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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: Page 7
Mar 19, 2021


TOPICS:

  • Just Start! Saunders and Grimsmo discuss the importance of context and relativity when it comes to business advice.
  • SNAP OUT OF IT! You may not realize you're in a comfort zone!
  • Work Smarter AND Harder? The age old debate.
  • Intelligence Vs. Diligence & Practice Vs. Skill
  • Lights out production on the KERN
  • Saunders hires out the cleaning and bookkeeping!
  • Odoo ERP at Seneca Woodworking & Using Data
  • SMW got flooded! Delay on/off switches: https://amzn.to/3eU8ZB2
  • Martin upgrades the Shapeoko into a detent track burnishing machine
  • How and when to hire more people
  • Grimsmo talks about the possibility of selling the Nak for a bigger Tornos!
  • Oil Vs. Coolant
  • Ultrasonic Cleaning

 

Mar 12, 2021

TOPICS:

 

  • Saunders' makes something awesome that went to the bottom of the ocean!
  • Machining titanium
  • Fusion 360 Tool Library issues and fixes
  • Catching up on backorders.
  • Shipping delays and organizing.
  • Playing catch-up.
  • Grimsmo gives a deep dive into swiss lathes and purchasing info for Saunders
Mar 5, 2021

TOPICS

  • Learning - The importance of Curiosity and the Dunning-Kruger Effect (overestimating your competence)
  • 3D Printers for Dual Extrusion
  • Pivotal Machinist Moments - Area 419 Tour, Never Stop Quitting Your Job, and the Downside of Bootstrap Mentality.
  • It Figures. After releasing the "How to Get Paid On Time" video, Saunders gets stiffed.
  • Don't Take It Personal! Implementing systems and strategies for handling problematic situations is a MUST.
  • Whip It Good! Haas Lathe Spindle Liner Whipped Itself into Shape?
  • Lights Out, KERN ON. Grimsmo and his team arrive at the shop to find the KERN still running after successfully completing 10 pallets.
Feb 26, 2021

TOPICS:

  • Saunders talks about his experience with quitting his day job and when you should to.
  • Do you spot holes in machining?
  • Saunders goes into a huge rabbit hole of 3d printing.
  • Lathes, Lathes and more Lathes!
  • Hot glue in the shop? What are the uses?
  • Saunders does a shop tour at Area419
Feb 19, 2021

TOPICS

 

  • Does a College Education Matter? Grimsmo and Saunders share their different paths and initial interests BEFORE they got into CNC machining.
  • Someone is looking for a new machinist---could it be you?
  • Optical Flat & Monochromatic Light for Part Flatness @laneymachinetech
  • Grimsmo and Saunders offer each other workable solutions for tool break detection and other quirky issues.
  • Renishaw probing macros and lathe part off techniques
Feb 12, 2021

TOPICS:

 

  • Reaming holes.
  • Endmill coatings and storage.
  • Grob factory tour.
  • Tool like time and replacement methods.
  • Johnny Five returns.

Links:

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/09782467

Feb 5, 2021

TOPICS:

  • Trusting Instincts
  • Social proof for marketing and branding
  • Creative Fixturing and Workholding
  • Grimsmo and Saunders Approved Tools!
  • Good reasons to outsource things beyond the scope of your business
  • Xometry Pay - Solving Collection of past due accounts for businesses?
  • Prusas, 3D printed 1/4" Royal Collet for sub spindle & Gauge Housings

 

UP NEXT: 

FEBRUARY 2021 GOALS FOR GK

Jan 29, 2021

TOPICS:

 

  • Ordering Lathe Material - Purchasing/procurement
  • Finances in Business
  • What makes you happy?
  • Growing a business in 3 stages
  • Lathe talk
  • Past due accounts receivables?
  • Creating your own cnc machine?
Jan 22, 2021

 

  • Saunders on feeling overwhelmed and a defining moment at Pierson Workholding.
  • Can daily tasks actually KILL your business?
  • "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." - James Clear
  • Marketing 
  • Business accounting
  • Tool life for lathe parting inserts
Jan 15, 2021

TOPICS:

  • Saunders is starting 2021 off great with their ERP system and staying busy with orders.
  • Saunders also tells us about his broken tool on the lathe.

