OT?how many years how many shops

[Jean-Simon]

8 shops in 8 years, started as a toolmaker and keep on taking courses at night and went to die design and finally got into cnc as programmer/operator. First jobs were in/out (19 years old and 9$/hour) I liked to change as many said but spent 6 years at 1 place and it's good as long as you grow. Now working for Quebec's reseller, very nice!

 

Simon!

[Rick McAllister]

22 years and about 9 shops.

 

N Franco- Obviousely you're one of the lucky ones. That "mothership" jetisoned a lot of cargo. Good cargo in a lot of cases.

[TREV]

hello all,

been in the mold industry for 13 years,and have worked at 5 shops.longest stay was 8 1/2 years at my first job. the 3 before my present location have either closed or are operating under chapter 11 bancrupcy. i have never ben fired or layed off,i just manage to stay one step ahead.hope the future starts to look up.

trevor

[Brendan P]

I have been in this trade since 1984.

Yup,bought my first 0-1 mic. (etalon swiss made)and a Kennedy (model# 520) (7) draw chest.

You guys must remember this box?

Everyone had one of these.

Funny thing is,I was a d-burrer and the other guys at the time couldn't understand why I needed a box and a mic.

I have worked in (4) shops total.

I have been at my current place for 18+ years and love my job.

[lynnz]

Been in the trade since 12-72 with a total of 4 shops. I've been at the 4th one the last 27 years. Sure sounds like a long time....I guess it is.

 

Lynn

[Scott Bond]

I Started in 1966 ,starting salary was $ 1.37 an hour. I made wagon wheel spokes. That first year for the Cristmass bonus the company gave me a carton of cigaretts , I was 11 .I worked there all thru high school and even did a project with them just last year. I stayed at two other shops for 10 years each,, So I quess that I been in a total of 75 shops if I include my own and contract stuff.

 

[ 08-14-2003, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: Scott Bond ]

[crazy^millman]

Well incase you where all owndering who that was it was me and here is a thred to that and to something esle to go along with it. Oh one thing I got ot thinking the other shop I did contract work for so if you include them it brings the total to 22 in 17 years.

This is what I had said in the post

 

quote:

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We have them this is my 17th machine shop postion in the last 17 years so been there done that so to speak. Yeah I can see all the kringes now when people read that.

---

Stupid Places I have been

 

Just to give an idea those are some of my nicer stories. One company laided me and about 22 others off 2 days before christmas and said they would hire us all back in three months just wait it out. With a wife and kids what do you think I did.

 

Crazy Millman

 

One other thing you are also talking to somone who should be dead had a 1% chance to live after a car accident in 1991 had to start over again. So I look at it this your not happy somewhere and doen everything to make it better than do something to make your life happy. Life is to short to be unhappy with!!!!!!!!

 

[ 08-14-2003, 05:00 PM: Message edited by: Millman^crazy ]

[HEAVY METAL]

I have been working at the same shop that I started this trade 13yrs in july been programming full time last 5 yrs. dont know if this place will make it till I retire . Only 35 in nov. we are a small job shop that is going for iso certification. this is suppose to bring in more jobs. will see. pretty slow right now .we have the tools, machines and tech too do all most anything. the owners and salesmen just cant seem to get work.

[connormac]

Have been in the trade for 23 years and had 2 jobs. 20 at the same place. Then I was paroled (quit) and left town. Started sweeping the floor after school and went to tech school during high school. Strated working with MasterCAM about a year ago. Need to go to class. But o'well.

[the Toolman]

Started in 1979 cuttting material to length on a bandsaw. worked up to running manual mills and lathes.Then promated to CNC operator. Got interested. Taught myself how to read G code. First cadcam was 3-D Exipidite, on 19 5 1/4 floppies which I still have. Changed jobs to become programmer.Did this for 2 years and changed jobs to become shop superviser. 6 shops by 1990. Got into CNC repair. Covered 9 states installing and repairing Makino's and Hurco's for distributors. After 5 years of flying was installing a Makino A77 and aerospace company asked me if I would be interested in being prod. manager. Making chips again. 3 more years went back to service & applications. Covered 4 states.

