OT Survey: Age & Years of Machining Experience

I just turned 40 last month.

24

When I was a Junior in high school, I started a 2 year "Machine Tool Technology" course. From there I hired on as an apprentice at a local mold shop. I was laid off there just a few months before my apprentice program was finished. I went to work at another shop for a few months, and then back to the first one when business picked back up. After a few more months, my boss forgot about the raise that he promised me, so I went to a third shop in 1988. This new shop had a couple of cnc's, so I spent every minute I could soaking up that info. I learned to run every machine in that shop including the CNC edm's and I became proficient at programming too. Eventually, I became shop forman-head programmer-estimator. I guess I didn't have enough jobs, so one day the boss asked me if I knew how to design a mold. Next thing I knew, I was doing that too. Then, one day the boss and I got into a discussion about morals. He seemed to think they didn't have any place in business, and I disagreed. I guess he was right, because I found myself out of a job. So, I started my own shop in 1998.

The day I questioned his mounting of a ramp to a floating boat dock was the beginning of my end. At the time I couldn't quote the pythagorian theorum to back up my arguement, I just knew you couldn't bolt the ramp solid at both ends when the dock could only go straight up and down.

Later,

Charlie

Actually that should have said "12, For the same boss" instead of "in the same place"

I started working on a manual lathe and after 2 years a CNC lathe. Did that for another 5 years. Then one of the workers got sick and they had an old mill with no one to run it. So I did that. And when I say old mill i mean old (pre 1900) Actually it was a planer (USA build) which was rebuild to a mill in 1950. It had 3 milling heads which could be put under an angle. The workable area was about 4 x 1.5 x 1.2 meters.

7 axis And no digital readout hell there wasn't even an nonius on every axis. I did that work for about 3 years. Then I finally got them to buy a CNC mill "Lagun GBM 31" with a Heidenhain TNC 530. I've been working on that machine for about 2 years now

And just last week the boss asked me if I was interested in becoming the Foreman. The reason for this is, In about 2 to three years we are going to lose about 6 of the 10 workers in the shop(retirement). And they need a Foreman who knows how the shop works. I'm not quite sure i'm going to take this job. I think I should at least try this job and see where it takes me. Changing jobs now, seems to me, not the right choice maybe after I worked as a foreman for a couple of years.

Cobra

29

5

40

22 for cash, 25 if you count shop class. 3 years at current job, 13 before that.

Mike

25.8

11.8

Dan wrote:

11.05

Oh, hell....Ok, I'll talk. 52 years old--28 years machining. Started out at Caterpillar in Illinois working the crankshaft line on a manual lathe. Then went to the cylinder line, paint line and can't remember where else at Cat. Quit Caterpillar in 1979 just months ahead of a massive layoff but learned enough to get me hooked on machining.

Heh...I also worked on the electronic launch control equipment on Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. Now those were serious WMD's and I knew where every one of them was located!

McQ

Hey, snipped-for-privacy@netzero.net - that's not Jim Mulholland is it? My high school shop teacher?

A real challenge finding one who doesn't misspell it as "weldor"...

49

The last thirty years I made my living from machining, but I guess my "career" started I was twelve and my dad bought a lathe. Old as it was, it had a full Norton box and would switch from metric to imperial by the flick of a handle. I promptly put it to good use by turning out a singleshot 22 pistol and a lot of other useful items. =20

After finishing school I worked for a year at an auto repair shop where I learned to stay the hell away from English cars. =20

One of our customers suggested I should take a year at "Maskinteknisk V=E6rkstedsskole" (machining school) as this would help open the doors to shops where you could get an apprenticeship. =20 It was a good advice - With good recommendations you could take your pick among the shops, and I ended up as a tool & die maker apprentice.

After finishing my apprenticeship I got the kick, as the boss was a firm believer in the importance of young people trying something new.

Then came for four years in a company who produced both stamped, drawn and molded parts. I was the only tool maker with mold experience and it was great to be allowed to design and build the molds from "scratch" all by yourself. It was good years, but you could see the writing on the wall; all our machines were manual, and the management had no intension of going CNC. Finally, when they sold the newest bandsaw and left us with an old pre WW2 dinosaur, I quit and went to work for my old boss, who, in the meantime had invested heavily in CNC.

For the next four years I operated a wire EDM and designed molds on our sparkling new CAD/CAM system. Then the DOB & WOB entered the stage and since I was the last in, I got the kick once more... =20

I then went to work for a guy who had just started his own grinding shop. He had bought a brand new CNC grinder and new absolutely nothing about CNC. I thought "What the heck... I'll give it a couple of years and then I'll move on" That was almost twenty years ago and I'm still at the same shop... probably will be for the rest of my working life.

=20

--=20

-JN-

LMAO Truer words were never spoken!

1. 36

1. 18

2. 2 = How long I've smoked cigs also.....................

1. 42

1. 22 Years, graduated Johnston School of Tech in 1984. Tool and Die making. Got a job at AT&T as a maintenance guy which required a Machinist degree, but only required very little machine work. Started my own shop as a Hobby in 1986. now run it full time since the rat bastard CEO closed the place and had it bulldozed flat and planted grass in it's place. Could add a year or two onto that if you want to consider my High school shop time were I made a 12" long brass cannon.

Thank You, Randy

Remove 333 from email address to reply.

To All:

As of 4:14 PM 7/12/06 the average age of the 42 respondents to this survey equals 47.5 years.

The total years of experience of the respondents equals 1,098 years.

I wonder if we lost a few replies due to "OT" being in the subject title. If so, they can now respond to the questions as I've taken it out of the subject title. I'll make an updated summary if there are significantly more responses.

we the unwilling led by the unknowing have done so much with so little for so long we are now qualified to do anything with nothing

Terry:

Isn't that essentially a Mother Theresa quote?

==================================================================== We, the unwilling,led by the unknowing,are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much,for so long,with so little,we are now qualified to do anything with nothing. Mother Teresa ====================================================================

I don't think she was talking specifically about machinists, but it does seem to fit, doesn't it.

i didn't know that i heard it from a 60+ toolroom guy in the 70's he could do anything with a file

Terry:

Maybe Mother Theresa learned it from that 60+ toolroom guy, eh?

==================================================================== Machinist's Creed

A machinist I am A machinist I'll be There's nothing I'd rather do There's nothing I'd rather be My desire is to make chips fly Anything else would just not satisfy It's the original and different that are fun Not the same parts over and over ad infinitum Essence de la cutting oil is like perfume To one who is immune to fumes I can endure a few irritations When there are other compensations To machine objects never made before That's what I was put here for Problem solving is exciting But programming is the real thing It's the process of creation That's the source of my elation And pleases me in my vocation But it's a job well done That ultimately satisfies one Bottlebob 1997 =======================================================================