 

  • Grimsmo has been getting their Okamoto surface grinder up and running and it has been awesome!
  • The big news out of Grimsmo is that the Rask is back! They have been hard at work for almost 4 years to bring back the Rask.

 

Jan 8, 2021

TOPICS: 

  • Grimsmo starts us off with a smooth lead in
  • SMW Product Demand Increases & The Struggle to Reduce Lead Time 
  • Super Helpful Tools & Gadgets (Scales & Pallet Jacks)
    • https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200680712_200680712
  • Precision 
    • Abbe's Principle
    • The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World

    • A Crazy Metrology Question on the NYCCNC Forum
  • Toolpath & Product Improvements
    • Reliable Processes VS. Cycle Time
    • Using templates for easier programming
  • Conventional VS. Climb Milling
Jan 1, 2021

2020 has been a wild year, and we are sure you are tired of hearing about it by now. But here at the Business of Machining we decide to reflect on the positives. Thank you to everyone for being with us throughout this year!

 

Grimsmo has found a solution to lift very heavy objects within their shop without the need of a forklift. It takes them back to the old Volvo days in the garage. Saunders is playing with a Vortex cold air gun and is having a literal blast.

Dec 25, 2020

TOPICS:


- Podcast Feedback & Developing a Consistent Opening Statment
- Strategy: Learning Your Customer Base & SEO
- Email from Brewery | ERP VS Wiki
- Covid Hits Close to Home at SMW
- Staffing A Growing Business & The Concert Mindset
- Recycling Chips: The Need for a Compactor

Dec 18, 2020

Grimsmo makes a big move and purchased a Okamoto surface grinder! Saunders' offers his input and general advice on purchasing new machinery. The boys talk about the potential of using "Slack" in their respective companies. This could help bridge the gap between consumer and company and it is worth looking at.

 

Saunders has started to step away from his ERP system "LEX" to let his team run it. While Grimsmo works very very hard to get shipping Rasks before the end of the year, how exciting!

Dec 11, 2020

Business of Machining has now reached it's 200th episode! That's 3.84 years of "private" conversations about manufacturing and growing small businesses. 

A sincere thank you to the listeners out there--or as we've lovingly dubbed them, "parking lot circlers." In the past 4 years, this podcast has been downloaded over 1 million times! 

 

TOPICS:

- The importance of authenticity

- Detailed trips down memory lane for both Grimsmo Knives and Saunders Machine Works.  

- Mental Health & Tony Hseih 

Dec 4, 2020

Saunders & Grimsmo are ending of the year with expansion! Both shops are on similar growth paths in their respective shops. Grimsmo has hired on Pierre to help boost production, while Saunders has hired 3 people around his shop.

 

Grimsmo's surface grinder should be here in a couple of weeks! Which means they have to make some room for it and figure out how to bring it into the work flow.

 

Top 10 List for entrepreneurs

 

Saunders' describes how "Lex" is formatted. Going in depth about the benefits of an ERP system when it just works. Grimsmo and Saunders talk in depth about pride. Pride often gets confused with arrogance, but letting the pride replace arrogance is a step we all need to think about.

Nov 27, 2020

TOPICS

  • Auctions, Warranties, and Riggers
  • Is Saving Money the Ultimate Purchase Factor?
  • Developing Decision Making Framework
  • Formalizing the Interview Process
  • Tom Lipton's Test Jig
  • Pierre - New to GK Team

  • SMW Phase 5 of Shop Overhaul
  • Machine Modifications for Chip Evacuation & Larger Coolant Tanks
  • Water & Coolant Delivery System Update
  • Vendors and Relationships
  • DLC Coating
  • Sandvik QS Holder
Nov 20, 2020

The boys have been crazy busy this week. Saunders' and his team have developed a little bit of a safe word around the shop. PINEAPPLE! This signifies that the person is safe. For example, if you hear a loud bang or somebody drops something and hear the safe word. Than you know that person is ok! Its actually a very good idea especially when you have a lot of ground to cover or a lot of employees. Saunders' also visited the Grob machine manufacturing facility in Ohio! He said that he had an awesome time and learned a lot while he was there.

