Anyone here a Machinist?

[madskrillz2]

So basically I have come to a crossroads in my life. I've been going to school to eventually be an anesthesiologist. I was going to have to go through nursing school and then work two years in an ICU before I could actually apply for anesthetist school. Needless to say, I've been lying to myself the last year or so and convincing myself that I would enjoy this. Well not even half way through this first semester and it has finally set in that I HATE this crap. I have no interest in it whatsoever. I've decided to honestly find something that interests me rather than try and talk myself into something that I know I will be miserable doing. Machinist is one of them. So I guess what I'm asking is, if anyone here is a machinist, what kind of schooling did you have to go through and how is the career outlook? The other option is small engine/motorcycle repair because well obviously, I love motorsports lol. I'm leaning on the two 50/50 but I figured I would try and get some input from anyone that could give me some info. Any advice would be appreciated.

[finsteratv]

out of the two i'd say consider machining opposed to small engines..Ever think about a welding/fab instead of just straight machining. I was offered a job at a metal/fab shop last summer but at the time i was 15 so no way to get there everyday..

[madskrillz2]

Originally posted by finsteratv
out of the two i'd say consider machining opposed to small engines..Ever think about a welding/fab instead of just straight machining. I was offered a job at a metal/fab shop last summer but at the time i was 15 so no way to get there everyday..

Yeah I'm considering that too. Those were just the first two that came to mind. I have actually had a little experience welding so that would probably be a good option.

[HondaRacing83]

starting out a machinest can make minimum wage or if you get a good job it can pay low to mid $20s an hr. most are like $14-$18 an hour or you can get in a sweet *** GE union like my dad with sick benefits and make $32 an hour base pay not counting peace work. a lot of place require a vocation school. at my school you take votech half the school day 10th through 12th grade and can get a decent job out of school. to be a standard machinest further schooling is pointless and not worth it. look into being an underwater welder. big bucks

[CJM]

In order to make it as a machinist you gotta be damn good.

Both my great uncle and grandfather were damn good. My grandfather did manual machining (no computer) and is specifically by title a tool and die maker. He worked in factories (when NJ still had them) repairing and maintaining the machinery. He also made replacement parts for these old machines as well as parts using blueprints among other things. he retired in 1980 from the machine shop trade.

My great uncle stuck it out longer and learned how to use computerized machines. He specifically worked for the airline industry in california for many years. He is semi retired now and just works part time in machine shops doing whatever.

Know this right now-you must have EXCELLENT math skills to do this sort of job. I mean you gotta know advanced: calc, algebra, trig and all sorts of other stuff. Yes the computers they use do help, but not always will you be able to use a PC-you gotta know how to do it by hand. So unless your an excellent math student with a strong interest in engineering type mathematics this might not be the field for you.

Have you thought about being a car mechanic? If you can go to a tech school like UTI (not lincoln tech or other trash), wyotech, etc then you could get certified as a highend car mechanic (benz, bmw, audi, vw, etc). They pay the very best and the work usually isnt to bad. Downside is you will always have to do on the job training for new technology as they constantly change.

As for a small engine/motorcycle: Its a harder field to make a living at only b/c its much smaller than the car or truck industry. I wouldnt do this as its based off people having toys-no toys no work.

Thought about being a diesel mechanic? Pay is excellent, work isnt to shabby and its often easier to repair than a car cause its designed to be fixed.

Also if you become a mechanic and are skilled enough to work on whatever-find somewhere to do your own work or offer work ont he side if the shop allows. Friend of mine is a diesel mech by trade and is more recently a commercial carpenter only b/c hes sick of being a diesel mech (actually also his back and knees aint that good). he repairs whatever you bring him on the side in his free time and the words out he repairs bikes and quads and he has more work than he can keep up with.

[beastlywarrior]

What about ME tech

[LTR450_#67]

I didn't go to school for cnc machining back in '03. Cnc machining like as in running production is cake. Checking tolerances, reading prints, unloading & loading parts....thats easy. Learning how to read the programs, understanding G and M codes and machine controls that can all be figured out in time. Having good math skills are a major plus.

