Finishing high School - want to learn CNC machining


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    Default Finishing high School - want to learn CNC machining

    I live in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, And would like to know what kind of "Institution" I should look for to learn machining / CNC machining (leaning towards the later). I have looked around at my local college and University of Alberta and neither of them seem to know where i should look. My local college said to find a person to teach me, but i cant imagine that would look good on a resume, and the U of A simply said "No, We do not have any related courses available currently"

    Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.

    Regards,
    Matt Runhart.

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    Default alberta schools

    Hi Matt, check out NAIT's programs. They have a varity of cnc courses and they have one full time program that gives you 2 years credit towards machining and enough theory to get you in the door to start as a cnc operator. From there absorb as much info as you can from working in the trade. There are a few shops in grande priarie that have cnc machines.
    Darcy



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    I guess it depends where you would like to start. If you want to learn to run/operate a CNC the first thing is to learn to be a machinist. If you want to be able to program one, you could probably learn by using some sort of CAD software. But I would highly recommend learning some manual machining first. The world is full of "Start Button" CNC operators that put parts in and never really understand the concept of making chips. No matter what you need to understand cutting tools.



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    My suggestion would be to start with the basics. Blueprint reading and design concepts, that I would assume you can get that much on any tech school or college near you. I would also suggest you become extremely proficient on computers. There is also a good resource for reading technical info on current machining practices, trends and new technology. I'm not sure if I can post the link so I will so tell you the name of the website and you can look it up. There you may also be able to find the resources for local schools. Modern Machineshop online or mmsonline. Hope this helps and good luck in your new career.

    Ps:Find a tech school or college that uses SolidWorks and not Autocad. Not that I have any software preferences but the facts are that industry wide Solidworks is the most used. No sense in starting with Autocad and then having to learn another software right of the bat.



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    Haas has an apprentiship program. You would have to move to California, could you deal with 350 days of sunshine a year? I know I can, especially where I live in ohio, we might get 90.
    Anyway, if your willing to relocate, I think they have one opening right now, my friend was looking into it. It's a paid apprentiship, and probably better than any school honestly.
    www.haasjobs.com



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    Darcy
    Also check out SAIT in Calgary. One would think that NAIT and SAIt would offer identical programs but apparently there are some differences.

    JohnW



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    Here is the website for the Haas technical education centers.
    This web site lists many schools http://www.htecnetwork.org/
    Some do a better job than others "let the buyer beware"
    The two years schools are more likely to have instructors who have really worked in industry VS some one with a PHD, little real world experience
    Most schools have an internet site check them out see what they have to offer and then arrange a visit. look at how complicated the parts are that they make.
    here is a link to my website to give you something to compare other sites too.
    http://www.alpenacc.edu/programs/machinetool/index.htm

    Robert Tosch
    CNC Instrutor
    Alpena Community College



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    "Finishing high School - want to learn CNC machining"

    This suggest you are young, have you had any experience working in a machine shop?

    I have read through the various suggestions and your comment; "My local college said to find a person to teach me, but i cant imagine that would look good on a resume," and say forget all this and find some place that will take you on doing anything, sweeping the floor, deburring, parts loading, whatever grunt work is necessary. Forget about resumes, forget about design, forget about focussing on any specific aspect, get some experience in a machine shop; keep your eyes and ears open and buckle down and work.

    In particular don't worry about 'what looks good on a resume'. I am a potential employer of someone like you both now and when you are experienced and I can assure you words on paper mean nothing to me. If I am employing someone without experience the important thing is how they buckle down and apply themself to the grunt work and how much interest and improvement they show. If I am employing someone who claims experience and skills they get thrown in front of a machine with a sketch or a part and told to duplicate it; and if they are still standing there two hours later scratching their head they get thrown out no matter what their resume says.

    Once you have some real hands on experience and know this is the career for you then you can start looking into getting the 'book learning'.

    An open mind is a virtue...so long as all the common sense has not leaked out.


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    I guess that's one way to look at it. I think in todays world. The work your way up, is not necessarily the best. I would rather get some education and of course when you get out of school you will find out that you don't know as much as you think you do but at least you will have a good foundation. I would not hurt if you were working and going to school. With all due respect I don't think that by sweeping the floor he's going to learn much, specially in a field where new technology comes out every year and if you want to be at the cutting edge you need to constantly study. That is not to say you can not learn from your peers, however that is not a replacement for a decent education.



