What and when was your first part and what was the machine?

G00 Proto · May 22, 2019

I was following a machining group on Facebook, and realized that the quality of content here was much higher (and more civilized). I think it is simply a function of how many year the members have been in this profession. I thought it would be interesting to put some data behind that assessment…

My first real parts were high pressure vessels turned out of 5" diameter 316 SS back in graduate school in 1996 (before I decided to follow my blue collar dream). I machined them on an archaic Logan Lathe and did the milling on a genuine Bridgeport with a rotary table. It was all downhill from there.

DMF_TomB · May 22, 2019

most interesting is millwright or field machinist work. from turning down shank of drill bit and slotting holes to remaking worn out parts and eventually designing and making improved designed parts. eventually engineer just says he wants machine to do something and asks you to make something and install that will do it. all of course for the cheapest price often using scrap out of the scrap metal lugger. and of course making parts on machines so old the bigger shops were sending the old machines to the junk yard.
.
often told could have any junk machine i wanted in my shop as long as it was not too new or functional. basically big shops did not want to have any competition to worry about even if from small shops using 30+ years old machines

g-coder05 · May 22, 2019

My first part? 1984 freshman machine shop. T-slot cleaner on a DoAll band saw.

It saddens me that WE as skilled tradesman sat by and watched the system do away with such great educational courses. By the time I had two years 4 hours a day taking a free machinist course I managed to land a pretty good co-op job out thus getting me out of school at noon each day. You sure don't find much of that anymore.

Ox · May 22, 2019

Well, I ass_u_med that you meant the first CNC part, but I guess not...

My first part would have been made on a Bridgeport in 1987. I started at building die blocks.
Now whether the first part was a die block or not - I couldn't say anymore.

First CNC part was probably 1991 and was likely just secondary opp werk on screw machine parts.

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Calling for a spot of rain ... but I just don't know .... ???
Ox

Vancbiker · May 22, 2019

First CNC parts were steam fittings for submarines in 1978. Brand new Mori Seiki DTL500B and I had to program, set up and run them with all of about 2.5 days worth of training. I was one nervous kid.

Perry Harrington · May 22, 2019

First machined part was either a screwdriver handle or a tinsmith hammer. 1991 in Freshman Metal Shop.

But first actual machined part was this faceplate on a MAXNC 15 (useless machine IMHO), ca 2001:

First "real" CNC was a Shizuoka AN-S with Bandit control, which I then upgraded to a Centroid control. I machined the end plates of the black box in that picture on the Bandit control.

As for turning work, I think it was an output flange for a 600cc bike engine to adapt to a driveshaft.

The first real parts I made with the Centroid control (on the Shizuoka) were a bunch of transmission adapter plates:

I also used it for 2nd op on these:

Then I bought a Brother TC-211 to 2nd op those parts coming off the Hardinge CHNC-1.

To speed things up and broaden the market for parts I could make, I bought a HAAS VF-0.

Then the Great Recession happened and I switched fields and went back into computers, it was the skills that paid the bills.

mhajicek · May 22, 2019

I started machining as soon as I could see over the bed of my grandfather's 9" Atlas. First paid parts were stainless ferrules for stretching Teflon tube for arterial grafts, probably around 1990. First paid CNC parts were X-ray emitting catheter tips about the size of a grain of rice, made from green (unsintered) isotropic Boron Nitride, using a MaxNC as a lathe, probably 1996.

litlerob1 · May 22, 2019

Profile for a Steel wall plate, on a BP with a Bandit control. 1988

First manual part was a Brass cane handle, Monarch EE. 1988

First CNC part, I have no idea. By that time, I was too into it to pay attention or care.

First assignment was Oil field tubes with a variety of Threadsz.

R

Conrad Hoffman · May 22, 2019

My first lathe part was something in high school on a little Unimat. In my first real job they needed some Plexiglas parts milled and figured I could learn how to do it. No real training, just go do it. I wish I could find the machine on the 'net, but never have. It was an Italian milling machine that looked a lot like a Dr. Who Dalek. The stupid dials were 1/8" per turn, so I was forever messing up when I had to go more than 1/8". I've come a long ways since then, but have always been smart enough not to rely on my machining skills for actual bill-paying income. A man's got to know his limitations.

LockNut · May 22, 2019

Train wheels and axles, smallish Bullard VTL. East Chicago Machine Tool, 1978

Paul

Mike1974 · May 22, 2019

Not sure the first part I made, but I remember a few of them (including screw-ups) -

First time I reamed a hole (.250" pretty sure) I drilled it with a 1/4" drill

I thought reaming was some cleanup thing or something and I used the same size drill haha.

