R K R Lathe Work

At 531, Virudhunagar Main Road in Thiruthangal, things move at a steady pace. Our shop is just one of many along this busy road, and we spend most of our time hunched over the lathe machines. It’s heavy work, and our hands are usually stained black with grease by ten in the morning. We started R K R Lathe Work because we knew how to handle the machinery and there was a need for it in this area. The building itself is older, and the roof leaks a tiny bit when the monsoon rains get really heavy, but we just move the machines out of the way. We don’t have a fancy waiting room or anyone to answer phones; if you want to talk to us, you usually have to wait until we turn off the motor so we can hear you. There is a small tea stall nearby where we go when we need a break from the noise. The metal we work with can be stubborn, and sometimes a job takes longer than we thought it would, but that is just the nature of the trade. We aren't interested in being some corporate entity; we are just local workers who take care of the tasks that come our way. Most days involve a lot of measuring, cutting, and checking everything twice. It’s not glamorous, but it keeps us busy and the shop running in a corner of Thiruthangal.