Local machinist creates masterpieces in metal

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Published on Thursday, March 2, 2017

By Miranda Leybourne

The Neepawa Banner

On any given day, you can find Mike Reader in the basement of his Neepawa home, in his workshop, manipulating metal into intricate, technically perfected recreations of pop culture. It’s a passion of his that blossomed naturally from his work as a machinist.

Reader, a friendly, unassuming man who emigrated with his wife, Debbie, from England around two decades ago, takes on projects from clients spread all over the world whose hobby it is to collect high-quality, accurate models and replicas of anything in the world of sci-fi, from spaceships to robotic weaponry to movie props. 

It’s a hobby that takes up a lot of his time, but can pay well, especially since he started doing it full-time about a year ago -- previously he set aside his evenings to hone his craft.

“Seventeen years ago, I went to a hobby show in Brandon...and met up with some people who found out I was a machinist,” Reader explains. “[They] asked if I could make them some various parts for a project they were working on.”

Reader’s 38 years of experience making parts for steel mills, coal mines, air crafts, nuclear submarines, the food industry, lumber yards, undersea cable laying, agriculture and more, mean that he has a unique set of skills that transferred seamlessly into a more creative endeavour. His favourite project, to date, was working on a prop for a movie that was filmed locally in Neepawa, shot at the Roxy Theatre, called Amityville Theatre.

His most lucrative project, however, cost $1,200, and was made for a collector in Switzerland. “[He] sent all [the money] in an envelope in cash,” Reader remembers with a chuckle. “It was cheaper than getting a Swiss money order.”

Switzerland is one of many far-off locations that Reader has sent his work to. Not many other machinists, he says, take on the same kind of projects he so enjoys, bringing him requests for work from around the globe.

“It’s mainly the U.S. and Europe, although I have sent stuff to Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan,” he recollects. “Some of my clients are friends, family, local businesses, doctors, engineers, business people, CEOs with multi-million dollar companies, police officers, airline pilots and regular people like myself, who have a passion for sci-fi.”

Many of his clients contact him online, but Reader also travels extensively to different trade shows -- just last year, he and his wife were in Louisville, Kentucky, and they plan to head there again this year, as well as stop in at a trade show just outside of New York City this July.

Reader encourages other artists to unleash their creativity and to challenge themselves with new endeavors. “Be adaptable and flexible,” he advises. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, as a product you make now may not be popular months from now. Diversify into other fields out of your comfort zone, and finally, always give your customers good value for [their] money.” 

Above all, says Reader, make sure that you enjoy what you do.