John Grimsmo of Grimsmo Knives and John Saunders of NYC CNC discuss their success, struggles, goals and more as machinists, business owners and entrepreneurs.
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Manufacturing is challenging, but if you are connected to a community of leaders, you can elevate your skills, solve your problems and grow your business! MakingChips was launched in 2014 to equip and inspire the metalworking nation. Hundreds of episodes and a million downloads later, it’s an industry-leading source of information, inspiration, and entertainment for manufacturing leaders of all types. It’s hosted by Jason Zenger and Nick Goellner, two multi-generational manufacturing leaders ...
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At the Boring Bar Part I, 1 (Jason Zenger, Nick Goellner, Mike Payne, Paul Van Metre, Peter Eelman, Nicole Wolter, Chris Luecke, and Manny Pasillas)
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Some of the greatest ideas in manufacturing don’t happen in boardrooms but over a drink with peers. In At the Boring Bar, Jason aims to cut deeper into the conversations that matter most to manufacturing leaders. So pull up a chair, grab a drink, and join Jason as he uncovers the insights that drive the manufacturing industry forward. In this inaug…
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#381 Being in the right mindset to make good decisions
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52:29
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TOPICS: Grimsmo's family vacation Alarms on Machines American Precision Museum in Vermont Kern toolsetter issues Okuma break detect issues Electropolishing metalsBy johngrimsmo
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The Past, Present, and Future of IMTS with the "Show Boss" Peter Eelman, 422
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52:52
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“Inspiring the extraordinary” is the theme for this year’s IMTS and that’s exactly what they’re doing. The Emerging Technology Center will showcase extraordinary advances in technology (including an exhibit by BlueForge Alliance and Apptronik's AI-Powered General Purpose Humanoid Robot). They’re offering specific ELEVATE programs for job shops, wom…
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TOPICS: Accounts receivable issues Okamoto surface grinder Rask blade issues New Willemin at SMWBy johngrimsmo
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If You Don't Plan Machine Tool Maintenance, Your Machines Will Do it for You, 421
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Maintenance is something that’s essential to protect the longevity of your machines but rarely something regularly implemented in shops. It’s often a huge and costly mistake. Don’t know where to start? In this episode, Manny Pasillas—a machine tool maintenance expert and the Founder and VP of Business Development for Tech CNCs—shares a simple yet e…
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TOPICS: Time off with family Inbox zero Getting everything DONE What systems do you use? Smart AI stuff? Machines and processesBy johngrimsmo
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Lights Out: Are You Even Prepared to Run a Lights Out Shop? 420
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41:53
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What do you need to know before you launch automation in your shop? What would be signs that you’re not ready to automate? If you’re launching the process, how can you use your ERP/MRP to the fullest? Even the smallest mistakes—like not having a process in place to deal with the chips your machines are creating while running lights out—can be costl…
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Lights out: Connecting Advanced Machining Strategies to Business Results Part 2, 419
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26:10
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Here’s our controversial take: We believe that “automated” is more important than “operated”. It’s a stance that scares a lot of operators—but it shouldn’t. In this episode of MakingChips, Mike Payne and Kaleb Mertz return to dive into part loading and pallet loading, a mixed vs fixed mindset, and why predictive is better than reactive. We’ll conne…
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TOPICS: Book recommendation: 6 Types Of Working Genius Venturi coolant sucker upper Normalizing steel for flatness Solar power for a shop? E-paper display: "#17 Using e-ink (epaper) Price Tags (Shelf Labels) for everyday needs" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCkMu57S_YABy johngrimsmo
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Lights Out: Connecting Advanced Machining Strategies to Business Results Part 1, 418
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28:48
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Machine monitoring can give us insights into our machines that can and should change how we’re operating. The end goal is to drive better business results. But how should monitoring be paired with advanced business strategies to help you achieve those results? Mike Payne, Kaleb Mertz and I connect the dots in this episode of MakingChips. Because if…
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TOPICS: 10 year anniversary of being in Ohio factory tour of willemin in switzerland and Kern in germany Grimsmo Blum update and blade grindingBy johngrimsmo
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Is Work-Life Balance a Fallacy? Part 2, 417
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What if your life has little distinction between work and play? What if you’re so passionate about what you do that the time you spend on it is inconsequential? We began to explore the idea of work-life integration in part 1 of this series. In part 2, we dive into the creative ways we integrate our work and personal lives so that we can be fully pr…
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Is Work-Life Balance a Fallacy? Part 1, 416
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Work-life balance. It’s a phrase that’s often thrown around. Many of us struggle feeling like we’ll never achieve some sort of balance. Work usually fills a greater space than we think it should. But what if that’s okay? Everyone’s heard the adage, “Find something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” What if you love your work? What …
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MakingSparks: Using LinkedIn to Drive Leads for Your Manufacturing Business with Preston Hadley, 415
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There are over 1 billion users on LinkedIn worldwide, 200 million of which are in the United States. Manufacturing is one of the largest industry segments represented on LinkedIn. Interestingly, LinkedIn is rewarding people who create content and share it on their platform. Why? It’s simple—they need more content. It’s time for manufacturing and fa…
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TOPICS: Saunders Okuma Genos spindle update Completely off the grid time off Kern ballscrew replacement Speedio high accuracy mode weirdness G68 coordinate shiftBy johngrimsmo
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MakingSparks: What’s Keeping You Up at Night? An Update from Matthew and Casey, 414
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What’s keeping you up at night? What are you excited about? It’s important to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Why? First and foremost, to learn from our mistakes. But secondly, to embrace gratitude. Even despite challenges and setbacks, there’s always room for gratefulness and thankfulness. So in this episode of MakingSparks, Casey and …
