I'm interested in learning these skills to compliment my engineering degree. I finished my degree last May, but am still having trouble finding an engineering job. There are many job postings that say knowledge of CNC and machining is a plus, and I've become interested in wanting to build some designs I've been working on the last couple of years.
That said, what's the best way to go about it? I've searched through some posts here and many said to just get a job at a machine shop doing whatever you can to get your foot in the door. That's not really an option for me right now, as I'm working for the local school district doing computer support and can't afford to take the pay cut.
Would the next best option be to find a trade school to attend? I live in the southeast side of Houston, so if anyone has a good suggestion, I'd be happy to hear it. I'm pretty good at learning things on my own, so I don't want to count out the idea of getting some books and just getting down to business. With the cost of tuition, it may not be such a bad investment to purchase some (relatively) cheap machines to play around and learn on. Are there any books that are considered the gold standard for learning machining?
Thank you very much for any advice!