How did you get started?

[Pilot Plant Supervisor]

While reading another thread, I thought it would be interesting to see how some of you started programming.

I learned the trade in the U.S. Navy, and was part of the first shipboard trials of CNC machines. The first CAD/CAM software I used was called Techsoft and it was installed on a 386DX around 1991-1992. I would have to say we've come a long way.

[gcode]

I started machining as a repair shop machinist in the USMC

It was all old WW2 technology, mounted in the back of trucks.

My programming started as pencil cam, input into the machines via paper tape

My first cam system was Anicam 1.0 running on an NEC dual 8" floppy drive machine

No mouse, 4 color monitor 64k of RAM

Then I moved up to Anicam 2.0 which ran on an IBM XT

Then TekSoft and finally Mastercam V7 in 1998

[MotorCityMinion]

Aircraft jobshop, late 80's. Manual G-code on a lathe, BP and DP work cranking handles.

[CJep]

Well,... it all started when my mom met my dad, she thought he was neato cool, James Dean like, they fell in love, got married, yada, yada, yada,....

Early on (age 4) my folks found out I had a talent for breakin' things and eventually learnin' to put em back together in new and unusual ways,....

I was encouraged to explore the R-n-D (my folks were ready to have someone else foot the bill)

Worked for a number of product development companies as a prototype machinist, end up workin' in the prototype injection moldshop building tools, learnin' CNC programing

 

[htm01]

tool&die at tech school, started work at a mold shop in my senior year 1978,started pencil program paper tape on a teledex in 89, had to upload to a mainframe in st louis for anything complicated

[RonC.]

Well I started programming with a pencil and paper, then turn it into a paper tape for a Bridgeport, while in trade school (1982-1983).

Then while at my first job the programmers there was using Master-cam verison. 3 I believe (Dos was the operating system)

Went to school to learn that programming system and been programming every since 1988, left that company in 1996 and learned Smartcam at next job programmed that system for 10 years, before we changed to use Mastercam ver. 9 , ... programming has come a long whiles since my start that for sure..lol.... and think it great that I'm still learning new things ....

[ablucra]

_{Started in 1977 on a tape controled lathe. Graduated to Andrews W.E.D.M also programmed on tape in 80s.}

_{Anything precision was finish ground on B&S optical grinders.}

_{Thought the move to G-code was a god send. Now I sit in front of three 22" monitors, 3D connexion,and}

_{four different software packages for gramming.}

[GIZMO 21]

I think in the near future we're going to be laughing at the computers we use now.

8" inch floppy disk huh? Found one the other day cleaning out the garage,i showed

It to my daughter,and she said what the heck is that? Lol.

[GuyW]

1987 in my first year of college, can't remember which version it was. I started in wood shop in grade 7 and metal shop in grade 9 and knew what I wanted to be in manufacturing since an early age. Started my mold making apprenticeship in 1992 and jumped right into 3D programming EDM electrodes on Mastercam V8. The sense of accomplishment of manufacturing rivals many other job possibilities that people choose to do. Not a day goes by that I don't learn something new professionally.

[DODGERFAN]

I was born a poor black child...............

 

My dad was a Machinist for McDonnel Douglas, I guess I just wanted to be like him. I started with old J&L turrate lathes back in 1994.

Started gramming 4 ½ years ago.

[ablucra]

I think in the near future we're going to be laughing at the computers we use now.

8" inch floppy disk huh? Found one the other day cleaning out the garage,i showed

It to my daughter,and she said what the heck is that? Lol.

 

First tour of an IBM plant, they were showing off a 33" floppy. And no it wasn't the latest Beatles album!

[Thee Rickster ™]

Paternshop in the late 80's, and just progressed with the technology from there.

[RaiderX]

Started in the burr dept. 1985, didnt take me long to determine I did not want to stay there so took books home etc to get on machine 6 months later they fire there one and only programmer CNC guy so I was it. Learned a crap load from old time true craftsmen machinists that would not touch the cnc but made parts on manual machines that made me look like a clown on the cnc's, big school of hard knocks. before I finished my apprenticeship I was there foreman lol (they still knew more about machining than I do to this day). I owe many thanks.

programmed with pencil poken it in till smartcam in the 90's

am now 28 year machinist and 15 year at the desk grammen, kinda got the itch to get back on the machine and chomp some metal tho.

 

Doug

[mkd]

thought i would learn some manufacturing hands on as a stepping stone to make me a better "genius" design engineer.

never took that step...

[Mick]

Got a tour of a manufacturing plant when in high school. Saw the Okuma LS-N CNC lathes (running on paper tape), and thought "thats looks cool, I'll end up doing that". Four years later, at the end of my apprenticeship I was on that same machine, and I started programming then using pencilcam and an Olivetti typewriter/tape punch.

