I miss machines........

[Cranky]

In a machine shop? I find it somewhat amusing that so many find it totally complicated to the point that they are baffled by anything in a machine shop. I retired in 06 and miss lots of the machines that I had access to including surface grinders, horizontal boring machines, Bullards, and you name it.....and for ones that know machines......how many can comprehend operating an engine lathe or a milling machine or any other machine shop machine? There was a guy at the shop where I worked that was in his early 70's before he retired and I'm thinking I know why.....

 

[Runner 68]

You forgot to mention the "smell" of a good machine shop. Nothing else like it.
A well maintained machine shop stimulates all 5 senses in my opinion. Unfortunately it's becoming a lost art these days.

 

[toolmanmike]

In a machine shop? I find it somewhat amusing that so many find it totally complicated to the point that they are baffled by anything in a machine shop. I retired in 06 and miss lots of the machines that I had access to including surface grinders, horizontal boring machines, Bullards, and you name it.....and for ones that know machines......how many can comprehend operating an engine lathe or a milling machine or any other machine shop machine? There was a guy at the shop where I worked that was in his early 70's before he retired and I'm thinking I know why.....

Still some guys doing some nice work. This is a billet head for a John Deere tractor puller engine.

 

[sam dupont]

I know a guy, he was a machinist at Homestake Gold Mine in Deadwood, South Dakota. He was a machinist at the mine and over the years built his own machine shop at home. At one point Homestake hands had a pretty good business manager. In lieu of wages, the business manager got a bonus tied to the price of gold in their contract. Gold went up. So this guy made pretty good money and he sunk a bunch of it into his machine shop where he worked on automotive and guns in his spare time.

I had a transmission he wanted, so I sold him the transmission for so much cash and setting up a differential for me. I didn't know much about my transmission except it came from a car that was in the garage that burned completely to the ground. It burned so hard that it started the next-door neighbor's house on fire. He knew about the fire and we made the trade. When he got it apart, he was so happy that besides setting up the differential, he said: "you have some credit coming".

I went to pick up my differential at his shop and that was the first time seeing it. I pull up and it's a log cabin, a giant log cabin built with logs 18 inches in diameter. I go in the shop and it's full of CNC machines, lathes, presses, and everything a guy could dream of from big to small. Homestake shut down and he went home to work his own shop. I imagine he bought more equipment at the Homestake auction sales too.

 

[kiwigtx]

You forgot to mention the "smell" of a good machine shop. Nothing else like it.

You are right....it's a very welcoming smell if you were brought up as a Tradesman. I use a shop that has lots of machines for custom building of factory plant items.
The smell takes me back to my apprenticeship days.

 

[Triplegreen500]

I'm fortunate that we still have one outstanding machine shop in our area. He's backlogged like crazy (he's just "Dave"...everyone knows who you mean when you say it), but does amazing work.

 

[moparedtn]

Ditto. Nowadays, I just live vicariously through watching the excellent YouTube channel
of AvE. Fantastically entertaining guy, very bright, obviously knows his way around
manufacturing and CNC and all that.

 

[Hey-O]

My carpenter shop was next to the tool makers shop. They could build ANYTHING, from guns, steam locomotives, mini car engines, you name it, they could make it. They built one off parts for some of my builds. Love to watch!!

 

[fbs63]

I still work in a machine shop for Chicago Transit Authority. Mainly make special tools for Bus maintenance and on vehicle repairs. Not one young guy in the shop. No one has any interest or the Mechanical mind set for it. I can retire in 3 1/2 years but don't know if I want to!

 

[F4R/T]

The machine shop at the mill has a nice wooden floor in the place.. the boards are not real long and stood on end placed in sand.. I can only imagine that your feet would love that. A machinist, blacksmith, mechanic, tool and die etc. are old trades most folks came naturally to it. Now it’s all fading away with you guys and my generation because of the shift.. and giving away of the country. A tip of the hat to my fellow tradesmen and women ...

 

[F4R/T]

As a young kid most of us were always interested in what dad and grandpa were up to.. those were special days as a kid you don’t always understand or appreciate. We learned a lot that way and many followed in their footsteps it’s hard to believe society pushed away from that.

 

[padam]

Outside my office this morning.

 

[F4R/T]

Nice workshop! Keep it made in the USA! I just wish more new machine shop stuff was made here. My brother swears by imported stuff and I’m standing with made in USA equipment he says no comparison.. idk

 

[padam]

Not to many machine tools made in USA now, not for 30 years.
Haas is somewhat, but I think the castings come from Communist China.
Taiwan are ok but my preference is Japan.
The Okuma M560-V is an outstanding machine. A Haas is not in the same league.

 

[F4R/T]

That’s what my brother said pretty much to the T. Bridgeport still make stuff? I cut my teeth on those, LeBlondes, Warner Swasey etc.

 

[padam]

That’s what my brother said pretty much to the T. Bridgeport still make stuff? I cut my teeth on those, LeBlondes, Warner Swasey etc.

I think those are all out of business for a long time.

 

[gkent]

I suspect the majority of "machinists" - not just "machine operators" - have a pretty well equipped shop at home. At least all that I've known do or did. They also usually have an "in" when it comes to good used equipment to set up that shop inexpensively. I spent most of my life in an office environment but have always loved metal fabrication and machining. I bought basic stuff as the need arose and the money was available but focused primarily on welding which now provides some retirement income. But fortunately over the years I've met and made friends with some good people who own and will allow me to use virtually any machine I could ever need. And since I lack most of the skills to operate those machines, they'll do stuff for me should the need arise.

 

[padam]

I forgot Mazak makes great machines, a lot of them in Kentucky, even though they are a Japanese company. They have an amazing factory there, lots of automation.

 

[padam]

I suspect the majority of "machinists" - not just "machine operators" - have a pretty well equipped shop at home. At least all that I've known do or did. They also usually have an "in" when it comes to good used equipment to set up that shop inexpensively. I spent most of my life in an office environment but have always loved metal fabrication and machining. I bought basic stuff as the need arose and the money was available but focused primarily on welding which now provides some retirement income. But fortunately over the years I've met and made friends with some good people who own and will allow me to use virtually any machine I could ever need. And since I lack most of the skills to operate those machines, they'll do stuff for me should the need arise.

Not me, never had the space or 3phase for it.
Plus I ve worked so much overtime, 2nd jobs,etc, I needed a little break from it.
Made a lot of car and gun stuff on company machines though.

 

[toolmanmike]

Fadal is also another big cnc brand. Manual machines and cnc's are in different leagues. Production machines are different yet. I ran a battery of old automatic bar machines back in the 80's. Lots of fun but very limited on what they could produce. I was a machine operator and not a machinist.