Hello, newbie looking to learn in NYC

Hello!

BLUF: Does anyone have suggestions on what I should search for, or where to look in NYC? Or other getting started advice? Starting at home is not an option, unfortunately.

Body:

As the title suggests, I'm totally new to this field (and forum) and I'm looking to get started with machining and metal working.
I hope this is the right sub-forum to post this to, and that these kinds of topics are welcome here; please let me know if that's not the case!

I've been watching and reading a lot about other people's professional/hobby machining and CNC projects, and I'M HOOKED! I really want to learn these skills, but since I am very space constrained (city living) I can't really start at home. My background is in software development, but lately I think it's been leaving me a bit under-stimulated; I want to explore some trade skills, either as a hobby or career switch.

I've found a few vocational schools, and some local college courses related to machining.

Does anyone have suggestions on what I should search for, or where to look in NYC?

You could thoroughly digest some literature as a start

Ancient texts deal with FUNDAMENTALS - which don't change much

A treatise on milling and milling machines .. : Cincinnati Milling Machine Company : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/1617/5795.pdf

Don't use your feeling of being "under-stimulated" be the sole-driver of a career change. New things are exciting until they too become routine.

The old books recommended would be a good start followed by a class to start getting some hands-on experience.

An activity as an hobby is a different kind of "enjoyment" (for lack of a better term) than the same activity as a career. If you would like a better idea of what the day-to-day is like in a machining/manufacturing career, I suggest finding a machinist/tool-maker to shadow for a day or two. If you are unable to make that happen on your own, the school may be able to help.

Bill

college courses are good to learn modern methods and schools often work with local business to teach what they want and same businesses often hire the students looking for jobs. so you got
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1) its called networking or talking with others to help find jobs. not only through the teacher but also the other students can answer questions on what it is like to work at other companies
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2) teacher often can answer explain teach in a few minutes what a student might be stuck on or cannot find in over 2000 pages of machinery manuals common with many cnc. this i cannot explain any better about being stuck on a problem and asking someone and getting advice often in less than a minute. books often can take 1000x longer if the answer is even in the book
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just dont prepay for too many training courses cause usually if you stop you get no refunds. for example if you sign up for night school classes and then get a job on the evening shift. you cannot attend the evening classes cause your are working at a job. you start working as a cnc operator you will usually learn alot on the job. many cnc operators make easily over $60,000/yr so learning (on the job free) and getting paid for it. its not a bad way to go

Thanks for the replies! I'll definitely start with some reading.

On the topics of jobs and careers, your points are all well taken! Software has been really good to me, and I think this would start primarily as a hobby. I'm not looking to switch immediately!

The most important thing right now is finding somewhere where I can start to learn, hopefully in low-commitment way.

There must be some makerspaces or something in whatever borough you're in. I would start there, they probably have a mill and a lathe and a basic training course.