Hello from Pangnirtung, Nunavut.

[Donald Mearns]

Hi,
I’m Don, a hobby machinist in Pangnirtung Nunavut, retired and living here.
Interests are just about anything, if I become fixated on it then I will do it. Main things are keeping an assortment of toys necessary for northern life going. Machining comes in handy as there isn’t a Napa or dealership just next door, so make do and mend is the mantra. A bit of simple gunsmithing also and anything that turns up at the door for folks in our community. Boat parts, trucks to Snowmobiles and all in between. I also now dabble in making violins, wooden toys, uluit (Inuit woman’s knives) and men’s knives. Fishing and boating are main pastimes when health and body allows.
Recently added a CX601 mill to the shop to compliment the Southbend 9/10 light I have. You will see there is a story already on the mill so it will be an interesting challenge to move forward with.
Also added to the toys was a Craftex wood lathe, this for the time being is getting most of my attention. Trying to make nice things with wood from the wood dump!
A passion of some 50yrs has been motorcycles too, there are a few scattered around the country and a couple old bikes close to home.
On top of this I play guitar, mandolin and bagpipes, not all at the same time. See I had to retire, there was no time to fit in work!
All the best

 

[Susquatch]

I think I already said welcome, but no such thing as too much welcome! So welcome again from Ontario Farmland South of Chatham!

Interesting set of interests you have. I used to play guitar but my fingers divorced me and had to quit. I've often wondered about making one.

Got curious about Pangnirtung and looked it up. WOW! Now that's what I call North! The map didn't say, but isn't that on Baffin Island? No wonder it takes forever to get a mill delivered. I assume it comes by boat.

How many people live in Pangnirtung? And what are their main occupations? I can certainly see the value of being the local handyman.

Very Cool! Looking forward to hearing your stories and your projects.

Don't forget pictures. We all like LOTS of pictures!

 

[trlvn]

Welcome from near Toronto! It appears from the map that you are closer to Reykjavik, Iceland than to, say, Ottawa! I know very little about the far North so I'd love to hear a few tidbits about your area. Or not, your choice.

Craig

 

[little ol' e]

Welcome Donald, great group of members here . You will fit in well. I'm new here as well, hope you enjoy the forum. I bet you get some cool projects landing at the door, would love to see some when you get a chance.
Cheers,
Eric in Mount Forest, Ontario.

 

[6.5 Fan]

Welcome from SK.

 

[140mower]

Welcome from another Don, here in Lillooet BC.
As Susquatch has already mentioned, we love pictures here, and not just of tools and projects (although those are the main focus), we also like to see pictures of the area that our members live in, and you live in an area that very few of us have seen before. Hopefully you will enjoy your time here, it's possibly the friendliest machining forum on the 'net, with a wealth of experience and information amongst our members. They are a pretty tolerant bunch as well, I mean, they have let me stay for over a year now.

 

[Hacker]

Welcome to the forum. The only thing you seem to be missing is an acreage. Looking forward to hearing what you are up to. Getting round stock must be a heart wrenching experience.

 

[Chicken lights]

Welcome from Ontario

 

[Proxule]

Welcome aboard, GLuck on your 601 repair

 

[Donald Mearns]

I think I already said welcome, but no such thing as too much welcome! So welcome again from Ontario Farmland South of Chatham!

Interesting set of interests you have. I used to play guitar but my fingers divorced me and had to quit. I've often wondered about making one.

Got curious about Pangnirtung and looked it up. WOW! Now that's what I call North! The map didn't say, but isn't that on Baffin Island? No wonder it takes forever to get a mill delivered. I assume it comes by boat.

How many people live in Pangnirtung? And what are their main occupations? I can certainly see the value of being the local handyman.

Very Cool! Looking forward to hearing your stories and your projects.

Don't forget pictures. We all like LOTS of pictures!