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    Default CNC Training

    Deffinitely try NAIT www.nait.ab.ca, they spent a ton of money. It's all new equipment. They also have a 1 yr CNC Technican program. Fairview college also might have something.

    Ed



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    Quote Originally Posted by Paulo E. View Post
    ... With all due respect I don't think that by sweeping the floor he's going to learn much, specially in a field where new technology comes out every year and if you want to be at the cutting edge you need to constantly study.... That is not to say you can not learn from your peers, however that is not a replacement for a decent education.
    Correct, but somebody who thinks they are too good to sweep the floor for a few months and do the grunt work when needed does not have the correct attitude to get anywhere. There are far too many young people who think they have a good education but who in reality don't have a clue; the first thing a young person needs these days in my opinion is to recognise that they probably do not have a clue and they had better buckle down and start getting clued in. Nowhere did I say learning from peers can substitute for a decent education but I think that experience, a willingness to work hard no matter how grunty the task and a good education are all equally important. I agree that new technology comes out regularly but the old technology is still there so a solid grounding in it is needed.

    An open mind is a virtue...so long as all the common sense has not leaked out.


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    I will suggest you try before you buy; that is to say, see if you can't find a machine shop to take you in and show you the ropes a bit before you spend 2 precious years learning a trade that you ultimately find is not your cup of tea. There are a lot of doctors, lawyers and accountants who went in it for the money but regret their decision and wish they did something else. your advantage is that it is fairly easy to get your foot in the door in a machine shop by youthful enthusiasm alone; then you have a chance to see if you can deal with the enclosed environment, noise, metal slivers and so on. If you like it you'll get all sorts of help and advice going on, but if you don't then again you can step out into something else before it's too late.



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    I've just been through a similar situation, I left school at the end of last year, did two weeks work experience at a CNC Machine Shop, about a month after they offered me a job as basically a labourer / manual machine operator and if I was any good after 3 months or so, they'd offer me an apprentiship.

    I'm doing the apprentiship as basically a cnc programmer / machinist. In the last 6 months, i've written only 5 or 6 programs for basic parts.. interpolating holes for jigs, etc. Nothing spectacular. Nearly all my time has been spent in the tool room running manual lathes, mills etc to learn the basics. The bosses reckon that the only way to be a good cnc machinist is to become a excellent manual machinist first.

    I get all the one-off jobs that the shop gets, prototypes etc. Quite fun because nearly every day is different. I get all the blunt drills to sharpen at the end of the week though which isn't fun lol.


    If I was you i'd try get work experience at a machine shop first, to see that it's actually what you want to spend the next ten years doing.


    I work here by the way... www.tpenz.com



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    Thank you for your great support, i was expecting a reply or two over the next week or so tops. you guys rock

    Where i stand right now is at a fork of CNC / Machining and computer programming, I am leaning heavily to the CNC though. I do have experience in a welding shop, and have built my own CNC router and have experience on that but like the resume thing nothing credible, as well as an A+ certification (Certified for pretty much any average computer job). Im mainly looking to see, come the morning after graduation day, where do i go if i want to be a CNC machinist for the rest/majority of my life.

    So From looking at NAIT's Courses, CNC machinist would be the one of choice, i believe( http://www.nait.ca/14232.htm ). Is there something different about it as it only requires Grade 10 math and english? It is a certificate, is that what i'd need to be able to work as a machinist and be credible wherever i go?

    SAIT seems to be different only in the way the course is laid out, Many of my friends have gone to NAIT and they seem to like it so i think I'd lean towards it as opposed to SAIT.

    Is CNC machining similar to welding in that you tend to get jobs off of references as opposed to degree's?

    Thanks in advance

    Matt Runhart



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    Quote Originally Posted by Paulo E. View Post
    My suggestion would be to start with the basics. Blueprint reading and design concepts, that I would assume you can get that much on any tech school or college near you. I would also suggest you become extremely proficient on computers. There is also a good resource for reading technical info on current machining practices, trends and new technology. I'm not sure if I can post the link so I will so tell you the name of the website and you can look it up. There you may also be able to find the resources for local schools. Modern Machineshop online or mmsonline. Hope this helps and good luck in your new career.

