Description
A major defense contracting machine shop in Detroit, Michigan, is looking for a highly skilled Manual Machinist to produce tight-tolerance components for aviation engines and UAV navigation systems. While we have CNCs, there are certain complex, low-volume, and prototype parts that require the intuition, feel, and craftsmanship of a master manual machinist. If you know how to listen to a cutting tool and feel the chatter through the handwheel, we want you on our floor.
# Operating manual engine lathes (e.g., South Bend, Monarch) and vertical/horizontal milling machines (Bridgeport) to produce intricate, one-off aerospace components.
# Machining high-strength alloys, titanium, and stainless steels, calculating exact feeds and speeds to prevent work hardening and tool breakage.
# Independently grinding your own HSS (High-Speed Steel) and carbide cutting tools on the bench grinder to achieve the exact geometry needed for specific internal profiles and threads.
# Holding extremely tight tolerances (down to 0.0002 inches) on critical fits, using dial indicators, micrometers, bore gauges, and thread plugs for in-process verification.
# Interpreting complex, multi-view engineering drawings with full GD&T callouts, planning the sequence of operations to maintain datum references throughout the part.
You must have at least 3 years of experience as a manual machinist in an aerospace, medical, or defense job-shop environment. A formal apprenticeship or trade school diploma is required. You must possess an intuitive understanding of metallurgy, tool geometry, and cutting dynamics.
We offer $62,000 USD per year, with excellent union benefits and overtime pay. This is a full-time, on-site position in our climate-controlled, well-lit machine shop in Detroit. We provide all hand tools, precision measuring instruments, and PPE.