Any Engine Machinist Here
#842162
10/30/10 03:26 PM
10/30/10 03:26 PM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,065
Indiana
maxie
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,065
Indiana
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The reason I am asking is because I am a toolmaker by trade. I have been in the trade for close to twenty years now. I can run anything in a toolshop from
jig bore, jig grinder, od grinder, id grinder, any lathe, cnc lathes and mills, bridgeports, surface grinders and tig welding.
I am asking because there is a local shop wanting to hire an engine machinist to polish cranks and do head work. I stopped by and dropped off my resume and spoke with the manager of the store. He is going to give my resume to the guy in the shop that is retiring after thirty years of doing it.
I have built some of my motors and understand all of the workings of the stuff, but I am just wandering how they feel my experience would help me with what they do.
What do you think?
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Re: Any Engine Machinist Here
[Re: maxie]
#842163
10/30/10 03:46 PM
10/30/10 03:46 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,082
St. Paul , Mn.
tubtar
master
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master
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,082
St. Paul , Mn.
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I went to school to be an automotive machinist.
And spent 12 years doing everything in a metal stamping house ........from press operator to class "A" tool maker / machinist.
They are radically different in most regards.
You are removing metal in a precise manner for a lot of it.
But as an automotive machinist , unless you are in a race and performance environment , you will have an emphasis on productivity.
Dip it and ship it.
For what they charge for most operations , you can't stand back and admire your last cut , you have to be finishing the second one.
That I am a car hauler now is a result of circumstance and one bad choice , but I don't have any regrets.
I graduated from school in 1981 and needed a job.
I applied at a couple shops and tripped over a job driving O.T.R.
Did this for eight years and got burned out .....went to work at a short-medium run house and they put me through school and treated me very well.
I was a tool maker for them for the last four years I was there.
When I got to be a journeyman , I had to go on night shift.
Knowing what was best for me , I quit and went to another shop where I would stay on days.
It was HELL.
So after six months , I quit and tripped over this gig......which is rewarding and entertaining for the most part.
Though I never got a job in the automotive machinist field , I did interview at two places.....and know a couple guys who do it for a living.
I'd stick with making tools if I was you.
In our area , toolmaking would pay significantly better too.
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Re: Any Engine Machinist Here
[Re: 340B5]
#842165
10/30/10 07:05 PM
10/30/10 07:05 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,635
Oakland, MI
dizuster
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,635
Oakland, MI
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I am not a machinest, but one of my best friends is, so I see it first hand quite often. The only thing that I would say is having the ability to machine things, and knowing what size to machine them are two different things. It'll take experiance to know what you can get away with, and what you can't. What clearances will "work" and what won't. Which types of motors need different special conciderations. ETC.... I wouldn't expect that you could come in and take an engine shop over not having the experiance, but you'd certainly be off to a good start with the ability to run the machines. Just my 
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Re: Any Engine Machinist Here
[Re: maxie]
#842168
10/31/10 03:50 AM
10/31/10 03:50 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,668
Mi,U.S.A.
mike s
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,668
Mi,U.S.A.
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Quote:
The reason I am asking is because I am a toolmaker by trade. I have been in the trade for close to twenty years now. I can run anything in a toolshop from
jig bore, jig grinder, od grinder, id grinder, any lathe, cnc lathes and mills, bridgeports, surface grinders and tig welding.
I am asking because there is a local shop wanting to hire an engine machinist to polish cranks and do head work. I stopped by and dropped off my resume and spoke with the manager of the store. He is going to give my resume to the guy in the shop that is retiring after thirty years of doing it.
I have built some of my motors and understand all of the workings of the stuff, but I am just wandering how they feel my experience would help me with what they do.
What do you think?
Yes it will and you should have no problem with automotive machining.
Leave the gun.......take the Cannoli's....Mike
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Re: Any Engine Machinist Here
[Re: mike s]
#842169
10/31/10 07:54 AM
10/31/10 07:54 AM
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 976
ontario canada
mac56
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 976
ontario canada
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Quote:
Quote:
The reason I am asking is because I am a toolmaker by trade. I have been in the trade for close to twenty years now. I can run anything in a toolshop from
jig bore, jig grinder, od grinder, id grinder, any lathe, cnc lathes and mills, bridgeports, surface grinders and tig welding.
