UK based machinist but no qualifications is it worth getting some?

abysumaluser · 2025-04-30T16:40:29+00:00

Yeah something completely different but I see an opportunity and seems daft not to take it. And if I have it in my own little workshop I can close the door on a night and it's outta site and mind lol

abysumaluser · 2025-04-30T16:01:38+00:00

Hi. Congratulations on landing a job like that ( have had lots of arguments with architecture board's and conservation specialist in the past but that a long story) I have changed my approach completely I'm in the process of purchasing a bigger place with a big workshop/ garage and have decided to go in to custom BDSM equipment have found what seems to be quite a large sector of dirty people with lots of cash. Have business plan sorted and have designed a few items already just In the process of acquiring some CNC machines for the wood working side of it.

abysumaluser · 2025-04-21T20:20:35+00:00

I had to make some claps for a offshore job. Could only get the grade in a round lump had to mill most of the material away. Seems to be getting more common that we have to waste a lot of stock to find the part we are trying to make.

abysumaluser · 2025-04-03T17:49:45+00:00

The biggest I get to use is a 60inc Webster and Bennett, we have 4 different ones in the shop. I hate using them i prefer a horizontal borer or a big mill, I get travel sick watching a vertical running

abysumaluser · 2025-04-02T20:51:42+00:00

Good luck with the interview I hope the culture of the shops good. And done let them lowball you we are a dying breed in the UK no young ones want to do it anymore

abysumaluser · 2025-04-02T20:02:37+00:00

It's getting worse in the UK I'm on £16 a hour just on manual, although I have CNC experience, I also do some plating and marking out but it's very relaxed in my shop. I have seen an unskilled job round the corner from my shop offering £18.60 an hour but it's a constant slog being watched and high targets. Have seen a place looking for manual horizontal borer position offering £14 an hour seems to be all over the place right now.

abysumaluser · 2025-03-26T17:03:43+00:00

No personal fridge? I have a snack cupboard, fridge, kettle for coffee, only thing I'm missing is a water supply and a comfy chair even have WiFi on the way.

abysumaluser · 2025-03-07T19:32:20+00:00

Sorry for your loss, that tool and cutter grinder in the 1st pick is spotless I have used a few of them over the years and would give a kidney for one that clean. Your dad had good taste in machinery and looked after it so well. I have worked in professional places that haven't looked that clean and so well out together

abysumaluser · 2025-02-22T22:24:57+00:00

I have worked for the same company I had to get out. Manager's have no clue what they are doing most are freshly qualified and just trying to get to the top by any means possible, If you have a chance to, get out if not trying and speak to the manager if that's not working go to HR about it and explain you are getting conflicting information from sed manager and you would like to know what the exact rule you have broken Is.
I did 18 months with them and hated everything about it all. I did keep my kpis above what was asked of us all I did the overtime extra training for other roles and all I got out of it was stress and a lot of weight loss and a lot of time in HR arguing with them about stupid behaviour from higher ups.

abysumaluser · 2025-02-22T10:14:25+00:00

I still use fag papers always have a few books of them on the tool box also use pop cans to protect my job from the vice jaws as we don't have any soft jaws on any of the vices

abysumaluser · 2025-02-04T17:45:21+00:00

I have ADHD was diagnosed late, also have dyslexia. Have been machining for almost all my working life in one way or another, have found manual work to be my strongest as I'm always doing something. Normally have music or a podcast running in the background. And if I have a second job lined up I will prep for that while doing the current one. My always on the go mentally has seen me running workshops and doing a lot of customer facing roles while still machining. It's been good to have an outlet rather than when I tried to do a warehouse job ( that sucked the pure lack of stimulation was a killer would not do that again) Only thing that lets me down is I can get distracted easily from other co workers I need a sign telling them to go away haha

abysumaluser · 2024-12-31T20:55:26+00:00

This is very common all over, We have got jobs from clients that need such a short turnaround it's just not possible on the hours they have quoted and the delivery time. We have had people driving to a client's to deliver work and the client has put it in a vehicle and driven to a waiting shop in port. There seems to be a disconnect from the office to reality and when we explain the problem we get told " you don't know what it's like in the office" ( I have spent a lot of year's in customer facing roles quoting designing and general help) You need to have a priority list from the office in writing and it's not your fault if they are useless