Hi Susquatch,
Yes we are on South Baffin, Cumberland Sound leads to our fiord. Population would sit around 1400. Occupations would be Local Government, Territorial Government, fish plant, seasonal fisheries, Parks Canada, Weave shop, print shop and local Stores(Coop/Northern). A busy little community. Schools also would have a 50/50 mix of Inuit and Southern teachers.
I wouldn’t profess to be the local handyman as most of the guys are very handy! From welding up aluminum boats in remote spots to sorting any of the regular things, replacing truck engines in all sorts of extremes. Never ceases to amaze. It’s never unusual to see a vehicle physically rolled on its side supported by 4x4s to get at some part underneath.
Photos are from a trip a couple of weeks about 7 km by UTV and ATV up the fiord looking for berries with my wife. We are presently in the midst of a snow storm.
Hope you enjoy.
Cheers
Donald.

 

[Donald Mearns]

Welcome from another Don, here in Lillooet BC.
As Susquatch has already mentioned, we love pictures here, and not just of tools and projects (although those are the main focus), we also like to see pictures of the area that our members live in, and you live in an area that very few of us have seen before. Hopefully you will enjoy your time here, it's possibly the friendliest machining forum on the 'net, with a wealth of experience and information amongst our members. They are a pretty tolerant bunch as well, I mean, they have let me stay for over a year now.

Hi Don!
Hahah! Yeah I’m enjoying it very much, could almost say I’m glad my mill doesn’t work or I wouldn’t have discovery this!

 

[Donald Mearns]

Welcome from near Toronto! It appears from the map that you are closer to Reykjavik, Iceland than to, say, Ottawa! I know very little about the far North so I'd love to hear a few tidbits about your area. Or not, your choice.

Craig

Oh don’t worry I am a shameless promoter of all that is Nunavut related, Nunavut is Canada’s own Tibet, a little known cultural wonder in the north.
Once I have this all figured out there will be lots of video, photos and my stream of consciousness or unconscious posts!
Cheers
D

 

[140mower]

Hi Don!
Hahah! Yeah I’m enjoying it very much, could almost say I’m glad my mill doesn’t work or I wouldn’t have discovery this!

It was my quest for some odd ball 16mm collets I was looking for to fit a cutter grinder that I had recently purchased.... I have since resigned myself to having to purchase some more key tools to make my own one day...... Damn, I love this hobby......

 

[Susquatch]

Photos are from a trip a couple of weeks about 7 km by UTV and ATV up the fiord looking for berries with my wife. We are presently in the midst of a snow storm.

Wow! Gorgeous.

Ive never seen a white ATV before. How appropriate!

What is the white dome thing in the middle of a field? Looks like it might be some kind of modern igloo!

Ever since my hair and beard turned white, a fair number of my buddies have started to call me Yeti instead of Susquatch. I'd be right at home up there!

 

[YYCHM]

Welcome from Calgary.

 

[whydontu]

Welcome from Vancouver! Pangnirtung looks awesome!

 

[thestelster]

Welcome from Keswick, Ontario. I was in Pelly Bay, NWT, back in the August, 1970, with the Reserves. Its quite beautiful up there. The one thing that I found most astonishing when we got off the C-130, I looked up to the sky, and it seemed that you could almost touch the clouds.

 

[Mcgyver]

Once I have this all figured out there will be lots of video, photos and my stream of consciousness or unconscious posts!
Cheers
D

I look forward to it and thanks for a glimpse of a world most us know little about. One of best written books I've read was Levy's Labyrinth of Ice which is a fantastic account of the Greely expedition. Very neat to meet someone who's living in the same area.....the winters sound unimaginable!
Mike

 

[Canadium]

Welcome from Hamilton Ontario. Like everyone else here I look forward to hearing about life in Nunavut! A part of Canada I've never seen and know little about.



A view from the Red Hill Valley walking trail in Hamilton Ontario.

 

[jcdammeyer]

Welcome from Vancouver Island. Central Saanich actually, North of Victoria, South of the Airport and Ferry terminal . This is a view of a pond in Elk Lake Park that is currently mud due to the 109 days of no rain.