Turning Machinist

At a glance

Company: West Engineering Co., Inc.

Location: Ashland, VA 23005

Pay: $32–$38/hr, DOE

Job Type: Full-time

Shift: Monday–Thursday, 6:00 AM–4:30 PM (10-hour days); night shift available

Experience: Independent setup and programming on large-part CNC turning

Machines: Flatbed and slant-bed CNC lathes

Controls: Fanuc

West Engineering needs an experienced large-part turning machinist right now — this is the shop's most immediate hiring priority, driven by a growing backlog that includes defense production work. You'll be running flatbed lathes on parts up to about 111 inches long, work that requires independent setup and programming rather than repetitive button-pushing. The shop is climate-controlled, and turnover here is genuinely low: many machinists have been on the floor for 20 to 50 years.

Health insurance premiums are fully covered by the company, and PTO is flexible. If you want steady, technically interesting large-part turning work in a shop that isn't scrambling for business, this is worth a look.

• Set up and operate flatbed and slant-bed CNC lathes for large, custom turned parts
• Independently program and run low-volume, one-off and short-run jobs rather than repetitive production
• Turn parts up to approximately 111 inches long and 10 inches in diameter, in aluminum and steel
• Use flatbed lathes for the longest parts and slant-bed lathes for component turning ahead of welding
• Read prints and hold tolerances on custom, close-tolerance work
• Coordinate with the shop's boring mill and milling teams on multi-operation parts
• Work overtime as needed, typically on Fridays, with weekend availability for trusted employees

This role runs on the shop's flatbed and slant-bed CNC lathes:

• Okuma flatbed lathes (Fanuc-based) for the longest, largest-diameter parts
• Slant-bed lathes for component turning ahead of welding
• Fanuc controls

• Proven experience running CNC lathes on large, custom-turned parts
• Ability to set up and program independently, without close supervision
• Comfortable machining aluminum and steel
• Ability to read prints and hold tolerances on one-off and short-run work

• Prior experience specifically on large-capacity flatbed lathes
• Lead-level large-part turning experience (pay discussed above the posted range)

• Pay: $32–$38/hour, based on experience; lead-level large-part turning candidates can discuss pay above this range
• Schedule:
  
  Primary shift Monday–Thursday, 6:00 AM–4:30 PM (10-hour days); a night shift (3:30 PM–2:00 AM) is also available
• Overtime typically available on Fridays; trusted employees may work weekends in pairs
• Health insurance: employee premium 100% covered by the company, three plan options
• PTO: flexible, starting around 1–2 weeks for new hires and increasing with tenure (up to 4 weeks for experienced hires)
• 401(k): company match of 50% up to 5% of employee contribution
• Dental and vision coverage, plus company-paid life insurance

West Engineering is a custom job shop in Ashland, Virginia, just outside Richmond, founded in 1919. The company builds precision equipment for customers including DuPont, where its equipment supports Kevlar production, and multiple defense contractors, machining missile tooling and solid-propellant handling equipment. Revenue has grown from roughly $4 million to about $10 million a year, driven by a strong backlog. The shop is climate-controlled and intentionally small and tight-knit, with many machinists on staff for 20 to 50 years.

If this large-part turning role sounds like a fit.