CNC Machinists

[indy_500]

In case you don't know me by now, I'm 16 yrs old, like to work on snowmobiles and trucks, and I'm very good at math. I've been wanting to be a CNC machinist for the past 2 years. Next year, I have the opportunity to do a youth apprenticeship at a machine shop for the 9 months of school. You work 6am-10am, then I'd have to hike on over to my high school and take a few more classes (I only need an english and social studies class to graduate). When the youth apprenticeship is over, you could possibly be offered a formal apprenticeship, and get your schooling paid for at my local technical college. So what I guess I'm asking here is, are there any CNC Machinists out there? What do you like about your job? And, what don't you like about your job? Did you go through an apprenticeship or not? And if you did, would you do it again or do it differently?

Thanks!

 

[Noodles]

I graduated High School in 92 and started an apprenticeship through the tooling and manufacturing association (TMA) to be a moldmaker.I became a junior moldmaker,and then started leaning towards CNC programing.I started off being a parts changer,set ups etc...I learned Mastercam and spent some good years running Mazaks,Moris,Okuma..etc..I ended going back to the bench to be a moldmaker. Moldmaking and die shops set up to have programmers and operators. I couldnt be a programmer(allready had two) and being a moldmaker paid better than being an operator.I allways made real good money in the trade.It was never repetative.Youre allways learning and the technology never stops flowing.The hours wore on me (55 to 60 week)good money but not a lot of time to enjoy myself.

I now own my own buisness and work way more than 55 to 60 hours/week.LOL .My passion was drag racing and was lucky enough to make a go at it succesfully.I started by building cars full time in 2000.About five years ago I purchased my first Haas CNC machine now I make parts for cars through machining and fabrication.It is pretty cool creating bad @$$ parts for stuff you are passionate about.I learned alot from my father and apprenticeship programs.

Thats where I am at right now.I have a lot of friends in the buisness who are allways busy and looking for good help.I think from job shops to specialty machining someone who is talented and wants to work will allways have a job making what I think is good money.

 

[joks79]

Can you clarify something for me? Do you want to be a machinist (take a blueprint and make a part) or a operator (runs production parts)? The reason I ask is we have operators who haven't done what you are talking about doing and calling themselves machinists.

 

[indy_500]

Can you clarify something for me? Do you want to be a machinist (take a blueprint and make a part) or a operator (runs production parts)? The reason I ask is we have operators who haven't done what you are talking about doing and calling themselves machinists.

machinist, not operator

 

[indy_500]

I graduated High School in 92 and started an apprenticeship through the tooling and manufacturing association (TMA) to be a moldmaker.I became a junior moldmaker,and then started leaning towards CNC programing.I started off being a parts changer,set ups etc...I learned Mastercam and spent some good years running Mazaks,Moris,Okuma..etc..I ended going back to the bench to be a moldmaker. Moldmaking and die shops set up to have programmers and operators. I couldnt be a programmer(allready had two) and being a moldmaker paid better than being an operator.I allways made real good money in the trade.It was never repetative.Youre allways learning and the technology never stops flowing.The hours wore on me (55 to 60 week)good money but not a lot of time to enjoy myself.

I now own my own buisness and work way more than 55 to 60 hours/week.LOL .My passion was drag racing and was lucky enough to make a go at it succesfully.I started by building cars full time in 2000.About five years ago I purchased my first Haas CNC machine now I make parts for cars through machining and fabrication.It is pretty cool creating bad @$$ parts for stuff you are passionate about.I learned alot from my father and apprenticeship programs.

Thats where I am at right now.I have a lot of friends in the buisness who are allways busy and looking for good help.I think from job shops to specialty machining someone who is talented and wants to work will allways have a job making what I think is good money.

Thanks for the reply! I'm truly amazed at some of the stuff people can make, which is the main reason I was interested in this in the first place.

 

[yamahauler]

I graduated in 2000 with a tool/die degree. Did an internship with them in 99/00 and have been here ever since.

I am at a unique shop where over 1/2 of the people here are engineers and only 3 machinists.

I mainly run our CNC high speed mill but also know/do grinding, wire edm, sinker, micro sinker, lapping, etc...

