O/T Years experience

[Noel]

I started at 16 years old got my papers.21 years experience.Started manual machining, 10 years manual programing mills and lathes.Finaly talked the big wigs into going to mastercam near the end of version 7.Up till then 3D programs came out of the office(Nothing but problems).Been at same place for 20 years now. Hope to start my own shop some day soon.Mostly self taught on the master cam end until I found this forum.Makes life alot easier whan there is as much experience as there is on this forum at your disposal.Everyone keep up the good work.

 

 

Noel

[Rekd™]

ISKANDAR!!!!!!! No No No

 

quote:

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But the younger generation not regards our profession much and soon we will disappear like dinosaurs !

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That won't happen 'til they can get those cool replicators like they have on Star Trek. My father was a machinist, and he used to think the same thing 30+ years ago. We're not going anywhere. We are changing, but we're not going anywhere. We've got our fat little fingers in almost everything that has to do with anything.

 

Trevor, You keep making me laugh. We sure had some fun along with the "John" factor there, didn't we?

 

Mattie stopped by last nite. He's so happy now.

 

'Rekd

[Rekd™]

BTW, When everyone's posted their experience here, specv is gonna hafta go thru and add up all the years so we can post it for all to see the centuries of experience we have at our disposal.

 

I'm thinking it will prolly be a couple THOUSAND years experience attached to this board..

 

'Rekd teh

[Andris Skulte]

I always loved the hands-on work (did many years working in bike/ski shops in highschool). During summer break from college (after the requisite machining course where some book-smart kids designed parts with drilled square holes, etc) I worked for a few weeks in a small shop running a punch-card lathe. Graduated, did 2 years in the nuke industry, enjoying travelling and working in the plants, but hating all the paperwork BS, then got a phone call from a racing buddy of mine who was the general manager here, and decided to abandon nuke consulting for making chips! It's been fun designing & machining the prototypes, and getting the prototypes ready for production. I guess the only frustrating part is I've basically had to teach myself everything here, but 1.5 years, so far so good!

[Greg McKay]

since 83 job shop 6:00-6:00

 

85-86 Vtl and nc operator.

87-90 5000 hour apprentice

90-92 Engineer Ug

 

 

Started using Mc around v4.1 1993.

[Brendan P]

quote:

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I used Tek Soft for about 4 years

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So did I.(1998)

When I first learned this crap,I thought it was pretty good. (looking back,IMO it was only just a little bit better than than doing it on paper).

 

Then we got Mastercam,and have never looked back!

 

Bucket teh really appreciative of all the people who helped along this journey.

[mold100]

I have been in the trade almost 11 years, Started at the bottom and still climbing

[Philcott]

Hi all,

 

I started machining in high school in the early 70's with all manual machines and some foundry/heat treating equipment. Went on to a two year mechanical engineering technology course that focused on tool and die making which is where I first saw NC machinery. We manually wrote the programs on a Flexowriter (anyone remember these) which was like a typewriter but as you hit a key it would punch the holes in your tape. There was no backspace button. What a &!^(# that was if, nay when, you hit a wrong key.

From there I followed the mantra of the day "go west young man" and got a job in a stamping shop for a few months where I saw an ad in the paper for a cnc job. I worked there on a Burgmaster NC drilling machine making oil patch valves. After a long dark winter of minus 20 to minus 40 degrees I moved to Lotus land (Vancouver B.C.) and got on with a shop there where I was not just an operator but was trained as a setup man. By the time I left there a couple of years later I was programming and setting up all the lathes and one of the mills.

I then went to Seattle to live with my new wife (born and raised in Seattle) where I was given more responsibility for taking the job from print to finished/QAed part.

In 1985 we moved back to B.C. and I got a job in a shop where 95% of the parts were in 316 stainless. I was scared $#!^less at first but soon came to love working with it. So clean and shiny. After three years there (in 1988) we moved to the fishing paradise of Vancouver Island where I got my first taste of Cam programming. We had Smartcam that we used for many years and when they hung us out to dry we switched to Mastercam V7 and have been very much enjoying using this package. Been at this job for 15 years. I too really like what I do for a living. If only I could figure out a way to not be sucked into shop politics things would be perfect.

With all that said I guess my machining total is somewhere around 30 years.

 

Phil

[TonyK]

I started in 1981 as an apprentice Moldmaker and

have been useing mastercam for about seven years.

Worked in 4 differt mold shops.

[Keith Graydon]

TonyK,

Where you working now? Im up on RT1.

 

-Keith

[TonyK]

Keith

I'm at Lawrence Mold just off RT.1,

trenton lawrenceville border

[MATT Q]

I started attending a plastics manufacturing college right out of high school and learned machining, molding, and all the assembly processes that go with it. I was working at a thermoforming company at the time also. Then we got our first 5 axis cnc and we were online programming it. Then mastercam showed up on version 5. I was asked what I wanted to do in the company for the future so I said I wanted more money naturally so I went into engineering. Started out doing model design for the molds and fixtures then moved on to 5 axis trimming and then cutting all the patterns for the molds. The company started to get in trouble so I left after 7 years and moved north to the competition and have been doing the same stuff for 3 years and I still enjoy coming to work everyday. Better to love it then to hate it that just makes the day go to long.

