Post by MSC Industrial Supply Co.

50 years in metalworking will teach you a few things. For MSC Metalworking Specialist Steve Turner, one of the most important is this: The knowledge sitting inside experienced machinists is one of the greatest assets in the industry—and all it takes to access it is a willingness to ask questions. “The dumbest question is the one you don’t ask.” Turner still walks into shops and runs lunch-and-learns, watching light bulbs come on over conversations about depth of cut and running speed. That energy is exactly why he keeps doing it. Technology has brought incredible things to the trade: double spindles, robotics, lights-out manufacturing. The efficiency gains are real, and they’re only growing. But the shops getting the most out of that technology are the ones pairing it with skilled machinists who can hear the cut, feel the spindle, and know what’s happening inside the machine. According to Turner, a parts loader and a true machinist are as different as a balloon and a brick; training is what makes the difference. He goes on to say that true machinists are a dying breed, and the new generation would be well served to absorb all of that knowledge. The know-how is still there. The opportunity to learn from it is too. What’s one thing an experienced machinist taught you that changed how you work? #MSC #Leadership