I made my 1x2x3 blocks. Still have them from about '93 I guess. They are pretty crappy (big ugly rounded edges from my aggressive filing, tapped holes half ass from being caurberized) , but I have reground them a couple times so they work.

I made a set (or a few sets?) of parallels (still have) didn;t realize how badly I had made the holes until years later

(off center, not consistent, non concentric chamfers, etc). I made alot of tools when I started- parallels, angles, grinding vises, V blocks, etc. I have about half of them still I would guess. That was many moons ago when I was single and didn't mid staying after work to do stuff... times have changed! I can now buy (and even re-work if necessary) cheapie china brand stuff for less than I could buy the material, not to mention the labor...

edit: machines were brand new Bridgeport (yes a real Bridgeport, not a clone and it was purchased new... didn't know how lucky I was then), surface grinder (chevalier?)

Mtndew · May 22, 2019

Like someone above, my 1st part was a T-Slot cleaner in a Vocational Tech school when I was a Junior in High School. Graduated H.S. in 1987

Then I began working in a production shop making taps (hated that job).
My first REAL machinist job and parts that I made was on a Monarch engine lathe and making a cast iron pulley 14" dia 4" o.a.l. and I think 3 Vee grooves.
Scrapped it. :ack2:

Boss wasn't happy but understood that I was a trainee and saw my potential.
I about shat myself as an 18 yr old kid that just scrapped out a couple hundred dollar hunk of iron lol.

johnoder · May 22, 2019

3/8" bore muzzle loading cannon about 6" long - that the instructor would not let me vent until I got it home

On wretched 9" school shop lathe

Fall semester, 1955

alphonso · May 22, 2019

1953 at 7 1/2 years old. Drilling rivets out of sickle bars off of (rice) combines. Then riveted new teeth in the bars. Just after my birthday in November they let me bore a flathead V-8 with the Van Norman 777 bar. By the end of summer in '54 I was allowed to run all the machines except for the crank grinder.

Spring/summer of '65 I worked in a shop in Houston mostly running a B&S hand turret lathe making beryllium-copper connector bodies for downhole logging units. That's when I had dreams of installing grease zerks in my elbows to relieve the pain.

First CNC work was in '93 on a 19'81 Monarch Metalist(GE1050L) that I bought to try to keep up with my rubber mold orders. First parts were some trailer spindles trying to learn how to program and run the machine. Only messed up the threads on one part.

Cole2534 · May 22, 2019

I think it was an aluminum standoff for an optical experiment, turned on an SB Heavy 10 in the OK State university instrument shop.

That was a kickass job. Dad paid for my education, machine shop taught me more than any classroom ever could and gave me money for buyin beer and chasin tail.

Damn that was fun.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

precisionmetal · May 22, 2019

First (useful) parts I can remember making for myself was a pair of setback blocks made on a Bridgeport for the handlebars on my 70cc Honda flat track bike. I think it was 1969, though I machined parts before then.

First CNC machined parts were for the guy who had a shop next to mine in 1989, on my Acroloc. (parts had a lot of drilled holes, and the Acroloc was not a half-bad machine for that!)

PM

CarbideBob · May 22, 2019

Jackshaft for my minbike in the mid 60s.
South bend lathe and B-port with a lot of leading from my Dad on what knobs to turn.
I was hooked.
Bob

Rewt · May 23, 2019

Like Gcoder and Dew, T slot cleaner on yes, a Do-All bandsaw and a mill file.

tonymor · May 23, 2019

Not at it quite as long as some of you guys but the first part i ever programmed and ran myself was an induction hardened rod for a hydraulic cylinder sometime in 2012. Our company had just purchased a Doosan 2600Y, our first venture into a 4 axis machine and with zero prior CNC programming experience i did a weeks training at Mills CNC in the UK, came home and had a weeks training at the machine with a Mills tech.

The following week I was set the task of getting these running. I remember it taking me 18hrs to setup and program the machine to: turn off hardened layer, turn, ext thread, drill in Z, drill in x,turn around, turn hardened layer and mill two flats.

I always appreciated them allowing me the time to work through it myself.

specgrade · May 23, 2019

.880 hole in a 3" by 3" by 1/8" 304ss plate.
Load part in vice, push green button, wait 50sec, unload part.
Repeat 184 times.
Fadal Mill.
The year was 2013. Good Times.

What and when was your first part and what was the machine?

Hot Rolled

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Stainless

Diamond

Diamond

Diamond

Attachments

Titanium

Diamond

Stainless

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Hot Rolled

Aluminum

Plastic

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