# How to explain what we are?



## Pat of TN (May 13, 2014)

Hey folks. Got a question for the more experienced guys here.

For those of you who are professional machinists as well as hobbyists, what do you do when you get that deer-in-the-headlights look? Someone asks you what you do or what a machinist is, etc.... how do you go about explaining it? 

It's happened to me a few times, and I'm only a student as of yet. I tell people I'm taking a machining class, and they have no idea what it is, which is sad. I try to go about explaining it as precision metalwork, or likening it somewhat to woodworking, and neither really work. I say "metal work" and people automatically assume welding or sheet metal work. No, a machinist is a few steps above that, but how do you say it?

Just curious, folks.


----------



## Andre (May 13, 2014)

Oh, so your a mechanic! 

I get the same question about my sport, competitive shooting. People think I'm some sniper deer killer....


----------



## Ray C (May 13, 2014)

Most of the time, folks who give you that blank stare aren't going to get it anyhow.  As long as you know who and what you are, that's all that counts...


I suppose if a one-liner is absolutely necessary, I'd come across with "A craftsman who works with metal and makes precision metal objects and parts using machines and tools suited to that purpose".


Ray


----------



## Hawkeye (May 13, 2014)

Ask them if they own anything made of metal. (Sometimes, you have to jump-start somebody's thought processes.) Ask if they know where it came from. (Yeah, I know ... China.) If it is (or has) a machined part, someone had to make that part. If it is a forged part, someone had to make the dies to forge that part.

You could make almost any part by sawing and filing away any unnecessary portions. A machinist has the power tools that do those operations faster and more accurately than you could do it by hand. A sewing machine is a power tool.

Wikipedia has a lengthy write-up on 'machinist'. If that doesn't work, and the person in question is someone you run into often, invite him/her over to your shop.

BTW, a closely related question is "What are you going to make with that new machine you just got?" I always feel like asking what they're going to wash with their laundry set, or what are they going to bake in their new oven. But then, I have a weird sense of humour.


----------



## JimDawson (May 13, 2014)

I have been machining for about the last 50 years and I still can not explain it adequately to someone who has no basis of understanding.  Today, I just say ''I build machines''.  Or if I'm feeling a bit flippant, I just say ''I turn perfectly good metal into chips''.  


I also disagree with your statement: ''..a machinist is a few steps above that''  Sheet metal workers and welders are craftsmen in their own field.  Every bit as skilled as a machinist.


----------



## Andre (May 13, 2014)

I agree with Jim, don't look down on sheet metal workers. I do a tad of sheet metal working, MUCH harder than it looks! They have a lot of things to teach us, so do woodworkers. But a bad thing about "machinist's" (me included) is we tend to look down on other's crafts and skills.


----------



## chuckorlando (May 13, 2014)

When I tell someone I'm in school and they ask that question I say " everything you own is only possible because a machinist. If they did not make it, they made the tools that made it" Then almost like clock work I have to follow that with " you see those rims on your car, a machinist can make that" Although thats not exactly correct, they almost always reply  something to the effect " wow, thats cool"


----------



## 12bolts (May 14, 2014)

Andre said:


> ....But a bad thing about "machinist's" (me included) is we tend to look down on other's crafts and skills.


Its a bad thing for any craftsman to look down on anyone else' field. You find craftsmen in every endeavour. The reason they are skilled at what they do is through years of training and experience. And it does'nt have to be a trade as such.

Cheers Phil


----------



## Marco Bernardini (May 14, 2014)

My explanation for non-machinists: *«who makes tools and machines to make tools and machines which make things»*.
BTW in Italian it's harder, because there isn't even a global term for "machinist": we have specific definitions coming from the industry like "_tornitore_" (lathe operator), "_fresatore_" (mill operator), the pretty rare "_attrezzista_" (toolmaker) or the generic "_meccanico_" (mechanic), even if this term is usually used for car/truck repairers.
 The Italian word "_macchinista_" is specific for the train engineer.


----------



## TOOLMASTER (May 14, 2014)

Had a doctor/surgeon ask me what I did to which he replied, "so you are a jack of all trades" I answered "so you are a glorified butcher"


----------



## Don B (May 14, 2014)

Andre said:


> Oh, so your a mechanic!



I get the "Oh, so your a mechanic!" most often.

I did have something funny happen a couple of years ago though, my shop is in my basement, there was 2 guys here to fix my phone, they where looking at my stuff and both told me they had taken 2 years of machine shop class in high-school and had enjoyed it, then they said they really liked my 5 lathes and asked why I needed 5 lathes, they where looking at 2 lathes, 2 manual mills, and 1 CNC mill, I really wanted to ask how there marks where in machine shop class but I didn't bother, on the plus side they did know what the drill press was..!:lmao:

BTW I told them I needed the 5 lathes because they all did different size stuff and that satisfied there curiosity...!:thinking:

*I'm just adding this to my post for clarity*: I don't believe for a second that either one of these guy's took a machine shop course, I think they where just trying to bullsh*t each other, I guess what I found so funny about it was the fact they didn't realize by pretending they new something about machining how foolish they made them selfs look.
If they had been honest I would have taken the time to explain the difference between a lathe and a mill.)


