[JagWire]

Hey! It's my kind of thread! As a junior mechanical engineering major, I can attest to the immense help that knowing how to use machines and tools to make things has been. It's not just about knowing EXACTLY how to use this tool, or that one, it's also about having enough practical experience and knowledge that you can make things up on the fly, and figure out a way to use the limited number of tools you're given to make a finished product.

I've found that my background in machining, manual mill and Cadillac lathe, and Haas CNC VF2 mill and SL-20 lathe ( with live tooling!! ), have even improved my skills at everyday engineering problems. From the sense of touch, to just being able to understand how pieces of metal are coming together, I wind up often leading my peers in all sorts of tasks. The phrase my dad taught me is that "you just have to know how to use the proper application of force" to make things work. The more time I've spent building things, the more I realize what he was talking about. Tight tolerances aren't always about beating the sprockets on to the shaft with a hammer... but removing the small bur on the keyway so it slides on perfectly by hand. Rock on!