How did you learn the Machinist trade?

[widgitmaster]

You're never too old to return to school!
The local community colleges have technical courses in machine tool technologies as well as electronics, air conditioning, automotive, wood shop etc..

I have found these courses to be quite valuable over the years, especially when changing jobs and needing to learn newer skills!

Eric

[cobburn]

I started out four years ago as just a machine operator and I dont think i ever saw a machine shop before then. Since then I went from a supervisor, and I was the in house screw specialist and it was the only CNC we didn't have a mastercam post processor for so I did all programming manually. Now I'm a tool maker in a different division with only manual machines. I miss the CNC's but I've learned a lot. I love working with CNC's but to take an oppurtunity within your same company and make more $$...well enough said.

[wolfgang314]

In short:

After using a drill press and Dremel to make my first engine, I was hooked. I purched a Sherline mill as soon as I could afford one. I assebled it and admired it for about 15 minutes, then told myself, "Welp, I guess I better cut something". The rest is history.

6 yrs later and alot of scrap I'm currently self-employed and designing/building my own CNC products. I recently purchased a CNC Taig and in the process of changing all of the products I use to make by hand to one I'll be making with CNC. I can only see things getting better from here (fingers crossed).

Richard Stethem

Wolfgang Engineering.

[wolfgang314]

. Now I will learn from you people and play with my lathe more. I just get confused with all the different tooling in the catalogs for what I need in a particular situation.
Marc

Do not overwhelm yourself with all of the different tooling. Purchase the basics, i.e. RH, LH cutters, boring bar, parting tool,...ect. and as your experience grow's and your knowledge of the trade picks up, you will start to realize what other tools are needed. Hope this helps.

[Athreo 1]

Graduated from a machinist training program in the "Motor City" ten years ago but started work as a detailer/drafter. All of my good instructors told me to start "entry level". I am glad I did. When you are "green" and are humble people will answer any question you have. I have never stopped asking co-workers questions about things I don't know especially the machinists.

With a decent knowledge of the basics from school, the rest is experience. I also learned not to leave the drawbar wrench on top of your drawbar when you start the spindle on the bridgpeport. That usually sends people diving for cover, and starts a series of hoots, hollars, and catcalls that lets everybody know you messed up. Also make sure your machine is in gear because that gets the same response. It did help me learn too!

[Billet Sean]

I jumped into a machine shop right out of high school in 2002 @ $10 per hour. I worked for my then Father-in-Law. Now he's just my boss. The only shop I'd ever been in before that was High School Wood Shop. I couldn't tell you the difference between a mill or a lathe. Now I do all of our Cad/Cam. And I have programed everything from Fadal's, Haas (horizontal HS-1), Milltronic's (mills/lathes), Viper's, Femco's, Mori Sieki's and a FlowJet. I also do some minor Manual machining. Best job I could've asked for. We do a lot of traveling to Gun, Racing Go Kart and Motorcycle shows. 3 of the industries we make most of our parts for.

[albor]

Hi all noob here
Hey widgetmaster watched and read your post on that fine little router table.
me i,m pushing 30 year I used to learn something new everyday, still do just not always with metal LOL. Have run a variety of machines mills lathes shapers turretes vmc's knee mills, settled in on devlieg 96"x60" K model got alittle older like the little bit of automation power locks any way few yrs back supervisor say's hey jimco needs a temporary night man to run floor mill! 54 foot table x 20foot column. I said TAKE ME TAKE ME. Everything done in gcode, now I had an idea as I did work on a boss bridgeport pratt whitney mod nc glorified drill press as to what I was in for, luckily it was a production job only lasting 6 mos. But to cut this short I really did enjoy rewriting the program (with help from the day man until he saw how fast my prodution went up 1.5 parts to three per shift) and all I did was combine alot of tool changes into just one face mill and had the machine do more work than me! 1 week later boss stops by and guess you guys aren't working out as a team! I said HUH? Ok see ya in the morn. since then cnc has been under my skin, a manual machine involves a lot of set up indacating, math, cnc if you control the job start to finish involves alot also, if I could do it again would have put more into cad cam cnc machining, 3,4,5 axis and not to mention robots, yes metal removal thats me but there is just so much more than making chips, just amazing what these people are producing on these machines. Thats why I am throwing my hat in the and gonna build solsylva based machine, I have a big learning curve on the software side, but being laid off, it'll keep me active! And it might keep the wife happy because I'm not spending so much time on this forum LOL But I love knowledge and learning, too bad I can't retain it like when I saide I'LL cut this short LOL SORRY, OK enuff venting looking to more great post from you guys

[albor]

OH yea forgot to mention school of hard knocks 12 to 16 hour days and 2 years of applied tech for apprenticeship last job i was at had a revolving door, got to a point if a gut wasn't there more than 2 weeks didn't bother to get to know him. Some how I lasted 18 years????????? And I wasn't the perfect employee Still don't know why, Guess I just have a good personality. COUGH HACK!!!! ROFL!

