EINSTAR Scanning And Object Replication - We used the EINSTAR to scan and replicate a Thumb CMC Splint. It's a very organic shape and it weren't easy. Peel Grinding Success for Lapzetti Plates - Peel Grinding is an interesting technique introduced to us by Adam Demuth ( @adamthemachinist ). It was a win for an application we did not predict. Ford Lightning 20K report... and More! - 20,000 electric miles, and... spoilers!... it's been great. Referenced videos: Robin Renzetti ( @ROBRENZ ), on "The...
Sep 08, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 2024Ep. 908
Bambu Filaments Shakeup! PETG-HF? - TWO of our favorite filaments are discontinued, forcing us to evaluate replacements. Inventory is good for a few months while we do that, but initial experiments indicate a possible overall winner. Pining For The Fjell - A Grimsmo Visit - We had a nice social visit from John Grimsmo ( @JohnGrimsmo ) and his kiddos. Pizza was consumed. Knives were discussed. More importantly, I was bequeathed a Norseman, and got to fondle the Fjell. They are BOTH awesome. PETG ...
Aug 25, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 2024Ep. 825
Tom Lipton ( @oxtoolco ) and Robin Renzetti ( @ROBRENZ ) collaborate on a tight-tolerance design of a rotary grinding attachment. Each has different requirements, and the cross-pollination of knowledge is of huge value. Notes will be taken. Knowledge will be gained. ----- Save $500 at FormLabs by using my referral code at the Links page, below. Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic...
Aug 18, 2024•1 hr 52 min•Season 2024Ep. 818
Aug 11, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 2024Ep. 811
FormLabs Rigid 10K... It is! - This resin is highly glass-filled, and it's amazingly dense and stiff. I am testing it for it's electrical properties at RF frequencies! https://formlabs.com/store/materials/rigid-10k-resin/ Fanuc, Haas, and Batteries... Oh My! - I use a product from Haas to solve a Fanuc problem. But, the origin story of this product has a twist. Links discussed: https://www.practicalmachinist.com/forum/threads/haas-tl-1-dead-why.299570/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m__CSCT6Wnw...
Aug 04, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 2024Ep. 804
Jul 28, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 2024Ep. 728
Guest: Adam Demuth! - We catch up with one of our favorite toolmakers and learn of his recent exploits. Recent projects include some fun ceramics projects. Prototyping Precision Paper Punchers - Precision paper punching at a distance is an interest shared by many machinists, and Adam and Spencer are no exceptions. We discuss Adam's designs and implementations. His innovative use of his grinder in precision "shaping" is unique! The Artwork of John Moses Browning - putting things in perspective, i...
Jul 14, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 2024Ep. 714
Direct to Build-Plate SLA - We are so used to seeing SLA (resin) prints on supports, we forget that direct-to-buildplate is possible. The DAMTEE and DAMKEEZ projects were examples of parts that take advantage of no-supports. Lessons were learned in failed prints when we made the MOLY-2 holders. We're getting the hang of it. Killing the Elephant's Foot on the Form 4 - When you print direct to the build plate, there is an "elephant's foot" at the bottom of the print. This is there for good reason,...
Jun 30, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 2024Ep. 630
Solopreneurship: Stay On Target! - It is not easy recognizing when you are drifting off course. The gifts of collaborative on-line tools. Making hard decisions. I Really Need to Vent! - Putting an electronics enclosure into a harsh, marine environment. 'Tain't easy. To vent or not to vent an enclosure... that is the question. 3D Scanning: Non-Trivial - We have an intern starting from zero, trying to use our Einstar 3D Scanner to produce a good solid model. Ehhh.... not quite there yet. ----- Sav...
Jun 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 2024Ep. 623
Solvents in the Shop! - Some are benign, some are downright dangerous. Choose wisely and use them safely. Three-Step SLA Support Recipe? - I have come up with a recipe which may be useful in many SLA situations. The speed of the Form 4 printer caused me to rethink my recipe with good results. Housing Design For Extreme Environments - I am in the middle of a design for a client, and it's got me thinking about the rules for making equipment housings in different environments. From beneath the sea ...
