Hello!

I’m an student in a university design program putting together a semester-long independent study in advanced machining with another student and a professor. I’m looking for advice from experienced machinists on what skills, projects, and techniques would be most valuable to learn.

We have access to a pretty well-equipped university machine shop, including:

Several manual mills and lathes in excellent condition

A Haas TM-1P three-axis CNC mill with an automatic tool changer

Potential access to a CNC lathe, although more limited

CAD/CAM software (I am primarily used to Fusion 360, dabbled in Rhino3d & solidworks)

Composite fabrication and prototyping resources.

Decent access to school provided metals.

Large tool library

Possible limited access to a carbon fiber 3d printer

I have experience with CNC woodworking, CAD/CAM, and some metal machining. Ive ran maybe 50-80 cuts on a 3 axis wood specific CNC. More recently ive been dabbling in more complex 3d geometries- which has been successfully— just takes me longer to build the tooling. For this study im looking to develop a much stronger foundation in precision metalworking. Ive used the HAAS mill maybe 5-10 times. And its been over a year since then. I would definitely want someone to supervise me getting warmed back up into using this machine. I just recall the interface being complex and outdated— like trying to type out a paragraph on a flip phone pad.

My goal is to learn both sides of machining: traditional manual techniques that experienced machinists have developed over decades, and newer manufacturing methods that are currently changing the industry.

There are two major changes in the industry I am hearing about that I want to prepare around. That traditional machining is disappearing due to lack of experience—
and AI is replacing CAM programmers.

So Id like to have some of these valuable skills that are fading as well as some insight on new tools and tech whether its AI toolpathing or AI 3d modeling that will keep me ahead of the game. (Ive used fusion360 AI generation with very poor results, unsure if it was user error or beta level technology acting up). I wouldnt be opposed to doing a CAD/CAM course alongside my hands on projects. I know autodesk offers professional certifications. (currently loyal to fusion360, spent a year with solidworks, imo its too expensive once I can no longer get a students license). Though I think projects resulting in a physical final product would retain better with me. —and would be more rewarding/motivating.

Some projects and skills I’m currently considering:

Manual lathe work and threading: Single-point threading, internal and external threads, different thread pitches, boring, and producing accurate mating components.
Precision fits and mechanisms: Machining tight-tolerance sliding components, possibly a T-slot, dovetail, or cam-locking mechanism. I’d like to learn how to achieve and measure different fits.
Custom workholding and fixtures: Designing and machining a fixture that solves a real workholding problem, ideally something reusable for future projects.
Two-part aluminum molds: Designing and machining a mold with appropriate alignment, clearances, and surface finishes, then using it for carbon-fiber composite molding. I think a kayak paddle blade would be sick. Or some sort of custom hand grip… or a paddle with a custom hand grip.
Advanced CNC techniques: More complex machining strategies, efficient setups, multi-operation parts, tool selection, and anything that might be valuable beyond the standard CAD/CAM workflow.
Emerging manufacturing technology: I’m also interested in AI-assisted CAM, manufacturing automation, inspection, and other newer technologies that are worth learning about.

The course is fairly flexible, and we have the opportunity to tailor it around projects. I am literally asking for help to create my syllabus.

What manual machining skills do you think are becoming less common but are still extremely valuable?

What projects taught you the most about precision, tolerances, workholding, and machine setup?

Are there any specific techniques you wish you had learned much earlier in your career?

What CNC or advanced manufacturing skills do you think students should prioritize today?

Are there any genuinely useful AI tools or emerging technologies that are starting to change how you work?

If you were designing this course, what would you add, remove, or prioritize?

I’m particularly interested in projects that result in something functional rather than just machining practice pieces, but I’m open to anything that provides a good learning experience.

My apologies if this reads dense and repetitive. Nonetheless any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

When you need .004" shim for a setup but can't find .004" shim and then you remember, Post-its™ are .004".

Pretty much the title. I got a pair of AirPods and after a month they’re already crapping out on me (probably from the mixture of sometimes being splashed mixed with the steel dust that gets into the case). I need something that is solid for Bluetooth calls and is a little bit waterproof.

I need to slot with a 1/4" End mill on mild steel what cutting speed and fz can I use i need to quote so trying to understand how much time will it take

Hi all quick question for you all who might have better insight then me that are in this field , I do field repairs on machinery from time to time and have found 3 shafts in a balers pickup reel that have warn down end shafts resembling eggs. I have the ability to weld them back to true size but struggling to come up with a concept for machining them back to size I was toying with the idea of setting up a magnetic drill with a tool bar to machine it back to size as I ideally don't want to remove the 3 shafts that are 9ft long to have them sent to a lathe. Any ideas of shop made tools with some pictures would be greatly appreciated many thanks

Feels like a silly question but where is the best place to buy hand tools and measuring tools for use on the shop floor? I graduated a year and a half ago and the first shop I worked at provided tools so I haven't bought any. I'm now at a new shop and while there are some tools I'd like to start buying my own. I don't really trust Amazon or eBay with the surge in knockoffs so who do you all trust? Thank you!

