Rather than quote everyone, i'll try to answer in a single post.
I've used "tubalcain" videos quite a bit to make things. Good stuff. BUt no one will recognize that if I want to work pat time somewhere as "just" and apprentice.
Money has to be spent on education. No option to spend it anywhere else except required materials (ie: books, materials, etc) for the course.
About half the course is CNC. Pretty sure it's not something I will use, but you never know. There is several CNC shops in the province, just not local to where I will be "retiring". Now, will I put a cnc machine in my shop and contract out? Unlikely due to the high buy in prices, but you never know...
TH42 is just my "banging around" machine. Sure, I've done the usual things like QCTP, DRO and I've converted to a Baldor DC motor with speed control, but I'd probably want something a little better (ie: accurate, modern, etc) if I planned to make things for sale or production runs. What that might be I have no idea at this point. I can turn out pretty good stuff (and small0 with the Atlas, but it's a lot of setup and rechecking to make sure it's keeping those settings. It's also not very high on the "rigidity scale" or conducive to quickly moving from one operation to another.
"general" parts are mostly writing and communication. Not a problem. University educated. I'm also at a "senior level' in the military so I spend most of my days writing situation papers, technical papers, instructing, delivering briefings and conferences, etc. I'm thinking the basic stuff they would want me to do would almost be a "vacation"....lol! Whimmis, CPR, etc is all in there too. BUt I have an annual qualification I have to keep up in my current military job so it's nothing new and I may be given equivelency.
I would be successful at the curriculum. Tool safety (IE: lockout procedures, usage, etc) isn't an issue, been doing it my whole military career. I'm not a machinist, but I'm in aerospace. Lots of crossover. We have machinists on base and I deal with them regularly. Other than actually doing the fabricating, I speak their language. Although on a far simpler level than they could probably go.
Pay isn't an issue. Our release program tops your pension up to 90% of you pre-release wage for two years. It may continue longer than that depending on the circumstances of the individual (IE: disabled due to service, injured, etc). wife is also still in the military and has intentions to be for another 5-10 years. Between her income and my pension and benefits, there's not a lot of concern for money. It's going to be a lifestyle change for sure, but noting that is going to kill us of have us eating cat food.
Not to brag, but we're actually building this right now:
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That's our retirement home.
I thought about setting up a small business in the detached, but zoning and covenants doesn't allow for it. So under the table it would have to be and only small stuff.
My pension amount is covering the mortgage. That's before the 90% top up. Then there's the wife's income and she has a similar pension package when she's done. Pretty much everything else we have is paid off, or will be by the time I woudl be getting out.
So, we're not "flush" for money, but I'm kind of in the drivers seat here......
No, passing the course isn't an issue. Other than the forcing myself back into a school like schedule. I'm sure there will be "withdrawals" at first, but I'l lget used to it like everything else in life. Dealing with 18-20 year old's might be a little bit of a stretch though.....LOL!
What is an issue is that "work term" stuff. I doubt many businesses want to hire a summer work experience student that's already 54/55 years old and there's the "I'm not really interested in that part" thing. I need to call the college and get some more info on that part of the course....