Machinist as career choice

I'm unemployed and am looking for retraining options. I'd like to work in a field that keeps me close to hot rods. I saw the thread on welding and there was enough discouragement on the first page to steer me away from that as a career. I'm thinking about training as a machinist and I think I would be a good one. What do you all think about that idea? Any others?

thanks!

 

Unless you are talented and entrepreneurial (willing to take risks) -- go to college (or get some sort of credentials) so you can get and keep a decent job that will allow you to build cars. Just my $.02.

 

Demand for automotive machinists seems to be dropping, not many folks are getting engines rebuilt these days. New cars are too reliable, and there are too many crate engines available.

 

I'm a machinist and i've been laid off for the last 20 weeks, and on and off before that,for almost a year. We build old school rag and tube airplanes. they just closed the local engine rebuilding place here too, it was here for 50 years, and they had seemed to be busy.

 

I think the supply and demand for toolmakers will shrink over time. However, the labor pool to fill the need is shrinking faster, as young people may not want to have a career working with your hands instead of white collar work. (toolmakers do it on manual machines)

HOWEVER, the field of CAD CAM can be a springboard to a lot of areas of manufacturing that still have some growth potential left to them. Medical and aerospace/defense are good fields these days, and they all need CAD/CAM.

If you're electrical, CNC electrical techs are always in need. But, in my opinion, CAD/CAM is the nucleus of technology that could springboard you to so many areas of modern technology.

A CNC guy with a tool making background is better than a computer weenie that does not have hands on machining experience!

Some communities ahve futuristic vocational schools that do CAD CAM and als ohave benchtop CNC's or even full blown production CNC's. Votech or adult night schools can be fantastic, if you're community has such a thing. I try to keep my eye on programs available in central connecicut, and I feel there is a lot to choose from within a reasonable driving distance.

-90% Jimmy

 

As an old-school journeyman aerospace machinist, my advice is to go to school and get educated and trained in some field such as computer IT/repair or perhaps nursing or other healthcare. Do yourself a BIG favor and stay away from the traditional trades. If you work it right, you can make enough money and have enough time off to still enjoy hot rods.

 

I to am an unemployed machinist. I did not work in an engine machine shop, but a tool and die type of machine shop. Here, in my area anyways, there have been a lot of shops closing, laying off etc. not just tool and die, but even engine shops. It isn't just the little shops either, some of the big shops might still be in business, but they have a work force anywhere from 30-70% smaller than what they had 2-3 years ago. I think a machinist trade is a good trade, but given the current economy, in my area anyways, the best way to get a job is be willing to work for a small dollar amount!! It's funny when you mention the welder thread, I am also a weldor, and I went to an interview a few weeks ago for a welding position, and after the walk through and some talking I was offered the job with the pay starting at $8.00/hr. Now to put this in perspective, in 1986 when I started my first welding job, I started out at $9.10/ hour!!! When I told the gentlemant that $8/hr wasn't enough for me to drive 41 mile each way to work for, he said he understood, but there was three other guys coming in that morning, and he knows for sure one of them will take it!!

I know that this is not the case everywhere, but do not be suprised if you run into this same type of a situation in just about any trade. It sems that with all the unemployed people, emaployers can lower the pay scale because sooo many people are looking for work. I have a big tool and die machine shop 1/4 mile from my house, and they have had postings for anything from engineers to machine builders, to machinists, appretices etc. and they are averaging 500+ applicants each time the post an ad for one of these jobs......

 

The last several years I spent working in IT. It drained my soul and I got fat and lazy. Since I was laid off 6 months ago, I've lost 50 pounds of fat and then gained back 15 pounds of muscle doing ranch/farm work. Sure, I made a lot of money but had no time for any projects and ended up selling my Scout just because it was languishing.

I'm considering grad school but it's very expensive and again, I can kiss all my free time away. Besides that, I am good with my hands, strong, and smart. Being an egghead is a waste of potential!

I will be looking into the CAD/CAM stuff...

 

My younger brother started out sweeping floors at Mark Williams enterpprises, here in colorado. And worked his way up to to being able to run all the machines in the shop. From there he went to work for rocky flats as a machinist building weapons triggers. he did all this with a high school education. He had a good career, and made alot of money along the way. but times have changed and the industry has changed. I have friends that are machinists, and they like there jobs. But they are not making the money as before. I believe it's still a good career.

 

My bro-in-law never went to college, somehow managed to work his way into the machining field some decades ago. He has had his share of jobs where he was essentially working for free because of company mismanagement, not working because of economic issues, and working 60 hr weeks because someone had no clue as to how to schedule jobs.
Although he still clings to a company paycheck as security, his home shop (medium sized mill and 14" lathe) is actually picking up more work and he is back to 60 weeks.
I think alot depends on the size of the community you serve and whether or not you have access to some industrial/commercial clients. Also, job shops offer more variety but production shops might have more security.

