At what point are you considered a "Machinist"?

[twhite]

I was a Mold Maker (plastic injection) for 25 years before getting a job as a prototype machinist. The first company where I learned my trade I was at for 11 years. Non union so no official papers.

Anyhow I was in the Bat Cave just now and found a couple of Polaroids of a mold for a case for a government computer. 1992

All that I was supplied with was the blueprint of the finished case. So out came my scratch paper to build a mold around this part. The cool thing on this was there was a main slide and a secondary long slide inside of that. Then there was a pop up on the long slide. All designed on scratch paper and made on manual machines and a sinker EDM. No computer anything. Worked flawlessly first go. They ran the 50 parts and that was the end of the mold. I think that was probably 6 to weeks to make that one. Very fun project.

Cutting oil is my blood.

 

[mmcmdl]

I was a Mold Maker (plastic injection) for 25 years before getting a job as a prototype machinist.

While I was at Moldcraft we developed the pour back caps for Procter & Gamble . I think around 86 or so . Talk about a spotless shop with all the best equipment . That's the only place I've ever worked that we ground threads . The company eventually merged with PolySeal and still in business .

 

[EricB]

Interesing discussion. I'm just a tinkerer myself.

 

[twhite]

While I was at Moldcraft we developed the pour back caps for Procter & Gamble . I think around 86 or so . Talk about a spotless shop with all the best equipment . That's the only place I've ever worked that we ground threads . The company eventually merged with PolySeal and still in business .

First place I worked did Molding also. It was a fairly clean shop. The last 14 years were spent in sweat shop environments. Clapped out machines no AC. Los Angeles area so it got really hot during the summers. Only 20 years ago when I got the prototype job was it a clean environment. There I learned MasterCam for designing parts and programming on HAAS VMC 3 axis. That too was fun.
However as that company bailed on California last year leaving 200 employees out a job. I found myself working on a manual lathe again 10 hours a day. I have not been this satisfied about my job in decades. Pay sucks but I am happy.

I would not change those experiences ever. I Love machining.


Cutting oil is my blood.

 

[mmcmdl]

I would not change those experiences ever. I Love machining.

Not many jobs now that at the end of the day , you can lay something on table and say ..........." I made that ". I found the trade rewarding in many ways .

 

[extropic]

Not many jobs now that at the end of the day , you can lay something on table and say ..........." I made that ". I found the trade rewarding in many ways .

I'm concerned about the difficulty of finding someone who gives a ........ about anything beyond their phone, how long until quitting time and how they can avoid working until then.

 

[projectnut]

First place I worked did Molding also. It was a fairly clean shop. The last 14 years were spent in sweat shop environments. Clapped out machines no AC. Los Angeles area so it got really hot during the summers. Only 20 years ago when I got the prototype job was it a clean environment. There I learned MasterCam for designing parts and programming on HAAS VMC 3 axis. That too was fun.
However as that company bailed on California last year leaving 200 employees out a job. I found myself working on a manual lathe again 10 hours a day. I have not been this satisfied about my job in decades. Pay sucks but I am happy.

I would not change those experiences ever. I Love machining.


Cutting oil is my blood.

I’m probably showing my age one more time. The first CAD system we used was Auto Trol. It was a mainframe system.

 

[RandallsRaceShop]

I figured it was when I started talking to myself and I gave myself the answers.


Cutting oil is my blood.

I represent that remark…,…,…

There’s been more than one time the wife walked out to the shop, opened the door and asked who I was talking to.

Long story short, I think out loud while in the shop.

 

[RandallsRaceShop]

I'm concerned about the difficulty of finding someone who gives a ........ about anything beyond their phone, how long until quitting time and how they can avoid working until then.

You can say that again! ! !

 

[RandallsRaceShop]

By the way, this is a cool thread. I’ve never seen it before today, but I did read through the whole thing.
I would NEVER…refer to myself as a machinist. I’m just some dude that owns (and keeps buying) machine tools & I can make some stuff with them.
I always try my best & I always strive to continue learning. Machining is a very fascinating thing for me. I love my shop and I love every minute I spend out there learning & making stuff.