I work in metals. I machine metals into various parts for agricultural and industrial applications.
When I was done high school, I did diesel mechanics for awhile, with my father in a farm shop. I was interested in astronomy at the time and started building my own telescopes, including grinding my own mirrors by hand. Then, I kind of talked my Dad into buying a small lathe and a milling machine: so we could fix stuff in the shop (and make telescope parts in off hours). I became more interested in machining as time went by, and soon branched off into my own business. I had lots of interesting projects that I wanted to do that forced me to hit the books quite often to learn how to do things. I did not take any formal training.
After about 5 years of working alone, I decided I needed some help, but I couldn't get anyone on an apprenticeship program until I was a journeyman myself. So, I went and wrote for my ticket (and passed first time,too). Then I started apprenticing a few guys.
I incorporated my business in 1979 and about 1990, I got involved with my first piece of CNC (computer-numeric-controlled) machinery. Then, I started an interest in personal computers, out of neccessity, because that old CNC lathe had no permanent memory to save the programs in. I got ahold of a CAD program to simpify the task of making accurate drawings. That led to getting a CAD-CAM program to facilitate making CNC programs from those drawings.
Then, a friend gave me a copy of wolfenstein........