Manual (old school) machining is a where a lot older guys who have been doing it for years will show up the new guys cuz they know a lot of tricks to the trade. My brother does this type of machining and me coming from running cnc mills for the last 9 years...i find it pretty interesting. He does a lot of shaft repair for major companys.

Common sense goes a long ways too.

[wilkin250r]

Rethink your profession.

[zyoung04]

I took job placement right out of school and got hired in at a lil over 12 an hour. It is boring work at times if ur doin production cuz its basically put ur piece in, shut the door, push a button, and depending on what ur running there was times I would sit for 45mins or close to an hour before the program was done. Some are not like that then u may get some that may last longer and way more complicated. It is decent money and I got out of it but I've kinda been thinking about doin it again cuz im burned and topped out on what I do now I would be more interested in the engine work than anything but there isn't much of that around here. Not sure how much experience u have with this but having none may get u stuck being what they call a "debur b*tch" I never done it but I know some that got stuck doin it and they said it was no fun basically all u do is clean up finished parts and ur at the bottom of the pay scale

And I would never take up being a car mechanic my dad is probably one if the smartest people around here on cars and its not worth the hassle believe me

[blacknblue#2]

Machining is something you will love or hate depending on the shop your in and the kind of work you do. Ive been in machining literally since the Monday after my highschool graduation with the exception of one year as a Field Service Technician for a large Centrifuge machine company. First shop i worked in was high production lock and load work. Load a part and push the button all day long. I hated that. My next shop was more of a "Job Shop" setting. We done one piece orders No 2 parts were the same and you had to do all the programming for what had to be done and I love that kind of work. Machining isnt assembly, Its not eat of the floor clean, Its dirty, But you work all year around and your always out of the weather. You better take a small couple month class at a trade school or you will have to come in the door as a "burr bench b**ch" and work your way up. Your gonna be running a million dollar plus machine you cant expect them to put anyone on it. Financially it depends on your area and what you know. I live in a very poor area and make pretty good money for the area so financially I would have to say machining has treated me well and could treat me better if i was greedy, I could work 7 days a week if i wanted to but who wants to do that when you got a family to spend time with and a quad to ride haha. When i graduated i had 2 career choices. My family couldnt afford college and i didnt see myself as college material so it was to work i went. I coulda went Machining or construction. Straight out of school construction was 5 dollars more on the hour so 90% of the guys went that route to "Make that cash money". The last 8 years those guys have done dam good when their working but when their not its tough.

[C41Xracer]

ive got 18years as a cnc/programer and love it. Im good at the manual machining too. You either love it or hate it but the money is good.

[LTR450_#67]

Yeah programming and setup makes it more interesting, cuz you use your brain more. I'm too the point where i want to start using the programming software. I'm the second shift supervisor on the mills side of the shop where i work and all the mills we run are 4 axis horizontals, most of them OKKs all with FANUC controls. It might be one of them things you'll have to try.

[fastredrider44]

I took a lot of machining in high school and got the basics down with manual machining. When i went to college, I went to a two year school for Industrial Maintenance where I specialized in machining and motor controls/electrical. I had a welding class, and loved it, but knew that that was not a career for me. Machining could have been had I not worked for my dad doing what I grew up doing. The thing I loved about machining the most was always thinking ahead in order to save time. I would almost always have a plan for the project before I even turned on the machine. I loved not making mistakes and still finishing first.

All that rambling aside, I do not view small engine repair a very fun career. Do you realize how much junk gets brought in by people who want it fixed for nothing? If I was going to be any kind of mechanic, it would either be a certified harley tech or a dirtbike, fourwheeler mechanic that never had to deal with the customer, just had a job order.

[CNC_guy]

Learn how to use a broom before you do anything. I won't hire anyone that doesn't know how to use a broom.