I order all our material, all my cutters, custom design my own cutters, do all the CAM for the mill, etc...I also do a decent amount of CAD work when I need to.

If you can get in with a shop that will pay for school, you can't beat that. That way you don't have any school debt when you are done. You may have to give
them x number of years in an agreement but that will go by fast.

I work with everything from aluminum to fired ceramics, hard milling, etc...you name it I have probably cut it and it all keeps you on your toes as designs seem to be
getting more complicated as the years go by. For example, I am now cutting with bits that are 0.001" in diameter and have a couple that are 0.0004" in diameter but
haven't had time to try and wreck, I am cut with them yet.

One thing to remember is to keep the ears open and listen/learn what the others are teaching you. Learn as many different types of tools as you can. You seem to
have that natural mechanical aptitude to I think you will do well with machining.

I do know that right now there are a lot of places that need a true machinist, not the operator calling themselves a machinist. Also, from the outlook that people see, there
will be a large demand for it as not many are going to school for it right now.

Good Luck.

 

[yamahauler]

Oh ya, one more thing. Don't waste your high school days working too hard. You will have a ton of time for work after high school so enjoy those days while you have them, trust me.

 

[einne]

big differeance between machinist and button pusher, the pusher come dime a dozen.
i think you want to stay towards the set-up/programing side of things. cad/cam knowledge would be great to have also.
as an operator when i started out. got old fast.
then moved up to what i also had mentioned-always something new to do/learn. more challenges.
there will always be something that is good about a job and something that is not. and feel that will differ between each individaul.
so i aint going to bore you with my likes/dislikes.
good luck dude.

 

[racerx]

I had three years of machine shop in high school and was hooked on making stuff. I then went off to college and tried mechanical engr and that was a bummer, friends said I should have went for manuf.engr but I hated the book work. I then went to get my associates at a local college and was for the most part the only one I know with a AAS in Computer Aided Manuf (it was a CNC Programming degree when it start but course change to include CAD) even to this day.

I never really became a manual machinist as I had experienced that in HS and some short jobs after HS but then with the college I got a job setup/operating and quickly turned to programming as the shop I was in was bringing in new technology and I happened to be the only one with a formal background in CNC thus I became the lead guy, this was over 25years ago.

Then I went to the company I'm currently at and worked in the Specials Dept where we had to program/setup/run our own parts, custom indexable cutting tools average lot size of two. So I was able to get tons of experience there and was a perfect job for me, to use CNCs to make stuff (yes i even made stuff for the sled and PWCs, and whatever else I could think of)

For the last 10years I have been off the CNCs and out of programming "directly" since I do all the processing for the shop in addition to being a shift supervisor which brings me to the machines to solve CNC issues and now this year they added the programming dept to my responsibilities.

Many times I had to do tours for parents and incoming high school freshman that were looking into the manuf program of a local school. One of the things I would stress to them is that altho the CNCs are cool because they are computerized and anyone can actually run them, they still should work hard at learning the basics on manual machines. Without basic machining knowledge you are practically useless on a high cost CNC machine, if for example you can not put an R8 collet in a bridgeport or know the difference between climb and conventional milling you would not be making much more that minimum wage nowadays.

To be honest right now I question being in manuf and this really hurts as I fully beleive someone has to make stuff for the economy to be strong, and I love making stuff, which I say i love my work. Now for the "job", that is the part that is really getting tough and not fun at all and I'm starting to think my next job will not be in manuf, could it be that I have been in supervision for 25 of my 30+ years, could it be that the demands are far out pacing rewards (not just money as I think I get decent wage), but bottom line I always fall back to the "making stuff" that I love and no one can take away the pride and accomplishment away not to mention the skills, and trust me I'm still learning things to this day as manuf is constantly evolving.

 

[catalac]

In case you don't know me by now, I'm 16 yrs old, like to work on snowmobiles and trucks, and I'm very good at math. I've been wanting to be a CNC machinist for the past 2 years. Next year, I have the opportunity to do a youth apprenticeship at a machine shop for the 9 months of school. You work 6am-10am, then I'd have to hike on over to my high school and take a few more classes (I only need an english and social studies class to graduate). When the youth apprenticeship is over, you could possibly be offered a formal apprenticeship, and get your schooling paid for at my local technical college. So what I guess I'm asking here is, are there any CNC Machinists out there? What do you like about your job? And, what don't you like about your job? Did you go through an apprenticeship or not? And if you did, would you do it again or do it differently?

