How many of you are MACHINISTS for a living?

Started in 1958 in an automatic screw machine shop. In 1970 started my own shop with a 1917 4 spindle 7/8" capacity Cone automatic. Machine left the factory set up to make a small machine gun part for Saginaw Gear Works during WW1. Also had a 1936 8 spindle Cone auto, 11" Logan. In 2000 had 27 automatics Cone, Brown and Sharp and Davenport.
Now I tinker in my shop at home !
 
Began employment at a local job shop a couple weeks ago. Went through a 20-month course at a state-run technical college beforehand.

Currently only operate a small Haas CNC mill, but if given the chance, I will jump on the opportunity to get into the shop's manual department. I enjoy that much more than operating a CNC machine, and consider myself much more talented at it. Not particularly fond of operating CNC machines. How it is done at my place of employment certainly takes more forethought than the common "button pusher/material feeder" interpretation, but it still boils down to button presses.

But, I can't complain. CNC machining is the way of the future. Nearly all advancements in machining technology in the space age seem to be directed solely at CNC.
 
first a machinist and then mechanical engineer. got a good home shop ( I think) . At work I design the machinery and see the project to the end. Admin is a pain though as I would far rather be turning a dial as apposed to punching keys on a key-board.
 
Had my own shop for 14 years, now I built parts for helicopters for someone else. About 20 years now making chips.
 
Retired power plant controls technician. Have enjoyed making chips for about 60 of my 77 years.
 
Journeyman machinist by trade but took an office job 3 years ago. Have the home shop to keep up with the skills.
 
25 years as tool maker /engineer as well as 20 years as a precision machining teacher. I've still have a couple more years yet before i start it as a hobby/part time business. I love this career..
Gary
 
Nels: You're not going to throw us 'non-professionals' out the door are you? :)
 
I can't figure out if I am a professional machinist or not. I've been making chips for about 50 years, but it's not what I really do for a living, or maybe I should say it is only part of what I do for a living. I am an active tool & die maker, and also do equipment repair of all types. But mostly I design and build automated machinery, and I have to machine parts for that. I also do product development which requires the use of machine tools. I guess mostly I'm a problem solver, and my shop is just one tool in the box. Maybe some day I'll figure out what I want to be when I grow up.:dunno:
 
When I first read this forum, I thought I would find a few pro's and lots of hobby folks... It appears to be LOTS of highly experienced true professionals here... I am humbled to have this many talented folks who are willing to suggest things to a hobby/shop owner who is just starting out.

I worked in a machine shop as a college job in the early 1970's... enjoyed it, caught on quickly, and was trusted to make simple parts by the end of the summer. Thought about staying... however college was more important at the time.
In the back of my mind, I always wanted to have a hobby machine shop at home.

As happens to many of us; life got in the way of the things we want to do. I ended up in the home improvement business... did remodeling and repair, then turned it into a heating and AC company. Still run that.

Now, I have time to enjoy the things I wanted to do when I was younger. I have a pilots license and tinker with and fly Experimental aircraft (that means home built). My area of 'fun' in aviation is gyrocopters; thus the screen name of GA.Gyro. Here is a link to the site of our gyro club west of Atlanta:
www.peachstaterotorcraft.org
I bought a gyro in boxes last year, and realized I would either need to spend a lot of $$$ at a machine shop, or set up one, to build it as I wanted to... the latter won out.

I started mentioning to folks I would have a shop, if you need anything made, please consider me... I was surprised at the number of folks who responded. It appears I may actually get to follow my personal rule: A hobby MUST pay for itself (not easy to do).

Currently, I am waiting for a lathe and mill from QMT (Precision Matthews), highly recommend to look at those machines if one wants to buy new.
Matt and Ray do a great job of providing machines and customer support.

THX for having me at this forum, I can see I am in the company of some highly experienced pro's, hope some of their experience will rub off on me as the days and weeks and months go by.
 
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