Jun 16, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 2024Ep. 616
DAMTEE and DAMKEEZ: A Study In P1 - What started as a joke with my wife (alleging that I keep losing my tea between shop, truck, office and kitchen) became a design exercise and a successful one at that. It also highlights the important of the Way of P1! 3DP Plastics in Hi-Temp Applications - A chat with John Saunders @nyccnc about the threat of part damage leads to considering different materials in FDM and SLA additive manufacturing. Tired While Machining: CHECKLISTS! - I had a (minor) checkli...
Jun 09, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 2024Ep. 609
Catching Up With Tom Lipton - He's been a busy guy, and we miss him. Let's see what's happening in the wilds of California. Who Wouldn't Want More Moore? - Holy Surface Plate, Batman!! Tom hints at a new find, and it looks awesome! A Five-Block Test On The Form 4 - Printing directly to the build plate has been a challenge. We found ... a problem?? A surprising update. ----- Save $500 at FormLabs by using my referral code at the Links page, below. Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.g...
Jun 02, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 2024Ep. 602
Form 4 Arrives: One Software Glitch - It's up and running and the first prints are spectacular. But, getting started was not trivial, and it took some doing. It's always software, ain't it?! Kish and Moly: A True Story - We revisit the classic story to celebrate the availability of Moly Sticks for diamond wheel dressing on the KP Store. And, y'know, knowledge. Grinding Wheel Uniformity - A gedanken experiment leads to a scary result in grinding. An unsolvable problem? ----- Save $500 at FormLabs...
May 26, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 2024Ep. 526
FormLabs 4: Second Visit Followup - In which I asked FormLabs to print some samples on the new Form 4, and I got to do further investigating. And, boy, did I find out some things. :-) Printing Grimsmo Bearing Cages: P11 Wins! - John asked if we could try SLA-printing his bearing cages. It only took until P11, but it seems to be skookum. Self-Checking Gages - We discuss two useful examples of self-checking gages, and several cases that are not! Source for small quantities of pitch: https://firsth...
May 19, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 2024Ep. 519
Upgrade to Form 4 Printer? - We've been making the family of NOZ products on the @Formlabs Form 3+ printer. How do we react to the new Form 4? Productize 6-inch Lapping Plates? - As we build out out hand-lapping system, requests for the 6-inch lapping plates are coming in. Do we add it to the KP product list? Over-automation in the Small Shop - Can you have too much automation? Yes! When do you know it's time? Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "sp...
May 05, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 2024Ep. 505
Lapping From Ra to Rz - I was challenged by @proteummachining to start looking at Rz rather than Ra for surface roughness. Let's see why. Wireless Devices In The Shop - In which I cross the streams. Inspired by @JohnGrimsmo having issues with his Bluetooth probe, I find it necessary to talk antennas. Again. The Joy Of Unnecessary Precision - We love to chase it, but at what cost? If you're doing it as a business, know your limits. Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow m...
Apr 28, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 2024Ep. 428
3-inch ToolMakers Flat: First Lapping! - After all the preparation, I finally do the first lapping... and it rocks. Process improvements will, of course, ensue. The Expensive Stuff Is Cheaper... Again. - In which I buy a carbide tool which was cheaper, and end up breaking it. Then buying what I should have bought in the first place. Buying Stuff To Take Apart And Learn - My son, Jared, asks if we can buy a thing to take apart. Because he wants to design a better one. Correct parental answer?? "O...
Apr 21, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 2024Ep. 421
P1 is Life - Making the first prototype, and noting how long it lasts. It's a metaphor for ... everything. Making a Lapping Station - Fixin' to get ready to lap, specifically the ToolMakers Flat TMF-3 What's All The Fuss About An Ellipse?? - A report from the Eclipse, and why Ellipses are interesting. And more... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic Precision) Local Elevator by Ke...
