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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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Archives
Now displaying: 2021
Dec 31, 2021

TOPCIS:

 

  • A year in review from both Saunders & Grimsmo.
  • Taking guilt free time off.
  • Grimsmo got a Voron v0 3d printer.
  • Performance reviews for employees.
  • Putting pride into your work.
Dec 24, 2021

TOPICS:

  • Small Business Growth & Efficiency
    • Staffing Concerns
  • Handling Potentially Fraudulent Orders
  • Work Culture & Employee Impact
  • Eumachs, Power Outages, and New Quenching Plates for Heat Treat
  • Automating Processes
    • IoT: Operating on "If this, then that"
    • Don't Automate for the Sake of It
  • Performance Reviews for Employees
Dec 17, 2021

TOPCIS:

  • Winding down 2021.
  • 3 Things that Grimsmo and Saunders that changed their businesses this year.
  • Deep dive into ERP systems.
  • Grimsmo ran their Kern for 136.5 hours last week!
  • What makes us successful?
Dec 10, 2021

TOPICS:

  • Bootstrapper VS Life Style Creeper: Which Gets a Seat at the Table?
  • Production Hurdles at GK
    - Machining
    - Heat Treat
    - Surface Grinding
    - Processes
    - Tabbing Strategies: AutoDesk...we need a 2D Contour Tab Finishing Strategy PLZ!
  • Shift Toward Cycle Time Improvement
  • SMW Pipe Dream?
  • New Stabilization Product Sells Like Hot Cates at SMW
  • Quality of Life Improvements
    • Jib Crane
    • Plate Inventory Storage Crates
    • CDI Meters: WHY DIDN'T ANYONE MENTION THESE BEFORE!?
    • Optical Comparator
  • Can High Demand Be Dangerous?
  • Willemin Repairs #worthit
Dec 3, 2021

TOPCIS:

Nov 26, 2021

TOPICS: 

- DIY a Monochromatic Light Source & Optical Flats from Ukraine

- Geeking Out: Zeiss- From Eye Doc to CNC Machine Shop

- ERP System Development: Are We There Yet?

- 10 Rules for Entrepreneurial Success 

- Okuma Chip Conveyor - Wasting Pans!

- Ultrasonic Cleaners

- The NEW Prusa: Don't Over-Engineer Parts!

- Thanksgiving in the USA

 

 

We really appreciate everyone who tunes in to listen, everyone who has helped us along the way, and everyone who is part of the CNC family!

Nov 19, 2021

TOPICS:

  • Saunders got his Okuma chip conveyer this morning.
  • Horizontal milling machines.
  • Haas lathe origin went wonky.
  • Grimsmo is diving into optical flats. Watch this!
  • Rask blade surface finish issues.
  • Willemin updates.
Nov 11, 2021

TOPICS: 

 - Fraud and small businesses: Don't be emotional; make a protocol!

- Okuma Training & Pre-Staged Tooling Quirk in OSP: Post Processor Solution?

- Starrett Optical Comparator & Mitutoyo Electronic Indicator

- Visible Valley in Knife Spine: How to Pinpoint the Problem

- Debate on Hiring Gives Saunders New Perspective

- Higher Education: Is is a Must?

 

 

Read 10 pages per night! 

The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Ben Horowitz

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't

 

Nov 5, 2021

TOPICS:

  • Student internships & explaining machining to a 16 year old.
  • Willemin updates!
  • Grimsmo purchased an optical comparator and it is incredible.
  • Horizontal milling machines.
  • Saunders' Okuma is getting isntalled.
  • Daily to do lists is huge! 

Preview attachment Saunders regional map_v2.pdf

 

Oct 29, 2021

Topics:

  • Grimsmo shares exciting updates about the powered up Willemin as Saunders eagerly awaits word on his own Willemin!
  • Loading Code Onto Machines (Sneakernet, Ethernet, and Floppy Disks)
  • Deep Dive into Automation Cells, Robot Arms, & Erowa Pallet System
    • Haberle automation cell for Fanuc Robodrills:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v53DmWinRWk
      -
  • Okuma is arriving at SMW! Good thing they've got Northern Tool rigging skates
  • Horizontal Milling Machines
  • Podcast winner, "Stress is a choice."
  • Starrett Optical Comparator strapped to the top of a Miada?