[gonejunking]

I started in high school machine shop class, then got a job after school running a lathe doing second opp to a screw machine @ $1.65/ hr. Learned how to cut cams for the screw machines, then set up and run a mill. After a year, I went to an other shop and did my apprenticeship with a tool and die maker. I then went to a small shop that made aircraft parts, then to the place that made airplanes. Now I design and build prototype parts and proof of concept parts.
Still learning.......

Jeffrey

[allchevy]

On The Job And By My Father..

[Integrex]

I took a metal shop coop during high school, learned some basic turning, some welding and fabrication, I then went to college for a year course in precision machining. I attended a different college for a Mechanical Technician Toolmaking course which was a 2 year diploma. I took a work term at a cnc shop for the summer, then during my second year i was denied student assitance (i guess making 8,000 bucks means that you made too much money to get help paying.... HA!) So i was basically forced to work nearly fulltime at another shop during my second year to be able to afford to finsh up. After all this I moved across the country, worked 19 hours a day for a month and a bit at another shop and for a CADCAM company supporting mastercam. now a year later i work for a machine tool company.

I learned by eating sleeping and breathing machining.

PS Machining hasnt devolved because of CNC. the only thing thats changed is that there are far more people who dont excel in machining because they end up thinking CNC is the end all be all of machining, when really... operating a machine is a monkey job. If all you can do is setup the machine and run it. youre severly limiting yourself. The types of machines and machining techniques in use today would blow most peoples minds...simply because theyve never seen what the cutting edge of manufacturing is these days. and believe me, if you think going from manual machining to a cnc mill is advanced stuff.... cnc milling has been around for decades, even five axis machining has been around a fairly long time....) theres MUCH more advanced stuff out there than most people have seen in their entire careers (robots being programmed by cam software, lasers, mill/laser/grinder machines, multitasking machines, super high speed milling machines, swiss style lathes, combo machines that function as vertical AND horizontal, lathes AND mills in one machine, etc) its all about staying on top.

[jimco]

It's an art, you either have it or you don't. I have worked with guy's who have been in the trade for years and still can't figure out stuff, then along come some guy who just get's it and he run circles around them.

Have a great day- Jimco

[rpcaster]

Should have added another option!

"Have not learned yet!" - But that's why I joined CNCzone.

[BZER1]

As a "master mechanic" light manual machining was part of everyday life. I have since moved on to Computers and networking, but never could get the shop out of my system. I opened a part time powder coating shop...started doing some light fabrication, and now I'm looking to marry my previous mechanical, machining, and computer skills together to create what is shaping up to be a pretty expensive hobby...or hobbies...or passtime...ok,ok...so it's becomming a bit of an obsession.

[tail stock]

went to tech school for four years learned a lot I did all kind the machining , theory, math,technology etc. even calculus, everything related with the trade and even more is being a good trade for me trained aprentices , right now I am working on tool and die for thermo forming and designing new thing to improve production more automatized with less effort I am trying to built my on shop, with every thing conventional then retrofitted to cnc I am gettinng very close to it (36 years on the trade and going strong)

[stustev]

