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Newly minted Lab machinists ready to support research

After four years of training as machinist apprentices at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Christian Oda and Will Morton are ready to apply their trade. The two graduated Sept. 18 from the Engineering Directorate's Machinist Apprentice Program.

They will use their technical knowledge and skills to craft innovative research tools to help engineers and scientists conduct highly specialized research.

"I will be doing precision manufacturing of engineered parts made from various materials in support of the production of targets for laser-based research," Morton said.

The Machinist Apprentice Program is a four-year-program that teaches entry-level machinists the technical skills and safety training they need to be certified machinists at LLNL and in the state of California. The ultra-selective program (most applicants are turned away) provides education and training in the machine tool trade, specific to the work done by LLNL researchers. That means Lab machinists are manufacturing products not built anywhere else in the world. 

Mike Prokosch, director of the Machinist Apprentice Program, said he was extremely proud of his young proteges who have now become journeyman machinists.

"It is a big accomplishment for Christian and Will, as well as the many that have supported them along the way," said Prokosch, who began his LLNL career as an apprentice in the same program. "Giving guidance and instruction to the next generation is a strong tradition in the machinist trade, which is now an expectation for Christian and Will."

The program has a long and storied history dating back to the late 1950s. Since then, it has produced both conventionally manufactured research products and additive manufactured products. Its in-house training provides apprentices with knowledge and skills passed down by veteran machinists and from LLNL machine shop techniques refined from five decades of practice.

"I'm honored to have had the opportunity to learn my trade from my highly skilled coworkers," Morton said.

Oda said: "I feel very proud and humble to join the ranks of this elite and talented group."

During their first year, Oda and Morton spent time in different sections of the machine shops to learn a variety of machines and tools used by various programs throughout the Lab. They learned shop practices to build a strong manual machining foundation in preparation for journeyman-level work. 

Their second year was spent mostly at a facility that's referred to as "The Main Bay" of the machine shop. They were given the opportunity to operate larger manual lathes, mills, specialized machines for various grinding operations, horizontal boring and milling machines, as well as conversational computer numerically controlled (CNC) mills. 

They then moved next door to another machine shop complex, which houses both the Precision Shop and Special Materials and Machining Facility (SMMF), also known as the Numerically Controlled (NC) shop. They spent the remaining two years of their apprenticeship in each of these shops to further hone the skills learned over the previous two years, while being exposed to increasingly complex job orders. 

As recent graduates, Oda will spend some of his time working with the Dimensional Inspectional Technology group, while Morton will focus on building tools for the High Energy Density Target Fabrication Group.

"I hope to continue to grow and learn new ways to develop my skills," Morton said.

Oda said: "I would like to continue my growth in my new field of mechanical inspection using all I have learned in the apprenticeship."