Apr 14, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 2024Ep. 414
Storms, Blackouts, Earthquakes, Eclipses! - I wish we were kidding. All this happened in the last week, or will tomorrow. Success Hand-Tapping, Next Hand-Lapping - We got the 4142 Pre-hard part tapped, and the ToolMakers Flat is ready for hand lapping. What's the plans? Will A.I. Design and Machine Your Parts? - It's starting to be a question. And more... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark...
Apr 07, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 2024Ep. 407
Followup on the ToolMakers Flat in 52100 Steel... Quicken The Quench: Heat The Oil? - A casual question from Tom Lipton set me on a course... does heating the quenching oil quicken the quench. Does the Temper Negate The Cryo? - Spoiler: No. They do different things. Crappy Tapping In 4142 Pre-Hard - I am not having fun with this operation. There are reasons. And more... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a regis...
Mar 31, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 2024Ep. 331
Of Clock Springs And Toolmakers Flats: Turning the 52100 steel produced some pretty evil chips. Some of them broke. 52100 Steel: Planning The Heat Treatment: We are ALMOST running the recipe recommended by the NBS (now NIST) many years ago. Will our minor deviations matter? We'll see. A Box Of Grinding Gems From Tom: Books and goodies from Tom Lipton. Very neat stuff, and the knowledge was hard-earned by our ancients. And more... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me...
Mar 17, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Season 2024Ep. 317
Rotary OD Lapping: Sine Rolls - We make a soft lap from scrap. We struggle with three different compound choices, and end up where we should have in the first place. Evaluating Round, Straight, Size - It's not trivial down in the Tenths. Crash Recovery: Just Breathe - It happened. Nobody died. Nothing broke. We'll do laundry later... And more... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kineti...
Mar 10, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 2024Ep. 310
Successful Sidewheeling - We learn about "forming" the wheel, and finally nailing the dimenensions. I Didn't Expect The Backlash! - Would have been fine in a mill, not so much in a surface grinder. But, we overcame. Sine Right Here: Charles W. Sullivan - His signature is preserved, and we thank him for a cool tool. We went deep on side-wheeling with Robin Renzetti @ROBRENZ . And more... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG St...
Mar 03, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 2024Ep. 303
Restoring and Using Tools: Getting old tools, especially shop-made tools, back to working order and using them productively. Tighten Your Hub: Staying concentric, stable, true and dressed. Oh, and also in your grinding... Helping Non-Machinists: There Is No Sketch: We make brackets. But, we need to become communicators with those that don't have the technical skills, but still have stuff they need. Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_n...
Feb 18, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 2024Ep. 218
Grinder Therapy: We discuss "grinding in" two cast iron instruments for our friend UnixCarbide Autocollimated Boring: Unix completes the supply chain by delivering bagels... and some goodies from across the planet Decluttering With Mental Money: How Two Bucks is going to save your shop Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic Precision)
Feb 11, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 2024Ep. 211
The MIT LMP Shop: A Student's First Chips Guest: Dan Gilbert, Instructor ! McMaster Drawing, Your Queries, and More... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic Precision)
Feb 04, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 2024Ep. 204
McMaster Catalog Giveaway Visiting Two University Shops Chattering About Damping And Resonance We're giving away a McMaster-Carr Catalog!! 1) Be subscribed to the YouTube channel 2) Comment on the YouTube video as directed in this podcast! We will randomly draw a winner next week. Deadline is midnight Saturday. (Award is at our sole direction. No purchase required. Not endorsed by YouTube.) Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PF...
Jan 28, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 2024Ep. 128
Euphamistics: Precision Hole Punching The Many Aluminum Alloys Restoration Of Others' Shop-Made Tools Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic Precision)
Jan 21, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 2024Ep. 121
Guest: Tom Lipton! Lessons From Moving Into A New Shop Attracting Talent To Our National Labs And, of course, more! Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic Precision)
Jan 14, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 2024Ep. 114
Happy New Year 2024! Pinch of Copper? What is the Ideal CNC Cycle Time? Tools, Food, Earthquakes, Oh My! Preparing resin-bonded diamond wheels... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic Precision)
Jan 07, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 2024Ep. 107
