# I Might Become a Machinist



## ddickey (Jul 18, 2017)

I'm taking a written assessment, then if I pass will be doing a practical assessment for an advanced step apprentice.
If anyone here has taken a written assessment please share your experience.


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## Bill Gruby (Jul 18, 2017)

Help me out here please, is Pre Assessment the same as an Aptitude Test?

 "Billy G"


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## Glenn Brooks (Jul 18, 2017)

Main thing in written assessment tests is answer what YOU think is the best and most honest  solution to each question -NOT what you think they want to hear. Even if the 'correct' answer is obvious. Sometimes it's not. Often these tests are written to judge consistently, independent thinking, and your honesty.  A test writer will often add multiple questions through out the assessment, asking for the same or related answer/solution in different ways - some obvious, others not so obvious at all. If you give inconsistent answers- based on what they 'obviously' want you to say the first time, but your best solution the second time, you might not do well. Because you will answer more subtle questions your way - leading to an inconsistent score at the end.

Just answer the whole thing using your best judgement and personal experience. You won't go wrong.


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## ddickey (Jul 18, 2017)

Bill Gruby said:


> Help me out here please, is Pre Assessment the same as an Aptitude Test?
> 
> "Billy G"


Yeah I think so. 
Since it is for the company I work for it won't be a psych test or anything like that, strictly a skills assessment in written first then practical on the lathe and mill I would guess.


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## RandyM (Jul 18, 2017)

Good luck DD!


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## mikey (Jul 18, 2017)

Hope it works out well for you, DD. I'm pulling for you!


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## Bill Gruby (Jul 18, 2017)

In that case they will be looking for Mechanical Aptitude and logical answers. Just be you and as said, not them. It will be intimidating but not to the point of scaring you off. We all went thru them to get where we are.

 "Billy G"


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## Wreck™Wreck (Jul 18, 2017)

About 10 years ago I took the elevator mechanics union test at a Customers behest, they gave you 4  hours, it was quite easy to tell what they were and were not looking for in candidates such as a blank page used for math calculations (no calculators allowed) that had DO NOT DISCARD printed on it. Nearly every math question was in common fractions for some reason, such as 1/5 + 1/3 - 1/8 =

In your case excellent math skills will help a good deal, math related to machining that is, calculus is not something that you will likely need on the shop floor, trigonometry is extremely useful however.

Good luck


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## Firestopper (Jul 19, 2017)

Back in 1999 when I put my name in the hat for Paramedic class (promotion), they had me go to the community collage for a overall aptitude exam. It included math, reading comprehension, and writing. Same thing with the blank sheet of paper for working out math problems. Now, all you need is a pulse, clean background check and $$$ to be accepted. Good luck DD, I wish you well. 

I still don't know how I passed the writing portion, these days all reports are done on laptop (auto correct) but until 2007 I carried a mini thesaurus and had smarter partners.


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## markba633csi (Jul 20, 2017)

I still remember in kindergarten they wanted to give us a bunch of tests. I piped up and said "What are you testing us for? You haven't taught us anything yet!"
My folks got a laugh out of that one. I was a smart ass even then.  
Mark S.


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## ddickey (Aug 2, 2017)

Took my written and had a verbal (or oral but that just sounds funny) test today without any machining.
Tomorrow I get to fire up a Bridgeport- Romi.
Should be fun.


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## mikey (Aug 2, 2017)

Pulling for you, Duane!


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## Wreck™Wreck (Aug 2, 2017)

ddickey said:


> Took my written and had a verbal (or oral but that just sounds funny) test today without any machining.
> Tomorrow I get to fire up a Bridgeport- Romi.
> Should be fun.


Good Luck
A BP Romi lathe I suspect, been running one for about 5 years or so, nice machines with a very simple to use conversational control. I found the users manual not very useful however.
If you have questions ask and I will tell you what I know.


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## ddickey (Aug 3, 2017)

Finished my part. It had four steps with reliefs after each step. 4.75" long with the largest step 1.4375". Center drilled both ends to .270". 
I hit all the dimensions within spec. +-.002" was the tightest tolerance. It was .01" for the reliefs, .005 for the length of the steps. At the end the instructor sets it up between centers and check that TIR is no more than .002". I do not know the result of that but I had it dialed with the 4J.
The BP-Romi was a treat to run. Only thing I didn't like how close the carriage hand wheel was to the cross slide wheel. Love those wide lathes.


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## mikey (Aug 3, 2017)

So, what was the verdict? Did you pass this test?


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## Wreck™Wreck (Aug 3, 2017)

Good to hear it went well.

The BP-Romi lathes will begin to creep up on the diameter after 3-4 hours of constant running but usually less then .002-003" during an 8 hour day.

Beware that when turned off at night they may lose position when restarted the next morning, this can be unpleasant at best.


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## ddickey (Aug 3, 2017)

Wreck wreck,
I did have to make some adjustments as it did seem creep up. Makes sense now, thanks.