In July, 1978 I walked into a shop to ask for a job. I had zero experience. When I walked into the shop I knew what each machine was and what it could do. All manual machines. I was home. I now own a shop (mostly CNC) and when I walk into the shop I am home again. I agree with a previous post when he said if you find what fits - you never have to work another day. Working in a shop has never been work. This is my life, my passion. I quit hunting. I quit fishing. Everything I do is in some way connected to machining. Some may say this is boring. It is still as exciting today as it has ever been. I have manual mills, manual lathes, a gun drill, cnc 5 axis wire edm, cnc 4 axis sinker edm, a laser tracker, welders, cnc mills, cnc lathes, tool and cutter grinders and a full complement of support equipment. I have retrofitted controls on 5 axis machines and am now in the process of installing a LinuxCNC EMC2 control on a small three axis mill. I am still learning every day.
BTW, I can cut all six sides of a cube in one setup, in a vise. I have a 5 axis bridge mill with a BC head on the end of the Z axis ram. With this machine I can cut a cube out of the top of a block clamped in the vise. The cube will be standing on one point until I part it off the block in the vise. I will cut all six sides in one setup.
I believe the 80/20 rule applies to machinists as well as other professions. About 80 percent of the people that we hire do not know how to think a problem through. That is if they recognize a problem in the first place. 80 percent do not know how to work even if they know how to get to work on time which most of them don't. Of the remaining 20 percent, 80 percent of them are good workers, with good common sense and a good work ethic. When you get to the 20 percent of the remaining 20 percent you have found the professional person. This person has what it takes to excel in whatever fits. If this person is working in your shop you are fortunate to have him/her. Race, ethnicity, country of origin, city boy, country boy - none of these make any difference. The percentage is the same.
A true machinist is a professional in every sense of the word.
Thanks for allowing me to comment.
Stuart

[JimPAC]

Growing up in Texas, my grandfather owned his own tool & die company and when I was about nine years old I began running a Bridgeport mill! During the summer months I was the shop helper. When my father took over the business
I was required to go through a four year apprenticeship and being the owners son made it just the more difficult to meet those standards. By the time I was seventeen I had my fill and decided to join the USMC.

After getting shot down in Vietnam it ac cured to me that I really did need to get back to work for DAD. After mustering out I returned home and picked up where I left off.
Dad had all but retired but still did tooling work for AMF Ben Hogan. He still had two Bridgeport series 1's with all the accessories you can name. He had a 15" colchester lathe tooled up and a little furnace, welder, surface grinder saws etc. I went back to school and studied to become an mechanical engineer. While attending school I began to discover CNC technology and that was all it took. By 1978 we had 63 machines 14 of which were CNC. We took on a partner who was another one of my mentors. Harry Logsdon had retired as the chief pilot of central airlines and he was instrumental in teaching me the business world! So anyway, I have made sure that the time honored way of passing on the trade as mentor coach and instructor still happens at every opportunity. I have a new venture with a new student, He's just a button pusher but he will be damed good by the time I get through with him.

It is still one of the most demanding but wonderful skills anyone can undertake.

Here's to all that have past and all who will come!!!!

Jim Salter

General Machinist

[hoss2006]

I took machine shop classes at Brooke High School in WV during which time I
built my own lathe using the shops machines. Got a job at a Tool and Die shop
my senior year. Have worked at a large manufacturing plant the past 14 years
starting in the machine shop. Worked my way up to shop foreman in 3 years.
Worked as a Prototype Machinist for the Research and Development Dept for a few years. Have since worked in the Tool and Die Dept.
Hoss
http://www.hossmachine.com

[SWPM]

The key for me was just not being afraid to ask stupid questions to the older more exsperienced machinist and not being afraid to try things even if it didnt work i would learn what not to do and why it doesnt work.

[melvyn1970]

Prior to being a cnc programmer/machinist I was an embalmer of all things.
My father in law owned a toolmaking company, and had purchased a leadwell machining centre with a fanuc 21m control and a takisawa tc2 turning centre with a Fanuc OT control (still my fave control btw).
Prior to being an embalmer I had been a computer programmer for many years. Knowing this, my father in law asked if I would be able to learn how to operate one of his CNC machines, as his current employees were all manual guys. I took a chance and said yes. I picked it up pretty quickly learning on the OT. A few months later he obtained a couple of larger Takisawa turning centres and a cincinatti arrow 500 machining centre with a CT control. He employed a couple of experienced guys who taught me all I needed to know about feeds and speeds. Within 12 months I had written my first deep hole macro on the OT after eating and sleeping with the programming manual! A short while later I wrote a macro to turn an eliptical groove into a form roller, (which I was very proud of btw as another company had tried to machine it using a G72 cycle and failed) My father in law closed the company at the end of 2006 totally out of the blue, so the other four guys and myself decided to rent the machines and premises from him and start our own precision engineering co. We are into our second year now and flying along nicely, just bought our first machine.

Thats how I got from embalmer to CNC guy in 6 years!