Inquiries as a newbie machinist

[B_SUPREME]

Hey guys,

I was looking into tips on understanding CNC better and I found these forums and this place seems pretty helpful so you'll see me around here. I'm not too sure where my post fits in best for each section so hopefully an admin could just move it to the proper location.

I just finished a 2 year Manual Machining/CNC Machining program, and landed a full-time job at a machine shop who specialize in aerospace parts and a variety of industries. Some of the machines in the shop consist of Deckel, but our program never taught 5 axis and solely focused on 3 axis. I have some classmates who also got hired but have much more experience than me in machining. My question is, how do I stand out although my machining skills don't match up to par with my mates? I am very interested in the CNC field, but my classmates I will be working with seem to know how to ask the right questions. Could somebody lead me into the right direction by offering some tips, websites or anything I could get my hands on to guide me in becoming better at communicating in the shop?

Are there any other machinists out there who were in the same position as me?

Thanks!

[txcncman]

You will stand out by showing that you are willing to do more, gain more knowledge by continuing to educate yourself on machining. Get a copy of Machinery's Handbook and take it home with you each day and spend about an hour reading and reviewing it. During the day, keep it on top of your tool box and refer to it often. Learn the tools mainly purchased by your company and learn the recommended speeds and feeds and DOC for each tool and material type. Learn to be able to correctly and confidently answer any machining related math question that comes up. Even if you have to use a calculator to get the answer, know the formulas. Learn GD&T and other tolerancing systems and how to apply them properly.

[clembrant]

It's not where you start that counts but where you end up. Keep you mind open
and always try to learn new things.