 

"Confidence is a superpower" - Robin Renzetti

The boys also touch on quality control methods. This is especially important in both Grimsmo & Saunders' shops because of the attention to detail needed for both products. Grimsmo is also buying an Okamoto surface grinder! This is a machine that was thought about for a long while and they are finally pulling the trigger.

Nov 13, 2020

Today the Johns are reppin' each other by sporting SMW and GK tees. 

Grimsmo Knives Tee
SMW Tee

TOPICS:

  • Orange Vise Tour
  • Grimsmo's Next Machines
  • Process for Pressing Bearings into Bearing Cages
  • Surface Grinding Machines - CNC or Manual?
  • Air Compressors & Sound Proofing
  • Tasks - Batching VS. Whack-A-Mole
  • Organizational Chart - G Suite Alias Emails
  • SMW is Hiring! SMW Careers

 

Nov 6, 2020

Have you ever had such a premium custom table experience that ruined every other table in the world for you? Well Saunders has! He is loving the MakerPipe table systems to make some custom solutions for his shop. You can find Makerpipe here.

 

Both Grimsmo and Saunders are falling more in love with the idea of full ERP integration in their respective shops. Grimsmo especially are looking to get very creative with "GERP".

 

Saunders needs a new air compressor while John reminisces about the old shops compressor that would constantly be yelling in the background.

 

Both shops are looking at expanding the team! Saunders is considering hiring a marketing strategist while Grimsmo had two working interviews with some great potential team members! Things are looking great but we are going to need a bigger boat!

 

Grimsmo has a new book he has been reading called "E-Myth Mastery: The Seven Essential Disciplines for Building a World-Class Company".

The book is a must read for any business owner big or small to teach some essential habits and disciplines.

Oct 30, 2020

RASK KNIVES ON HOMESTRETCH, LIGHTS OUT MANUFACTURING, LATHE CRASHES, DATA & TOOL LIFE MANAGEMENT, MACRO VARIABLES, Q PARAMETERS, FUSION 360 BUG, PROVENCUT PART SERIES, and MORE!


Machining Verbiage
The new rule is that when running machines, you add "ING" to the end of the machine brand name to create a new CNC-centric gerund.
Acceptable examples are:

KEARN--ING
TORNOS--ING
HAAS--ING
TORMACH--ING


A BUMP IN THE NIGHT...
Just when you think it's dialed, you hit the lights and leave the shop only to be welcomed in the morning by 200-300 scrapped parts.


Grimsmo shares this one minor detail that derailed the entire lights-out process. Saunders points out that evaluating problems further up stream is worth doing!

FRIDAY - DATE NIGHT WITH A LATHE CRASH
The ST-20Y is set to run the one and done, dialed process for SMW diamond pins but the lathe insert broke on the 2nd pin. And that's not all. Not only was the insert blown, the parting blade took a huge crap! Luckily, Saunders had back up blades on hand, right? WRONG! 

With similar experiences being shared between them, they embark on an in-depth conversation about tool life management, tool counting, macro variables, and Q parameters. The question remains: how do you incorporate these into your shop operations successfully?

Forget textbooks---except the one Grimsmo is a true FAN...uc (I mean, fan of)

Fanuc CNC Custom Macros: Programming Resources for Fanuc Custom Macro B Users 


Machines Personified
Remember the poetic interpretation of Mars Rover's final message to NASA? While the rover never explicitly said, "My battery is low and it's getting dark," that partially humanistic phrase still managed to evoke a tinge of sadness for many. Why? We have a long history of personifying everything under, and including, the sun. In a strange way, machines have their own temperaments, quirks, likes, and dislikes--and that might be why it feels kind of sad leaving them alone in the dark.