Was standing looking at the turret from a hwaciaeon lathe that was in the chip conveyor while the operator was trying to explain why I should cover this under warrenty and telling myself that I was to old for this **** when my wife called me and said that my favorite endmill mafg. called and wanted to know if i would take over sales for Ga., NC, ans SC. So here I am selling endmills, and also a referial dealer for mastercam with Barefoot CNC(Jimmy, Sam, Katie, and now Trevor) and Cad Cam Solutions (Al, Steve, and Cris) and I wouldn't change one minute of the way I did everything. I've been in hundreds of shops and seen some perty amazing things. I'm setting in a hotel modifying the G-code for a customer and will show them a 250% increase in production tomorrow by just changing the tooling, the feeds and speeds. Of corse they don't have a programmer on staff either. Soon as they find one I will put Mastercam in there.(Your customer Jimmy if you read this)

[Müřlıń®]

'79-87....changed jobs 12 diffrent times, plastic and diecast mold shops, progressive die shops.

 

Self Employed from '87 to now.

 

Needless to say I have never drawn a paid vacation in my entire life

 

 

Murlin

[EZ3PUTT]

22 years 3 shops. 12,1 and 9 years. Oh how i wish i would have listened to dad and kept playing golf. Play a game and make money and you will never know what it's like to work.

[Hardmill]

20yrs and you know I really can't

count that high.

 

PEACE

[Andy]

1963 Navy machinist 4 years

9 Years Aeorspace, Hughes.

2 more shops, then

Started my shop in 1978

Thats 40 years, ouch. Why me.

Wouldn't trade the trade for any other career.

[Müřlıń®]

quote:

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20yrs and you know I really can't

count that high

---

LOL Hardmill.....

 

I think thats why I went into business for myself.....I already worked at every shop in town and no one would hire me....

 

 

Murlin

[herbert west]

20 years, 3 shops. Started out as a tool and die maker in an aerospace shop/FAA repair station, moved up to programming a wire EDM, moved into moldmaking, moved across the street into a new job at a place doing hydraulic/agriculture/plumbing parts, started my own business and gave it up, went to a shop that did medical/and believe it or not fishing reels!. They couldn't keep me busy so I went back to the hydraulic/agriculture/plumbing

shop which got "acquired" by a group of investors who are gonna hand us off pretty soon.

[Slixmix]

quote:

---

That "mothership" jetisoned a lot of cargo. Good cargo in a lot of cases.

---

Thats very true Rick and you're one of them! We lost a lot of knowledge when you departed.

[Harryman]

Ten shops in 28 years.

 

Only stayed a month or three at the crumby ones. Eight years at present place. It used to be the greatest but getting crumbier by the day

[RandyN]

12 shops in 30 years, with 8 years at one being the longest.

[Oppiz]

22 years total: 9 Newport News shipbuilding where I did a 4 year apprenticeship then worked there another 5. Now Working at Zippo (13 yrs) where I am the one and only programmer.

[Jammer™]

12 years, 4 shops. Two of the shops are the same company. 11 years at current shop.

 

[ 08-15-2003, 01:09 PM: Message edited by: jammer ]

[Todd Patterson]

I worked in 8 different shops in 15 years. I got out of the trade and spent two years as a flight instructor and charter pilot, but after my wife had a set of twins (1 boy, 1 girl) she informed me that I would have to go back to a job with a steady paycheck.

[Slixmix]

I want to work where oppiz does. Those are some bitchin lighters. You guys must use some tiny engraving tools.

[Harryman]

Todd, sorry to hear the flying didn't work out.

 

IFYP

 

Happy to hear the family won out

[Oppiz]

quote:

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You guys must use some tiny engraving tools.

---

Most of our engraving is done using a laser.

 

We are in the process of buying mini highspeed milling machine to do some wild surfaces.

But I don't get to do that fun stuff. I mainly make the tooling (Die, fixtures Etc)that go into making the lighter.