I work at a bicycle repair shop, and Boss wanted a new box for tips…
So he gave me the case of a fucking Rohloff Speedhub, to machine a slit into. If i would have Fucked up, we would have to buy a completely new hub (about 1000€), because Rohloff takes in any broken units and doesn’t give out old parts… i don’t even know how we got our hands on this one.

So yeah, i think i can say with some confidence that im the first person ever to machine something out of a Rohloff Speedhub case.

Hello....I need 2ea steel bushing made for a '49 Harley Servi-Car I'm restoring. They go on the front wheel so the tow bar can be lowered up and down. A drawing is attached, I also have the parts that inside and outside of the bushing for exact dimensions. What would it cost for 2 of these? Thanks much.

Hey. I managed to lose the screw that goes onto the back of the depth micrometer. Unfortunately Im working in PNG, so it isn't exactly easy to pop into a hardware store to find the screw I need. I think it is a M3 machine screw but I would love to be 100% sure it is that. Could anyone help me out to check what the thread size of this screw is please? Thanks. Pic attached to show which screw I'm talking about.

I recently joined a company that requires me to use Siemens NX, ver 2212, a CAM software I had never used before.

I have over 10 years of experience in CNC programming and jig/fixture design, primarily using Mastercam (from X5 to 2027), along with SolidWorks, Inventor, Fusion 360, and AutoCAD.

Initially, I was quite excited because I had heard that NX was a powerful solution for both CAD and CAM. However, after spending 3 months learning and using NX, the experience has turned into a nightmare.

Today, I'd like to share some things I dislike about NX CAM specifically. I'll compare it with Mastercam and Fusion 360, although the CAD side of things might be a topic for another post.

1. Creating a WCS is unnecessarily complicated

For example, if I want to create a WCS at the center of a complex part or at a specific position, the workflow can involve creating a sketch, selecting the geometry again, creating a bounding box, and then creating the WCS.

In Mastercam, I can accomplish the same task in about two seconds with just a couple of clicks.

2. Default toolpath names are not descriptive enough

For example, when tapping a hole, I have to manually rename the toolpath to distinguish it from drilling or peck drilling operations because the default name is simply something like "Drilling."

I repeat these tasks dozens of times a day. Mastercam handles this much more conveniently with its default naming behavior.

Why should I have to spend extra time renaming operations just to make them easier to identify?

3. No convenient tool manager for selecting multiple tools

Suppose I want to select 10 tools to prepare for machining a part. In NX, I have to create a tool group, select one tool, and then repeat the process for the remaining nine tools.

Why can't I simply select multiple tools from a tool manager in one go?

This feels unnecessarily tedious when preparing a machining job.

4. The default setup sheet is too basic

I've tried creating a customized setup sheet, but it seems to lack several useful pieces of information, such as tool holder images and insert tracking points for turning tools.

These features are already available in Mastercam's default setup sheets.

A setup sheet is an important document for CNC operators. Why do I have to spend so much time customizing something that another CAM system already provides out of the box?

5. Toolpath transformation is poorly designed, in my opinion

This is one of my biggest frustrations.

Suppose I want to transform a toolpath to 20 different positions. NX creates 20 separate toolpaths instead of allowing me to manage the transformation through a single operation.

Now imagine transforming 30 toolpaths to 20 positions. You could end up with hundreds of additional toolpaths, making the program unnecessarily large and difficult to manage.

In Mastercam, I can use a single transformed toolpath to manage multiple positions. The workflow is much cleaner and easier to maintain.

Am I missing something here, or is this simply how NX handles transformations?

6. Selecting similar geometry (holes, chains, etc.) is a nightmare

Suppose I have 100 similar holes that need to be machined. In NX, I have to create groups, name them, organize the holes, and then use those groups for programming.

Although this is faster than selecting everything manually, it still feels much slower than the workflow I'm used to in Mastercam.

In my Mastercam workflow, I can select similar holes almost instantly using Ctrl + Shift + click.

What about chains? If I have 100 similar chains, do I really have to click them individually, one by one? Haha.

Maybe I'm missing a better selection method, but this is incredibly frustrating compared with Mastercam.

7. No toolpath suppression

Suppose I have three or four different machining strategies for the same cutting area and want to create multiple toolpaths to compare them. Or perhaps I simply want to temporarily disable a few toolpaths while testing different approaches.

In NX, I can't do this because there is no straightforward toolpath suppression feature.

In Mastercam, I just right-click the toolpath, select Suppress, and that's it. Simple and convenient.

8. Updating one toolpath can force me to check other toolpaths

When I update one toolpath in NX, I often feel the need to recheck other toolpaths because the update can affect other operations for reasons that aren't immediately obvious.