[CAM-mando]

17 Years shop experience (119 in dog years)

 

12 Years Programming (8 with MC)

[Keith M]

I have 9 years in machining. 8 years in programing, I start out using Smart Cam then to Ideas artican series then to Master Cam 8.1 for the last two years.

[TREV]

got into the mold trade in 1990 ,running a bridgeport. about 1992 started conversational programming on a couple of tree's with dynapath controls and a bridgeport with a heidenhan control. started using mc in 1997. had some detours along the way ,using catia and matra both systems quite powerful in some aspects but tremendously cumbersome. mc is definitly the nicest for me

trevor

[jeff]

Been programming,set-up,operator since 1988.

I've been using Mastercam since V8.

[fboike]

making chips for 27 years.

started programming nc mills in 1978.

didn't even hear of mastercam till v6.

You cant be in this business that long

and not love making a big pile of metal chips.

or the sound of highspeed machining.

[G Caputo]

3 years of high school machine shop

4 year machinist apprentice

10 years as a journeyman machinist, mostly cnc bar mills and floor bar experience, some cnc vertical lathe and all the other manual stuff.

5 months with MC DOH! This green stuff just won't wash off.

[specv]

we are at about 537.5 years right now.

[Jammer™]

Started out in '91 as a bench helper. As I worked my way to a becoming a moldmaker, I started running CNC machines in '94. Started programming CNC's in '95. I have been programming full time since '96, and I still get to go run the machines every now and then.

[Jeremiah]

Started trade school in 92.

Started programming/machining with Smart Cram in 93.

Earned programming lead position in 99.

Changed to MasterCam in 00. (V8)

Been here almost 10yrs

 

Jeremiah

[mayday]

Began the summer of '78, still in high school, in my brothers garage running a brigeport with a bandit control. graduated high school in '80 and worked full time. started running cinci's with a teletype for programming (wow how times have changed).Now its Fanuc, Heidenhian, Mazak, Allen Bradly, Mitsubishi, But all with MC. started using mc ver 4 in dos mode I think it was around 1990. programming and design is all I do now. Still have to do training and some setup on the machines for the new guys. dont mind it, nice break from the keyboard.

[robk]

Graduated trade school in '89 from machine tool and die. Landed a job at Pratt & Whitney as an operator (button pushing only). Next stop was Stanley Works ( Terrible company to work for). Did manual programming and operating there for a couple of years. Been with this company since Version 5 ( anyone remember moldbase option for Mastercam?)Up and running using V9.1 now.

[Scott Bond]

I just didn't know what to write,, here is how it came out

 

1966 - I polished molds,,, and I make parts

1967 - I made patterns and traced them on panagraphs for aerospace

1968 - Black students take over admin.building at Valley College

1969 - '69 rock festival brings 100,000 to Devonshire Downs.

1970 - Manson family flees Chatsworth after murders of Sharon Tate

1971 - Sylmar earthquake on Feb. 9 causes 64 deaths

1972 - I have 1967 GTX. Roy Huelden shows me how to cut.

1973 - I buy a Kawi-500 3 cycle 2 cycle,got 11 tickets.

1974 - I am makeing wood patterns, and going to night classes .

1975 - We used nc but it was limited it wasn't worth the program

1976 - Work on stealth fighter begins at Lockheed Skunk Works.

1977 - I have a white John Trivolta suit.

1978 - Proposition 13 lowers property taxes.

1979 - I make wax investment molds

1980 - I built a stock car for Saugus speedway.

1981 - I see my now wife at party,

1982 - Valley Girl craze is from my Valley.

1983 - We had some Gibbs thing

1984 - Tom Shuller brings Mastercam

1985 - I stop drinking

1986 - I married Jay's sister, we have a baby girl

1987 - Life is good.

1988 - Open a shop with my dad, he passes 60 days later.

1989 - I loose my Great Dain,,We have Cameron

1990 - Lockheed announces plans to leave Burbank after60 yrs.

1991 - Police beating of Rodney King

1992 - We have Mimi,,,Riots engulf L.A.

1993 - General Motors plant in Van Nuys closes.

1994 - O.J.-- Northridge earthquake kills 57

1995 - The Palomino closes

1996 - Rocketdyne sold to Boeing Aircraft.

1997 - Armored North Hollywood bank robbers

1999 - Gunman attacks North Hills Jewish center in Chatsworth.

1998 - I Make more parts

2000 - I make more parts

2001 - I recover from loosing my dog and get a new dog "Moto"

2002 - I still drive my dads truck to work.

2003 - I still have the original wife ,with the original kids

 

[ 07-09-2003, 01:11 AM: Message edited by: Scott Bond ]

[bryan314]

I’m on the downside of my fourth year in tool & die. I still consider myself very much a newbie. When I started I didn't know the difference from a bolt, dowel, tap, hole in the ground, hole in my head, and my xxxx. I know what four of them are now.

 

4-5 years before that I worked for a bank in their atm / debit card /credit card department. Wore a lot of hats and had a few titles. Mostly my job consisted of 'he who will fix every other persons problems.' Whether it was an extra $5 in an account or somebody lost a million dollars.

 

Making chips is a lot more fun than moving other peoples money around. At the end of the day you can actually point to something and say 'I made this.'

 

4-5 years before that I was putting myself through college.

 

Bryan