Seriously, you wouldn't believe what great litmus test this is for potential machinists/tool & die makers.

Stay away from becoming a button pusher. Anyone can be trained to do this and the pay scale is always going to be on the low end. When work gets slow, you'll be the first to go. Plus it's boring.

[madskrillz2]

Originally posted by blacknblue#2
Machining is something you will love or hate depending on the shop your in and the kind of work you do. Ive been in machining literally since the Monday after my highschool graduation with the exception of one year as a Field Service Technician for a large Centrifuge machine company. First shop i worked in was high production lock and load work. Load a part and push the button all day long. I hated that. My next shop was more of a "Job Shop" setting. We done one piece orders No 2 parts were the same and you had to do all the programming for what had to be done and I love that kind of work. Machining isnt assembly, Its not eat of the floor clean, Its dirty, But you work all year around and your always out of the weather. You better take a small couple month class at a trade school or you will have to come in the door as a "burr bench b**ch" and work your way up. Your gonna be running a million dollar plus machine you cant expect them to put anyone on it. Financially it depends on your area and what you know. I live in a very poor area and make pretty good money for the area so financially I would have to say machining has treated me well and could treat me better if i was greedy, I could work 7 days a week if i wanted to but who wants to do that when you got a family to spend time with and a quad to ride haha. When i graduated i had 2 career choices. My family couldnt afford college and i didnt see myself as college material so it was to work i went. I coulda went Machining or construction. Straight out of school construction was 5 dollars more on the hour so 90% of the guys went that route to "Make that cash money". The last 8 years those guys have done dam good when their working but when their not its tough.

See that's what I'm planning on doing. Whatever I decided on, I'm gonna go to trade school for. I don't plan on jumping right into a job with no experience. I probably wouldn't even be able to find a job like that around here right now anyway. There's just none to be had.

[madskrillz2]

Originally posted by fastredrider44
All that rambling aside, I do not view small engine repair a very fun career. Do you realize how much junk gets brought in by people who want it fixed for nothing? If I was going to be any kind of mechanic, it would either be a certified harley tech or a dirtbike, fourwheeler mechanic that never had to deal with the customer, just had a job order.

Well that's what I want to do too if I go that route. I just thought anything below a car was considered small engine repair. (Boats, quads, bikes, etc.) I sure as hell don't want to work on nothing but lawnmowers and weedeaters lol

[HondaRacing83]

I mean I'm only 15, I got time. Theres so much I've been considerin. Im not the best in math its ehy ive been straying away from machining more towards welding. Id look into welding i think its pretty fun ive been welding for about a year but havnt done much besides a mill and lathe in the machining era. i like working on stuff to like motors so i got a lot to consider

[madskrillz2]

Originally posted by HondaRacing83
I mean I'm only 15, I got time. Theres so much I've been considerin. Im not the best in math its ehy ive been straying away from machining more towards welding. Id look into welding i think its pretty fun ive been welding for about a year but havnt done much besides a mill and lathe in the machining era. i like working on stuff to like motors so i got a lot to consider

Haha well I'm 24 and I'm in this situation. Take my advice and don't try and talk yourself into something you don't want to do. That's what got me to this point but at least I finally came to terms with it. Would have been really stuck if I was already into a career and then realized I was miserable.

[atvnut22]

ive been in machining since high school, and will be graduating in spring from college with a machine tool degree. Id prefer being in a cnc shop, but in the mean time im working in a local shop called mchenry brass. we do mainly old school machining specializing in large brass bushings and such. most of our machines are from WWII era. Its like people mentioned earlier, you either love it or hate it depending on the shop, and management. i love working with the brass, but i highly dislike my foreman. makes me not want to show up to work. Im also working part time at a body shop, and have been throwing that around thinking maybe i will fall back on machining later.