Fusion 360 - Team Hubs & Documented Bug
The guys discuss migrating to Team Hubs and the importance of a local back-up copy of data. By the skin of his teeth, Grimsmo saves his butt by using Instagram to approximate the date of the correct version of a specific file. During a livestream, Saunders stumbles across a bug that is driving EVERYONE insane! Finally, Grimsmo discusses how one tiny checked boxed beside, "Make Sharp Corners" has been life changing! Click here for the HSS Spline Shaft Tool Video that incorporates spring passes + make sharp corners for awesome results.

ProvenCut Part Series
Saunders announces a new addition to ProvenCut that makes it more than just a library! Now, you can find parts similar to what you want to machine, select the machine and type of material, use the mouse to hover over the part to see which types of operations were used, and more! The first part being added to the series is a T-nut and there will be many more to come! 


RASK IN HAND & FINE TUNING
All parts have been made and now the only things left are final tweaks for the surface finish, fit, and solving the 5-10% lock-stick issue. Grinding is all systems go. The blades are now the best they've ever been!


Rebuilding The Shop - Custom Tables and Benches for Organization
For Saunders, rebuilding the shop has been in progress for several months now but it's still like a breath of fresh air! He's excited to meet up with someone from Maker Pipe who's offered to help with custom solutions to get SMW to the next level!

Oct 23, 2020

John & John go over the never ending struggle of the classic make vs buy scenario. This time they are talking about making a custom shipping table to help speed up Saunders' work flow. Grimsmo has a Canadian version called FlexPipe.

 

Saunders' has been doing some WORK when it comes to Automatic Brix reading of coolant systems. He has been using a digital refractometer that you can find two versions of them here.

ATAGO MASTER-20M

Atago PAL-1

 

John Grimsmo is still struggling with the Kern. It has been full of little victories and bigger issues. Luckily Angelo had a good idea that helped solve a grinding problem!

Oct 16, 2020

Solopreneurs, Robots & Payloads, ERP + Inventory Tracking, Brix, Automated Coolant Distribution, and MORE!

Business of Machining Podcast = The Manufacturing Entrepreneurcast


You CAN Be The Crazy Guy In Your Garage Forever!
The idea of expanding beyond oneself or even becoming self-employed isn't enticing to everyone---and that's okay! Grimsmo reflects on his evolution from solopreneur to entrepreneur and Saunders shares an experience with an electrician who likes his gig just the way it is.


Speaking of Solopreneurs, check out this shop update with
Adam Demuth, an incredible machinist who made the shift from a 9-5 to being self-employed. If you're not into stress but want to run a business, Adam's zen-rific perspective on entrepreneurship is perfect for you! Also, check out the Precision Microcast hosted by Adam and Joshua Hacko from Nicholas Hacko Watchmaker!

Lockwood Begs to Differ
Idealizing the infallibility of robots is nice and all but Rob's administering a heavy dose of truth!

"Why are we not better at this already!?" 
Saunders is disappointed in our lack of progress when it comes to payload issues for FANUC robot arms. Not to worry, 5th Axis is working on it! Check out their videos here!

THIS SUCKS! (but it will be worth it)
During Phase 3/4 of Nuking the Shop, Saunders faces the fact that all material and supplies must be removed from the racking and the team will have to start from square one. While discussing one of their new favorite topics, tracking inventory, we learn that the Johns are taking different approaches when it comes to quantities!


BRIX, The Holy Crap Scenario, and "Screw This, I'm Goin' Home!"

The guys outline the specifics of their automated coolant delivery systems and air lines. They discuss solenoids, refractometers, ball valves with external motors, IoT (internet of things), Mixtrons, and MORE! They share progress, plans, and solutions to problems. Find out what Grimsmo means by "The Holy Crap Scenario" and the situation that made him throw in the towel, so-to-speak.

The Smoking Gun--I mean, Knife?
Grimsmo tackles the lowest hanging, highest yield fruit during his "days off in the shop"! A few episodes ago, Grimsmo knew the one thing he could do to increase production right away and he nailed it! Now, there's something nice--uh, Norse, that can run lights out on the Mori!


