How many of you are MACHINISTS for a living?

i'll machine stuff for me but never wanted to do it for a living.:nuts::nuts:
 
journeyman tool and die maker.(retired) but i can fake my way through a few machining operations.
 
I'm an engineer turned machinist and was self employed for 30 years. Retired 8 years ago but I kept a small shop as a hobby.:))
 
I started as a mechanic/machinist in the 70's rebuilding motorcycle and auto engines and eventually became a factory trained Harley mechanic/machinist/fabricator designing and building custom bikes. I then moved on to Top Fuel Drag Racing (engine machinist) until focusing my occupation in an industrial environment because it paid much better.

I became an industrial R&D prototype machinist/fabricator until I was offered the Maint. Mgr. position of a large manufacturing plant overseeing the machine shop and the challenge of keeping 600 aging industrial manufacturing machines running. For the past 24 years, I've been the Gen Mgr. of an aircraft service company and responsible for overseeing the necessary repairs to keep an major airport running.

Over the past few years I've been putting together my own personal machine shop so once I lose access in retirement, I can still make chips.
 
I guess I'll through my hat in the ring. I started working in a machine shop in 1968 while in high school doing the most important jobs in the place, sweeping the floors and cleaning the bathrooms. They then put me with the maintenance man, smiling Ed, because I was one of the few people that he could not **** off. Spent two summer vacations working with him rebuilding machines, mostly big stuff. Like surface grinders with 3" x 8' magnetic chucks and lathes with 5' swings and 25' beds. A couple of years of that and I got a chance to work in a tool shop making injection and compression molds and have been involved with that for the last 40 years.
I am now putting together a little "retirement" shop but really have no plans to retire as long as people keep throwing money at me to do things I like doing.

John
 
Skilled miller, fitter turner since 1972. Mostly CNC programming and making prototypes and small batches. Loved it.
Now sit behind a desk as a production engineer for the last 3 years. Miss the machines but had to save what was left of my hearing.
Trev
 
Count me in. I've been at it since 1976 and for the most part I have truly, truly enjoyed it. I'm much more comfortable on manual machines but right now I am a button pusher at a hi volume CNC house. No shame in button pushing somebody else has to deal with problems (and the boss) and it pays the bills I just don't care for CNC work. Fortunately I have a pretty nice shop at home with a 1929 9" x 36" South Bend, an Enco 7 X 10 mini lathe and a 1940's vintage Burke bench top horizontal mill.
 
Well, I'm glad to report that I am now a machinist for a living.

The place I am currently working at makes equipment for pre fab housing framework.
 
I guess you could call me a machinist. I am a tool and die maker by trade, but I teach machine shop and design at a high school. I guess that makes me a machinist now. I do make repair parts for our machines as needed. I use and understand CNC machines but I am very comfortable with traditional machines and attachments. My shop has vertical and horizontal milling machines, lathes, surface grinder and OD grinder, drill presses, and an assortment of fabrication equipment. Right now I need to make a cross feed nut and cut an acme thread in it. I am also putting together a home shop with retirement in mind in the next year. I have a small cnc mill, a small cnc lathe, and I just purchased a 1964 Myford ML7 lathe with the intention of reconditioning and restoring for use making whatever I want to, without being asked 'what are you doing now sir?'.
 
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