Mike Rowe Skilled Futures-Tool & Die

This is a short video showing the process of Tool & Die making featuring me and hosted by Mike Rowe.

[@DavidHerscher]

I'm 40 years old. I've spent the last 20 years jocking a keyboard, working IT. I discovered machining and invested all of my savings building a little machine shop in my back yard and now spend every free moment out there. I would give up everything, i'd walk away from my IT job in heartbeat for an opportunity to apprentice with a tool and die maker. I wish i'd found my passion 20 years ago.

[@scottrackley4457]

all you have to do is ask David, there are old Toolmakers who can teach/walk you through most things

[@tommyg655]

tool maker here

[@bradenmiller4356]

Was a computer science major, worked at a construction company during the summers, boss bought a CNC mill and figured since I could “program” that I could also program the mill. (Was not that simple sadly) The next semester I switched majors to mechanical engineering. Absolutely love machining and everything to do with it. Sucks to hear you figured it out late, but it kind of reassures me, and makes me happy that I was lucky enough to figure it out early.

[@joelima3967]

Machinists, tool & die makers, cnc programmers, engineers, are all unsung heroes

[@robpeters5204]

Back in the mid 80’s, I could read and design blueprints and technical drawings as well as operate all the machines in the machine shop competently. All learnt from high school.

[@timcunningham469]

People need to get back to respecting skilled workers as professionals.

[@scottrackley4457]

I certainly respect my HVAC guy

[@ryanbeard1119]

Yea not just doctors who will poison you, and lawers that will robb you...

[@timnelson-ku5zc]

I loved the job! I did everything I could (or know how to) but at the end, skill and ability did'nt matter, seniourity did.

[@davidabilash2962]

China is developing so fast because of tool manufacturing. Great video also . Last no pain no gain

[@scottrackley4457]

Chinese tools are absolute crap, haven't seen one that I haven't had to alter.

[@davidabilash2962]

@@scottrackley4457 indian are doing good in tool makeing

[@scottrackley4457]

@@davidabilash2962 I don't argue that India is getting into the business, I argue that they need a few more years and masters.

[@scottrackley4457]

I would love to come over and teach, but I don't speak venda, or gujarati. Indians are smart, creative people, but training them in their language for me is impossible.

[@kkknotcool]

@@scottrackley4457 China does great work if you pay them near to what the USA pays. The problem is people get cheap with them and getting the price down from $12k to $11k is good for you but their already so low on labor that the 1 grand cheaper is 25% of their labor budget. Chinese skilled labor is cheaper but it's not anywhere near free, and you need to put enough money into the labor part of a job to attract the talent in China.

[@davidmuzia814]

Absolutely correct - there are a lot of people who can’t hack a 4 year degree and what to do with it after.

[@commandercody38]

For anyone in Missouri, State Technical College is top in the nation. They accept in state applications first but they will accept out of state if they're able to.

[@ataullahpersonalvideos6939]

Very knowledgeable video

[@daniellebaird4025]

FYI...I need a Tool and Die maker for our company in Georgia! Must know plastic injection molding tho.

[@squatch570]

Then you need a moldmaker, not a tool & die maker, moron!

[@e2sguy]

After two decades as a toolmaker I can assure that it isn’t that great of a career . Sorry but the truth is You’ll be working harder and for less pay and benefits than twenty years ago . The stress is high the benefits low and layoffs frequent each time there’s a recession in our country . Be an engineer instead . I did ok but if I was to donut again I’d pick something else no doubt . Shop owners today are snakes

[@squatch570]

I was a toolmaker for over 20 years as well, in close tolerance electronics and medical stamping. I switched to toolmaking after the first few years of my working career as an architectural draftsman and modelmaker. CAD killed that career path and toolmaking was exactly what you said it was over my entire career. I wish I had stayed in architecture in some capacity even though I did pretty good in toolmaking overall. One of the worst aspects of it was trying to explain to laymen family, friends and other people what I actually did for work. Their eyes would glaze over and they'd be totally confused! I once brought a small die, the parts it made and some of my tools (caliper, micrometer, indicator) to family Thanksgiving and they still barely understood it... and my family were no dummies!! Plus all the other aspects of the trade you mentioned above made it a lousy living looking back.

[@TheTruthSeeker756]

@@squatch570 Thanks for making stuff in the USA!

[@squatch570]

@@TheTruthSeeker756 I do appreciate that! And that thanks coming from you as a total stranger but expressing your appreciation means a lot to me compared to the ungrateful companies, owners and supervisors I've worked for all those years in the Tool & Die trade! 👍🏼👊🏼

[@TheTruthSeeker756]

@@squatch570 God bless man. YOU know you did a good job, and that's all that counts!

[@squatch570]

@@TheTruthSeeker756 Great point... thank you! I definitely did and can look back proudly and all the work I did, regardless of the companies I did it for.

[@peng1965a]

Yeah....but there aren't really any tool and die schools. Like plumbing, you've got to find somewhere that will train - apprentice you. And in most cases....that's almost impossible. Everybody wants someone with experience. That's where many of Mike Rowe's suggestions take on his true ignorance of the situation. Companies want and need these skilled technicians...but don't want the expense of training them.

[@AJ0223]

Not true at all dude. Don't know what state you're in... but where i am, there are dozens of state apprenticeship programs where the department of labor works with these different companies across all the trades to make apprentices into journeymen. I'm currently in one of these state apprenticeships. I am extremely grateful and recognize that it is a blessing and a special opportunity, and that it is now incumbent on me to be successful... however... They're not that uncommon. What you just said sounds like weakness and a defeatist attitude of excuses and sloth. Get out and around ya know... and I'm in a blue state btw

[@peng1965a]

@@AJ0223 they don't have much of that here. There's a Lineman school... very limited numbers of people at a time. Here you have to join a union for the journeyman stuff for what I've seen.

[@AJ0223]

@@peng1965a I'm sorry to hear that man. But if you really want to do it, there's always a way. Might just be harder to find from time to time

[@scottrackley4457]

In SE TN we have several stamping operations, both proprietary in house and stamping houses. We do not have enough toolmakers. Every shop I know is short, because all the good ones retired. They will apprentice you.

[@ryanbeard1119]

Sounds like a thermo dynamic situation!!!

[@jordandrumb]

And sacrifice your body....=

[@davidmuzia814]

You can’t understate how hard this stuff is on the body. I work with a lot of trades- number of bad backs/shoulders/hips is huge. And the range is not insignificant. There’s a reason the baby boomers were driven out of the trades - the parent knew how bad to was on them and wanted to see them behind a desk being paid more.