Hi guys,
I bought the 40 pound book as recommended here, the one by Peter Smid. By the way, it is a easy to read book and well written. That is my first impression.
The other good news is the local machine shop has agreed to teach me some stuff. I agreed to work for them for free to pay for the schooling.
As I am retired I don't need or want a "job" this looks like a good opportunity to learn and see the industrial world of CNC. I am not sure why any shop would agree to let me hand around or why someone my age would even want to learn to be a machinist to begin with...lol
Well...at least I have a few pairs of overalls left and steel toe boots from a past life...lol The machinist likes to fish and I have a really nice boat so I think it will be a good trade.
Cheers,
Billy
Hey Billy,
you are not alone LOL.
I did my apprenticeship as an industrial electrician, then got on oil rigs doing that.
When I came to Australia I got into excavation and did that for 17+ years.
Now I've just done 2 or 3 weeks in an engineering job shop (paid). The guy knows me from social circles (he knows I built my own plasma table and have a lathe & milling machine) and offered me a job about 3 years ago but it didn't pay enough to cover my expenses back then. The pay is pretty basic but now I can JUST afford to get by on this wage. Hopefully I can make some on the side income to make up for the shortfall.
I've also just bought that same book and another CNC book, but it doesn't look like I'll be getting involved much with the CNC machining centres and CNC lathe, apart from loading material and pressing the go button. Still the Peter Smid book is good for learning gcode better. I spend more time on the manual lathe and Bridgeport mill, and also plenty of dogsbody part cleanup work, which is what I consider the price I pay for being lucky enough to get a job in an engineering shop and learn some skills I can use on my own lathe and Bridgeport style mill at home.
I'm 51 by the way with a wife and 2 kids. I always got crapped on in the excavation game, was always in the rain or hot sun, cold, etc, always taking on liability for little reward, etc.
Good luck with everything.
Keith.