The Machinist

  • Guest, it's time once again for the hotly contested and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!



    Go here and fill out your bracket!
    Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Once again, only you can decide!

Borzak

Bronze Baron of the Realm
24,420
31,635
No they have certs and go thru all kinds of training. But normally the stuff is cut, fit, up, tacked and then put onto the weld side of the shop. It's production but not like you see guys sitting on one stool welding the same thing every day. Every item that comes out the shop is a one of a kind. Each shop over 5-6 guys in size will have a guy who is basically leader of the weld team. He's responsible for making sure stuff is going OK, scheduling and overseeing the testing on welds, reviewing procedures. Guessing most of differences are size of the shop as far as resonsabilities.

My all time favorite was the engineer who had a cube of plate and his weld symbols were for the far side, seal welded. I asked him if he was going to support a midget welder who could get inside and weld from the inside and seal himself in. He didn't think it was all that funny but still didn't udnerstand the issue. Went around him and the customers field guy was just "ignore him". I ever made a little drawing showing a guy in the box and he didn't get it.

Not related to anything. But welding for Exxon in their maintenance shop is the best welding job I've seen. I knew a guy who worked there for 30 years. Boilermaker. This was the refinery in Baton Rouge. Nice pay according to where he lived (His son and I went to school together), nice benefits, and the best of all. Their shop was 2 acres enclosed, heated, and air conditioned. Only fully heated and air conditioned shop I've been in for that kind of work. I guess when you make enough power you sell to the local power company you can afford to cool it.

Edit - sorry just rambling. Been incrediably bored as of let.
 
Last edited:

Kharzette

Watcher of Overs
4,856
3,471
Do metal places sell big ass blocks of Aluminum for those machines that carve stuff automagically? Or do you just melt ingotses down into a cube mold or something?
 

Sludig

Silver Baronet of the Realm
8,852
9,130
Love this thread just for funsies. I'm secure in my current career and not burnt out. But out of curiosity. How possible is it really to go from 33 with no welding experience to some kind of decent living in it in a reasonable amount of time? (50-60k ish)

Always like to keep in mind possible back ups in case I end up injured in a way or something that ends cop career.
 

Erronius

Macho Ma'am
<Gold Donor>
16,456
42,340
Do metal places sell big ass blocks of Aluminum for those machines that carve stuff automagically? Or do you just melt ingotses down into a cube mold or something?
I guess it depends on your definition of 'big'.

If you can use a cast piece and then machine that, that's probably more economical. But in my experience, you're sacrificing some strength for being able to mass produce with casting. But then again, it's also probably easier to just cast something a little thicker to make up for that.

I've never tried buying a huge billet of material, but I imagine that if you needed to avoid casting and needed to machine a large item from...let's say a billet that's been forged...because you need the strength, then sure. But I'd imagine someone could ship you a block of metal the size of a refrigerator if you really needed it. Some larger companies might have the need and capability to do their own casting & forging on-site, but I'm not sure how many would, to be honest.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Borzak

Bronze Baron of the Realm
24,420
31,635
Make your own CNC etch a sketch. On buying billet and such, no idea. Most of the stuff I've dealt with have been small thickness. Only once did I do a 13" thick spacer of steel rolled at the steel plant where it was going to be used for a building that had kind of collapsed there. Suprisingly enough our plate burner cut it with the torch instead of the plasma and it worked just fine. Kinda suprised me being that thick.


 
Last edited:
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Donblargo

Potato del Grande
156
177
Field fitting and welding on some 2" evac.
20181207_105700.jpg
 
  • 2Like
Reactions: 1 users

latheboy

Trakanon Raider
808
1,011
Not much machining been happening here.
We have moved factories over the christmas break and i'm still setting up the factory.
It was a major rush move and I can't find half the shit i need, it's always nice having "help" from people who have no idea.
All the lathes are now straight and have just started making swarf, they were moved on the 28th of Dec...
It's been a stress because i've had my own jobs on hold until now and i'm flat out catching up with work stuff and my parts.
I really need machines at home.
 

Zapatta

Krugman's Fax Machine
<Gold Donor>
76,223
396,353
Do metal places sell big ass blocks of Aluminum for those machines that carve stuff automagically? Or do you just melt ingotses down into a cube mold or something?