I am asking because there is a local shop wanting to hire an engine machinist to polish cranks and do head work. I stopped by and dropped off my resume and spoke with the manager of the store. He is going to give my resume to the guy in the shop that is retiring after thirty years of doing it.
I have built some of my motors and understand all of the workings of the stuff, but I am just wandering how they feel my experience would help me with what they do.
What do you think?
Yes it will and you should have no problem with automotive machining.
 If you can id grind and od grind and haven't been fired (lol) you would do fine. No you won't know all the little tricks but I wouldn't think a shop owner needs that from everyone. I would think in most shops (the owner) would make most of the calls anyway. If your a good machinist it doesn't matter what your machining. I also would wonder how the pay would compare.
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Re: Any Engine Machinist Here
[Re: mac56]
#842170
10/31/10 09:07 AM
10/31/10 09:07 AM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 347
Kewaskum, WI
Kelob_pie
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 347
Kewaskum, WI
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I was in the same boat as you, moldmaker first then did engine machining. Biggest thing I noticed was when machining engine blocks, guys just cut not knowing what they were cutting. I asked "what are you cutting to?, or what are you referencing off of?" The standard reply would be "I'm just cleaning it up."
With you being a toolmaker, you understand that things first have to be "square", then you go on to your machining operations and start hitting your numbers. It will be easy for you to get a nice square block with even deck heights, correct bore location from crank CL, squaring up top, bottom, front and rears of blocks.
Another thing that was mandatory for me was to measure cam to crank distance while it was still set up in the machine, then you knew what size chain to order right away.
Another trick I used to do for the 4-speed guys was to get their bellhousing and put it on crank center and put my own dowel pins in, therfore no screwing around later with goofy offset dowels and what not.
Also, no more assembling and disassembling just to see how much pistons are in the hole and all that kind of stuff, because you will already know what you cut your block to, you will know rod center to center (corrected if necessary by getting old bushing out and putting new one in and machine to correct distance), and grinding crank properly (indexing, throws, etc.).
It is a fun trade, hit & miss with the workload though, just like anything.
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Re: Any Engine Machinist Here
[Re: Kelob_pie]
#842171
10/31/10 10:56 AM
10/31/10 10:56 AM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,065
Indiana
maxie
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,065
Indiana
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I am looking at this a couple of different ways.
1: My current job is a 1 hour drive each way, so I don t get paid for that.
2: About $70 a week in diesel
3: There are only 3 places in the world that make what I currently make
4: Plant manager said raises are far and few between where I currently work. I have never asked for a raise and feel my work should get that for me. I am out preforming 3 other people for $5 less an hour.
I applied to two of the windmill places that are coming in around this area, but I am concerned thinking these places will go away just like the ethanol plants did when they no longer got federal money. I also applied to the train plant that will be coming in the area for the windmills.
The machinist that currently does there work is retiring in January, he has been with them 30+ years, so I feel I could get into a position that will be long term and less than 2 miles from my house. If they start where I think they do, I will be getting a small raise when you figure what I make per hour gone with the drive and the diesel cost.
I, like you, would want everything where it is supposed to be when machining a block or grinding a crank, I have always worked by print and had to hold tight tolerances.
I had to fill out my application online and it didnt ask for what you did or can do just wanted your job title. I stopped by the place yesterday and spoke with the manager and told him I had done the oline application, which was rather bland. I told him I had my resume with me and he gladly accepted it. We shall see.
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Re: Any Engine Machinist Here
[Re: maxie]
#842173
10/31/10 08:26 PM
10/31/10 08:26 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 21,345
Marysville, O-H-I-O
70Cuda383
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 21,345
Marysville, O-H-I-O
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stopping by the shop just put you ahead of 90% of the applicants. most people will stop at the online application, and then wonder why they never got a phone call. the fact that you actually showed up in person shows the owner that you're serious and know where the shop is, so you're likely to actually show up to the job on day 1
Good luck!
**Photobucket sucks**
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