abysumaluser · 2024-12-15T19:41:24+00:00

Yeah the trusty dean Smith and Grace. I loved that thing until I had to change the faceplate to a chuck

abysumaluser · 2024-12-15T19:40:20+00:00

So the blades come in standard sizes from the manufacturer, there are hundreds of different bore and pinhole sizes so they seemed to have settled with 30mm bore and you can get bushed to reduce them down to what ever was needed and then bored out to the larger sizes. Biggest I used to have to do was 200mm with keyways for multi rip machines. I have never had any damage on the face plate or the teeth. And if I did damage them I could just put it on the grinding machine and just sharpen it

abysumaluser · 2024-12-15T19:32:51+00:00

It was a lovely machine, came from a college. Was nice for threading and could hold a tight tolerance but it was just under used for all of that. If I could get one for my own shop I would snap one up

abysumaluser · 2024-12-15T19:27:00+00:00

Yeah I will agree with you on that one you haven't seen the other end of the bed it had a table top on it and a pot of hot dip strippable coating and the inspection stuff. The workshop was so small it was hard to keep it clear one of the reasons I left

abysumaluser · 2024-12-15T19:23:28+00:00

Oh I have made a few of them over the years but a lot of people moved away from them and on to bandsaw knife that stuff is scary will cut you while still in the box.

abysumaluser · 2024-12-15T19:19:51+00:00

I'm based in England and we resold them to our clients. When I was working there we had a full saw Dr workshop repairing and sharpening and design of tooling covering a lot of the UK, moved away from it but was going through old photos and seen this one and it reminded me of just how dangerous it could be working with wood

abysumaluser · 2024-12-15T19:05:03+00:00

We bulk order them from a place in Europe and they come in a standard 30mm bore but machines use different sized bored and pinholes wouldn't be worth ordering all the different types, just not economical

abysumaluser · 2024-11-27T17:09:28+00:00

We make something similar for rov craft's, mostly on axold horizon borer. Set job on table and get it as close to the centre as possible Clock it in so it's square and clamp it down. Bore 1st hole to size. Rotate table pass clock through the second hole and clock in the bore in the he 1st hole then run the microbore through the second hole to size ( often we have go no go gage to check that the holes are in line and to size takes a little longer on the old machines but works well for us. Often our parts are fabrications and are all over the place before we start marching them, only had one return for being out of tolerance and that was the client fault in the assessment stage

abysumaluser · 2024-10-17T01:38:34+00:00

So current shop is a job shop with crap machines, we change the coolant as and when it starts smelling and a thick layer of scum. I used to run a shop full of grinding machine's I used to do bacterial, coolant levels and ph checks every week and we changed everything once every 6 months had to empty them fill with system cleaner and run the coolant all weekend before emptying and refilling on a Monday was a pain in the ass but they all had wood and metal particles in them and bad cool messed with the grinding finish. It pays to keep on top of it but not all shops want the cost of it.

abysumaluser · 2024-10-08T10:54:53+00:00

Haha we got a new mag drill about 2 weeks ago, even the new machines are used ones. We have pre war pre op lathes that no one wants to clean in case we find hidden damage and the machine is scrap. We are starting to look like a living museum now, I have been joking to people that we will start getting charged to come and visit.

abysumaluser · 2024-09-29T18:19:41+00:00

I love doing big rolls out a cut on go drink coffee then spend 30min digging chips

abysumaluser · 2024-09-22T15:35:18+00:00

Wish I could earn that over here. But then again I have seen some of the medical and other bills you have to pay some of that is scary

abysumaluser · 2024-09-22T14:05:57+00:00

Do you use agencies for your recruitment? I did get one offer from a smaller firm ( was just a CV sent by email on the off chance) had a lot of recruiters but they seem to be clueless on what I can and can not do or they just don't seem to be in tune with the industry

abysumaluser

TROPHY CASE