    Ps:Find a tech school or college that uses SolidWorks and not Autocad. Not that I have any software preferences but the facts are that industry wide Solidworks is the most used. No sense in starting with Autocad and then having to learn another software right of the bat.
    Quote Originally Posted by mc-motorsports View Post
    Haas has an apprentiship program. You would have to move to California, could you deal with 350 days of sunshine a year? I know I can, especially where I live in ohio, we might get 90.
    Anyway, if your willing to relocate, I think they have one opening right now, my friend was looking into it. It's a paid apprentiship, and probably better than any school honestly.
    www.haasjobs.com
    Quote Originally Posted by Geof View Post
    "Finishing high School - want to learn CNC machining"

    This suggest you are young, have you had any experience working in a machine shop?

    I have read through the various suggestions and your comment; "My local college said to find a person to teach me, but i cant imagine that would look good on a resume," and say forget all this and find some place that will take you on doing anything, sweeping the floor, deburring, parts loading, whatever grunt work is necessary. Forget about resumes, forget about design, forget about focussing on any specific aspect, get some experience in a machine shop; keep your eyes and ears open and buckle down and work.

    In particular don't worry about 'what looks good on a resume'. I am a potential employer of someone like you both now and when you are experienced and I can assure you words on paper mean nothing to me. If I am employing someone without experience the important thing is how they buckle down and apply themself to the grunt work and how much interest and improvement they show. If I am employing someone who claims experience and skills they get thrown in front of a machine with a sketch or a part and told to duplicate it; and if they are still standing there two hours later scratching their head they get thrown out no matter what their resume says.

    Once you have some real hands on experience and know this is the career for you then you can start looking into getting the 'book learning'.
    All great suggestions, but the last one is the best. Find work in a machine shop doing what ever grunt work you can. Gain experience, and show interest.
    You have to crawl before you can walk. So go and look for some machine shop openings, and get moving boy. Pick up some blue print reading books, while your at it



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    Quote Originally Posted by Micro_CNC View Post
    Thank you for your great support, i was expecting a reply or two over the next week or so tops. you guys rock

    Where i stand right now is at a fork of CNC / Machining and computer programming, I am leaning heavily to the CNC though. I do have experience in a welding shop, and have built my own CNC router and have experience on that but like the resume thing nothing credible, as well as an A+ certification (Certified for pretty much any average computer job). Im mainly looking to see, come the morning after graduation day, where do i go if i want to be a CNC machinist for the rest/majority of my life.

    So From looking at NAIT's Courses, CNC machinist would be the one of choice, i believe( http://www.nait.ca/14232.htm ). Is there something different about it as it only requires Grade 10 math and english? It is a certificate, is that what i'd need to be able to work as a machinist and be credible wherever i go?

    SAIT seems to be different only in the way the course is laid out, Many of my friends have gone to NAIT and they seem to like it so i think I'd lean towards it as opposed to SAIT.

    Is CNC machining similar to welding in that you tend to get jobs off of references as opposed to degree's?

    Thanks in advance

    Matt Runhart
    Experience, experience, experience. its not about the paper(diploma/degree/certification), its what you know. The machine will make a liar out of you, if you know what im saying.

    btw, you will be a natural. just get in their and get your hands dirty, forget about all the fancy details. Work hard, and it will pay off.

    Also being a member of this new generation, we tend to want to jump straight for the computers. Thats where we got it all backwards, we have to learn the basics before we can start designing and programming.

    Last edited by Almaguer; 12-02-2008 at 02:59 AM.


