Why did you become a Machinist?

Some on this site probably had a relative that owned/worked in a machine shop, many probably learned the trade in Jail....

I remember how I began my "life of Crime" as it were. I was a Junior in High School, and a neighbor across the street had a small Craftsman metal lathe in his garage...I remember it had a quick-change box. I would go over to his place when he was working in the garage and marvel at such an exotic and useful machine. I wanted that lathe like I wanted the girl next door (any girl, any door). This began my life-long fascination with metal-working machinery.

Why'd you get into it?

$$$$$$$$$$
And I like making things.

Ok I moved across the way to where my young Wife's family lived (often times daughters wish to be close to their parents because they love them) and so I required work. I had been working for my father in the other town doing custom picture framing and glass cutting work. He got slow and fired me so we ended up in the other city. I went to the local State employment commission and was sent to apply for a job at a shop who wished to have people to sand and debur metal.

I liked it because I was always working with my hands as a craftsman all of my life for my Father. I was 18. This is where I learned to sand, debur, silkscreen, and also learned punch, shear, break and of course drill press and saw also. I moved on to learning the Bridgeport mill and on to lathes all manual. I went on from there to run manual mills and lathes of all sizes all American iron along with planer and shaper experience also. Grinding was part of it too. I pretty much had to weld, cut plate with a cutting torch doing press, slip, and resistance fits making bushings, sleeves, keyways and gears. Ahh never to forget the radial arm drill and various portable die threaders in addition to single point threading on the lathe. keyway machines also. (I said that different machines and methods)

I can not even think of all the things which I have done and what I learned from old timers and I thoroughly loved the trade then and still love it today. I would enjoy buying manual equipment and starting a small shop to make some money now that I have worked all these many years through the ups and downs of our industry trying different things for work when things got slow and then returning to the trade when things improved. (A few friends I know and my mentor stayed in the whole time . My mentor passed away) It has proved to be a very interesting and of course challenging endeavor.

I was told I have relatives who were machinists and that when I was younger my family told me the trade paid very very well and that it would be a secure and highly rewarding job. Until I became involved in the trade I never knew about cousins I had never met in person doing it. If I had I am sure I would have wished to be a machinist when I grew up. (still growing up too! LOL) The rest is just working along at it and living life the best I can do. I also try besides to seek blessings from God in my life which for me is a important part of life beyond just what I do it ties into who I am.

I was stupid and daydreaming when I was in High school. I was earning good grades in HS so I could go to college and become a Lawyer, but the making stuff out of metal was an addiction. There goes a degree from Columbia and no need to go to Cardozo. If I could only get consistent work, I wouldn't be bitching. Don't let your kids dream of being machinists. Its easy for them to get lost in "how cool it is what you do," don't let them fall for that.

I went into it for the long hours that I'd get to be away from the general public. And for the money.

Can't stand the way others make my parts , I was into machining when I was around 5 , mainly wood though. I would not consider myself a machinist until I put things into that stage really. Its awne now and I hope some day to be called a OLD PRO . Had many influences along the way, My grandfather Bill , my Dad , My friend Joe , and a few more that I looked up to .

madmachinst said:

I was stupid and daydreaming when I was in High school. I was earning good grades in HS so I could go to college and become a Lawyer, but the making stuff out of metal was an addiction. There goes a degree from Columbia and no need to go to Cardozo. If I could only get consistent work, I wouldn't be bitching. Don't let your kids dream of being machinists. Its easy for them to get lost in "how cool it is what you do," don't let them fall for that.

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Well, God knows that we need more lawyers, but.... I might not encourage them to try to make a living in the trade, but I certainly would encourage them to learn the trade. I value a man by what he knows and can do rather than how much money he has...a broke, out of work machinist of 30 years is worth more in my eyes than some silver-spoon born, coupon cutting, estate living, tassel loafer wearing, inheritor of wealth...although, truth be told, he probably gets laid more....

