[@Pirouette]
Pretty much a good soldier right until he hits the battlefield. Then all bets are off. But I do think you are onto something with them both being tinkerers, though I'd suspect that she might have a bit more formal experience since, well, most of his work is upkeep and modifications instead of outright building and it really hasn't ever been part of his formal profession. More a necessity he picked up and ran with. But considering what he's seen? He's probably got some tricks for her to learn in the workshop, even if they don't get along outside of the shop. It'll be enough common ground to keep him from flat out disliking her. Like you said, colleagues working together in a shop pouring over metal and machines, whenever the time presents itself.