[Ruby Soho]

i hear that machinist are getting hard to come by, how true that is IDK. but like most skilled trades these days kids don't want to get dirty, so the trades are slimming down. years to come i bet you skilled tradesmen will be paid top dollar because theres no one to do it anymore. and yeah theres plenty of beans working here, but thats just labor.

if you really enjoy it then go for it. the first 2 years out of high school i talked my self out of following my families footsteps and becoming an ironworker. always wanted to do it and quit beating around the bush. i love what i do, its bust *** work most of the time but the pay is great, benefits are great and im more than proud of what we accomplish.

so if you can imagine yourself showing up to work everyday and not minding it, than i say go for it. because most kids my age dread going to work, and to be honest, i work harder than all of them and love it.

[CJM]

Another option might be a welder. They make EXCELLENT money as almost all construction these days (least large commercial) is welded together girder. Also pipelines and commercial welding too.

[madskrillz2]

Originally posted by CJM
Another option might be a welder. They make EXCELLENT money as almost all construction these days (least large commercial) is welded together girder. Also pipelines and commercial welding too.

Yeah I'm beginning to lean towards that. I've got a couple friends that are pipe fitters and they make pretty good money. My dad actually was a welder before he went back to school and he said the money was good too. I've always liked fooling around the shop welding things together too so I'll most likely look into that. I've got 3 more months to decide so hopefully by then I have an idea lol

[madskrillz2]

Originally posted by Ruby Soho
i hear that machinist are getting hard to come by, how true that is IDK. but like most skilled trades these days kids don't want to get dirty, so the trades are slimming down. years to come i bet you skilled tradesmen will be paid top dollar because theres no one to do it anymore. and yeah theres plenty of beans working here, but thats just labor.

if you really enjoy it then go for it. the first 2 years out of high school i talked my self out of following my families footsteps and becoming an ironworker. always wanted to do it and quit beating around the bush. i love what i do, its bust *** work most of the time but the pay is great, benefits are great and im more than proud of what we accomplish.

so if you can imagine yourself showing up to work everyday and not minding it, than i say go for it. because most kids my age dread going to work, and to be honest, i work harder than all of them and love it.

Well that's how I feel. I want to get out there and provide for myself rather than being a leech in school. I've done common farm work since I was about 15 around my grandparents land so I have no problem getting dirty.

[madskrillz2]

And I just wanna say I appreciate the advice so far. I know I tend to be a smartass sometimes but I really could use this advice right now. So anymore input is greatly appreciated.

[blacknblue#2]

Originally posted by Ruby Soho
i hear that machinist are getting hard to come by, how true that is IDK. but like most skilled trades these days kids don't want to get dirty, so the trades are slimming down. years to come i bet you skilled tradesmen will be paid top dollar because theres no one to do it anymore. and yeah theres plenty of beans working here, but thats just labor.


This couldnt be more true. We had probably 15 kids get hired in right after graduation this year. Between drug and priss-***' we might have 2 of them left. The ones that wasnt addicted to drugs didnt want to get dirty or work night shift. They wanted to come right in the door at a programmers desk making good money working 9-5.....75% of our shop will be retioring in the next 5-10 years. I done know what this place is gonna do at this rate. They have started up apprenticeships and such trying to plan for the future.

[zyoung04]

Originally posted by CJM
Another option might be a welder. They make EXCELLENT money as almost all construction these days (least large commercial) is welded together girder. Also pipelines and commercial welding too.

Around here there's a lot of places that will pay ur way to being a certified welder. Which opens the door to a lot more moolah and the ability to jump from job to job easy. I also went the construction route and I learned more in that time then I did anywhere. At the time I was 21 and all those old farts were saying "u need to get ur *** certified and get out of here" well I didn't listen. There was atleast 3 guys that were there that went to a better paying job while I was there and they was making over $24 an hour and it was non union. My dad is a union pipe fitter and makes up over $30 an hour and most the time dont do chit.

