<p>I’m currently taking a required machining shop class for my major. We’re making projects with the various tools (lathes, mills, saws, etc…) and I find that I am pretty much handicapped and almost need someone to hold my hand doing everything. It’s my first time. When the teacher demonstrates I end up forgetting what to do when I start doing it even when I take notes I can’t understand what I’m writing down because he speaks to you as if you have years of experience and know what each tool’s name is… After someone personally demonstrates I end up getting it a lot better. Does this mean I will be a bad engineer? My goal is grad school at a top institution, will this lack of machining abilities impede that goal?</p>
<p>Is it because you have less experience than everyone else, or because you feel like you lack aptitude? Maybe your prof explains things poorly? I hadn’t taken Chemistry in years and I didn’t quite know what an electron was, so obviously Chemistry was hard at first and only got easier. If you feel like you are just inexperienced, it might just be a bit of a learning curve. If you feel like you lack an aptitude for tinkering, you might have trouble with engineering.</p>
<p>Few engineers touch a lathe or mill in the real world; this is the job of the machinist. Having an understanding of how these machines work is handy.</p>
<p>Your problem (and you’re probably overreacting) could be because it is new to you, or because you have a different learning style than others. If you continue to sputter in this course, work with the professor or some kind of tutor. If you have trouble in other courses (and learning differential equations is a lot different than learning machining), meet with your school’s engineering advisor and learning center to work out a plan that works for you. Every school has help if you need it.</p>
<p>Don’t worry - you’re probably making too much of this, and if you never master machining, bear in mind that there are plenty of highly successful engineers who are 20 years out of college and are all thumbs.</p>
<p>Even if you find you’re terrible at machining, just try to learn from the course what sorts of parts are easy/difficult to machine. Learn how to talk with a machinist and get input from them. That way, in the future when you want a part made, you’ll be able to communicate with them and learn what’s actually feasible from a production standpoint as opposed to a CAD standpoint.</p>
<p>I have 0 experience with machining unless you count drilling a screw into dry wall and cutting wood. I wouldn’t say my profesor explains things poorly, it’s just I have a short term memory for some stuff. He’ll demonstrate, then when I actually go in and try to do it myself, I forget, I take notes, but I don’t understand what they mean b/c he’s speaking in “machinist language” < I made that up. For example he’ll start talking about which part does this and that and I’ll write that down, but when I read it I don’t know where the part is or what the part even is. In all my other courses I’m doing really well, but this one it just made me realize how stupid I can be. My learning style is probably different. The demonstrations he does is for like 1 1/2 hours a week, I pay attention but 90minutes of continuous information is too much for me to take in. Today I asked the 2 TA’s to help me and I think they got annoyed cause I couldn’t comprehend what they’re saying and they called a graduate student over to help me because he was helping me before. When he explained it, he did it slowly which is what I needed and showed me exactly what to do.</p>
<p>First, STAY SAFE. If you do not feel comfortable with a tool, demand help. Never use these tools without knowing how to do so without getting hurt. Bad things happen. </p>
<p>If you plan on going the ME route, then a lot of the stuff you see here will make a big difference in applying your skills in practice. Always amazed me how many “trained engineers” designed holes no screw could reach, or cut out perfect 90 degree corners in a milled part. This stuff will help you, but many, many people never learn it.</p>
<p>If you haven’t bought it yet, you might consider buying the Machinery’s Handbook. Pick your tool and read the section. It doesn’t make sense at first, but with repetition, it will. If you can’t afford it, then look up instructions and videos on the tools on the web and watch a bunch. Learn the terms, then the lectures will make more sense. You might also see if there is a club at the school where you can get in to touch the machines more often. It’s normal when you first encounter these tools to be overwhelmed. The best way to get comfortable is practice (SAFE practice).</p>
<p>Machine environments are often a little rough. Machinists tend to see how much they can push around an engineer. I find they are really happy when a meek person walks away. The trick is to keep coming back. Hell, you seem unhappy in this situation, they might as well take a little heat too. Eventually, if you’re goal is to learn, they will come around.</p>
<p>You’re studying to be an engineer… not a machinist correct? </p>
<p>For engineering the main point of machining a class is to give you a feel for what can and cant be made or assembled in a reasonable way. It’s also to give you an idea of common equipment, what materials/parts feel/look like, and to give you a vocabulary necessary to communicate with someone who is actually building what you had designed.</p>
<p>You don’t have to be good at actually making something by hand.</p>
<p>interesting… at my school we get like 30 min session on each tool then we pretty much explore and ask the machine shop people when we need help etc. Usually after the first few days, everyones pretty much an expert, so having an actual class on it might have do more harm than good.
but knowing how to machine something doesnt tell much about your actual engineering career will be, that’s for sure.</p>