My experience in machining? Well that would be, none. I spent 13 years in the Army as a mechanic and I did a fair bit of "soldier engineering" when replacement parts weren't available. I've done a minimal amount of welding and a bit of sheet metal work. I have purchased my first lathe (an old Atlas) but can't pick it up until the snow melts from in front of the basement door where it has been stored for decades. I am retired (thanks to the insurgents in Iraq) but I plan to return to school in the fall to study mechanical engineering. They don't come any greener than me but I am anxious to learn and am very grateful that there are so many knowledgeable folks willing to teach.