Toys to Tools: Learning not to make stuff.....

I was talking to an old machinist that im buying my machines from and he said now most companies dont even do machine shops now. They are starting to out source the work to “save” money
 
Our last hire is a machinist fresh out of apprenticeship and has his papers. Young at 24 and still learning. Knows a little bit of manual machines but mostly CNC naturally. Of course CNC is what one finds the most on the floor. We have a mixed shop with both types of machines. His background is similar to mine, a father who worked with his hands doing many things. Unfortunately he is not the norm based upon what we have seen in recent years.
One thing for sure, as he shadows me doing maintenance he is learning to think outside the box!
 
I'm hopeful. My son is 11 and asked me the other night to help him make a screw and a nut to fit it. We had a fun and productive couple of hours at the lathe and mill. He likes goofing off with the computer, but as a parent, its my job to make sure he spends enough time learning about the real world.
 
@pdentrem im new to both of them. Im lucky i got my job and my bosses are willing to teach me. Bc of my knowledge with cadd and solid models they hired me with plans of programming and setups. Im still nervous of crashing a machine.
 
One of the Haas CNC mills had it’s 35k rpm spindle seize this afternoon. Going to be an interesting tomorrow! If it is the motor, cost is near $25k!
 
And then you have the kids involved in FIRST. For those that haven't heard of it, FIRST is nationwide program for high school kids where they get a box of parts and a modest budget and, in six weeks time have to design, prototype, and build a competition robot to do a specific set of tasks. They have no prior knowledge of the requirements and so are starting cold. Although they get support from industry and engineering firms, it is almost entirely their work. They have team members handling their financing and logistics. Others are soliciting components and equipment. The local chapter has a Tormach at their disposal and they work with SolidWorks and Inventor. They create their own control programs. The end result is combinationof machined and printed parts held together with weldments, powered and controlled by hydraulics, on board computers, and communicating via wireless. The necessary tasks could be accomplished by remote control or by totally autonomous activity.

These kids, the oldest not able to vote can accomplish in six weeks what we, a Fortune 500 company, couldn't begin to do in six months. And keep in mind that this all occurs furing their spare time. They have to keep their grades up.

I had thought about volunteering as mentor but quite honestly, after a get acquainted meeting I didn't feel that I had much to offer. Most of them had already surpassed my abilities. It is a humbling experience but at the same time exhiilarating.

https://www.firstinspires.org/
 
RJSakowski said:
I had thought about volunteering as mentor but quite honestly, after a get acquainted meeting I didn't feel that I had much to offer. Most of them had already surpassed my abilities. It is a humbling experience but at the same time exhilarating.
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RJ,
I spent nearly 20years teaching Paramedics at a community college. The high achievers don't need instruction they need encouragement. That's really what teaching is about. Picking them up when they've failed (and we all do), dusting them off, and sending them back into the game. Encouragement is also helping them to find their dream. And perhaps how they might actually achieve it. Could be helping them find financial or social services that help them see beyond what their family and teachers have allowed them to consider as possibilities. I'm not suggesting everyone needs college.

Sometimes people just need someone to believe in them.

Daryl
MN
 
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I was lucky growing up my "cool tools" were steel and anything that the wrenches would fit were taken apart. Sometimes put back together. Then at 10 I got a dingy with a 3hp evenrude and learned to wrench. Then bike racing and had a 10year run turning wrenches on bikes. At 18 found cars and built fast and dangerous machines. And now I'm at machining.
 
TTD said:
I can remember as a little kid playing, or I should say ‘building’, for hours & hours on end with “Tinker Toys”…a
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HeHe, I knocked out my brothers tooth with a TinkerToy !! I was about 5 or so, I still remember like it was yesterday.
 
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