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    Hi Matt, I have a few suggestions too. As someone noted earlier, CAD can be a good thing to know. Most major CAD companies have discount educational packages. UniGraphics, ProEngineer, SolidWorks, etc. all do for sure. AutoCad used to be the most popular but I think SolidWorks is the best one to have experience with at this time. Catia, "UG" and "ProE" are more "high-end" and less common in shops. Call SolidWorks and find out what educational promo's they have. Along with that, make sure you do some reading about machining. Sandvik has a wonderful program! They supply you with a great book and give you tests on-line. They only charge a fee if you do NOT complete the program! The book is easily worth a hundred dollars. Along with your CAD and machining knowledge you have to learn some CNC Programming. A nice book that's easy to understand and has lots of examples is CNC Programming Handbook written by Peter Smid and published by Industrial Press. I'm not sure if the CAM companies have eductional promo's like the CAD guys, but definitely give them a call too. If all else fails, call BobCAD and see if you can get an outdated copy at a deeply discounted price. I think MasterCAM occasionally gives free training to people getting into the machining field. All that said really doesn't do much for you if you don't make chips. Again, as someone mentioned earlier, try to do some manual machining first. If you can afford to go without pay, try to get into a shop as a helper or a floor sweeper or second op guy in exchange for machining time and CNC training. There are far too many people getting stuck in entry level jobs where they load the part, push the button and get sprayed with coolant while someone in the office does the programming. Do NOT let yourself become one of them. If you want to become a CNC machinist, learn it ALL(!) and make sure you practice, practice, practice! Trade schools are important to have on your resume but I guess maybe not available everywhere. Are they absolutely necessary? That's something you have to decide for yourself. I would suggest you try it for a while before you move to a far-away town and commit one or more years. Ok - enough from me. Good luck!



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    Quote Originally Posted by machining mike View Post
    Hi Matt, I have a few suggestions too. As someone noted earlier, CAD can be a good thing to know. Most major CAD companies have discount educational packages. UniGraphics, ProEngineer, SolidWorks, etc. all do for sure. AutoCad used to be the most popular but I think SolidWorks is the best one to have experience with at this time. Catia, "UG" and "ProE" are more "high-end" and less common in shops. Call SolidWorks and find out what educational promo's they have. Along with that, make sure you do some reading about machining. Sandvik has a wonderful program! They supply you with a great book and give you tests on-line. They only charge a fee if you do NOT complete the program! The book is easily worth a hundred dollars. Along with your CAD and machining knowledge you have to learn some CNC Programming. A nice book that's easy to understand and has lots of examples is CNC Programming Handbook written by Peter Smid and published by Industrial Press. I'm not sure if the CAM companies have eductional promo's like the CAD guys, but definitely give them a call too. If all else fails, call BobCAD and see if you can get an outdated copy at a deeply discounted price. I think MasterCAM occasionally gives free training to people getting into the machining field. All that said really doesn't do much for you if you don't make chips. Again, as someone mentioned earlier, try to do some manual machining first. If you can afford to go without pay, try to get into a shop as a helper or a floor sweeper or second op guy in exchange for machining time and CNC training. There are far too many people getting stuck in entry level jobs where they load the part, push the button and get sprayed with coolant while someone in the office does the programming. Do NOT let yourself become one of them. If you want to become a CNC machinist, learn it ALL(!) and make sure you practice, practice, practice! Trade schools are important to have on your resume but I guess maybe not available everywhere. Are they absolutely necessary? That's something you have to decide for yourself. I would suggest you try it for a while before you move to a far-away town and commit one or more years. Ok - enough from me. Good luck!

    I have purchased the Solidworks educational package deal. Great software, but it is time sensitive. You only get like 3 months to use it, and it costs over $100.
    trust me, you will be far better off learning how to machine first. before learning how to draw.
    You have to learn, to be the machine. before you can start cad/cam haha



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    Matt, good luck with whatever choices you make. As you can see while we may have difference of opinions, when you are in a bind, you can always count on a great deal of folks here willing to lend a hand. This is an exciting field. As long as you work hard and also work smart, you should be on your marry way to a good career. Cool thing about this field is that there's always something new to learn.



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    Michigan, USA =

    1995,
    Truck driver, 3 months CDL, pay $12 per hour, easy to get a job
    Tool maker, cnc programmer, 2-4 years for Journeyman’s card, $20 per hour, work anywhere you want.

    2008,
    Truck driver, $15-$20 per hour, some jobs listed every week
    Tool Maker, cnc , $10-$15 per hour, NO OPENINGS, SORRY!



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Finishing high School - want to learn CNC machining

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