I do mechanical design work day to day. CAD and modeling are comfortable for me, but I know my weak spots: material selection, how parts actually get made, and tolerances that make sense on a shop floor instead of on a drawing.
I have set aside roughly six months to fix that, and the option I keep circling back to is learning CNC programming. The idea is that if you have to tell a machine exactly how to cut a part, you end up understanding machining, fixturing, and what features cost money.
Before I sink the time in, I want a reality check from people on the shop side:
- Does programming actually teach you the manufacturing judgment I am missing, or does it just teach you the software while the judgment comes from somewhere else?
- Would that time be better spent on something else first — machining fundamentals, a class at a local makerspace, reading up on DFM?
I would rather learn hands-on than sit through theory, so if there is a practical path that gets me there faster, point me at it. What would you do with six months?