[250x_kyle]

I've had welding certs and its fun but I like building things in the garage so don't want to spoil a good hobby unless I have to. Like everyone said you will either love it or hate it. G and M code and the controllers may look intimidating at times; however, once you start using them and understanding how it works it becomes very simple. Just remember you are going to have a bad day and either scrap a part or break something from time to time but try not to crash the machine. I started at a place and in the morning we had a stack of prints if we didn't have a program we wrote it, set it up, changed offsets, etc. Loved that job wish id have never left.

I went to a new place making more money pretty much as a button presser however the programmers there were not the best so we did get to weed threw programs and edit. Although we didn't have as much to do we run multiple tables on the mills. So while something with a long run time was in the machine you could set the rest of the parts up on other pallets. This makes the day go faster.

I think the most important thing to it is a clean work zone, When you spend time searching for things because your work zone is UN organized it will become frustrating. Myself and the guys on the other shifts were all real meticulous about our machine and tools you could eat off them at the end of the shift. If you don't have to buy your own tools treat them as if you did. Most of these tools make snap on prices look cheap. But if you drop a snap on box end wrench it wont either need replaced or recalibrated.

[cdrookie]

i started machining in the army, and went to the local tech collage at night and got my diploma in machine tool and advanced machine tool tech. been a machinist for 15yrs, worked in several places, some places were so boring i couldn't stand it, some i saw the writing on the wall and got out while the getting was good. never had a problem finding a job. i travel now working in power plants, always something different, some jobs/places are good, some suck.

they just shut down the canadian division and moved it to charlotte, nc, was looking for 700+ machinists and welders. having a hard time filling those slots.

a lot of temp companies out there to if you want travel work. pay good but no benefits.

welding... ask old timers if they would consider welding if they could do it all over...it's not just sitting at a bench all day, or burning rod making trailers.

[FHKracingZ]

Thought maybe I could give some insight on this topic. I came out of high school not knowing what to do. I decided to goto my local community college. I received my associate degree in industrial manufacturing technology and two welding certificates.

After working as a machinist at one company for a few months and trying a few different welding jobs I thought I found my calling.

I worked for a sanitary stainless piping company. We traveled around Wisconsin working on breweries and cheese factories. I went through the ropes as the rookie and worked my buttoff for almost two years and was welding sanitary purged pipe like a pro within a year.While my pay wasn't the greatest it wasn't horrible either. It is definitely back breaking work and is not easy. I LOVED welding in class and learning the concept but their is a false image that many people going into welding school get.

You will not be an underwater welder, or even a welder making $30 an hour. Unless you are union or you own your own shop you are not going to make great money, thats the truth. It takes ATLEAST a solid 5-10 years of experience to open up your own fab shop to boot. That is also just learning the trade let alone knowing how to run a business, You will most likely end up making 14-22 an hour. Another r thing to think of is the type of welding. I have spent my time burning wire all day building trailers, its no fun man. A month feels like a year.

Don't get me wrong, it is very satisfying work and its awesome to take something from a blueprint to a finished product, especially building stuff with stainless.

I am currently back at school and have less than a year before I have my bachelors degree and could not be happier. Although I may end up back welding I think that having my B.A. degree is going to make my marketability better in a employee market that is always changing.

Remember, you cannot replace knowledge and people can never take a degree away from you. Build your knowledge and marketability as soon and fast as you can when your young because you have 35-40 years of work ahead of you.

Hope this helps!

[madskrillz2]

Thought I would update this now that it has been almost a year. I decided on machining with a minor in welding. I'm actually liking it a lot and I believe it is something I will enjoy doing as a job. We started basic CNC programming this semester and it's confusing at first but I'm starting to get the hang of it. We're doing basic G and M codes right now. They're also considering opening up a machinist apprenticeship soon. There has been a lack of machinists in this area so they're trying to encourage more to come in. Definitely something I will look into. As for the manual stuff, I picked it up pretty quick. There are still some things that I really need to work on but considering where I was a year ago I'd say I'm doing pretty good lol. I actually started milling out myself a putter yesterday. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

