Why Listen to Me The first time I ever walked into a machine shop was during my interview for a “preset operator” job. I had no idea what that even meant—or what a CNC machine was. My father-in-law, who worked there doing planning and quoting, told me to just talk to the floor manager and see what happened. My first step into this world was pure luck. I didn’t know if it would be a good fit until years later. During the interview, the floor manager, Tom, asked, “Do you know what we do here?” When I said no, he asked, “Do you ever see something made of metal and wonder where it came from?” I told him, “They don’t just grow on trees?”He laughed—and that’s probably what got me the job. I started nearly two decades ago at $10 an hour presetting tools. (Well… that was the title. In reality, I spent the first three months sweeping floors and shoveling chips.) No degree. No plan. Fast-forward to today: I’ve consistently cleared six figures for the past five years, and the last two have been multiple six figures. All from working smart and hard, stacking skills that complement one another—and most importantly, solving problems. The Mindset Shift Entry-level is a starting point, not a destination. I once worked with someone who told me, “I’ve been doing this for 15 years; I know how this is done.”I had to tell him the truth: “No, you have one year of experience—fifteen times.” That attitude—the “you can’t tell me anything” mindset—is poison. Avoid those people. They’ll never grow, and eventually, they’ll get replaced. The more skills you own, the more valuable you are. Knowledge is the one thing no company can take from you. What “Valuable” Really Looks Like If you want to build a truly valuable career in manufacturing, think of your skillset as a stack—not a ladder. You don’t climb it one step at a time; you build it outward, adding layers of understanding and capability that reinforce each other. It all begins with an open mind. That’s the real foundation. The most successful machinists I’ve met never stop learning. They approach every new challenge—new materials, new machines, new software—with curiosity instead of fear. Once you learn how to learn, you’ll never get left behind.

This thread is your go-to library for free resources, templates, and tools designed to help you move from machinist to programmer — faster, smarter, and with real-world results. Each download here has one purpose: Save you time, improve your toolpaths, and help you earn more. 📦 Current Free Downloads 🧩 Mastercam 3-Axis Starter Template My baseline setup for Haas/Fanuc — stock, planes, and levels ⚙️Mastercam 2-Operation Levels for Import An easy drag and drop file to automatically organize your levels, consistency in these files is key 🆕 Coming Soon - CNC job quote calculator - “Raise Tracker” spreadsheet to log skills and pay progress - 📐 Feeds & Speeds Calculator (Excel) - 🧰 Setup Sheet Template (PDF) - ⚙️ Tool Library — Standard_for_Aluminum.tooldb 💡 How to Use This Thread 1. Download what you need. 2. Drop a 👍 if it helped. 3. Comment with ideas for the next resource you’d like me to make. I’ll update this post regularly as new tools are released — so bookmark it and check back often. Every file here brings you one step closer to becoming the programmer your shop can’t afford to lose.

Drop a quick intro in the comments: - What machine(s) are you running? - What material do you cut most often? - Biggest challenge you’re facing right now? - Bonus: Share a photo of your setup or favorite toolpath! I’ll start 👇 I'm Trevor, A little bit about me, I am an autodidact. Meaning everything I have learned in this industry is self taught, over many years, in various machine shops, adapting and growing as a programmer as the need has arisen and technologies have changed. A lot of what I have learned along the way has been entirely due to good people willing to share information and not gate keep and experiencing my own mistakes when I have been too stubborn to learn from the trials of others. I say all of this as a preface, what I say in this class will not work in all situations, but it will give you a launch point to get to the next level more quickly than I did when I started my programming career. I got started in machining through the help of my father in law, who without him helping me get my foot in the door, and the support of my family I would have never had the passion for this field spark. I've worked in numerous shops doing everything from presetting tools, tool grinding, quoting, operating machines, hand programming, management, and CAD/CAM. I'm currently working in a large aerospace corporation doing programming for large multiaxis Mazaks with the dreams of starting my own shop accompanied by passing on what I know and not gate keeping for the next generation of manufacturers. I can't post any of the parts that I make on a daily basis because of ITAR compliance but here is one I made previously.

I started this group to help machinists and programmers take their craft — and income — to the next level. Whether you’re running a Haas, Mazak, or Fanuc, this is the place to: - Share toolpaths, setups, and automation wins - Learn advanced Mastercam techniques - Discuss pricing, clients, and shop efficiency - 👇 Start here: 1️⃣ Introduce yourself — what machine(s) do you run? 2️⃣ Post a photo of your setup or a recent part you’re proud of. 3️⃣ Comment on someone else’s post. Together we’ll build a library of proven CNC strategies that actually make money. — Trevor (Founder, NextLevelCNC)