Education

[troy kordenbrock]

How did you gain your knowledge of Mastercam?

Classes? if so where and with whom.

Experience? What tools did you use to help along the way?

Book and online manuals?

Not only 2D but multi-axis as well.

Thanks, any info would be helpful.

[Guest]

quote:

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How did you gain your knowledge of Mastercam?

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Hard work, lots of "extra hours" work. Hands on, see what works, some classes, some books & this forum.

 

Welcome to the Forum

 

[chowquoe^]

Welcome to the forum, took the lathe, c-axis class, Martin Roderick's files and then just lots and lots of "hmmm whats this switch do" I guess if you know what you want the output to be than it is just up to you to make the software do "as it is told

[Thad]

Exactly what John said. Did I mention "extra hours?"

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Thad

[gcode]

I took a couple of semesters of Mastercam V5

classes at a local community college.

That's a good way to get the basics, but its not enough to work as a programmer in a job shop.

Mastercam was in V7 before I actually got to use

it in the real world. Its mostly been the school of hard knocks and lots of help from fellow

forum members since then.

[mike.b]

the demo will help you...having it at home so you can play about and learn and browse help and do the online tutorials on your own time

much better than having your boss hanging over your shoulder asking when are you going to drill that hole

courses and books are great but if u cant sit down in your own environment on your own time to pull it all together trying to be productive at work with it would really suck

do the extra hours at home and the boss will be impressed in the morning with what u learned the previous day

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I took 2 semesters in Community College back in the V3/4 days. Learned the basics, and NO MORE. Then worked LOTS OF HOURS ON MY OWN TIME at home. One day the programmer walked out of the place I was working and we had a hot job (luckily it was a relatively easy part), and I got my shot. Took a multi-axis class at the local reseller. Lots and lots of practice on my own. I used to take blueprints home and draw them and program them. Mostly self taught, but GStephens, Jay, Rob, Dennis, Arlene, Tom and Jay at the local reseller have been very kind to me over the years.

[Bruce Caulley]

No classes here, just a couple of books, the forum, on the job training, and LOTS OF EXTRA HOURS!! Even for the multiaxis stuff.

 

Bruce

[troy kordenbrock]

Thanks for the replies! Who were the local resellersthat helped you out? My reseller only has 2D basic classes which I am fairly proficient at. Although I still need a little help. Did any specific books help out? Were the tutorials online through Mastercam?

Thanks

[Hardmill]

quote:

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Then worked LOTS OF HOURS ON MY OWN TIME at home.

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quote:

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Mostly self taught, but GStephens, Jay, Rob, Dennis, Arlene, Tom and Jay at the local reseller have been very kind to me over the years.

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I hear that, they're all great

 

I have taken no classes at all, everything has been

self taught at home or on the shop floor.

 

 

PEACE

[Mick]

I took a local course (over three days), then went back and did night classes.

Ended up being asked to teach it part time at the local college, and then was contracted by the local reseller to help support it.

In the meantime, I held down a day job using it. But apart from the classes, I taught myself.

[John13]

Mostly on the job, 2 classes at reseller. The forum has helped a lot.

[mowens]

They hired me, threw me in front of a computer and said we need all these in 2 weeks. They knew my experience level and I knew their requirements so it wasn't a shock to either of us.

I had done a little Mastercam 5 (no, I guess it's 6 now) years ago when I first joined the forum, so I immediately jumped on the forum and began reading everything I could about everything Mastercam. I've had no classes except what this forum has taught me, and I've learned more here than I probably would have in a semester at a trade school, so I owe all of you a big thank you. I don't have MC at home, so everything has been OJT and reading the manual.

[Steve Zirtzman]

Troy,

I would take any class and read every book that your employer will offer. A lot of shops don't have the resources or "think" that they can't take the time for training.

 

I learned by reading ALL of the Mastercam documentation, seat time, Mastercam Forum, more seat time, local Reseller, and even more seat time.

[Exodus]

I learned a lot of from Shop class at school and a DYNA 3 Axis. I have a few examples of my work around xbox360 faceplate thread. I was only 15 at the time of making it, and am now 16. But I've moved onto solidworks

 

Now 11:12 Still loading. This things HUGE.

[Guest]

work ...work ... and more work ...thats all you guys think about .....um yeah ...lost of it is commitment...or being committed...good luck and dont be afraid to ask these ppl questions..that is what this forum is for...most of them have run into the same problems that you will in the future

[troy kordenbrock]

Thanks again. I've been taking a look at going to a few classes and have the tutorial version on my home computer so that is helping. I just wish I could save the work I do on it. Oh well. I am also going go to Chicago in Sept. for the IMTS show. Hopefully I can learn a bit more there.

[Guest]

If you have a USB Hasp, I'd see if I could bring it home so that as you try different things or have a larger file that you cannot complete in one sitting, you'll have the ability to save it.

 

I use a USB memory stick to transfer files between computers as well.

[Exodus]

Same, I have a 1 gig maxtor I got for 20 bux

[Dan Schnars]

School of hard knocks...

 

Lots of extra hours here and after hours...

 

Tons of helpful advice from this forum... This is a HUGE resource for information...

 

Bought a couple of Charles Davis' training books...

 

I've been lucky to have some good people around me here at work to help with questions too...

[cadcam]

I guess it's been over 18 years of using the software started by my brother In-Law as he started my training and in the start and there really was not allot of options including no surfaces and no solids.

 

I took an update class 2 days one mill one lathe with the release of V5.

V8 tool a 2day Lathe update for the release of 8.1.

And then an update class for Multyaxis in V8 to.

 

The rest like most talking with others, working with different projects.

Call the dealer once in a while.

 

It is not like now were here in Cali they teach it every where and long class hours to.

All my classes were at the dealer.

[machtek]

Long Hours, intense consentration, a willingness to succeed, an employeer with great patience, a seated programmer walking out, a couple of reseller classes, and effective stress relief after work. All that and after 9 years I'm still learning daily.

 

Welcome These guys and gals are great as long as you don't ask for a finished post or a hacked version!

 

[pattir]

There's always Streamingteacher's online training too. It cover's Mill I through the MR-2 updates.

[brilu397]

A couple years ago my supervisor walked me the bare basics and then let me play with it (umm MC9 that is) for a couple days. After that I did a lot of trial and errortype programming. About a year ago I found this forum and have since tried to wera out the search option. This place is awesome!

[Bill Cronkhite]

Lots of classes and training on Unigraphics at the last job, but when I started here they couldn't afford UG. Got Mastercam, and lots of extra hours and homework to transition. Also lots of good folks here on the forum.

 

By the way, Welcome!