Lastly, don't forget that a machinist will be on his feet all day long...

You did not offer any indication of your age and sometimes that can be an issue when entering a new field of endeavor.

.

 

I'd look at the area you plan on working in. Around here we have a single machine shop and he is constantly swamped from all the farming equipment work thats brought in. It may not be hot rods that he's working on but he's staying busy and paying his bills.

 

The tech school across the street from where I work has a good Machinist program along with one of the best electrician programs in the country. They have other programs have strong demands for trained workers too. http://www.perrytech.edu/

Both of my brothers graduated from the electrical program in the 80's.

As far as automotive machine shops. The two that I do business with seem to be busy all the time but they are both smaller operations as far as manpower goes. One is a one man deal and the other has about four people in the shop attached to a parts house. we have enough ag related work here to keep them busy though.

 

I am thinking about getting re-educated as well. I will be 30 this year and have been doing Retail Architecture for the last 8 years. As you can probably tell, there is absolutely no retail architecture being built. I have always wanted to learn CAM/CNC work, is there any school in Northern California that provides that sort of training? I need to figure something out pretty quick!

 

Look for jobs locally if that's where you want to live..
Look in other areas if your willilng to move.
Find out what education it takes to have one of those jobs.
Get the education.
Toolmaker/CNC/Machinst is my field. It's been a good living but 6 years ago my job moved 70 miles away. Now I comute. On the road 14 hours per day and it's mostly 6 days per week.
The day off, I spend catching up around the house.
Not much time left for Hot Rods.
We use MasterCam X4 where I work and alot of people are being trained in this field at the local C-College. "They say that there are jobs out there for these people and the pay is around $8-$14 / hour. Sorry, I've made a lot more that that in my time but as they flood the market with these "TRAINED" people, the wages will fall. The skill is gone and the puter has taken over.

I should be retireering this year and will start another carreer closer to the house.

 

Good choice in my humble opinion.

I'm not a machinist by trade, but as a QC Inspector, I've seen the skill level slide downhill for the last 25 yrs. Machinists have been steadily replaced with "****on pushers" as technology advances. Adding a ****ty economy in just makes it worse!

I feel there will always be a place IF someone keeps up with the technology. The benefit on the hotrod side is used manual machines can be had fairly reasonable.

Good luck with whichever decision you make!

 

I'm 36 and healthy but that doesn't mean hips and knees couldn't start going quick.

 

I think there is a major flaw in most of these training threads.

Here is what I see. A lot of people here are saying "go into IT, go into..." Problem is this. All of us got smacked with the recession. from the people at the top to the bottom. Mind you skimming a million off a fat cat probably means nothing to them. But IT has been tightening up since the DotCom crash and is only getting worse. Lots of people are fighting for a good spot in that field. I myself, included. I am lucky that I have a very good job right now. But that could change any day, so I do keep my eyes on the paper. But the outlook is pretty bleak. Where I am IT is not a huge demand field, but in the last year it has gone from a couple of want ads a week, to nothing in the last few months. It is a total **** shoot.

I honestly don't know anyone, in any field that either hasn't been hit with a lay-off, or doesn't have a friend or acquaintance in the same field that has been given a pink slip.

Really there is only one piece of advice I got for you.

Find a job you like. Find one you are DAMN GOOD at. And figure out if you can do it where you want to be. Can't be a lobster fisherman in Arizona, and you really don't want to be a machinist in Detroit. Don't want to be a multimedia spe******t in the middle of the Mojave without internet, etc.

Some areas lend themselves better for certain industries. But right now, the only saving grace you really have is to be able to work at ****ty wages (which is just a fact for every industry) and be better than the next f**k that comes in for the interview. No half-***ed interviews, no 15th in a cl*** of 16 is going to cut it anymore.

Past that point, there really isn't much else you can do.

 

Make your avocation your vocation. In oterh words, pick something that you really like to do and go for it. Life is a lot easier when you can look forward to going to work every day instead of counting down the minutes until the day is over. You can make decent money doing just about anything, if you have the skills and hustle a little bit. No line of work is recession proof. Even during good economic times there are some industries that will experience a downturn. During the late '90s/early 00's boom period there was even a time where there was a huge glut of unemployed MBAs because that was just the thing to do and the job market was saturated. Today you could probably find 10 guys with Masters degrees hanging out behind Home Depot willing to paint your house for $8 bucks an hour.

 

Go back and read the welding thread again.
Subs***ute "machinist/toolmaker" where ever it says "welder".
Same thing for pattern maker,mold maker, etc.

Unless you want to move to China or India.

 

Well said Umlk and a shame what has happened to a very skilled labor force. I'm a toolmaker and have seen my buddies loose jobs weekly in the trade. I also see a bunch of job training outfits teaching the Tool and Die trade with no job placement ,were they just take your dough or the company that laid you off money.

