i've done fabrication for 4 years, from my freshman year in high school til my senior year. this is my story.

I started out my freshman year, learning machining from the seniors of my high school robotics team. They taught me how to run a vertical milling machine (a 1984 bridgeport) and a metal lathe. these tools shape metal by action of cutting, therefore making it a form of subtractive manufacturing. I learned to zero the machines tools and do basic procedures, such as squaring off parts, cutting to precise lengths, etc. I was reasonably confident in my machining ability, and the robot I helped build my freshman year was okay. I mainly did assembly and simple machining during this time I also developed an interest in welding, and as a result of my shop teacher not wanting to weld for our team, taught me how to weld. I started on steel, but moved onto aluminum as that was the primary focus of the shop jobs, aluminum welding and fabrication. My sophmore year, I met my first engineering challenge, that being a part that I had no idea how to machine. I thought I was a good machinist, and my attempt at the part utterly failed. having gone overtime, we went to another high school to continue work on the robot chassis. there, I met a tool and die maker, who taught me many things that my mentors failed to teach. I learned how to set up parts that wouldn't conventionally fit in a normal vise, and learned about feeds and speeds. I grew as a machinist, but also figured that there was a hard limit to how hard I could push myself, having overworked myself into a mental breakdown. I continued to slowly improve my welding skill, albeit with little progress. my welds were porous and brittle, they would not survive the rigors of competition. I did end up welding a few portions of the robot together, though they were never tested in full. unfortunately, my time as a machinist and welder would be inturrupted by a global pandemic. as i spent an entire year isolated from a machine shop, I binged machining and welding videos in hopes I could learn something new to apply. Come time for my senior year, my knowlege and skill culminated, with a series of intense projects proving my skill: a stepstool fabricated from scratch, a fidget spinner, several hammers, a custom tailpipe welding job, the beefiest FRC robot my team has made in a long time, my pride and joy (machinist's hammer with swappable end inserts) as well as custom tools. That's a brief summary.

I normally work with aluminum alloys, usually 6061-T6511 extrusions, though the occasional piece of 6061-T6 will sneak into my stock pile. i specialized in Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) as it was the only option our team had for a welder. we also had a GMAW machine for steel (Gas Metal Arc Welding). my machines of choice are the aformentioned bridgeport mill and grizzly gunsmithing lathe, though i'm no stranger to rougher work tools like angle grinders, cordless drills, ball-peen and machinists hammers, bench grinders, belt sanders, dremels and hand files. i principally do all machining work with tungsten carbide tools if possible, or use steel tools for the parts the carbide can't do. when it comes to welding, i'd say i'm a better welder than machinist, having more margin of error and experience in a more relevant field; due to my total lack of CNC experience, i'm not a particularly useful as a machinist. I do much enjoy custom fabrication jobs, rather than production jobs; the intricacies of custom work make for a fun experience in comparison to the tedium of needing to machine 16 4-hole aluminum angle brackets in an hour. I do ultimately specialize in precision work, and I pride my work of being within +/- 0.001" off the machine tools, and +/- 0.05" after welding. Welding and machining are not easy trades, and I still have much to learn in the art of fabrication, though that'll have to be put on hold since i'm pursuing a medical career. of my favorite projects i've done, it would have to be the custom made machinist's hammer, the meatball vise restoration, and the stepstool.

i do however, believe that all blue collar work, paid or unpaid, for fun or for pay, is worth doing. a good person should know what it's like to come home after a long day in the shop, or on the job. blue collar jobs built the nation, and i do fear our generation has a distinct lack of people who work with their hands, as well as their mind. just because one doesn't go to college doesn't mean a tradesman is worth less than an academic. these folks that i've learned from, professional trademen, are some of the best people I know. you know what it's like to build muscle from hard work (in my case, operating a milling machine and metal lathe, kept my arms in shape) or how bad a workplace injury hurts (i've come close to losing a hand, though most my injuries are cuts from sharp metal and burns from welding/hot machine chips). you begin to respect honest work, and you appreciate well crafted things, knowing someone out there put their heart and soul into making that thing you're holding. also, you really appreciate a set of good tools. having used enough chinesium in my four years as a fabricator, I very much appreciate a good set of AMERICAN MADE tools, be it a wrench set, or our old bridgeport. God Bless America, and don't forget to appreciate the little things.