Workshop Manager Pat celebrates 45 years at the Assay Office
Workshop Manager, Pat Geary first started working for the Assay Office on 3 July 1978.
Pat began his career with us as a teenager. Pat's mother, who worked at the Assay Office, helped him get work experience with the Goldsmiths' Company, then, aged 16, Pat joined us and became an apprentice Engineer.
He says "I was the first Engineering apprentice to go through the Goldsmiths' Company. I specialised in tool making, so in the early 1980’s trained as a punch maker, manufacturing sponsors punches and all the support tooling needed throughout the Assay Office.
I achieved this using manual engraving and workshop machine tools. Today most of machine tools we use are much newer and modern from when I first started. For example, I incorporate CAD-CAM to manufacture our punches (Computer assisted drawing – computer assisted machining). Also, we use Art Cam for creating the hallmarks and sponsor's punches, which can be transferred to actual 3D Laser engraving."
We asked Pat some questions about his career:
What’s the best piece of advice you have been given? Work hard and embraces today’s challenges – that’s what my old man used to say to me!
Who is your inspiration? Again, many people I’ve met over the years – you can learn something from everyone whether skill, attitude or sharing experiences.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to follow in your footsteps? You have to have the passion for the job! You’ve got to be into what you’re doing, work hard, and be nice to people! An apprenticeship, or Mechanical Engineering qualification that involves using workshop machinery tools would underpin any specialist knowledge.
If you could work in another area of the industry, what would it be? In the Engineering industry I always thought Aerospace would be a fascinating field. In the jewellery industry, manufacturing the jewellery on a large scale. I’ve never made a piece of jewellery myself but using my engineering knowledge I’ve had a few ideas over the years…… Perhaps for my retirement!
