This is a hard one....

[Carson City Paul]

Working as a machinist for over 51 years, 4 in tool and die, 4 in gear cutting and the rest as a conventional machinist I have worked with a wide variety of materials.
That being said, it still doesn't make me an expert. I have machined parts from cast iron, brass, bronze, aluminum bronze, tin bronze, all series of stainless steel, air hardened tool steel, oil hardened tool steel, 1018, 1045, 4140, 4340, 8620, titanium and i"m sure I may have left something out.
The majority of my final years working were spent making parts for production and manufacturing equipment. Over the coarse of those years I made changes to the materials that were being used to improve performance and longevity. My experience working in gear cutting and tool and die helped me to better understand the different materials and their uses.

   You must remember the old IndexingHeads. The number crunching and formula and table sheets to figure it all out. I cant remember any of it anymore but I remember the Tool. You could mount it on a horiontal our universal mill and had the plates with all the tiny holes to follow, one wrong move, ooops. I miss cutting steel. And everything was still imperial. Not saying metric sucks, I use it but imperial is hardwired in my brain.

We are a dying breed. The kids of today have no interest, and the schooling needed to become a good machinist is about the same as an engineer... sit behind a desk or get your hands dirty and loose fingers???    

[ribbert]

Working as a machinist for over 51 years, 4 in tool and die, 4 in gear cutting and the rest as a conventional machinist I have worked with a wide variety of materials.
That being said, it still doesn't make me an expert. I have machined parts from cast iron, brass, bronze, aluminum bronze, tin bronze, all series of stainless steel, air hardened tool steel, oil hardened tool steel, 1018, 1045, 4140, 4340, 8620, titanium and i"m sure I may have left something out.
The majority of my final years working were spent making parts for production and manufacturing equipment. Over the coarse of those years I made changes to the materials that were being used to improve performance and longevity. My experience working in gear cutting and tool and die helped me to better understand the different materials and their uses.

    You must remember the old IndexingHeads. The number crunching and formula and table sheets to figure it all out. I cant remember any of it anymore but I remember the Tool. You could mount it on a horiontal our universal mill and had the plates with all the tiny holes to follow, one wrong move, ooops. I miss cutting steel. And everything was still imperial. Not saying metric sucks, I use it but imperial is hardwired in my brain.

We are a dying breed. The kids of today have no interest, and the schooling needed to become a good machinist is about the same as an engineer... sit behind a desk or get your hands dirty and loose fingers???   

You guys are artists! I've always been in awe of what you can do. Over the years I've had many parts made including such challenges as crown wheels, pinions, gears, splined hub axles, water pumps and all sorts of helical and bevel drives, all scratch built, all one-offs, some without even a part to copy and all without a computer in sight, very clever indeed.

My mechanic also laments the looming death of his trade. Advances in technology, materials, engineering, manufacturing etc are all conspiring to eliminate the need for it, the skill component disappeared decades ago.
In reality of course, this is a good thing, vehicles have never been cheaper nor more reliable and are rapidly becoming sealed-for-life units that will eventually require no maintenance or repair at all.

The remnants of the trade today are glove wearing parts fitters, oblivious to what they don't know nor what a skilled and clever trade it once was and have bestowed on themselves the title of "technician" (My apologies to the small number of  exceptions to that rule).

But fear not gentlemen, while our trades as we know them are in decline and in danger of disappearing altogether, a new breed of expert has stepped up to the plate that guarantees the knowledge will not only live on, but be expanded.- "The Internet Certified Expert."   





Noel