 

Oct 22, 2021

TOPICS:

  • Saunders had a humbling experience shooting and editing a video to completion again! Watch here.
  • New air compressors.
  • Optical comparators.
  • 8 Deadly wastes - D.O.W.N.T.I.M.E
  • Saunders is getting his Okuma very soon!
  • Grimsmo gets the Willemin powered up!
Oct 15, 2021

Topics:

- Okuma TMAC Tool Monitoring & Tracking
- POCKET SIZED INDUSTRIAL 5-AXIS MACHINE BY CHIRON
- Automation Systems (HERMLE RS-1)
- Heat Shrink Automation Cell
- Zeiss Microscope
- Robots VS Cobots (FANUC, KUKA, & UR)
- PODCAST CONTEST WINNER ANNOUCEMENT!
- KERN Micro HD - The Benefits of Hydrostatic
- Grimsmo searches for more 3-32 through-coolant drill bit
- Troubleshooting Bowed Parts 

Oct 1, 2021

TOPICS:

  • "Clouds & dirt"
  • Saunders is improving Lex work orders.
  • Email screenshots to businessofmachining@gmail.com
  • Saunders is jumping into different roles.
  • Grimsmo had the kern running for 39 hours!
  • Saunders new Okuma is 2 weeks away.
  • Shop updates, more space?
  • Grimsmo has a potential collaboration in the work.
Sep 24, 2021

Topics: 

- 240 is a special number! Grimsmo and Saunders share their experiences with the Volvo 240. 

- Shipping & Receiving at SMW Needs Work and LEx (ERP System) Has become a Nightmare

- WIllemin: Something is Definitely Missing 

- Air Compressors and Paralysis by Analysis 

- Why Aren't We Making Money? Livestream

- Shiny Happy Challenge Coins from Vince 

- 3D Printed Chip Augers for the Haas 

- Tweaking Tool Life on the KERN 

- Fresh Desk: A way to centralize customer service and communication for small businesses

Sep 17, 2021

TOPCIS:

  • Saunders chats about LEX and what ERP systems cannot handle.
  • Grimsmo had a week off from the shop and was able to get tons of programming done.
  • Willemin is almost up and running!
  • Saunders received the Shapeoko HDM.

Share the podcast! Email proof to businessofmachining@gmail.com to win a sit down chat with Saunders & Grimsmo!

Sep 10, 2021

TOPICS: 

- Power Surges at GK after a night of thunderstorms
- Haas Tap Recovery is GREAT!
- Scary Haas Software Bug on Haas
- Internet Speed: Don't Overlook Your Router's Limits!
- Live Stream about LEx ERP System
- Grimsmo's Vacation
- Grimsmo Explains 75 Hard
- Power to the Willemin
- The Excitement of Buying Used Machine Tools

Sep 3, 2021

TOPCIS:

  • Saunders toured 3rd gen machine in Utah.
  • John & Erik finished their latest book and are working closer than ever.
  • Inventory management.
  • Ted Lasso!
  • Flood sensors and coolant filling.
  • High feed endmills.
  • DHL Issues.
Aug 27, 2021

TOPICS: 

  • Spindle Utilization - Both Johns calculate the weekly percentage of working hours for their machines and discuss factors that affected those outcomes.
  • Don't let the ERP become the company POS!  
  • Internal Culture & Branding 
  • Mori Spindle Time Increase - Grimsmo is tracking spindle time so he can make in-process tweaks to get MORe out of the Mori
  • Upcoming Business Videos That Everyone Needs
    • Why isn't my business making money!? 
    • Economic Downturns & How to Protect Your Business
  • Warranty Repairs for GK: Is there a good solution?
  • WILLEMIN, KEARN, & ESA INSPECTION
  • Shipping Errors - Saunders and Grimsmo share recent shipping mistakes and preventative measures to implement. 
  • Grimsmo Bros Book Club: Erik and John are reading Attraction by Gino Wickman to make big plans for the future of GK.  Is this the Grimsmo Finer Things Club!?
Aug 20, 2021