[blacknblue#2]

Thought I would update this now that it has been almost a year. I decided on machining with a minor in welding. I'm actually liking it a lot and I believe it is something I will enjoy doing as a job. We started basic CNC programming this semester and it's confusing at first but I'm starting to get the hang of it. We're doing basic G and M codes right now. They're also considering opening up a machinist apprenticeship soon. There has been a lack of machinists in this area so they're trying to encourage more to come in. Definitely something I will look into. As for the manual stuff, I picked it up pretty quick. There are still some things that I really need to work on but considering where I was a year ago I'd say I'm doing pretty good lol. I actually started milling out myself a putter yesterday. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Glad to hear your enjoying it. Its an interesting career. Its a carrier that your always learning at. Theres guys in here with 40 years experience that learn stuff everyday because machine tools are always changing. Our apprenticeship is running wide open right now and good guys are still hard to get ahold of. These kids are crashing multi million dollar machines because they just assume a new program from programming has to be right and they just walk off. Push the button and go on about their facebooking. Some learn from it, some dont. Thats what makes a good machinist in my opinion. Let it happen once but dont let it happen again

[beastlywarrior]

Thought I would update this now that it has been almost a year. I decided on machining with a minor in welding. I'm actually liking it a lot and I believe it is something I will enjoy doing as a job. We started basic CNC programming this semester and it's confusing at first but I'm starting to get the hang of it. We're doing basic G and M codes right now. They're also considering opening up a machinist apprenticeship soon. There has been a lack of machinists in this area so they're trying to encourage more to come in. Definitely something I will look into. As for the manual stuff, I picked it up pretty quick. There are still some things that I really need to work on but considering where I was a year ago I'd say I'm doing pretty good lol. I actually started milling out myself a putter yesterday. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Now you can tell people, don't make me G00 over there and make a G02 to your face

[HondaRacing83]

I'm in school for machining to. I go to votech in the morning first 4 periods then come back to highschool snd take my core classes. I love machining in votech. In the actual highschool theres a machining class that do casting and some lathe and mill work i took last year, and theres a welding class to. I enjoyed welding and was a really good mig and stick welder. I took both classes last year so i knew what to take at votech for 3 years. I liked them both but around here machinings a good industry to get into so i went for that at votech. This is my first year of it and i love it. I really liked welding and sometimes i think i shoulda went for that but idk if i could do it for a living. I deff like working on the lathe more than a mill lol i ****ing hate edge finding all my parts before i can start doung **** im running manual **** right now and im pretty good at it i start doing some cnc at the end of my first year. for alot of my projects i have nims test in between. nims test is like you make the part then they send it to a tool shop for inspection and if you did everything right you take the written test. between the 3 years im there i take 7 nims test. i know odf a few toolshops that pay up to $.50 more an hr for each nims test so thats like $3.50 more which is pretty sweet. my teachers cool to and said if we wright our own blueprints we can make our own personal parts which is sweet. we keep everytging we make to

[wilkin250r]

I know very few happy machinists, and even fewer wealthy ones.

I'm not knocking the profession, I've dabbled in it myself with mills, lathes, and I've written my share of G codes. It just seems like there are only a few directions to take machining knowledge. If you can find a nice little shop that does interesting work and treats their employees well, that's great! But you would be surprised how few there are and how difficult they are to find, gun shops seem to be the best. Most machinists just end up being button-pushers in a big factory, or if you're good, you end up being a supervisor in that same big factory doing the majority of the programming, but also dealing with the B.S. of employees and all the crap that goes along with middle-management. Or you risk running your own shop, and the 24/7 headache that goes along with that, plus the stress of making ends meet when the work thins out.

[CJM]

^ Like I said earlier, if you can get a job at an aircraft manufacturer you would be set-they use alot of machined parts. Otherwise its kinda tough.

[2001400exrida]

You guys must not live in areas with big huge corporations who hire tons and tons of machinists. It goes waaaay beyond aircraft manufacters, although that would be a great lead.

