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Business of Machining

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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Now displaying: June, 2020
Jun 26, 2020

QUICK MATHS
The Johns have been Business of Machining it for 4.38 years (3.38 years recorded to be exact).

ROI Envy
Sometimes you get a machine, crank out parts, and make money right away. Sometimes you have to invest time to develop reliable processes and workflows. Grimsmo reminds himself that the KERN is not a job shop machine.

THAT HAS TO BE A KERN FILTER!

Click Image Below for Full Post

 

The question is, "how do you cheat the KERN and push it beyond those limitations?" Although the machine is incredibly accurate, Grimsmo still has to chase tolerances. To him, that's proof it's not just about the brand of the machine, it's about tooling, the machining strategy, and various factors that come into play when making parts. Finding out those limitations is key to getting the most out of the machine tool.


BITE-SIZE KERN?
When Saunders asked Marv if the Datron could outpace a KERN, the answer was revealed in this hilarious Instagram post. However, to Saunders, in terms of footprint, rigidity, and usability, the DATRON is pretty much a bite-size KERN.

Full Grimsmo Evolution
Grimsmo shares his story about trying to make a perfect carbide detent press with a PCD endmill. Sometimes entrepreneurs must be willing to bail on an idea or process that isn't working despite sunk time or costs. Full Grimsmo is starting to expand its meaning to more than just being in love with an idea.


Leadership Strategy and Tactics


TOOLHOLDERS 
The Johns discuss REGO-FIX, shink fit, and hydraulic tool holders. Saunders adds that moving away from the bootstrap mentality is tough but it is necessary in some cases. If you buy the beat-down, cheaper version of what you need, that may create a negative perception of the process or how the equipment should be cared for--and that could cost more than buying the new item!


TruePATH + CAMplete 
Grimsmo shares a "pucker moment" on the KERN. Saunders expresses his burning desire to have machine tool parameters set in CAM to avoid having to manually change them. While talking about TruePATH and CAMplete, the one thing they caution is to make sure you don't get used to ignoring the warnings!

JOHN: Cycle Start!

ST-20Y: "I'm sorry, John. I'm afraid I can't do that."

Saunders has a HAL 9000 moment where the lathe REFUSES to make a part! Let's just say it has to do with a spindle thermometer and a specific IF, THEN loop.

Scrapping Parts for Warm Ups - No Big Deal, Right?
As an entrepreneur, your attitude can push the business to unimaginable heights or it can blow up in your face. A seemingly innocuous approach to warming up a machine tool could end up translating to a major case of apathy and huge costs in wasted material for Grimsmo.


TORNOS - BARS. BEATS. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.
What do you do when the machine's been making great parts all day long? You stay at the shop until 4am and feed it! Fraser confirms that the Tornos didn't stop running from Friday morning until Saturday afternoon.


URBAN LEGEND
Saunders shares an urban legend about a machine at IBM 30-40 years ago that, once commissioned, NEVER turned off the spindle for the entire duration of the machine tool's life. IF ANYONE HAS HEARD OF THIS, E-Mail businessofmachining@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Jun 19, 2020

"Making parts and growing a business are very similar, just on different time frames." This week is all about learning the sometimes harsh reality of running a business like this. Admitting to yourself that a mistake has been made and what you can do as a person and business owner to correct that. The boys dive into Fusion 360 and all about colletizer.com

Here are the links for this weeks reference material:

https://www.colletizer.com

Leadership book: https://amzn.to/30RZ9bG

https://chiprag.com/

Jun 12, 2020

CNC Manufacturing, Rigging Haas VF6ss Machines, Rasks, and a HARD Question You May Have Never Thought To Ask Yourself As An Entrepreneur!


"There are no PRIORITIES, only one PRIORITY."


During this weekly conversation about manufacturing, business, life balance, obstacles, solutions, and super technical, nerdy machining stuff, a lot is going on.

The SMW shop just got a little heavier. 45,000lbs to be exact. On Monday, twin Haas VF6ss machines arrived. Saunders shares his initial impression, what it was like for him and his team to rig the machines themselves, and the next steps in the process.

Proof that Everything is a Noodle
Since the machines arrived, that also meant the VM3 (SMW's first VMC) had to move. Now, the Z-axis automatic coolant switch needs some attention. They were able to get the machine leveled in thanks to two great videos: Haas video & AT-man Unlimited.

The ONE Thing
Grimsmo's been programming on the KERN but while trying to run a part yesterday, it didn't cooperate. Today, he's digging in to figure out why.
While thinking of the barrage of parts that eventually need to be made on the KERN, it's easy to get flustered and overwhelmed; however, Grimsmo has determined the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT thing he can do for Grimsmo Knives right now---and yer gonna love it.

The ONE Thing by Gary Keller

Living By The Modified Nike Slogan: Just Do It...NOW?
Saunders admits he's been a lot harder on himself lately when it comes to completing tasks from the infamous to-do list. For him, the list allows too much time for procrastination or some other negative emotional reaction. So, he sees it and does it immediately. The question is, is this sustainable and scalable?

WHO ARE YOU?
Some entrepreneurs never consider when starting a business, they should put themselves as the head of R&D and hire in a boss that handles the day-to-day operations & management of the company. Pocket NC did just that!

Bring Back The Million Dollar Question
Grimsmo's surprising answer to the limitless question, "What would you do if someone gave your company a million dollars?"

SYSTEMS & PROCESSES
MetalQuest left a lasting impression on Saunders. Behind the robots and machines is software and processes that culminate into one high functioning organizational system. On the same note, ALEX, the SMW custom inventory tracking, purchasing, & maintenance schedule software is evolving!

Click Image to Watch MetalQuest Tour

Jun 5, 2020

A very important message this week by Dale Carnegie on "How To Win Friends & Influence People". Saunders is also spending some valuable time getting ready for his two new VF6 machines. The boys talk about to do lists and being able to follow through and dealing with stress this week which is very important in not only in business but in life in general. They also dive into sales techniques and being in a leadership role. Grimsmo has been diving head first into learning tabbing on 5 axis parts.

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