TOPCIS:

  • Mental health in running a business.
  • Asking why 5 times.
  • Saunders got a new machine! Okuma M660!
  • All about surface grinding and finishing.
  • Robot Pallet Loader?
  • Process reliability.
  • Think of something you are grateful for every night.
Aug 6, 2021

Topics: 

  • Accountabilibuddies & Truth
  • Relentless by Tim Grover
  • Hardmilling Speeds & Feeds
  • CBN Endmills for Norseman
  • Variable Feedrate & CNC Acceleration/Deceleration
  • Adam the Machinist: Carbide for Hardmilling
  • Zedaro Cutting Tools (WNT, Ceratizit, etc.)
  • De Boer Tool in Toronto, Canada
  • Weird Alarm on KERN
  • Saunders considers custom drills
  • LSC, Sandvik, Magical McMaster
  • Process Reliability Disciples 
  • Cost Per Edge
  • Dobson Pipe Organ Fire & Pipe Organ Tuning Tools
Jul 30, 2021

TOPICS:

 

  • CBN Endmill testing.
  • Humble vs confidence.
  • Saunders building accounting data to LEX.
  • Grimsmo is going to use oil on the willemin.
  • Rushing emergency parts.
  • Saunders solves lathe chatter.
  • Saunders playing with a new shop layout.
Jul 23, 2021

TOPICS:

  • Naming Products and Businesses
  • Willemin Update: Oil or Coolant? While the machine can run both, after a 17- year run with oil, the experts advise Grimsmo not to change. Fire suppression is a must!
  • CHANGE THAT WHEEL! Grimsmo creates an alert for the KERN.
  • CNC ALARM: Tool Radius Too Large & Cutter Compensatio
  • Fusion 360 View Toolpath, Show Points, and Smoothing
  • Rodico Putty - Green > Blue?
  • Machine Tool Weldments VS. Castings
  • Resonance VS. Dampening by Spencer Webb
  • Tornos: Cracked Guide Bushing
  • Communication for Small Businesses
  • Liquid Nitrogen Generator?
  • Shipping & Freight (we assure you, there's nothing too large for a freight carrier to lose). 
Jul 16, 2021

TOPICS:

 

  • Grimsmo got their Willemin delivered.
  • How to be eternally optimistic.
  • Ted Lasso - Show
  • The Last Dance - Show
  • Atomic Habits - Book
  • Relentless by Tim Grover - Link
  • Winning by Tim Grover - Link
  • Saunders got their ERP system all knowing.
  • Saunders Marketing director is doing great!
Jul 9, 2021

Topics:

  • Saunders Get Hosed by the DIY CNC Machine Washdown System
  • Plastic VS Brass Quick Disconnects
  • Grundfos MQ3-35 Pump
  • The Worst Freightmare Ever: A Perfect Storm
  • Customs Duties & Warranty Work
  • Ted Lasso - A Dose of Optimism & Leadership
  • Threading 
  • Fusion 360 Imperial VS. Metric for .STL file export & Improved Contour Selection
  • Multi-Part Probing & Renishaw Macros
  • Re-cutting Chips, High Feed Mill, Swiss Cheese Fixture
Jul 2, 2021

TOPICS:

  • Saunders' grandfather has a great quote: "if something is wrong, and it can be fixed, fix it, and if you can't, don't worry about it".
  • International shipping via DHL.
  • Grimsmo bid on his first machinery auction!
  • Saunders is still fine tuning coolant washdown system.
  • Kern senses pallets loading.
  • Airtags to track shipments?
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