PRESENTATION OUTLINE
History & Background
Machining became relevant in the United States around the middle of the 19th century. The bare-bone basics can be traced back to medieval blacksmiths. The job stream has stayed steady, with the occasional spike during times of war. During WW2, the US Army operated mobile machine shops in the field to make repairs. Walter P. Chrysler, founder of the Chrysler Corperation, is a notable machinist.
Becoming a Machinist
The only true training required is that from another machinist; it's a skill trade. No college is required. Most colleges & universities offer machine shop training as a class. Training that would be useful would be drafting, welding, computer programing, etc. To be successful, you should have strong mechanical aptitude & a willingness to learn.
Job Position Description
Since there are many different machines in a machine shop, a daily routine can't exactly be explained. I can give a run down of what I do though. I'm a lathe operator, so I do just as the title says, I run the lathe. If I have a steady job going on the machine, I take the time to clean up my workspace. If it's already clean, I go & find something else to keep myself busy, which usually involves talking to the other guys and learning what they do since I'm the low man on the totem pole. Attire is casual, most of us just wear hoodies, jeans, and boots. Income is hourly, and can range from the $9 I make to to upwards of $30. You'll typically have an 8 hour day, but that will usually run over.
Job Outlook
The hardest part about being a machinist is learning an almost entirely new scale of measurements, plus programing the CNC machines. It is not easy by any means. Any upside though is knowing that you can take an average piece of metal and shape it into a part. That's pretty rewarding. In the past few decades, machining has shrunk. Small machine shops have completely disappeared, leaving only the strong & large shops. The field can't really change now as there aren't any new processes to be developed. Everything is set in stone. For anyone looking for a career in maching, their best bet would be to go to local machine shops and talk with the owner.
Benefits to Society
Look around you. Just about anything made of metal started out as a piece of stock at a machine shop, large or small.
Conclusion
The world cannot survive without machinists. Bolts, prototype parts, fixtures, dies, those are all created by a machinist.
I'd say this is a good career choice for me considering I'm currently employed within it!
Works Cited
Not any. All information is based off personal experiences and knowledge provided by those around me that work in the field.
