Frank Chance
Machinist

Frank is a Savannah Native growing up in his Dad’s machine shop.  As a machinist, he’s worked in power plants in Utah, Montana, Texas, Louisiana, Florida and New York.  Thankfully for us, Frank came back to Savannah. Frank’s passions are history and archaeology, studying both since high school and participating in numerous digs.  He’s credited with finding a major Native American site in Bryan County GA.   He has a beautiful collection of bottles and artifacts dating from before the time of American Revolution through the Civil War.   He’s also found several treasures from the old Thunderbolt Casino, that sat on the site of  The Crew Lounge at Thunderbolt Marine. (You can find more information about the casino on our website).  Frank is a certified SCUBA diver and has been involved in excavating five shipwrecks, documenting one as Co-Author of ‘Tangled Machinery and Charred Relics, The Historical and Archaeological Investigation of The C.S.S. Nashville’.

Frank attributes the time in his father’s machine shop for his drive to “create things”.  A few of Frank’s creations can be found on or around his work bench.   There is an anvil he made from a piece of railroad rail (track),  a knife crafted from a railroad spike.   One of his more popular creations a Jeep replica golf cart is in use daily as his transportation around the yard.   Keeping in line with custom cars, Frank customized a Jeep truck and is now building a hot rod.