[Gsgofer]

I started working in a machine shop in 1965, finished Tool and Die Apprenticeship in 1970. Been loving it ever since. Taught myself CAD and CNC programming about 10 years ago. Now I do CNC milling as a hobby and hope to build it into a small business.

[svenakela]

I miss the option "I did".

[Max-DK]

I started 10 years ago, as a service technician for CNC controlled drill/routers. But the machines I'm working on, are for the PCB buisness. So the controllers and G codes are a bit different, to what is used on metal working machines.

[vacpress]

I work in Weber-Stephen Inc's R&D department (I am here now, in fact, hiding out in my cubicle).

I design the insides of plastic injection molded parts, as well as provide 'engineering visualization skills' for the larger engineering department..

This is an agreeable job, as i spend half my time on ebay...

www.clockworkchicago.com/tongs.JPG

Robert

Robert

[lakeside]

I've been machining for over 20 years and just kept seeing shop close in the Boston area our school have drop metal working and if I had to do it again machining would not be my first pick of a trade with the cost of living in this area and wages in the High teens to mid 20s /hour if you did not buy a house 10 years ago on a machinist pay you'll never own one

[25tmaster]

Started my Machinist Apprenticeship in 1973 , became a CNC programmer
in 1981 using Compact 2 , now I design fixtures using AUTOCAD ,write shop
routings and an occaisonal CNC program using Unigraphics NX3.

Tom

[NIL8r]

Started out in Tool and Die to save funds for going to college for electronics in 1985. During my apprenticeship, my supervisor thought that I would do well in design. I started helping with design work (using Personal Designer then later AutoCad) and also got involved with doing some of the programming of the CNC equipment. The company (family owned since the '40s) was retrofitting their own manual grinders with Fanuc CNC controls. That later became a bussiness of it's own. From design and programming, I also started doing quotations for new tools and repairs. I eventually found that the "office" position did not challenge me enough. I then began working as a lead person on the shop floor while maintaining multiple wire EDM machines. I eventually took an evening position and eventualy moved on to an international cutting tool manufacturer. After about 1.5 years with the company I was asked to lead a group responsible for manufacturing PCD (polycrystallinediamond) tooling.

So much for my electronics career. But it's still a big hobby of mine.
It's funny how things work out in life.

[engkit]

I started as an apprentice 1969 became a toolmaker, Jig an tool design and have been in product design for over twenty years. Got my gold watch 12 years ago and been with the same firm 37 years. god have I seen engineering change. at the start we had turn handles. Now its all 3D dnc link pro engineer and radan. Its just like playing games real boys toys. I am going to build a router design in autocad and want to design an build clocks and wooden toys. I have a few years before I hang up my micrometer.
I still think it the best job in the world but I wish it payed better, it does train you to take on anything I have designed and built two houses. Whos the greatest engineer nun other than I.K.B. ( Isambard Kingdom Brunel who else could it be )visit http://web.ukonline.co.uk/b.gardner/.../kingbrun.html :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
I am off my soap box now
Manufacturing may die but engineering lives for ever

[rhino]

Have been out of my time (4 year apprenticeship) for 2 and a half years.
Took a job in brisbanes west operating manual machines a year ago. now i operate an OKUMA bar-fed lathe and a harrison-fanuc 1mtr X 3mtr cnc jobbing lathe, and loving every moment of it (did a bit of both worlds in my app.).

[Mariss Freimanis]

I've dabbled in electronics a bit since 1960 when I was 12.:-)

Mariss

[superrat]

started off in vo-tech school during high school. a few random jobs didn't go far till i got hooked up with an older fella that ran his own one man shop. that was the best thing i could've ever done! he was great and i spent a few years there till i moved away and found another job along the same lines. a few more years there has lead me to my own venture. been on my own for 6 months. we'll see where this ends up. --phil

[Kuhlmann75]

We are a 3rd generation engraving shop (my grandfather started the company in 1968). I started here in 1993 at 18 yrs old operating a pantograph for about 2 years. Then I got my own CNC for about 3 more years. Taught myself CAD during that time, and have been doing setups ever since. I run a machine from time to time when needed.

We have 20 Kuhlmann/Lang machines running, so I am pretty much always busy.

[nathwil]

Started on my dads Logan lathe in the garage when I was big enough th reach the chuck. Four years in the navy on a sub tender. Have been at my current job for aprox 18 years. I have been the main proto type manual machinest, tool grinder, cnc operater/setup with some programing and main maintenance person. I am a master floater
and go where needed.

[ajl6549]

Started machining as a "wee lil' boy" of about 8 yrs old in the '70s at Grandpa's shop (aerospace and government work). Ran a Cincinatti lathe. Couldn't even load some of the parts since they weighed a little more than half of me (at the time). Have a picture of me (about 9 or 10 yrs old) standing on a Bridgeport table, hunched over with one hand on the draw bar, the other holding on the tool (I was doing a tool/collet change).

Got into die working, switched to CNC (tape readers), programmed lathes, then switched to VMs and HMs around '85 or '86.

Being a military brat (and not one to stay still in one area), I've machined in 3 continents, 6 countries and 4 states...... I still haven't got it all figured out.

Never will, but, always looking to learn new things,.... There's always a 'better' way to do something 'tomorrow' than the way I did it 'today'.

:cheers: :cheers:

Send us a pic. of you on that BP

[justin_sane420]

I posted quite a while ago on this thread but anyways...

I put in about a year in shop, and 3 years in school.

I was a cnc operator/machinist apprentice in the shops i worked at. machining a lot of aluminum, brass, 303,304, things like that. mostly for electronics, optics, military applications, etc.

i moved across canada to work in the oilfield industry, so i could get experience on different machinery/tooling and to work on exotic metals, inconel, astralloy, hardened 4145H, etc. So i definetly got some hard turning and milling experience plus i got to work on Mazaks (which were new to me)

Now im working for a mastercam reseller as a Mastercam technical support specialist where i do programming (lathe, mill, edm, multiaxis,etc), machining aircraft parts, sales and support, etc. I love what i do. Im still pretty young so i see this as the best opportunity i could have had.

Alberta is where its at.

[kurt5]

I've worked for about 7 years now as a programmer for a 5-axis CMS-machine, but i have a little problem. I'm from belgium and i would like to write my own mastercam post for an european CMS machine but i don't know anyone who can do this. Isn't there anyone who can give me an example of that. I thank anyone who can help me.

[ajl6549]

What is a CMS machine? What kind of control does it have etc.?

[kurt5]

CMS is a manufacterer of cnc routers. It's an italian firm who has a part of it's company in north america. check www.cmsna.com . It runs on Allen-Bradley controls

[justin_sane420]

You will need several working examples of code that are RUNNING/HAVE RUN, flawlessly in the control, aside from that you need to be able to understand some computer programming, and also NCI output from mastercam. MP language is basically a language of its own but very similar in structure to several other languages. NCI output from mastercam is always the same. Then the MP.dll and the post processor convert NCI code into machine readable code. If you can understand NCI code, then you will be able to tell EXACTLY what should be output by the post processor

[raycnc]

I start working in CNC machines as an operator for Printed Circuits Company I was operating 3 cnc routers. in 1987. worked there for 7 years. but in my firts year a learn cnc programing.
then, I start working for an Aerospace machine shop, and I learn how to operate, set-up and program Wire EDM machines with CNC controls , did this for 5 years. at This moment I'm the CNC programer for another machine shop, using CAD-CAM systems to program end disign 3D models of parts, tooling and fixtures.