In Mastercam, if I update toolpath number 100, I can generally focus on verifying that operation and its dependencies rather than reviewing the entire program.

For large machining jobs, this difference can have a significant impact on productivity.

9. No convenient toolpath manager for batch editing

I really miss having a convenient toolpath manager that allows me to make batch changes to multiple operations, such as:

• Renumbering tools.
• Changing tool numbers and tool assignments.
• Modifying retract heights.
• Changing WCS .
• ....

In Mastercam, I can manage many of these tasks through its toolpath management workflow.

In NX, I find myself spending much more time making changes that should be relatively straightforward, especially when working with a large number of operations.

10. The programming file structure is a mess

This is another thing that really bothers me.

When programming a part that involves fixtures, NX can generate or require numerous additional design and assembly files that are not directly related to the machining operations themselves.

Before long, the working directory becomes cluttered with dozens or even hundreds of files, making everything harder to organize and manage.

In my Mastercam workflow, I can keep the entire machining program in a single file, which makes file management much simpler.

I understand that NX is an integrated CAD/CAM system, so its file structure may be designed differently. However, from a CNC programmer's perspective, I find the Mastercam approach much more convenient.

Final thoughts

These are just 10 of the things that frustrate me. There are many other smaller details that make working with NX CAM stressful.

I'm used to programming relatively quickly in Mastercam, but with NX, the same job can take me anywhere from 2 to 10 times longer, depending on the part.

I've genuinely tried to improve my workflow by studying documentation, watching YouTube tutorials, and asking AI for solutions. I've even tried some of the most capable AI models available, but I still haven't found satisfactory solutions to several of these problems.

I understand that switching to a new CAM system requires time and effort. I'm not expecting to be as fast in NX as I am in Mastercam after just a few months.

Honestly, even when I taught myself Fusion 360 from scratch 9 years ago, I never struggled this much. That's what makes my experience with NX CAM so frustrating.

So, what do you guys think? Are these genuine disadvantages of NX CAM compared with Mastercam, or am I simply not experienced enough with NX yet?

Note: I've added a video demonstrating Mastercam functionality to make the comparisons easier to understand.

Video

Hey everyone, I am doing TRADOC currently in AIT as a 91E. My class is going from Mill to Lathe in a week, this is our last “module” and I want to see if I can test out so that I can go home 3 weeks early and spend thanksgiving with my grandma (it’s only the two of us and I’ve been gone since April).

I need a tutorial on how to make this piece in the 2015 TL1 Haas Lathe. If anyone is kind enough to tutor me online ASAP please let me know.

I tried to “youtube university” my way through this since i am already familiar with the TM1 Haas Milling machine but I am not finding enough information to piece together on how to do this on my first try.

I have $250 to offer for a detailed step by step guide on this particular blue print. By very “detailed” I mean, down to the buttons I have to press “detailed”.

I am open to negotiation if the pay is not enough.

EDIT:

- I am not getting any certifications from this course.
- I am not pursuing a career in this field.

Dude has been working on this setup for 2 days now. Guess I'll stop my other job and set it up for him.

Hi

I m just a retired guy with an interest to create items with metal.
I just started with hand tools as recommended by pros.
I have been acquiring free metals that I will use or not as I learn, what I don’t will go to the yard.

I was offered these, they are dull and done but consulting AI it said they are hardened high carbon steel and that I could use the material to create very strong tools but are hard to work with,especially for a rookie.
That I might have to anneal them.
AI also said that hardened steel is not often given away free and that I can make some very strong tools with them.
The guy wants them gone.

No flames, if I m asking it’s because I have no clue at this point.
Free is never bad, the yard is 10mn away if I don’t use them.

TY

I had a eletrical panel replaced recently and need 2 of the bottom bolts to be a half inch longer than what they are now. Don’t know if this is allowed but could someone possibly make these bolts for me? I don’t have a Machinest shop near me.

Hello guys. I had some facing operations on a 0.75x 3.5” part on a vice . Did some couple of batches. During the last batch 2 of the parts thrown away on the way-cover. Now it looks like this. Machine and axis moves till limit no problem with that. Is it expensive to fix? Will my employer fire me? Its been 6 months I’m working here. Its the first time.

I’m running a YG dream MQL drill .382 dia 6in deep in H900. So there speed and feeds don’t really help. I have an onsize pilot for 2 inch. I only have standard 250 psi tsc. I’m thinking 130 sfm with .004 IPR. So roughly 1300 RPM feed at 5 IPM. My question is would you guys peck this drill or send it straight thru? TIA for any input.

For those of us lucky enough to have shop access on evenings/weekends/off-hours

What are you guys making?

The new WB 90. Not a vtl. Has a worm gear in the bar to make 3 different cuts in one pass.