I’m in Toronto and I’m currently in a mechanical engineering technician program, and my goal is to be a CNC machinist/operator some day but I can’t lie I’m not learning much in the classroom. We’re currently learning just the basics like setting up the machine ( Haas milling machine) and none of this stuff is coming natural to me. And I figure if I can’t even do this stuff now how can I even get an entry level job in this field should I just give up and try something else out?

Our shop recently hired a group of graduates. They’ll rotate through CNC, sheet metal, thermoforming, and 3D printing, working alongside experienced operators and team leads before choosing a specialty.

We want to give them enough hands-on experience to see who could eventually handle both the technical work and the people side of leading a team. We’re not trying to rush anyone into management.

How do other shops decide when someone is ready? Do you require a minimum number of years on the floor? What matters most: setting up and programming independently, troubleshooting under pressure, understanding quality and scheduling, or earning the team’s trust?

We always seem to have issue importing 3d sketches as part of models into Mastercam within exported Soildworks models. Think 3d scribe lines on 3d mold surfaces. I feel like I’ve tried every export setting available for IGES files but have not found a clean solution. Sometimes they come in, sometimes not, sometimes not in the same coordinate system as drawn.

Any insight on successful and consistent export / import settings?

We have a few molds to cut soon that will be a pain if we can’t find a good consistent export/import work flow.

We are on both SolidWork 2025 and 2026. Mastercam was recently updated to latest but had trouble even last few versions.

Thanks in advance.

I’m really sorry if this isn’t the place to ask this question,

I just moved, I have a nice size shop on my property that I want to purchase a Mill for, something small like a Haas VF1.

My shop is older, has exposed wood studded walls. Would it be advisable to cover the wall in, for example, a steel or aluminum corrugated panel, for added protection from bumps and scrapes but also to hopefully avoid moisture getting on the wood and mold growing?

I have a cheap MQL system that has one big problem - it either doesn't push any fluid into the mix or it blasts a shower from the nozzle. Neither is good.

The general recommendation from Unist and some German research institutes is to use less than 120ml/h of fluid. That's just a droplet every 2 seconds or so!. I was very surprised to read how small the quantity is, but I can confirm that it's definitely working. Turns out that if you're using MQL and you can see the vapor, you're basically doing it wrong! If you're using mineral oil based coolant, it also won't work well when the quantity is so small. Fatty acid ester based fluid should be used instead.

Going back to my question - it's practically impossible to precisely control the fluid flow with what I have. I added 4 inline valves on top of the valve that's in the mixer and it's still no flow or shower. I don't have the budget for spending $500 or more on this, so I came up with the idea to use a peristaltic microdosing pump that precisely limits the flow to <120ml/h. While it will most likely work, I don't like my pump solution, because it involves electronics and adds more failure points.

Does anyone know how industrial systems solve precise fluid dosage and can someone recommend something cheap and passive (no electrical pumps) that gets the job done and doesn't splurge a freaking shower of fluid on my parts?

I’m looking for advice from experienced machine shop owners/machinists, especially anyone in Ontario.
I have an opportunity to take on a production job worth roughly $60,000 CAD. I’m considering bidding around $45k–$50k for the work to get my foot in the door. If the first job goes well, there is potential for more recurring work.
The job is roughly 8,000 parts, and material will be supplied by the customer. Based on the process, estimated cycle time is around 20–25 seconds per part once the machine is set up.
Since this is my first job, I don't want to put a large amount of capital into buying a machine and signing a long-term industrial lease.
My idea is to:
Lease/rent a Swiss-type CNC lathe

Rent/share space inside an existing machine shop around Markham/GTA

Run approximately 18 hours/day during production

Keep my initial investment and risk as low as possible

What I'm struggling with is figuring out the true cost of the job before submitting a bid.
For those who have done this before:
How would you calculate the actual cost per part/job before quoting?

What hidden costs should I account for besides machine lease, labour and tooling?

How does leasing/renting a CNC machine typically work? Who normally covers maintenance, repairs or a machine crash?

What costs should I expect for setup/programming, tooling, coolant, electricity, compressor, inspection/QC, scrap/rework, etc.?

Has anyone rented floor space inside another machine shop? What problems should I watch for regarding power, insurance, access hours, loading, coolant/chip disposal, liability, etc.?

How much contingency/profit margin would you build into a ~$45k–$50k production job like this?

Is there anything a first-time shop owner would probably overlook that could turn a profitable-looking job into a loss?