Chess pieces

I guess this goes here.

Luke is wanting to be a machinist in the future. At the high school he is going to they still have a machine shop program. The call it advanced manufacturing I think He told me the other day they have a small CNC lathe and he was thinking about making some chess pieces with it and wanted to know if he did would I help him make a chess board after he made the pieces and of course I said sure. Well he brought the king and queen home today to show me. These are aluminum and the other set will be brass he said. He really likes the class. He has also been doing a lot of welding too.

I wish my high school had such a program. I wonder though, if the machinist of the future will be more computer programmer than anything else?

Neat pieces. Ted you may be right about the future using computers to do all the guidance of tools. Not much different than the CNC machines.
It still is nice to things with your hands. Even using power tools. We all will advance. And yes eventually I'll get a CNC just to have fun doing stuff I can't do now.
David

Building the game board sounds like a great dad, son project

Good on his school for keeping this program! Man that will be a chess set to pass down to generations. Even though things might be very computer oriented, I still maintain the outstanding machinists, weldors, mechanics, hands on trades will still need the foundation learning of the equipment and how it works to make it work for them. Thus my welding classes still start with stick welding. Like learning to ride a bicycle before going to a mini bike to a motorcycle.

Today's machinists had BETTER know CNC, otherwise they don't have a job - Period.

There is still some manual machining going on but not in the mainstream manufacturing and not a future to go after.

I would not even consider hiring a non-CNC machinist.

Small job shops will be more on the manual, but they are increasingly fading away.

We DO have manual turning, milling and grinding, but only in the specials, and modifications.
Jigs and fixtures may be made on manual, but may be on CNC.

We currently have a high percentage of grinding done on manual but in the last 8 years I have been buying CNC grinders and converting the shop to CNC.
CNC just offers soooo much more in quality, flexibility and thru put. The precision with glass scales is just superior. The old hand dials are going away.

It is getting difficult to even purchase a manual machine.

The "perceived" machinist of the future - is today's machinist. YES YES YES - they are computer savy - CAD, CAM, CNC machinists.

The "acutal" machinist of the future, will NOT be making chips.
They will be using additive manufacturing - (3D printing).
We are looking at that currently, but it is a million dollar project.

Today's and near future manufacturing processes are to say the least - FASCINATING.
To some degree, I wish I could stay in and not retire in 4 years.
Additive manufacturing
Coatings
Grinding and finishing technologies

There is some AMAZING stuff going on today in manufacturing.

HECK - for that matter - even woodworking shops are going CNC.

Sorry - but this stuff gets my juices flowing.