Mikey I'm pretty confident I passed the project today and the oral evaluation yesterday.
However I'd be surprised if I passed the written exam. 109 questions in three hours. 
It was mostly repairman questions, maybe 15% machining questions.
I don't think the written exam will exclude you from the application process though.


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## mikey (Aug 3, 2017)

I have faith. Please keep us posted, and good luck!


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## Silverbullet (Aug 3, 2017)

Good luck , before being able to go to vocational school , we had the tests apt, math, verbil  and more . On the mechanical aptitude part ,, not bragging,,, but the said I tested in the genius range. YUPP no problem getting in vokie, I hated school and was good with tools. Freshmen year you had six programs three you picked three they picked from your testing. I was asked to come back to four of the different types of work. Stationary engineering I aced he wanted me to take the four year course, plumbing another , machine tool and die was my choice , which for me ment two years in the tool and die , and one year in the machine shop. Then two years more for apprenticeship and more to become a tool and die machinist. It's a great job for anyone , I enjoyed my work in the different shops. Stick with the tuff ones you'll learn the most there. Work hard study your weak areas and keep learning.


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## Wreck™Wreck (Aug 4, 2017)

Began an internal threading job on one of these lathes before I left today, 1 1/2-12 X 2 1/2" deep in the end of a rectangular steel part 3" X 3 7/8" X 8 1/2" long held in a 4 Jaw.
Don't ask why this is being done in a lathe rather then being drilled and tapped, they gave me a brand new GO-NO GO plug gauge for 4 parts. The gauge cost far more then a tap.
The canned thread program looks like this, all values may be changed.

ID = 2 (as a side note, in the tool library all tools are defined as OD Rough, ID Rough, OD groove, ID groove, Internal Thread and External Thread, if you choose a tool stored as External Thread for an ID threading job it will crash in spectacular fashion) keep this in mind. Also when programming a facing operation the roughing screen will give you 3 options,1 = OD, 2= ID and 3= Face, the Finish/Profile screen gives 2 options, 1 = tool on the left and 2 = tool on the right, if either choices are wrong it will often crash hard.

Lead = 12 TPI or .0833333, one may toggle between TPI and Lead, I always use lead, (this allows you to make a 3/8-16 1/4 thread so as to confuse someone in the future)

Thread Height is calculated by the control, I don't trust it so change it to a slightly smaller value like .o42"

Step= First pass DOC

Step 2 = All subsequent passes

Minimun Step = The last pass DOC

Spring Passes need no explanation

Withdrawal Clearance = The distance the tool moves away after each pass, this helps with chip clearance, keep in mind that when boring with a tool that fits closely in the hole to much clearance will cause the back of the tool to crash into the back side of the bore, this value is distance from the surface so .100" clearance is .200" on the diameter.

Engage Angle = The angle at which the tool advances much like manual threading from the compound

Start Z = Where the tool rapids to before threading begins, in this case .200" + .100" clearance or .300" from Z 0.000", (all moves toward the spindle from Z 0.000 are negative) a spindle encoder tells the Z servo when to start moving in relation to the spindle position, there is no gear train between the spindle and lead screw, you may put it out of gear between passes and it will not effect the position so long as you do not turn the power off or load another program, a blackout will screw you however, pun intended.

End Z = Where the thread ends, make this less then the blind bore, crashing a threading tool into a shoulder or the bottom of a bore is unproductive. Use an undercut at the end of the thread when possible.

Start Diameter = What it says, Minor Diameter of an internal thread or Major Diameter of an external thread.

End Diameter = The ability to make a tapered thread such as NPT, you are on your own when calculating these values. I have my methods of doing so.

In as much as the machine will do most of the work one must still set up the work set the tool, input the parameters and measure the thread just like doing it manually yet without all of the pesky 1/2 nut work, it is a thing of beauty.


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## ddickey (Mar 30, 2018)

Got me dear Jon email yesterday thanking me for doing the interview but yada yada yada. Funny thing was I never got an interview. After a few union grievances they finally got three hired, I'm glad for those guys.


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## ddickey (Jul 16, 2018)

Update.
One guy quite a day or two into the apprenticeship, he took another job outside of the plant. That is bad as it took my spot away, I believe I was next in line.
Another posting came up as a step five apprentice, which is allowed by the union. That would be two years into a four year apprenticeship. This was an internal only posting and three people signed. One was not being considered and the other was way low on the seniority list.
In the meantime I got offered a position to go to the I&C shop that I had applied for previously. I talked to the maintenance supervisor and was hoping he'd say you will pass your assessment, wink wink, lol. but he said I should take the offer so that sort of made my decision. That'll mean straight days, four tens which will be wonderful.


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## extropic (Jul 16, 2018)

Please define "I&C shop".


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## ddickey (Jul 16, 2018)

Instrumentation and Process Control. Shop just meaning I'll be working in that department.


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## JimDawson (Jul 16, 2018)

ddickey said:


> Instrumentation and Process Control. Shop just meaning I'll be working in that department.





Not a bad place to be.  Pays well, and the work is not hard.


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