view. I can imagine how great it will be doing some design work here and thinking through all the Fixperts projects.
08:00: I am shown to my very own workbench in the middle of the large workshop. I feel so lucky to be here and it is quite surreal thinking that I have a whole year ahead of me. I meet the workshop team who are nearby and begin work developing the needle threader from my first Fixperts project.
08.30: I evaluate a quick prototype of the latest design. Having placed a rod to hold a cotton reel means that the device can almost be used with just one hand. A heavier base could make this easier, so I think about changing the cork to solid wood.
09:00: I begin looking around the workshop for fixes, it is hard as the place seems highly efficient as it is, perhaps there is room for subtle advancements, such as placement of tools, etc. I conduct my research through conversation and note taking. It is amazing looking at all of the different techniques that are used throughout the workshop. I particularly like the metalworks with large tanks of liquid for the patination (a surface treatment) of sheet metal.
10:00: Break time – a quick pit stop for tea and a slice of toast. All of the workshop makers gather together and it is a chance to meet more of the team.
10:10: I speak with Craig from the metal workshop. He tells me about the need for a storage system for metal press parts. They are long and heavy, so it must be a set of strong shelves. I begin cutting suitable lengths of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) to sit underneath the profile of each part. This will keep them upright and easy to slide out of the shelves. I was very happy to try out the panel saw (a large sawing machine with a sliding table). I took a minute trying to locate the measurements before realising it was electronic – so good!!
13:00: Lunchtime – delicious homemade pizza and salad made by the cook Jo. I sit with a new group of the team and flick through a tool magazine. I have been provided with a drill and large toolbox, but it will be good to collect some power hand tools, as they will be needed for each fix.
13:30: I spend the rest of the afternoon working on the shelves for the press parts. Sean comes down to the workshop to see how I am getting on and we talk about potential fixes for Benchmark.
18:00: After work, I pop to the pub just a stone’s throw from Kintbury station to see if I can meet some locals and I am invited to join a group. Most live in narrowboats on the canal. It is not long before they see my bike and also question its suitability out here in the countryside. A lovely guy Charlie, who happens to be an old friend of Terence Conran, offers to give me his old mountain bike – what a lovely fix and friendship already!
19:00: I head home via the beautiful canal footpath again. It has been a fantastic first day and I feel excited about what will come next.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- Benchmark selects first Fixperts resident
- interview :: nordvink
- interview :: james molkenthin
- interview :: richard hardy