You can order aluminum billets in almost any size that will fit on transportation, what grade of aluminum do you need and can you afford it is the real question.

Aluminium+Grades+2.jpg
 

latheboy

Trakanon Raider
808
1,011
Big week just gone!!!

I resigned on Wednesday after 18 years at the same place.
Scared, excited and everything inbetween… moving up in position, pay, conditions and closer to home.
Doing R&D design and manufacturing of the prototype, so still hands on which is great.
Not saying where (of course) but you guys with 4x4's will see what I design and build.

So...... 4bee guys, what do you want your accessories to be like?
Light/tough/look cool/other????
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Kharzette

Watcher of Overs
4,856
3,471
20mm auto turret, rads detector. Gas chromat stuff. An electronic warfare package. Retractable heat dump fins. A 300ish mwatt micro fusion power plant. Mini fridge. Oxygen station. Mining laser.
 

latheboy

Trakanon Raider
808
1,011
20mm auto turret, rads detector. Gas chromat stuff. An electronic warfare package. Retractable heat dump fins. A 300ish mwatt micro fusion power plant. Mini fridge. Oxygen station. Mining laser.
Is that all Kharzette Kharzette ??? seems like a short list to me.

Give me a couple of weeks.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

latheboy

Trakanon Raider
808
1,011
So I have a new job, not telling you where but its hardcore offroad accessories.. Been there for 5 weeks and designed and built 3 products you will see in the coming months worldwide. I've lost the use of lathes and mills and it killing me, I need to gear up at home big time.
I miss making swarf ....
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

TJT

Mr. Poopybutthole
<Gold Donor>
40,698
102,080
Okay gang Erronius Erronius request and thank my Dad TJT Sr. We share the same initials and all.

This is a lathe built in the 19th century that is used today in an auto body shop. The cannon is something the owner recently made with it.
Remember it has been modified with modern shit here and there. But this is what I was told and understand. I'm a tech nerd.

IMG_0589.jpg


IMG_0590.jpg


IMG_0591.jpg


imagejpeg_0.jpg
 
  • 1Like
  • 1Mother of God
Reactions: 1 users

Erronius

Macho Ma'am
<Gold Donor>
16,456
42,340
Jesus, I wonder if those are Babbitt bearings in those pillow blocks and not roller bearings. LOOK AT DEM OIL HOLES

I could be 100% wrong though







Here's a company that does modern hardcore babbitts


 

Borzak

Bronze Baron of the Realm
24,420
31,635
Spending my downtime keep current on new tech. Looked thru the AWS weld symbols.

208556
 
  • 2Like
  • 2Worf
Reactions: 3 users

Borzak

Bronze Baron of the Realm
24,420
31,635
Okay gang Erronius Erronius request and thank my Dad TJT Sr. We share the same initials and all.

This is a lathe built in the 19th century that is used today in an auto body shop. The cannon is something the owner recently made with it.
Remember it has been modified with modern shit here and there. But this is what I was told and understand. I'm a tech nerd.

View attachment 208491

View attachment 208492

View attachment 208493

View attachment 208494

Wonder what they used for the drive belts way back then? Toured a sawmill that was originally set up with long runs of leather belts from who knows what, cattle or buffalo I guess.
 
  • 1Solidarity
Reactions: 1 user

TJT

Mr. Poopybutthole
<Gold Donor>
40,698
102,080
Wonder what they used for the drive belts way back then? Toured a sawmill that was originally set up with long runs of leather belts from who knows what, cattle or buffalo I guess.

I imagine it was leather. The old sawmills in Oregon used leather for all kinds of shit you wouldn't think of today. I doubt that was just for the lumber industry.
 

latheboy

Trakanon Raider
808
1,011
Needed some brackets at home so I busted out the tig..
210964

I love welding aluminum
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

latheboy

Trakanon Raider
808
1,011
I bought myself a toy mill/drill for home. Hm-46 ... https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/M124
I don't have access to machines in my new job, just laser cutting, folding and pipe bending, welders etc... I'm on the hunt for a lathe now..
Its be 7 months now since I last made swarf... I don't know if I can keep this up, please forgive me.
 
  • 2Like
Reactions: 1 users