What do you give your machinists?

[Matt Reiland]

As an engineer and a machinist I can tell you one of the best things students can give: a thank you every now and then. Seriously when we are in the lab working really late to make sure parts are done for the next day, a student saying thanks goes a long way. Some people seem to thing a magic machinist cranks out parts in some other time zone but it takes alot of work.


Now what not to get a machinist: Are you done yet, (10 mins later)are you done yet, (5 mins later)are you done yet (That is a no-no), Whats taking so long its only a piece of metal we want held to tight tolerances? And also this weighs too much, you're going to have to make it lighter without taking any strength out of it. (Just kidding although I do hear that quite a bit)

Just thank the people who are doing the work be it students, engineers, or machinists, it goes a long way.