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How to Adapt CNC Training for the Next Generation of Manufacturing Leaders - Part 2, 413
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Gamification. Gamification is a highly successful strategy in the world of marketing. It’s used all the time to enhance engagement in children’s education. How can we apply gamification concepts to manufacturing education? Mike Payne, Paul Van Metre, Gabe Kooyers, and Chris Townsend joined me in this discussion and nailed down some incredible ways …
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TOPICS: Saunders needs a new spindle Grimsmo Blum probing issues Gen 3 mod vises in productions Macro programming!!!By johngrimsmo
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How to Adapt CNC Training for the Next Generation of Manufacturing Leaders - Part 1, 412
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How do we train the next generation of manufacturing leaders so employers are ready to hire them immediately? Do students still need to learn manual machinery? Or do employers only want skilled CNC machinists? These are just a few questions we dissect in this conversation with special guest and long-term educator Gabe Kooyers. Because if we’re not …
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TOPICS: Grimsmo's Blade Show adventure Johnny 5 robot progress!! Fusion "ground to parent" Shop maintenance?By johngrimsmo
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Did you know that only about 6% of welders are women? Women bring a much-needed perspective and expertise to the table. So how do we get more women in welding? NIX has actively been trying to recruit, hire, and retain more women. In this episode of MakingSparks, we sit down with Tori Guzman and Aubree Beyer to hear what they think we can do—or cont…
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#373 Great, good, and important companies
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TOPICS: Grimsmo pulling late nights to get his new knife done for Blade Show Purchases that are important or not. How to lead others and push them Great, good, and important companies Does anybody actually use PVA support?By johngrimsmo
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MFG News Special: Where are We at with the Reshoring Initiative? 410
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Where is the United States with reshoring initiatives? Do we still have huge vulnerabilities in our supply chain(s) that need to be addressed? If we continue to reshore manufacturing, will companies remain competitive? Reshoring impacts supply chains. Reshoring brings more jobs and opportunities to the US. These are all valid questions that are pla…
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Lights Out: A Samurai's Journey to Automation, 409
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46:25
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Can small shops begin to automate their processes? Where do they start with automation? In this episode of MakingChips, the CNC Samurai, Steve Courchane, returns to share his passion for automation. He lays out his 3M process and how it changes the way you view automation. Because if you’re not modeling, making, or measuring—you’re not MakingChips.…
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TOPICS: Do I need a "reset"? Al Whatmough and Carl Bass leadership skills Grimsmo prepping for blade show Hardness testing UMC350 5 axis machineBy johngrimsmo
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How Can Manufacturing Leaders Measure Their Customer Relationships? 408
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Whether you’re a small business or a growing enterprise, you need to seek out new customers and build relationships with them while pushing them through your sales pipeline. The reality is that you have to make more sales to grow your business. You need a way to track and measure your progress with potential customers (and current key accounts). In…
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#371 Saunders pushed the PuckChuck to failure
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TOPICS: Grimsmo exploded a 440c button Saunders pushed the PuckChuck to failure Building the shop to be easy Adding a bubbler to a coolant tweaking Puck chuck fixtures on the VF2 Building the dream machine from scratchBy johngrimsmo
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MakingSparks: Why Numbers are Important for Your Manufacturing Business | Mike Payne Part 2, 407
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41:04
You need to know the “numbers” in your business. Every business owner needs to know that they’re making enough to pay their employees, make and deliver their products, and grow the business. That’s just good business. Non-financial metrics are important, too. A successful business has to focus on quality, safety, customer service, on-time delivery,…
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TOPICS: Integral knife button tweaking Thermal growth on steel Optical comparator with Baty screen 3d printing brim and build plates Zero gravity tool suspension device - Sloky torque devices Johnny 5 build Offset on horizontal got reset!By johngrimsmo
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MakingSparks: Oklahoma Meets Indiana - A Manufacturing Chat with Mike Payne Part 1, 406
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Mike Payne has spent the last 20+ years deeply entrenched in the M&A process with dozens of companies throughout Oklahoma. Early in his career, he realized he loved the world of manufacturing. He also learned that he enjoyed operating a business. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to unfold. Then it happened: Six years ago, Mike was able…
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TOPICS: Creativity vs productivity Saunders' Willemin is gone Project management Johnny 5 robot update BlackFox Machining box cutter clip Awkward DOITS phaseBy johngrimsmo
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Should You Use a Recruiter to Find Your Next Manufacturing Leader? 405
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46:33
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Are you the type of manufacturing leader who prefers to do everything yourself? You learn and innovate as you go, right? We’ve learned from experience: There is an art and a science to recruiting. I’ve muddled through using LinkedIn Recruiter to make some hires. And while it’s a great tool, it can only do so much. So in this episode of MakingChips,…
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TOPICS: weird door alarm on Okuma Product design and prototyping Tolerancing parts Nut runner torque wrenches Lapping parts FLAT Johnny 5 robot!By johngrimsmo
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The Journey from Scan to CAD to Part at Hill Manufacturing, 404
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33:36
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My shop has been restoring a 1959 Ford F10. When we decided to recreate a digital dash for the truck, we decided to ask the LinkedIn world for help. That’s when I met Ira Laughy with rapid3D. Rapid3D exists to solve complex measurement challenges to empower confident decision-making. We scanned the space and current dash and Ira and his team helped…
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TOPICS: Saunders yard sale open house Wall control (pegboard) Drill press upgrades SMW puck chucks and fixture plates Willemin calibration procedure Probe tips Al WhatmoughBy johngrimsmo
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