Which metal?

For a seasoned machinist, no, it doesn't make sense to make. Just buy them. But i relish every opportunity to make something. This is a hobby for me, I do not make money or do jobs, so my time is essentially worthless. I'm a carpenter by trade, so, my life is making things. But day job, if it saves time, buy it, even if it's more expensive. Time is everything. Hobby, I'll make it because I enjoy the experience. And with each item I make, I get a bit better and more seasoned.
 
And besides, if I didn't make my own tooling, I would have nothing to machine at all. I basically make tooling to make more tooling.
Learning all the time , it's the way I was taught in vocational school . I made all the tools I could over the three years in the machine tool & die shop. First year as freshman we had 6 different areas of different trades . Every shop teacher I had invited me to take his area of expertise , it was a toss up for me I liked machine shop best , because without us there is no industry. We had everything in our shop , grinding room, heat treatment room , stock and tool room, and a shop full of all kinds of machines . I still have all the tools I built even the projects done as freshman. We started with a file and block of steal that needed to be square within +- 001 . That's all surfaces on each corner centers and edges. I wouldn't have ever changed from my choices. By the time I was out and three years apprenticeship in different shops night school for drafting and mechanical drawing and metallurgy. I was making more that year then my father had after working for the state for twenty years.
In my opinion son your earning your machinist tool & die tech title. I know now it's ok to be a machinist by learning CNC and time spent setting parts and pushing buttons it's ok I guess but my old school way is best in MY OPINION . Not saying anything against it at all. It's a good job to have pretty easy and repetitive I understand.
 
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