Srimathi Machine Works

Out here on Maniyakarampalayam Road, things are usually pretty quiet until we start up the heavy machines for the day. We are located at New No. 16, Lakshmi Thottam, which is just a short walk from the Chinnavedampatti Post area. Srimathi Machine Works is basically a workshop where we spend our time cutting and shaping metal into different parts. It gets incredibly hot in the summer months, especially when you are standing right next to the lathes. We have a few guys who have been working here for years and years. They know the sounds of these engines better than anything else. We handle whatever work comes through the door. Sometimes it is just a small part for a farm tool, and other times it is something much larger for a factory. We don't have any fancy air conditioning systems here. We just open the big doors and let whatever breeze there is come inside. The concrete floor is always covered in some amount of metal shavings. You really have to watch where you are stepping. We aren't looking to become the biggest shop in the state. We just want to do the work correctly the first time so we don't have to redo it. It involves a lot of measuring. If you miss by even a hair, the whole piece of metal is basically junk. So we take our time and eat lunch under the trees to get away from the noise.