This is 625 inconel. I need advice… they are asking for .005 parallel and flatness. The problem is some parts bend when finished, also the manager wants a faster cycle time. Right now it is 2hrs 38 minutes
Programmer said it’s at max, don't touch anything.
Top Comments Include:
“Tell the manager that he can do it himself”
“Inconel if you want straightnes it's gotta be roughed let sit over night to normalize and finish. Especially 625”
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Job Shop or Production Shop?
The question was posted in the MACHINIST group this week:
Would you rather work in a production shop or a job shop?
And judging by the replies, a whole lot of machinists would rather drag a dull end mill across titanium than spend their life running the same part over and over.
The crowd was heavily on the job shop side.
Why? Because job shops mean variety. New setups. New parts. New headaches. New chances to figure things out. A lot of machinists said that’s where you really learn the trade — not just how to run a machine, but how to think, adapt, problem-solve, and make parts when there’s no easy button.
Production shops definitely had a few defenders. Some pointed out the obvious: better money, better benefits, better job security in many cases. Others said high-volume production takes real skill too — especially when you’re refining processes, improving cycle times, and holding spec across thousands of parts.
So no, it wasn’t completely one-sided.
But the overall vibe was pretty clear:
production pays the bills, job shops feed the soul.
A lot of machinists said production can feel like surviving the same day over and over. Job shops, for better or worse, keep you on your toes. You might be making one-offs, repair parts, prototypes, oddball fixtures, or something that came in as a broken sample and a rough sketch on cardboard. That unpredictability is exactly why so many people love it.
The most balanced take might’ve been this:
Job shop when you’re young and hungry to learn. Production when you’re older and chasing money, benefits, and a little less chaos.
But if the comments are any indication, most machinists still want work that makes them think.
Because around here, “never a dull moment” sounds a whole lot better than “same thing tomorrow.”
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Machining Memes
