Boy is running production harder than it may sound to a mold maker. I tried my hand in a production shop once, didn't work out to well for me.
I don't remember saying I ran production, I didn't go into any detail about what I do at all. Job shop, prototypical gear work..lots of ones and twos...CNC and manuals..I gave up production machining many years ago and won't go back.
It is good to here that your shop is training apprentices. My shop does not have the patience for it. To get on, one best already know G code well, have the ability to read blueprints, and own your own tools. That is not uncommon these days. (I guess you could say, we all paid our dues up front, in the form of a big check to a certain college.)
It has been my experience at other places of employment that not having the patience for apprentices translates to not trusting your work force to train them properly. Not saying that is the case in your instance. And non-union shops very seldom have apprenticeship programs since they are primarily union related.
Speaking of owning your own tools, I have had a hell of a bad luck streak with my interapid indicators dieing, do you have an alternate preference?
Never had a problem with Interapid indicators, and have been using them for years. I have not noticed a drop off in the quality. They are delicate instruments and I have learned the hard way to use a last word unless I have to get it gnats ass.
My "overpaid" statement was in response to the brain trust here that assume to know what others should or should not get paid.
The great thing about working in a "job" shop, is you get to see, and fix, some the "quality" parts coming from China and India and others. I wouldn't get too concerned about them taking all of our machinists jobs for awhile. I know they have made strides in the mold making industry, I guess thats why there aren't that many jobs left in the field. I was present when the company I used to work for sold technology, machinery etc. to the Chinese 25 years ago.
What type of prototypical mold work do you do if I may ask? I never had a hand in injection molding, my experience was with molds for glass products and pattern-making.