Thanks!

Hey, good for you Indy! Take that apprenticeship and run with it! Remember to do as yamahauler says, and not work too hard in your high school days. You have alot of years after school to do that. Good luck!

 

[yamahauler]

racerx:

I hear ya, when you hear about how the mfg report wasn't good, everything is moving over seas it can get depressing. BUT, I would say in the last few years, depending on the mfg you are in, things are looking a little different. More and more talk or re-shoring and also actually doing so has taken place. I think it will take years but it is hard to say but when the dollar is down we become much more competitive. Also, I think for now some businesses that are trying to go the cheap route when they shouldn't are realizing that the move wasn't so good. Bad product, crappy material, warranty problems. It took time but they are realizing it. Get in with a reputable shop and work your way up and things should go well for you.

Also, when you are finished making a really gnarly part and you sit back and say, yup, I did that, it is awesome!

 

[Polarice]

I was a machinist 10 years. Not the fake kind (CNC operator) that would just set up a part, use an edgefinder, change a tool and hit go.

I started out in moldmaking and moved onto different small shops learning how to run manual lathes, mills, grinders, cnc bridgeports (not big cnc machines), etc. Cutting all different kinds of metals with close tolerances. Making gages to just simple parts. It all depended on the job.

Here's my advice: Go into school and try to find something that you may actually like doing.

Why do I say this you ask? Well for one, I no longer am a machinist because I fortuanately stumbled upon a career fitting hearing aids. I own 2 office locations and work for myself. Would I have it any other way? Of course not. Screw the long hours, the constant pressure for parts that have to be done "right now." I was good so I was the go to guy for fast, right parts. Now I have more on my shoulders but the money is worth it. It's harder to run a successful business than it is to punch a clock.

Ask yourself a few things:

Do you want to work for a hard @$$ boss?
Do you want to work overtime for chump change?
Do you want to work weekends?
Do you want to cut metal and get coolant and oil all over you just waiting for quitting time?
Could you spend your whole working career really putting up with the above?

I could've done it, but I'm sure glad I didn't. I work harder and I'm under more stress running my own business but I make more money and work less hours. Would I have a cabin in the woods working for the man cutting metal? No way.

I had paid vacations, holidays, and insurance. Now I have none of that. I forgot to mention that they paid for school to. For what? I learned everything I needed to know on the job by listening to what others told me and not blaming mistakes on others. School means jack unless you go to certain shops. Experience is everything. CNC operators have almost no experience except for set up.

I'm not trying to put anyone down that is in this career but as I look back on it, I would've been smarter to go into something that I wanted to do. I still have all of my tools and a career that I could fall back on if I had to though. I hope and pray that never happens.

All I'm saying is don't sell yourself short Indy. Before you know it you'll be a democrat

 

[yamahauler]

Polarice, you must of had some bad experiences.

My bosses are great, ya everyone has their moment but 99% of the time it is great. Isn't the average wage of a machinist with let's say a degree and four years experience around $21-25/hr. Overtime isn't too bad at that kind of wage. Now it doesn't matter but working 60+ weeks would get old in any profession and I don't know if any amount of money would be worth doing that forever.

I have worked two weekends in my twelve years of work. One I did in my first year, the second I did because the customer needed the parts yesterday, lol. They paid me $1000.00 cash as well as all of my OT, lets just say that was a very nice check.

You might get a little dirty, just depends on what kind of work you do. My machine shop has white floors that stay white, so it is very clean.

You say you had paid vacations, holidays, and insurance and now you don't? I think that would be a nice thing to have. Granted, owning a business you can somewhat take off when you want but I don't think that out weights all the extra work on days you don't want to work, just my opinion.

School is a great thing, you should do it. It gets you through things faster an unfortunately most places you go you need that degree. Better to do it now then latter.

Anyway, not trying to argue with Polarice, but just wanted to show that I don't think that is the norm working in this industry.