RUN FROM HERE - Running Code from A Certain Point
SMW is focusing heavily on developing reliable processes when it comes to posting code. While they used to run from the "Run From Here" feature, things have changed....

 

 

 

 

Oct 9, 2020

Grimsmo has made some glorious progress on the kern. They have finalized an auto grinding routine for Rask blades. While Saunders' and their team have been toying with the idea of buying a Horizontal machining center.

 

Saunders' also has some awesome upgrades he is adding to Proven Cut.

References:

Surebonder.com

Oct 2, 2020

RASK PROGRESS, THREADMILLING, WORKHOLDING FIXTURES, 5-AXIS ROTARY TOOLPATHS, DIAMOND BURNISHING, GRINDING, SURFACE FINISHES, PROBING, & TOOL BREAKAGE DETECTION.


KERN IT UP.
Grimsmo machines his own ER 16 collet for the KERN! Wait until you hear about how he made this monolithic-integral ER. All this talk about holding parts on center brings back a good ol' Memory with Marv. Saunders recounts an accuracy test for cylindricity on the KERN--Swarf VS. Polar Interpolation in Garmisch- Partenkirchen.


Threadmilling. Single Point or Proper Threadmills? Tool Standardization?
The guys dive into threadmilling and tooling up machines; including single point versus proper threadmills, tool deflection, and whether or not to buy or DIY Collets. Regardless, the process needs to be reliable AND no matter how magical the brand of machine, it's still subject to the laws of physics.


Click here for the Ultimate Guide to Threadmilling on NYCCNC (video and threadmilling calculator).


HEAR ME OUT: The Synergistic Effect of CNC Theory.
Saunders asks an interesting question, "Could the collets be made on the Nak?" At first it seems like an impossibility but with an open mind, new ways of thinking can lead to solutions you never could have imagined.

Cogsdill Diamond Burnishing Tool on the Tornos: YAY or NAY?
Grimsmo shares an update on the SAGA pen clips.

Inconceivable---really!
Saunders teases Grimsmo with the mind blowing video that's in the works. This Covid-friendly collaborative video about MetalQuest's INDEX MS40-8 will be about the harmony between machine capabilities and maximizing workflows. It's hard to imagine the back-work, which is all the more reason it MUST BE SHOWN! Get ready to reduce cycle time, increase output, balance cycle time between spindles, and more!


Covid and Manufacturing: BIG GIANTS FALL HARDER.
No one wants to speak too soon but there's been a sigh of relief that smaller manufacturing businesses haven't felt the same pain as the larger, often over-leveraged, companies. Seeing a "company consolidation" flyer in the mail for an aerospace company feels....weird.


BUYER'S REMORSE?
Does Grimsmo regret the large financial risk he took with the KERN given how 2020 has panned out thus far?


TOTALLY REDEEMED AFTER BEING REAMED.
A few episodes ago, Saunders called Grimsmo out for committing two cardinal sins of grinding. In order to make progress on the Rask, he decided to forego dressing and balancing the wheel before grinding the knife blade.
Maybe Grimsmo's method of madness was intentional all along or maybe it was pure luck that resulted in the perfect recipe. EITHER WAY, IT'S FANTASTIC!


Surface Finish Factors
You hear about tool deflection, speeds & feeds, material type, and machine kinematics but what about presenting an even chipload/tool pressure to the cutting tool? Devon Dupuis from Autodesk and Saunders are collaborating on an OUT OF THIS WORLD part that relies on getting that chef's kiss finish.

Random Ceratizit Clickbait
Sometimes the algorithm provides....
Check out this video showing a new facemill with a vacuum/suction feature.

ERP: Permanent Product and Material Location
A big part of implementing ERP is deciding where things will be stored. It might sound easy to have a permanent location for parts and material but Amazon outright rejects that logic. The key is to make sure the item can be located anywhere at anytime. 

The Johns wrap up this 190th episode with probing, tool break detection, and what's on tap for the day!

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