 

Started on Mastercam around 1992, then Unigraphics from 1999 through to 2001 (together with Vericut), and then back to Mastercam, but now moving back into NX (was Unigraphics).

 

My folks told me to go to University and become a lawyer. I should have done that

[Leigh @ Kodiak]

I started in a shop straight out of highschool. For whatever reason they decide to stick me on the machines that had short runs, where I got to learn how set them up. After 5 years of that, I bounced around a bit until I landed a job setting up at a shop that had a one mill, and one lathe. It was just the owner and myself there. One day, we were out of work, and he was heading out to find more for us to do. He plopped me down in front of Camworks, and said "see if you can figure this out" Just went from there I guess, and got more and more involved in the programming side.

 

Besides what I have have picked up co workers, I am self trained, and never had a formal day of training since I left high school.

[left coast lefty]

I started as a production worker, age 21, in a valve manufacturing plant in 1976. Moved on a couple of years later to a small job shop where an old tool and die maker took me under his wing and got me on the Journeyman training program. The only CNC we had was a Bridgeport retrofit with a Bandit controller. You could see only one line at a time, no DRO. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Didn't take long, as most of the older guys were afraid of it. Worked on Prototraks for years before getting into Mastercam only about 5 years ago.

[Josh T™]

I started yesterday.....

 

Started in a small machine shop when I was 16. After school and after football practice. Put me on a Fadal 4020 CNC Mill after 2 weeks.... wrote meh first program 3 weeks later. Watched the code as the machine was running and figured it out. After the boss saw I had the "knack" for it he put a stack of prints in front of me and told me to go to work. 6 months after long handing on a format 1 fadal they put me in the chair with MC6. That's the day I went from an "operator" to a "Programmer"..... never looked back. 17 years later I'm still doing the same thing and I couldn't imagine doing anything else. Got an education, taught CNC machining at a local technical college for a couple of years, moved up to a management position in a Fortune 500 company. All that said, I still love to see chips fly. I still do contract work for a few local shops around the area just to keep my hands on a machine and sharp on MC. Truth be told it's not for the $$$...... just because I truly love doing this crap.

[The_kid]

I orginally wanted to be a surgeon. I was taking classes in college to do just this. After some soul searching I decided I couldn't be person to deliever the bad news that I couldn't put little jimmy back together again. So I have always been very strong in math science. I decided I'd be an engineer. so in my first term doing this we had to take a safety siminair which was help in the manufacturing portion of the college. I saw a Mori doing high speed tool changes and making "money" while left unattended. Being young I thought how long would it take to get buy one and do this on my own? little did I know. So I switched majors and got a degree in cad/cam and have done manual CNC high end to stupid simple industrial. started programming last year and still want a challenge. I am now going back to get a mech engineering degree. I enjoy the rewards of a job well done. When all is said and done. more is done than said.

[SledGeek]

Started sweeping floors and cleaning bathrooms in 1983 at aircraft shop. Soon realized cleaning up after 200-400 lb. men that drank beer was not my lifes ambition. Humped it and got on saw, manual lathe , mills, grinders. Served apprenticeship/college. Ran paper tape Series II Bridgeport in mid eighties. Was toolmaker/machinist/machine builder til early nineties then got involved with cnc's, Espirit, then finally Mastercam V7 .......

[Oppiz]

I started as an Apprentice at Newport News Shipbuilding 1982. After completing my apprenticeship , they moved me to night shift in the CNC department setting up and operating machines. They had 10 lathes and 3 mills running on nights with no programmers available. So when there was a problem with a program you were SOL. I started doing my own editing at the machine. The other operators started asking me for my help. So it became almost my main job. My first CAM system wasn't until I started at Zippo, they were using Smartcam, then NC Polaris and now MC.

[GIZMO 21]

At the place i worked about 20 years ago didn't have a machine shop, but decided to start one up.

Company bought about 5 kitamuras all brand new.and they sat in the box in the new building for

About a week until service guys came to do the install.so every day i would go see the machines at lunch time

When the machines were turned on with all those little fancy lights.at that moment i knew those are the machines

I wanna work on,so i signed my self up at near college for programming g code.the teacher is talking about spotdrill

This center drill that.i honestly didn't know what that was lol.but eventually learned all that stuff and the rest is history.

I think my brother describes my job as being my hobby.i dont know if its good or bad,but i love what i do.

[GIZMO 21]

By the way,nice stories everyone.

[jfranya]

Hey Jesse...the old saying comes to mind "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life". I started as a laborer in the shop I'm at. Went through the machinist apprenticeship mainly because of money. Got my certificate in 1999. Ran CNC mills with Heidenhain controls. At that time it was nothing but at the machine programming. Company got MC. Just started working as a programmer in Sept. 2012. Been here for 20 years. Hasn't always been fun but always interesting.

[Brian B 74]

5th generation machinist (traced back to the early 1800's using ancestry.com). Machining is in my blood!