[Grant D.]

HI everyone! I'm brand new to the site and almost just as new to machining. Not too long ago (April 2011) I was promoted to running a CNC Boring Mill at my work. My previous position was in maintenance. As you could imagine I was super excited. I received roughly 6 weeks of training and then was sent out on my own. I was doing really well and in my first review i was told I was going to be promoted again to the biggest boring mill in the shop (mainly due to the lack of operators we have on second shift and the work that goes on that particular machine makes the shop considerable amounts of money. So having it sit all night doesn't do anyone any good). Again, I was extremely excited. Excited for many reasons, from the type of work the machine gets, to having a more advanced control, down to the fact that there are windows next to the machine. Well recently I have been making mistakes. Too many mistakes in my eyes. Today marks two in a row. Non-conformance's. And really bothers me. I take my time, double/triple check my math, double/triple check my programs, test run the cycles, scribe lines, stay off the part for a dry run and STILL I manage to make mistakes. I know that there is a learning curve but my confidence has really dropped. Basically, I'm wondering from an experienced point-of-view, is this something to be expected? Is there anything I can or should do differently? Or maybe even to know that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Just like anyone else (hopefully) I take pride in my work and what I do. I literally get sick to my stomach and try as hard as I can not to take it home with me but I'd be lying if I said it hasn't kept me up at night. If anyone has words of wisdom and are willing to share them with very green apprentice it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[FAC]

You are a dedicated person, I hope you recover soon, I hope someone will help you, I am sorry I can not help you

[christinandavid]

Are there people around to double-check your working out/pgms etc? Bringing someone else on-board dramatically reduces the chance of a balls-up. It takes a while (years in my case) for the novelty factor to be replaced by apathy, so expect a few sleepless nights yet. Although it doesn't feel like it when you are beating yourself up about it, it is a GOOD THING to care.

At the end of the day you are still a trainee and it's only a lump of metal. Everytime you find a new way to balls something up, try to incorporate a method into your work strategy to prevent that particular balls-up from happening again. There are an infinite amount of balls ups out there and you won't always catch 'em (the 'easy' jobs are usually where you will let your guard down), but making the same mistake repeatedly is definitely not good.

Don't forget to pat yourself on the back when you make it through a job relatively unscathed. No-one else will

DP

[fizzissist]

6 weeks of training is enough to make you dangerous. :cheers:

Really, chin up, keep beatin' on it. You'll never feel like you've got it mastered, because there's always something new to learn. I've run CNC for almost 30 years, and I still make mistakes, even with the best CAD/CAM software around. We all do.

What you need to do is just study up, keep the optimism no matter the failures, and take one step at a time. Dry runs are your friend. Learning to read G-code is your friend. This forum is your friend. Turning the feed and rapids down to see the program in slow motion is your friend....before you start making chips...or breaking tools.

Some of the most professionally satisfying things I've ever done no one else ever knew. They were programs that were clever, efficient, and gave me parts I could be proud of. The end users couldn't have cared less....but I did. And I knew I'd done a good job.

Being a good machinist isn't easy, and you need to be that before you can be a good CNC machinist. It isn't easy, and all too often not that rewarding monetarily....but the challenge is exciting. At least it has been for me.

[Shane1234]

6 weeks of training is enough to make you dangerous. :cheers:

Really, chin up, keep beatin' on it. You'll never feel like you've got it mastered, because there's always something new to learn. I've run CNC for almost 30 years, and I still make mistakes, even with the best CAD/CAM software around. We all do.

What you need to do is just study up, keep the optimism no matter the failures, and take one step at a time. Dry runs are your friend. Learning to read G-code is your friend. This forum is your friend. Turning the feed and rapids down to see the program in slow motion is your friend....before you start making chips...or breaking tools.

Some of the most professionally satisfying things I've ever done no one else ever knew. They were programs that were clever, efficient, and gave me parts I could be proud of. The end users couldn't have cared less....but I did. And I knew I'd done a good job.

Agreed, nothing like learning a more efficient way to skin the ole cat.... especially when its been beating you up. or just simple tooling tricks that seem to work in your machine that no one else can replicate...

Being a good machinist isn't easy, and you need to be that before you can be a good CNC machinist. It isn't easy, and all too often not that rewarding monetarily....but the challenge is exciting. At least it has been for me.

The setting up & program is the challenge, i enjoy almost every one. But my mind sure does wander while running the parts after the program is proven, lol....

[fizzissist]

The setting up & program is the challenge, i enjoy almost every one. But my mind sure does wander while running the parts after the program is proven, lol....

Ah yes...but therein lies the beauty. A good program, once running, is the golden opportunity to enjoy one of god's greatest gifts....sitting with a great cup of coffee, watching, while the fruits of your labor make money!!!

...Or, what I've often ended up doing, working on the next program with the laptop or a desktop near the machine that's set up with the CAM software. (...or....deburring the last part....)

[Shane1234]

yeah, ditto on that as well. i tell you one thing that i really let get to me, is how after i learned new techniques, i look back and see the jobs i ran in the past and how easily i could of overcame the issues with something new i just learned..... lol.

[Ed from NY]

Review your mistakes, figure out how they could have been prevented, and incorporate it to your routine. Everyone does that at some level, just do it a bit more forcefully till it becomes 2nd nature.

Some folks write notes to themselves and/or keep notes. Check what would work for you. For me what helps is to slowdown and do a double take on what I'm doing... taking a few seconds to visualize and sometimes talking to myself

[fizzissist]

Technical Tip...

If you're editing your program in a text editor, use NOTEPAD!!

Any other text editor may embed unseen characters into the program..character YOU don't see, but the machine's control does...and it will screw with your head in unbelievable ways.

Another trick is to take sections of programs that are proven to work well and save them in a "library" of programs. Not an entire program,, just a section.
For example, say you've ended up with a tapping cycle that runs really well, save it in your library, so later on all you have to do is cut-and-paste that section into the program you're developing, change a few parameters or coordinates, and you're done. That quick, that simple.

There have been lots of times where I've just pulled up my Notepad library, cut & pasted a half-dozen pieces together, changed the coordinates and a few particulars, and it's done.Didn't need the $15,000 CAD/CAM program, just Notepad. Didn't need to post it, or anything other than name it and pull the extension off to load in the control.

Remember too....spelling and punctuation is EVERYTHING!! CNC controls will not accept typos. ... Oh, they will, but it can be awful expensive.