I started as a machinist an manual lathes in 1979. I've been through a gambit of CNC lathes and mills since 1981. I've operated, setup, and programmed primarily multiple turret and spindle lathes, some milling in there, until about 1995. During that time I worked with an Anvil 5000 cad cam system, wrote post processors and a DNC program to transfer programs to and from the machines. I was sentenced to management in 1996 and still deal in CNC problems and solutions on a daily basis as an operations manager. Now, I primarily make sure the machines are running at projected efficiencies and, if not, figure out a way to make it so. What I'd give to be back running a machine where all I had to worry about was myself and what I was running ..... and making the money I make now of course!