Oh ya, I forgot to mention this before. This is a great way to decide if this is something you'd like to do and if not, by the time you are done, you'll be able to switch degrees in college anyway. My two cents would be based on what I have seen you do, you should really look into mechanical or manufacture engineering.

 

[dab102999]

U remind me of myself a few years ago...i was always taking stuff apart and puttin together...took all the machine shop i could...after school went to a trade school for design..ended up in a mold shop starting from bottom...worked my way up and finally ended up programming and running cnc boring mills...play with steel from 200 lbs to 20,000 lbs...love what i do but got so pissed about not making any real money that got a job offer for a shift or carrier i didnt want but money i definatly did...long story short the shop i was at decided they wanted me enough to beat the price so i stayed...but in my opinon in my area the days on $20 plus and hour r over with...i see way to many good mold makers getting low balled to $14 an hour...dont know how they do it cus cant raise a family on that....

 

[indy_500]

Thanks for all of the replies guys! I really appreciate them! I look at what fields interest me, and I don't seem to be interested in anything that requires a 4 yr. college degree even if you make more money. I'm also interested in welding but can't see myself doing that day in and day out. I think the physical labor involved will burn you out, I know a few welders and they've had lots of hip and knee surgery's. I have until february to decide about the youth apprenticeship. I believe I'm the only one in my grade interested in it, everyone else thinks its either too hard (math) or its too much work (work starting at 6am). You get paid $8.50 I live 8 miles away

 

[indy_500]

you should really look into mechanical or manufacture engineering.

not so excited on the idea of going to a 4 year college. Not only the book/school work, but the debt! I'm in an engineering class right now, I love building the stuff, but hate all the "recordings" and such that the process requires to "engineer" something. I really like the cad part of the class though, I took 2 cad classes last year and love it.

 

[skiroule]

Indy,

A lot of good info here. Some things that jump out to me:

Should you choose to take advantage of it, this field provides the opportunity to never stop learning. There will always be new software, new techniques, new tools, and new equipment.

CAD/CAM is a must. Take all of the automated design classes you can.

Job satisfaction counts

Apprenticeships, internships are good. In my field, the vast majority of interns are offered jobs at their place of internship

Sorry, but depending on your employer, you may not be able to escape "the process".

Maybe you could make me a nice set of billet wheels

 

[indy_500]

Maybe you could make me a nice set of billet wheels

Actually the reason I thought about becoming a CNC machinist is a couple years ago a guy posted on here a picture of a custom snowflap holder/bumper I believe it was and I thought how neat it was that someone could make something like that. I don't remember the guys username but he had a ski doo.

 

[frosty]

Learn manual machining, and go do something else. I started out machining, the old school way and realized back then that this work was going overseas. That was 20 yrs ago. Learn the trade and find another career. Right now Indy, pipeline welding!!!!! I work for the gas company as the in house pipeliner, making a 100k a year with 28 days vacation and all the other benefits. My counter parts, the contractors, 125k to start and the sky is the limit. The average age of a pipeline welder is in the upper 40's to early 50's, there is a demand for people to weld. The city of Chicago is looking for welders, real welders, not the run a bead and call yourself a welder. Starting pay was 44 bucks an hour.

Welding can take you anywhere you want to go, any place in the world, every industry needs something welded or fabricated.

I had 4-5 companies call me an offer me a job without even in putting in job application. Pay for a truck, food, lodging, a per deim and starting pay, 48 bucks an hour. Heres the catch, I'm experienced with more than a decade of pipelining, a beginner with a 6G qualification will only start out at 38 or start as an apprentice and make 29.

The KEYSTONE pipeline, this pipe is going to get laid.

Here is a interesting fact, the Alaskan pipeline, a 10 year project back in the 70's I think. One welder from that job was making what I'm making now, 40 years ago. Some guys worked the full job and RETIRED from that pipe, never to have to work another day in their life, if they so choosed.

Just a thought Indy

 

[LoveMyDobe]

My Hubby retired from John Deere in IA doing CNC work. Now we are retired up north, living the dream in a new house.
He now grooms in a blue tractor (New Holland), but couldn't care less what color it is!
Good luck in your venture!