I’m in school to be a machinist and I know that Miller and Doc Nickel both work in machine shops, so I’m wondering how many other metal working dopers we’ve got out there. Any welders, machinests, etc. out there who wanna make themselves known?
I’m a CAD drafter, and part of my job is to design equipment support platforms and hangers. I don’t usually do the physical work, but I have, on occasion, helped out in the shop cutting and punching pieces of angle iron for pipe supports and such.
Can I be in the club?
I’m a member of the Machinist’s Union, Local 751. I also have a small metal lathe in my garage. I have made cribbage pegs out of 22 different metals.
Hey, what CAD programs do you use? I’m gonna have to be learning them here shortly and I want to get an idea as to which ones are common. (Besides AutoCAD, I mean.) And sure, you’re welcome to the club, one of the guys in my class is a top-notch machinist, but he spends most of his time doing engineering type work.
I’m retired now. Worked in a power plant. Did it all. Certified welder. also did some machining.
I worked in a sheet metal shop once. I made hog feeders.Shear and CNC brake press.
I also worked in a machine shop. LP gas carburetors.Mostly drill presses but also lathes and punch presses.
I can’t help much with advice because I found it really boreing. Kind of an inside joke there but it really was.
Like justwannano, I too have had a couple boring snicker machine shop jobs. Over the years I’ve cut, ground, drilled, lathed, sawed, melted, molded, and otherwise formed/deformed any number of different metals (and plastics and wood). Currently I’m back in school, studying for a totally different type of work (my fourth or fifth radical career change so far).
Anyway, good luck with your studies. Take what the three-fingered guy says with a grain of salt. 
I work in AutoCAD exclusively, I’m afraid. I’ve used version 10, 12, 14, and currently work in 2002. I preferred version 14. Some of the “upgrades” in ver. 2000 & 2002 are kind of annoying, IMO.
I’ve done my share of welding and forming metals. I’ve got a little wire feed welder for stuff around the house.
Tuckerfan - Is this going to be for work or home. I used to do a lot of AutoCad stuff (now I’m GIS). I bought QuickCad for home. It’s an AutoDesk product (they bought them out I think). Anyway, for $70 or so I find it does every thing I need it to do. Probably a good learning platform too.
i bought a little wire-feed welder figuring if i could solder, i could weld.
haven’t burnt anything down yet, but i sure as hell burn shit up! 
(anybody out there give lessons to hard-headed wanna-be welders?)