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  1. A

    Looking to buy Clausing 8520/8530 mill

    Hello. I have been on the lookout for a Clausing 8520 / 8530 Mill. I'm looking for a good, reliable mill that I can break down and move to my basement with ease. Doing so with a bridgeport is possible, but doesn't seem as easy. I expect to move this machine around a few times a decade at least...
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    Drowning in work, if only we could find some employees

    They are still calling 13-14 bucks an hour, no bennies "competitive" around these parts. And all too often, these are the shops with the work up the ass. No wonder geniuses. If only "business" was that simple. Raise your damn prices to a level that is sustainable. And by that I mean, a price...
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    How to keep dumb employees happy

    Another fine example of why to stay far away from this trade.
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    More evidence that the "skills gap" is a hoax (at least in Iowa)

    If the wages go up, and the supply of machinists does not increase, you can call it a skills gap. Doubt the majority are offering higher wages in this climate. Rest of America is getting raises. Either machining can be done profitably in the United States, or the last holdouts in this trade...
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    Issues finding new staff

    Wait... You mean to tell us that machinists in the states expect the same types of benefits that are commonly offered other occupations? :willy_nilly::willy_nilly: Gee... Kinda makes sense why the younger folks picked all those other, more financially rewarding opportunities... :ack2:
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    China buying Detroit----------

    A fool and their money...
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    Why would anyone go into the Machining trade?

    That's the reality. The young kids are getting kicked around out there, fighting for any job available. When you send everyone to college, you will inevitably end up with more educated burger flippers and pizza delivery guys, without the creation of more "good" jobs anyways. 2 of my friends with...
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    Question for the owners...

    I appreciate the feedback. I can definitely see the potential for opportunity in the mold making trade. It's a shame that these high skill, knowledge intensive trades have been hammered so hard over the years. An awful lot of good, smart people invested years of their lives mastering these...
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    Question for the owners...

    How is it going to "dribble back" if you do not have the workforce with the right skill set? If it returns in even the slightest of volumes, will manufacturers be prepared for the uptick in demand? These types of professions take years to fully train for, and it seems that most companies do not...
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    Question for the owners...

    Your response highlights a serious issue with this occupation... Management and owners have been placing all their chips on automation. Very little time, money or effort has been set aside to train the next crop. The skills available are deplorable. The few guys you will have running around in...
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    Question for the owners...

    Where do you anticipate seeing the greatest need for future machinists? The reason I ask, I have the opportunity to take my career in several directions. I have an opportunity to work for a mold shop, learning under the guidance of experienced mold makers. I also have the opportunity to work for...
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    What are my odds of getting hired as an entry level machinist?

    Well, if you're going to make a go at it, this is the time to do it. Everybody is hiring, and many are advertising "apprenticeship" opportunities. In most shops, that means cleaning the floors, cleaning the machines, and a little learning along the way. That's how most folks start out. Give it a...
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    Hot Dog Cart might actually be a viable option!

    Hot dog cart and valet parking... Those are my fall back plans. Funny, because machining was my original fall back plan. Maybe the grass always seems greener?
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    CNC... The proper progression?

    Just so you all know... I'm running mostly manual machines and doing CNC occasionally, while devoting some free time to learning it. I'm starting off by "free hand" programming, while dabbling in CAM software. Problem I have is I'm basically on my own. There's a guy at work whose helping me...
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    are wages really that low?

    Pretty well explains why the brains aren't flocking to this occupation. I know the add wasn't for a CNC operator, but it might as well have been. At this stage of the game, it isn't the Chinese we are competing with any longer... It's the cheap ass shops, and the companies that pay their bonuses...
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    CNC... The proper progression?

    Just trying to chart my progress and figure where I should devote my focus. I started out operating CNC machines many years back, but took a job running manual equipment. I wanted to get a more hands on experience in the trade. I've definitely learned much more doing that work than I ever would...
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    Detroit, Bankrupt

    Requiem For Detroit | Watch Documentary Online Freehttp://documentaryheaven.com/requiem-for-detroit/ Watching now. Looks accurate so far :cool: I've given a few "ghetto tours" when I live around the city. Folks are strangely fascinated by blight.
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    Operator or Apprentice Machinist?

    Well, it looks like I'm not missing much ;) Left the state in 2010, and it was the best thing I could have done. Last job I had in Michigan was paying $11, and that was in a fabrication shop. I was green, off the street but had an associates degree. I guess they figured that was worth more than...
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    Operator or Apprentice Machinist?

    I've never received an offer as low as $8/hr when I was starting out. That's maybe a part cleaner wage or something. Burger flippers make near minimum wage. Machine operators make around $12/hr, which is the same as a burger king line leader, or whatever you call them. Manufacturing has always...
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    What is right with America

    Still a place where you can live a comfortable life if you are willing to work hard. Foreigners do it all the time. Problem is, many Americans THINK they know what it is to work hard. Most can't hold a candle to the work ethic of their forefathers. Many are also unwilling to take the jobs...

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