I liked to take things apart, at a young age I had trouble putting things back together, my dad said if your going to take them apart you'd better learn to put them together. My grandfather was a tool and die maker at Cat in Peoria, when he retired and we went on vacation to visit him he gave me his Kennedy "full" my mother said what are you going to do with it and I told her I'm going to be machinist, my father already was a machinist at GE in Fitchburg, MA. When I was in the 8th grade they had a city wide test to get into vocational school, they chose 4 kids for each of the 4 trades, machine shop, auto, wood, and electric, and I was chosen, prior to the testing they usually just let kids that they expected to drop out into vocational school, during my 4 years in school, in my junior year they asked if I'd like to work on the co-op program I jumped at the chance to make a $1.10 per hour and I also learned what life was about, most of the guys at the shop I was at were very good about helping a newbie, but there were a couple of old fuddy duddys that when I would ask what they were working on would toss a rag over there work so I couldn't see what they were doing (it was not secret work they were afraid I would take there job LOL LOL) , my trade teacher also taught night school and I went to learn all that I could.
Been doing it now for "oh my god" 60+ years, and I still love making things, plus I still work.

I've been making things every since I was born (practically) and it's just natural to go from blocks to woodworking to metalworking. I still do a bit of woodturning though as well.

I just had to let all those parts out of the raw metal stock. I mean, they were trapped IN THERE, man!

Freedom!

My family has been in the machine tool business forever. My father tried to stop me from taking machine shop in high school he wanted me to be on a college path. I went to college and got a job in the machine shop and a degree in art. He told me to be anything but a machinist, I think he is kinda proud of me now that I own my own shop.

I never knew what to do once I graduated high school. My dad got me enrolled in tech. school. I took the course then found how it opened doors to employment as an apprentice. Got journeymans ticket in 1981 and learned a lot in all the shops I worked. I always loved the work, some shops better than others, but generally all the machinists, welders, and industrial mechanics were a bunch of great guys. Eventually, found a machinist job with government mental hospital, wages and benefits on par with private industry, and also a pension plan. Been here 22 years now and 3 more to go. Life has been good.

Brain damage. . . Humor and truth both apply.

Rich software designer which was a big step up from poor marine biologist. I wanted to find a guaranteed way to lose money.

PDW

The shop is the only way I've found to get the ideas out of my head so customers can buy them.

I was the kid that took the phone apart and got it back together again. The one who fixed bikes for the other kids. The nerd. I got into machining because I like the challenge inherent in designing and making things.

I'm not a machinist. I'm a serial hobbyist. I have too much respect for machinists to claim to be one.

Having said that, I've done a lot. I've I've taught myself to use a mill, lathe, welder(s) and most other shop tools. My shop fills a 2 car garage. I've read Machinery's Handbook. Really! It's a great way to learn the jargon.

I've learned to make parts to spec and to do it repeatedly. I can build fixtures to hold most every thing I need to work on. I can make small parts from large blocks of metal and large parts from small pieces of metal. When I encounter a new process I research it and then practice it until I can perform it predictably. I can also make amazingly stupid mistakes.

Dan

I was working in grocery store and my g/f's (future wife) dad told me about an apprentice ship with schlumberger learning the machinist trade. First day of work, no lie, when boss told me the machine name I ask him to spell LATHE for me b/c it was like he was talking Greek!

dbsuthe said:

I can also make amazingly stupid mistakes.
Dan

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Join the club. I made a big one. I decided to fix the wear in an anchor winch I got cheap. Problem is there is a bunch of poor design 'features' as well which I only found out about after making some new parts & analysing why I was still getting jams. There are only 2 shafts with Woodruff keys so pulling 6 sheared keys and 4 bent ones out of the sump when I stripped it down should have been my first clue.

I think my next stupid mistake is going to be re-engineering the damn thing rather than scrapping it. But why else do we have machine tools.....

PDW

Got tired of not being able to buy parts for old machines or being charged a mint for simple jobs.

Michael

When going into high school I wanted to be a Architect. My first elective class was drafting. The drafting teacher recommend I take machine shop so I would be reading blue prints. I never looked back. My High School has a great vocational program. I spent more time on the shop floor in high school than I did in college learning the trade.

O yeah, I like making things.