A few months ago, we brokered a Tornos MultiSwiss 8/26 from Germany to a shop in Massachusetts. To make sure the machine was in top shape, we brought in two Tornos experts—my friend Dulio and his longtime mentor, Donato Notaro–today’s podcast guest.

Donato had just officially retired after nearly 50 years in the machining world, much of it spent at Tornos in Switzerland. He still works freelance. Born in Italy, raised in Switzerland, Donato has done service work on at least four continents. He’s the kind of guy who checks backlash like a surgeon testing vitals. We talked about Swiss apprenticeships, traveling the world to service machines, and what makes multi-spindles so damn complicated.

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Interview Highlights

How His Machining Journey Started

Donato didn’t grow up dreaming of fixing CNCs across the globe. As a kid, he actually thought he’d become a photographer—or maybe a pilot. But when it came time to choose a profession, he entered the Swiss apprenticeship system and trained to become a machinist. It turned out to be the path of a lifetime.
As a young journeyman, he had the chance to travel to Australia—an opportunity that thrilled him. At the time, the country was actively recruiting skilled tradespeople, and being a machinist from Switzerland was like being a Brazilian soccer player: the pedigree meant something. You showed up, and people assumed you knew what you were doing.

Donato Notaro checking MultiSwiss 8/26 in Germany

That trip launched Donato’s global career. Over the decades, he’s worked in Korea, Russia, Iran, the U.S., and countless other places. He told me about a time in Tehran when he managed to talk his local contact into arranging a visit to see the Ayatollah—just because he was curious. That’s Donato. A technician with wanderlust and a deep love of people and culture.

The Fading Glory of the Trades in Switzerland

While Donato’s career started in a strong trade culture, he’s seen big changes back home. Switzerland still has the strong apprenticeship infrastructure, but fewer young people are choosing that path.
In his apprenticeship class at Tornos, there were over 20 students. Today, it might be 3 or 4. Just like in the U.S., Swiss young people are more drawn to university degrees and white-collar jobs, even though trades like machining still offer strong careers.

Donato just retired from Tornos at 65—not entirely by choice. In Switzerland, it’s standard to push people out around that age, even if they’re still sharp and capable. For a guy who lived and breathed machines, that can’t be easy.

Why Multi-Spindles Fascinate Him

Donato has worked on every kind of CNC machine you can think of, but multi-spindles are still his favorite. Why? The complexity.

He explained how multi-spindles require a different kind of brain—one that sees the whole system, not just one operation. When something’s off, it’s not always obvious where the problem is coming from. You’ve got to track the issue through a maze of moving parts and overlapping processes.

It’s exactly that complexity that keeps him interested. Other machines might be easier, more predictable. But multi-spindles? They demand your full attention—and they reward it, too.

Question: What’s the most interesting country you’ve worked in—and what made it stand out?

(To contact Donato for his services, find him on LinkedIn)

James Moore — Evolution and Wonder: Understanding Charles Darwin