CNC class?

[XXF]

Is there any CNC class arround BOSTON area? Where you can learn and play and get familiar with CNC machines?

thanks
Andrew

[deanrach]

XXF

Get a hold of Trident Machine Tool (CT). They are an HFO (HAAS Factory Outlet) and have locations in Atkinson, NH as well as CT.

[Shotout]

Try your local tech school. Most schools offer certificate programs for CNC training to supplement their convential diplomas.

[XXF]

Our local tech school only has old machines even without digital display. I am in Boston area.

[deanrach]

XXF,

WPI is an HTEC (HAAS Technical Education Center) and may provide you with the required training. See the attached link.

http://www.me.wpi.edu/MFE/HCCM/

[dertsap]

Originally Posted by XXF Is there any CNC class arround BOSTON area? Where you can learn and play and get familiar with CNC machines? thanks Andrew

is this for work experience or hobby ,
if work i would suggest working for someone starting at the bottom , you will learn more valuable information and will be paid for the education rather than paying for it , either way you do it you will be starting at the bottom when you do start working ,
if its for hobby there are a number of resources if you google , or here in the zone is endless help , from what i ve seen the tech schools local releasing out into the field is pretty pathetic , they have as little clue now as when they started their course , teachers in general get paid less than the tradesman most of the time , so in my opinion why teaching when they can make more as a tradesman , did they not quite cut it ?

[deanrach]

dertsap

Originally Posted by dertsap so in my opinion why teaching when they can make more as a tradesman , did they not quite cut it ?

I feel I need to reply, since I take great offense in that statement. Not ALL tech schools are incompetent, nor are their instructors. Many of us have succeeded in industry. Furhtermore, we too have seen the decline in able-bodied students graduating from Machine Tool programs and therefore figured we could continue to bi_ch about it or get involved and have a positive impact. My program is relatively new (2003) and I'm proud to say we presently have 100% placement.

Just thought I would vent, since you hit a rather sensitive nerve.

https://portal.nmcc.edu/courses/pmm/

[dertsap]

nothing personal , and i mean no offense to anyone , i have dealt with a fair number of students from BCIT who had not and i mean not had the basic skills to understand what is happening around them , i currently have one person under my supervision who has done engineering courses cnc mahine course a mastercam course , years of education yet i have to explain over and over again that the drill making a thru hole is not leaving a slight burr because the drill needs to go even further than the .3 it is already going below the part ,or the fact that tools do wear out ,they need to be monitored, no concept as to offsets , w/s , HOW TO read a drawing and measure parts , this person learned to program in mastercam , HOW?
beautiful resume , but pathetic in reality
when i took a millwright coarse years ago everyone of my teachers was responsible for burning up or destroying millions of dollars worth of equipment or they were alcohalic ect, and in the end the courses didn t prepare me for what i was about to face
this is what i have experienced

as i said earlier i mean no personal offense to you but as a teacher i am sure you can understand where i come from
maybe all the people that i had dealt with would never get it either way , and im sure you ve experienced that

[big_mak]

I must admit, some of the kids coming out of the tradeschool locally are a tad scary to say the least. Maybe its the playstation mentality. Ah I know let's blame microsoft for plug and play!!!!! The kids seem to come out of the local trade school and think it's plug and play machining. Maybe they teach kids to be operators, instead of giving them the fundamental machining background so that they know why things are done a certain way.

Anyway I've seen a few kids out of tradeschool crash some big machines, and they think it's no big deal. They don't comprehend what's involved in realigning a machine, or what a new spindle is worth. THere's a sort of how can you say this....ambivalence in the younger people coming into the trade.

Just my 2 bits.

[philipm]

I think I have something worth saying here. I went to a trade school for all of my manufacturing experience. I went out and interned at some places, but before you blame the students totally at least ponder this. Enrollment is low in our program here. Kids just don't want to be machinists. Think about what it takes to be one? You guys all do it right? Think about all the work it really takes to make the simplest of parts. The time, the effort, the experience, to money. Its real mans work.

Now also consider the state of the American machine shop. Strapped for money, bidding on jobs in a very competitive market, and one screw up could make the shop close down. The all mighty dollar on the bottom line is most important. Lean processes and just in time delivery makes the world go. Where does that put time to train the young, confused, and likely stupid rookie kid?

Ill tell you where it put the kids in our program. It put them into jobs where they don't have to give a damn. Like selling insurance, construction, or the like. These jobs are mostly easy and you can earn a decent living. I have decided that pride is long dead in America. Kids don't care if its respectable to be a machinist or not. They want money and they want it as easy as possible. The people who want to EARN everything and have crap thrown in their faces each time are long gone. Gone are those who WANT to endure hardship just to prove they were there and did it in spite of it all.

What about those who still want it? Well larger companies stopped sponsoring our apprentice program. They can no longer afford to help give young guys the experience they need to get going so how exactly can they get it if the old hands are just too busy or tied up to help train the new? Well its obvious they wont get it. When I left my school (without tooting my own horn) I like to think I was generally respected. I was asked allot by newer guys for help. To them I had allot of knowledge, but out in the real world I KNOW I don't know 1/2 of 1% of all the knowledge there is in manufacturing. The old hands I have had the pleasure to work with have taught me allot about working smarter and accomplishing more with less. If the new guys can't get this one on one they will never be able to fill your shoes. So, next time you plan to complain about the lack of qualified individuals to work in your shop; perhaps you should ask yourself what you have done to further the field of manufacturing for tomorrow? Remember when you are gone, so is all that knowledge you worked so many long nights to learn. Why not share it with someone who wants to learn from you? If you are willing to give back just a little of what you have; know that you are in shorter supply then those who seek to learn it.

Phil

One place that did give a little for us is Haas themselves. I would never have felt confident enough to do this each day had I not had the opportunity to train on new up to date machines. I know they are not the best machines in the world, but am forever grateful for the chance they gave to me and others just like me. They allowed me as a total stranger to run machines they still own no questions asked. I also had allot of respect for their equipment while running it. I know this is not true for most kids as there are just some pieces of total human garbage out there. I knew if I were to break one it would just detract from the learning of everyone else.

[dertsap]

i started out sweeping chips pushed my way into what i do now ,if i see a kid or adult for that matter take an interest in the trade i am quite willing to help them along just as i was helped along , read the posts here , there are many repeat questions that are so obvious to a machinist yet these posts get dozens of results
some of the best machinists ive worked with don t even have a grade 10 education
motorheads gearheads ,inventive minds are the type of people that BELONG in this type of trade to keep it alive , and there will always be those types of personallities ,
do you honestly think we are going to let or make the trade die with us
ive seen guys who never saw a cnc before walk right into it and go ,where as ive seen people who have all the training in the world and watched them fall on their faces

i do firmly beleave to be a machinist , you have what it takes or you don t period

[philipm]

I never said you specifically were not doing your part. You even said you had young guys in your shop. You are at least trying. Mastercam Is a subjective thing. I taught little kids 8-14 in summer camp to use mastercam, post code, and run the machine. It was a robotics program and I was filling in for the instuctor who taught me from my first day. I guess I fit into the "gearhead" group. I started mostly because I needed things I could not buy.
Phil