I've got a John Deere headquarters about 3 hours from me.....TONS of machinists and many of them make good money and are happy.

There's also a huge caterpillar plant about an hour and a half from me. Many of these guys make $50-$75 an hour being machinists and they are a happy.

One of my good friends is a local machinist for a manufacturing plant. WHile he makes $30 an hour he's happy as can be with his profession.

It's not fair to say that machinist can't be happy and can't make good money to raise a family and live well. There's a difference between being wealthy and living well. the richest 1% of the population owns almost half of the nations wealth, so really....what is wealthy?

[blacknblue#2]

I know very few happy machinists, and even fewer wealthy ones.

I'm not knocking the profession, I've dabbled in it myself with mills, lathes, and I've written my share of G codes. It just seems like there are only a few directions to take machining knowledge. If you can find a nice little shop that does interesting work and treats their employees well, that's great! But you would be surprised how few there are and how difficult they are to find, gun shops seem to be the best. Most machinists just end up being button-pushers in a big factory, or if you're good, you end up being a supervisor in that same big factory doing the majority of the programming, but also dealing with the B.S. of employees and all the crap that goes along with middle-management. Or you risk running your own shop, and the 24/7 headache that goes along with that, plus the stress of making ends meet when the work thins out.

A true machinist has his day coming. I agree there are alot of buttom pushers which means true machinist are getting harder and harder to find. And noone wants to do it because its not a clean job. My company has young guys beating their door down for assembly because you can eat off the floors. They get offered a job running a machine and they decline. I know several old timer machinist in my area who have made good livings and technically died millionaires( if you go off assets and not just bank accounts). Its truly a skilled trade and the skilled ppl are dying off. History will repeat itself where a true machinist will be able to name his price. I understand Nevada is a different world than Ohio so im not saying your wrong in your area. but in ohio your either in a factory doing something or your in a ditch for the same money beating your guts out with a shovel during all 4 seasons.

[81dasher81]

if you havent done any machining in the past then youre going to need some kind of schooling..

i was hired straight out of high school by the engineering department at sauder woodworking (rta furniture, ikea, etc) as an "old school" machinist, but ive been using manual mills and lathes for quite some time before that.

machining takes patience, like alot of patience. you might spend 2 hours setting a part up in a mill, and do all of a half hour of machining. some love it some hate it

whatever you do, dont just follow wherever has the biggest paycheck, otherwise all you'll be doing is working

[madskrillz2]

You guys must not live in areas with big huge corporations who hire tons and tons of machinists. It goes waaaay beyond aircraft manufacters, although that would be a great lead.

I've got a John Deere headquarters about 3 hours from me.....TONS of machinists and many of them make good money and are happy.

There's also a huge caterpillar plant about an hour and a half from me. Many of these guys make $50-$75 an hour being machinists and they are a happy.

One of my good friends is a local machinist for a manufacturing plant. WHile he makes $30 an hour he's happy as can be with his profession.

It's not fair to say that machinist can't be happy and can't make good money to raise a family and live well. There's a difference between being wealthy and living well. the richest 1% of the population owns almost half of the nations wealth, so really....what is wealthy?

Took the words out of my mouth. I could see it being a frustrating thing if you lived somewhere with very few opportunities but here we have TVA that is constantly needing machinists. I have a friend that went through the same program I am in and he works a maintenance machining job at a Dam. He made a little over 90k last year. Yeah he worked a ton of over time but still. The other positive is the cost of living here is very low compared to the rest of the country. There are plenty of places here where machinists are making 30+ an hour.