 

My dad has been a tool and die maker for 30+ years. Considered a real guru of doing tough to nearly impossible jobs. His flow of work over the last 5-10 years has slowed down to just barely s****ing by and keeping the doors open. The biggest problem...Overseas shops doing it dirt cheap. Google machinists, tool and die, mold making, anything like that and many of the companies that hit back are overseas giants.
All of the shops my dad used to work with/compe***ion are pretty much all gone. They used to shuffle jobs back and forth they were so busy and now they are all closed except him.
The day of the small mom and pop tool and die shop is nearing its end. How he manages to keep the doors open in todays economy is beyond me and the small amount of cash my parents live off of is just painful.


Scot

 

In the '60s I was out of the Army and racing my first Altered. I looked around and realized all the cars I really liked were owned by or had a machinist on the crew. So in '65 I went into a Machine Shop aprenticship at United Air Lines. Stayed there for 33 years. At one time there were over 400 people working in the Machine Shop at UAL. I hear it's under 50 now. But there are still lots of general machine shops around here. And I broke a trailer spring in Elco Nv. last Augest. Stopped in a machine and welding shop off 80. They had the spring I needed and were very busy working on Gold Mining Equipt. Said they were hiring if I really was interested. So jobs are out there. And I am glad I choose that job in '65.

 

It and computer stuff is going overseas as well.
****, they are outsourcing the guy that asks if you want fries with that on the drive thru at Mikey D's.

If you are going to re-train, look for a job that MUST be done locally...
Anything that requires hands on to do.

 

You can make a decent living as a machinist if there is a demand for them in your area, or if you're willing to move. If possible, try to get into a big company where they tend to take care of the machinists. Job shops they come and go, but the bigger places tend to hang onto skilled people.

I've been in the trade since 1981 and went through a tool and die apprenticeship program. Virtually nobody is going to hire someone without some schooling behind them.

I started out manual machining, milling, lathe work, grinding, EDM and some sheet metal work. I got into programming CNC mills, CNC punch presses. You are at a loss to learn CNC without a good manual background.

On the Island, a lot of shops have dried up and blown away with the downturn in manufacturing. The medium sized shops that were good to start with are still making the bucks. I'm in Engineering now and get to see all the screw ups our vendors make. Some of it I attribute to poor supervision and the shop being staffed with "****on pushers" who don't know any better and their internal inspection misses things and they get out the door effed up.

All in all, I say, go for it if you can get a job when you are done with schooling. I wouldn't recommend taking a machine shop job without training and better shops shouldn't hire "green" people.

Bob

 

Thanks everyone for the good advice so far both positive and negative. I've gotta go hustle the rest of the day and now I have some material to ponder.

 

I have followed this and the welding job thread. A couple of thoughts, welding all day with the fumes is not a good job. As stated on this thread machine work used to be a good to great job. I made a decent to good living with a Jr. College Degree in Industrial Tech. Worked as a maintenance mechanic in the food industry. Yes we are importing a lot of food, but there always be the, small to large, food industries. From tortillias to specialty breads or ethnic specialties. You have to be multi talented, welding, tig, mig and arc, run a lathe and a mill to make shafts and seals and electrical. Plus now days electronics. Just do not hurt your back. If you have all the above skills you can work as a fabricator and maintenance mechanic. Be varied so when times are tough you have more then one skill.
Good Luck
DT

 

Aside from opinions, you should do some objective research. See what an average salary for a machinist is, and decide if you can live on for the rest of your life.
Are you willing to relocate for a relatively unstable job that pays 40K a year? You can survive on 40K if you live in a smaller city where housing is cheap, but that's nothing in a larger city. I once relocated for a 50K/year job with full benefits and moving expenses paid- I would never do that again for alot of reasons.

Add to that- Demand for machinists will likely continue to decline as automation increases and countries like India, China, and countries in S America continue industrializing. The middle cl*** is shrinking in this country in case you hadn't heard. Sorry to be so sarcastic and O/T, but if you want an income that allows you to have an expensive hobby like hot-rodding, you'll need some credentials for the future. There's absolutely no doubt.

 

The only jobs secured down here are those working for the state, county or the city. Private industry has no security and lots of good people have been laid off. My father in law has been working on the Air Force Base for 20+ years as a machinist and was told he will not have a job by the end of the year. My best advice would be to find work with one of state, county or local governments. More secure than the private industry, good benefits, medical and most have good retirement plans. Good luck

 

open a subway or jimmy johns
they are springing up everywhere
i was a toolmaker
i was an r&d machinest
i was a designer
now i supervise a a division of a company that does production welding
i had to move my carrer to keep my job
but i tell you there is know one in my company that can do my job and thats because of all the "Was" that i used to do
expieriance is the key to a good/safe position
go out and get some in everything
tk

 

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, ****yze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - Robert A. Heinlein