CNC Machine

spikedaddy99

spikedaddy99

Well-Known Member
GOLD Sponsor
Jun 11, 2008
2,612
Prentice, Wi
Boat Info
2005 500 DB
Engines
QSM-11
If you know my son Michael, you probably realize he loves our boat and boating more than any of us. So here he is on a bored winter day at school learning to use the CNC machine.
IMG_0731.jpg
 
Cool. Hopefully he stays with it. There are not nearly enough programmers/operators of such equipment for our future.
 
As a cutting tool manufacturer, we have the same issue attracting qualified machinists and tooling engineers.
 
So what could a programmer expect to earn? He did program this. He's in HS, still thinking about long term plans.
 
spikedaddy99 said:
So what could a programmer expect to earn? He did program this. He's in HS, still thinking about long term plans.
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Just looking at our area's (Chicagoland) recently released salary report -- CNC programmer 25th to 75th percentile: $60k to $80k.
 
Golfman25 said:
Just looking at our area's (Chicagoland) recently released salary report -- CNC programmer 25th to 75th percentile: $60k to $80k.
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And I know of accounts with good experienced setup men / programmers making over $100-$120K per year in the Chicago area. Could be a great career...
 
I have a small 24"x24" desktop CNC. It will cut aluminum but not good. I cut wood signs and etch lexan and glass with it but hardly use it anymore. I worked at a plastics manufacturing company and we had about 5 or 6 CNC's. Right after I started they bought a $300,000 Thermwood and I watched them install it and set it up then I had to connect it to the network so watched the first few times it was used. Talked to a guy there that had a small home one so he talked me into buying one. Wife wasn't happy as she had no idea I bought it until it showed up at the door...lol. Now I mention selling it and she says 'no way'...lol
 
Golfman25 said:
Cool. Hopefully he stays with it. There are not nearly enough programmers/operators of such equipment for our future.
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Back in the '90's a local machine shop owner called me. A fellow I knew had used me for a reference. The shop owner started asking question, said he was having trouble finding good help. I told him I'd save him some time...the guy you're asking about always gets to work on time and he can read a ruler. That was all it took, he hired the guy.
 
boatman37 said:
I have a small 24"x24" desktop CNC. It will cut aluminum but not good. I cut wood signs and etch lexan and glass with it but hardly use it anymore. I worked at a plastics manufacturing company and we had about 5 or 6 CNC's. Right after I started they bought a $300,000 Thermwood and I watched them install it and set it up then I had to connect it to the network so watched the first few times it was used. Talked to a guy there that had a small home one so he talked me into buying one. Wife wasn't happy as she had no idea I bought it until it showed up at the door...lol. Now I mention selling it and she says 'no way'...lol
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Boatman, just curious--what do you use it for?
 
A friend of mine's son decided early on that college wasn't for him. He went to a trade school and trained as a welder. Along the way he learned how to set up/program CNC machines. When he graduated he got a job as a welder. After a couple weeks they asked him if he could set up and program jobs. He jumped at the chance, not nearly as many toxic gases emitted versus welding. He's never looked back. He decided he wanted to move to Colorado to be closer to the mountains (big snow boarder and mountain biker) and his aunt's 10,000 sq. ft. house in Breckenridge. Had a job 2 days after he decided to move making $80K. He's 27. Not a bad career choice.

My kids both went the college route and make similar money. My oldest and his wife are both coders/programmers and they both make 6 figures. My youngest is in the process of taking the CPA exam and working at an accounting firm and he is making upper 5 figures. So there is more than one way to skin a cat.
 
My youngest son how's 33 yrs. old spent 6 month getting a CNC wood shops machines running at production speeds because they were burning up tooling. After the production numbers went up and the tooling cost went down the Owner of came out and slowed all the Machines back down. The owner said they shouldn't be running that fast. P'd off my son that instead of doing that anymore for a living He went back to Kentucky U to finish he Mechanical Engineering Degree.
 
dvx216 said:
My youngest son how's 33 yrs. old spent 6 month getting a CNC wood shops machines running at production speeds because they were burning up tooling. After the production numbers went up and the tooling cost went down the Owner of came out and slowed all the Machines back down. The owner said they shouldn't be running the fast. P'd off my son that instead of doing that anymore for a living He went back to Kentucky U to finish he Mechanical Engineering Degree.
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I had a customer come in the shop… I literally couldn’t machine any faster…. Machines were running lightening fast ….. he said how is it going?…. Quoting machines you quote cycle time ….. I said I don’t like margins on your parts….. I did him a favor taking the parts from a bad supplier at their prices as a favor…. He looked at me and said you’re problem is your not machining fast enough….. I threw them out two weeks ago

tooling cost and cycle time is all that matters…… you brake a machine because of it you bought the wrong machine
 
Blueone said:
I had a customer come in the shop… I literally couldn’t machine any faster…. Machines were running lightening fast ….. he said how is it going?…. Quoting machines you quote cycle time ….. I said I don’t like margins on your parts….. I did him a favor taking the parts from a bad supplier at their prices as a favor…. He looked at me and said you’re problem is your not machining fast enough….. I threw them out two weeks ago

tooling cost and cycle time is all that matters…… you brake a machine because of it you bought the wrong machine
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Really it is cycle time and tool optimization. Tooling cost should only be about 5% and reducing the price of the tools won't get you to your cost objectives. Eliminating tool changes at the best "possible" cycle time means more run time and higher profits... Possible doesn't mean running faster, it means running it at the most efficient MRR rate for the tool getting the longest tool life.
 
Steve S said:
Really it is cycle time and tool optimization. Tooling cost should only be about 5% and reducing the price of the tools won't get you to your cost objectives. Eliminating tool changes at the best "possible" cycle time means more run time and higher profits... Possible doesn't mean running faster, it means running it at the most efficient MRR rate for the tool getting the longest tool life.
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Didn’t I say that ?
 
Blueone said:
Didn’t I say that ?
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Sorry. I’m sensitive to the “Tooling cost” comment as us Tooling manufacturers are constantly get beat up to “sell cheaper”….
 
Gofirstclass said:
Boatman, just curious--what do you use it for?
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Sorry. Forgot all about this. I will try to post a few pics but keep getting a network issue error on postimage.
These are bowling ball cups to held a bowling ball
 
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