[madskrillz2]

A true machinist has his day coming. I agree there are alot of buttom pushers which means true machinist are getting harder and harder to find. And noone wants to do it because its not a clean job. My company has young guys beating their door down for assembly because you can eat off the floors. They get offered a job running a machine and they decline. I know several old timer machinist in my area who have made good livings and technically died millionaires( if you go off assets and not just bank accounts). Its truly a skilled trade and the skilled ppl are dying off. History will repeat itself where a true machinist will be able to name his price. I understand Nevada is a different world than Ohio so im not saying your wrong in your area. but in ohio your either in a factory doing something or your in a ditch for the same money beating your guts out with a shovel during all 4 seasons.


You're right about it being a skilled trade. This program I'm in has us in the shop 4 days a week 8 hours a day making things so hopefully I'm learning all I need to learn. I still would like to get into an apprenticeship if they do decide to have one in the next year or so. They're considering the apprenticeship because like you said, all of the skilled manual machinists are retiring and there is no one to fill their place.

[C41Xracer]

ive been a machinist for 19yrs and love it(setup, program and operate) i dont work for a big corp. but i do make good money. Theres never a dull moment in what i do, i make parts for tunnel boring machines for the robbins co. i can see it being a love hate relationship especially in the begining when a shop will try to hire you for pennies

[blacknblue#2]

especially in the begining when a shop will try to hire you for pennies
Aint that the truth. My first couple years i Bounced between a couple different shops playing the money game. I was fresh out of high school and my first shop got me CHEAP. i got to talking around and realized i was getting the shaft.

[IOWAracer]

I went to tech school during hs and took machining then worked in a shop for a while and learned a lot more, now i am at mmi and its awesome but i also have a year and a half in a dealership and just basically getting a cert so i have something that says i know what im doing... if you really love it do it! Having the machining background and the know how and also the know how to build motors is a great duo endless possibilities once you prove yourself!

[saponi1]

I didn't go to school, but my wife's uncle owns a machine shop. In 2008, he offered me a job, and I took it. I was running Haas mills and lathes, to shins and femco 60" vtl's, and an amerisieki flatbed mill. All the stuff I learned, was on the job. I can write a lot of my programs at the machine unless there's a lot of angles and radii. Just this year I got a job with GE Oil & Gas. It feels pretty good to set up a piece of material and cut it into something. Sometimes it's a headache though. Don't be dazed the firsts time you look at the screen and see nothing but numbers. After a while, it all makes sense.

[blacknblue#2]

I didn't go to school, but my wife's uncle owns a machine shop. In 2008, he offered me a job, and I took it. I was running Haas mills and lathes, to shins and femco 60" vtl's, and an amerisieki flatbed mill. All the stuff I learned, was on the job. I can write a lot of my programs at the machine unless there's a lot of angles and radii. Just this year I got a job with GE Oil & Gas. It feels pretty good to set up a piece of material and cut it into something. Sometimes it's a headache though. Don't be dazed the firsts time you look at the screen and see nothing but numbers. After a while, it all makes sense.

Ge machinist in my area make some killer jack. Ive debated several times about trying to get a job with general electric but the machining facility local to me is a dance with the devil. Its 2nd shift in the door with hopes you can make it to dayshift one of these years. When they have layoffs its not a guy here and a guy there, Its by the hundreds and thousands. I work with a bunch of guys that spent 10 or so years in GE. they said they lived in the place 7 days a week basically to pay their house off then had no desire to go back to the place. Ive debated doing that same thing. But with 2 small children I cant bring myself to do it. All the guys at work tell me im stupid, But i grew up with a dad that worked 7 days a week. I didnt know him until he retired when i was 23. GE in my area is all aviation shops. Does the gas and oil division ioperate the same way?

[saponi1]

GE will let you work 7 days, and its double time past 60 hours. Most guys do 10 a day, but a few do 12. They're the ones that have either nobody at home, or more kids than they should have had. But they tell us they would like for us to have one day off. If I got something coming up like a vacation, or the holidays, i'll do the 7 days a week for a month or two just to be sure I got plenty of money. We have a few guys that have been here 35 years, but back then it was Hydril. GE just bought it 5 years ago. I started there in March. And yeah I'll probably get my first prostate exam, before I get to first shift.