Now, that my internship is over, I figured to give you a short idea, of what I've learned:

Welding (MIG and TIG), if Eliot teaches you how to do it, don't forget to wear gloves...
How to use the laser cutter (best thing ever ;-))
How to use the plasma cutter
How to work with sheet metal (cutting (using a big press), bending, spot-welding, filing/ sanding and polishing it)
Surface mount soldering using soldering paste and improving my soldering skills
Finding the correct electronic components in storage (even though I'm still ridiculously slow...)
I already knew how to work with wood and make PCB's, but if you want to learn that, you are definitely at the right address

I probably forgot something, it was just so much.

After work I was allowed to use the work shop for private projects, so my family got self made Christmas presents.

In the picture you can see stuff I made for fun: an 18 Shot Nerf gun for my brother, a wooden bowl made from a topographical map of the lake we live at for my mum, a Japanese puzzle box for my dad and some lock picks for me.

I am at college at the moment and part of my course is work experience, so for the past year ive been going to a forge on mondays, i have always been interested in graphical design and This seems like it would be alot of fun and very resourceful, the only problem i face is the fact that i live in the south west of the UK. Would it be possible to get some form of temporary home up near the workplace?

What do you consider expenses? cost of using materials/machines? housing? food? transportation?

This sounds very interesting as I have already done a four-week placement through the Nuffield bursary with Expro Sub-sea Connectors. I am currently not in a position to have time away from studies but if this were to be available the same time next year it sounds like a fantastic oppourtunity.
I am based quite near to you, also.

ZZZZ

i need it

Hi Steve, when you say Northern Uk what exactly do you mean? Is it near Newcastle ? or is it near Nothingham :)

This sounds seriously amazing, I still have to do a six week internship to get my Bachelor's degree. And what I've heard and read in this and older posts, I would love to work with you. The amount of tools makes me drool ;-).

Just a few things to add to Steve's post....

I work for Steve and his wife at their company. I started there just over a year ago after meeting him on Instructables two years ago. I did my final year university project for him and afterward he took me on full time.

We're looking for people enthusiastic about making and designing things with a passion to learn. If you can't commit to a full time internship for a month or two, I have loads of unfinished projects we'd like to get done but just don't have time, in a plethora of subject areas.... mechanical engineering, digital electronics, control etc. If you're interested in learning or gaining some experience, send one of us a PM and we'll try find a project (big or small) or a time to visit to learn something to suit you/us.

The picture above's just tiny tiny corner of our workshop, name a tool and we've probably got it (except an EDM machine, we really really want a working one of those).

whats in the internship?
can you explain please.

Maybe have a contest for the internship? Are you sending back the last intern in one piece...oh right, we sent him with a few screws loose in the first place...

Already?? I haven't even left yet!

Vacuum brazing rig - mostly done, PM me if you need some help picking up where I left off
Sinker EDM - needs fixing
Automatic gate - halfway done(wasn't able to learn welding to the extent I wanted, but the next noob will)