----------



## wnec65 (May 14, 2014)

I live in a big retirement community and some of the folks here have wood working shops to die for.  I appear to be the only one with a machine shop.  Wood working is definitely promoted more as you can buy wood working tools at Homedepot and Lowes. A few guys in the neighborhood have seen what I do and are inpressed with the small detail.  I've also signed up for a class in CNC milling at the local CC in hopes to meet like minded people although probably a lot younger.  I guess that can be the lonely life of a retired machinist. )


----------



## Marco Bernardini (May 14, 2014)

Don B said:


> I get the "Oh, so your a mechanic!" most often.
> 
> I did have something funny happen a couple of years ago though, my shop is in my basement, there was 2 guys here to fix my phone, they where looking at my stuff and both told me they had taken 2 years of machine shop class in high-school and had enjoyed it, then they said they really liked my 5 lathes and asked why I needed 5 lathes, they where looking at 2 lathes, 2 manual mills, and 1 CNC mill, I really wanted to ask how there marks where in machine shop class but I didn't bother, on the plus side they did know what the drill press was..!:lmao:
> 
> BTW I told them I needed the 5 lathes because they all did different size stuff and that satisfied there curiosity...!:thinking:



:roflmao:
I guess their teacher wasn't Mr. Pete "Tubalcain"!
Of course the drill press is a vertical lathe, what else?


----------



## Don B (May 14, 2014)

Marco Bernardini said:


> :roflmao:
> I guess their teacher wasn't Mr. Pete "Tubalcain"!
> Of course the drill press is a vertical lathe, what else?



My wife couldn't put names to 99% of what's in my shop but when I told her about it she picked right up on it and said " you don't have 5 lathes" which made it all the more amusing to me.

I figure them 2 guys must have had girls in there class or something and lost focus..!


----------



## mgalusha (May 14, 2014)

Hawkeye said:


> BTW, a closely related question is "What are you going to make with that new machine you just got?" I always feel like asking what they're going to wash with their laundry set, or what are they going to bake in their new oven. But then, I have a weird sense of humour.



That one from my wife seemingly every time something heavy arrives. The answer is always pretty much "anything I want", which is of course the whole point of having the machines and skill to use them, make whatever you can dream up, hopefully.


----------



## Philco (May 15, 2014)

Don B said:


> I get the "Oh, so your a mechanic!" most often.
> 
> I did have something funny happen a couple of years ago though, my shop is in my basement, there was 2 guys here to fix my phone, they where looking at my stuff and both told me they had taken 2 years of machine shop class in high-school and had enjoyed it, then they said they really liked my 5 lathes and asked why I needed 5 lathes, they where looking at 2 lathes, 2 manual mills, and 1 CNC mill, I really wanted to ask how there marks where in machine shop class but I didn't bother, on the plus side they did know what the drill press was..!:lmao:
> 
> ...



This is funny, I see this in in my line of work everyday where people come in throwing high tech automotive terms around trying to make themselves look intelligent. Little do they know just how foolish they sound.


----------



## Marco Bernardini (May 15, 2014)

Philco said:


> This is funny, I see this in in my line of work everyday where people come in throwing high tech automotive terms around trying to make themselves look intelligent. Little do they know just how foolish they sound.



Ask them if their gonkulators are left-handed or right handed…
:roflmao:


----------



## lpeedin (May 15, 2014)

Wow, this thread is simply amazing in that some are being critical of what others learned in school, yet they themselves don't know the proper use of "their vs there" or "your vs you're".


----------



## Marco Bernardini (May 15, 2014)

lpeedin said:


> Wow, this thread is simply amazing in that some are being critical of what others learned in school, yet they themselves don't know the proper use of "their vs there" or "your vs you're".



Actually I prefer to read English forums (or _fora_, if you prefer), because I'm too sensible to assist to the syntax and grammar massacre I often found on Italian forums anic:


----------



## Don B (May 15, 2014)

lpeedin said:


> Wow, this thread is simply amazing in that some are being critical of what others learned in school, yet they themselves don't know the proper use of "their vs there" or "your vs you're".



OK.................Apparently comprehension and knowledge of proper spelling don't go hand in hand, and noted.
No one was made fun of for what hey learned in school, any education is precious and should be respected by the recipient.
The point of the post was people pretending they had experience in a subject they clearly had none, people who would do this are not worth the time it would take to explain a machines capabilities.)


----------



## Jamespvill (May 16, 2014)

lpeedin said:


> Wow, this thread is simply amazing in that some are being critical of what others learned in school, yet they themselves don't know the proper use of "their vs there" or "your vs you're".



Crap! I must have missed the required syntax and spelling test that we had to take when we joined the forum! 

Really though, is the proper usage of "their vs there" and "your vs you're" really that relevant for this discussion?

While I understand that a well balanced education is extremely valuable, I find that being able to differentiate between "your and you're", while super-duper impressive at parties, isn't that important when I'm drawing up a sketch for a part. 

I've known some folks who couldn't spell words past five letters that were capable of machining up amazingly elaborate parts and had a far superior knowledge of math than I possess.

Anywho, as for the original question, I've never once been able to explain to a person what a metal lathe is. I usually just say, "You know what a unicorn is? Well just imagine that, but more of a metal version."


----------

