Based Machinist 🗜️

Few clips from recent machining jobs. Making chips fly everyday!

@TheGoldReset I like to peck turn stringy materials and save myself the headache. Not great for production but it’s nice to not have to babysit smaller jobs

You can do it. It just takes forever. This is 101. Sharp tools and patience

@CalebChamberla6 We have been happy with the freight pricing and options from CH Robinson on freightquote dotcom

Freight from Cincinnati to most of the US midwest and east: 2 days instead of 5. Old Dominion surprisingly isn't much cheaper, but I think FedEx Freight will be.

@PalmerLuckey @Spacecolonize I agree with your sentiment but it’s a bizarre claim to say that spam calls and emails are even remotely controlled

It is time for the United States Postal Service to ban junk mail. Unsolicited spam calls are already prohibited by the FCC. Emails are heavily regulated by the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Junk mail is the majority of mail, 100 million trees per year. Enough!

@amer_icon Could also experiment with arc filter tolerances in your CAM and using G187 P1. There’s a good video on YT about it if you search Haas Tip of the Day G187

Enabling the HSM feature (the tryout was untouched) shaved a full minute off of a 5 minute cycle time. Sounds impressive, but my 10 year old VF3 (with a 15k RPM spindle and HSM enabled) was already sub 5 minutes. It was actually slower moving it to the VF2SS,

I haven't been impressed with the VF2 "Super Speed" so far. For all the ballyhoo about the rapids, it stutters during 3D surfacing toolpaths. I found out that they don't come with the high speed machining option enabled. 🙄 The servo tool turret is cool though.

@rare_jpg Become ungovernable

@Solenoidfan Surely not a bad thing! I reduced this neck a few years ago before I even had a lathe and it’s still making chips from time to time

1/8” shank on a 3/4” tool surely isn’t a bad thing right?

Nuclear fusion powered parts dryer. Highly effective in the AZ desert in May

@jimbelosic I looked at a few pieces for sale and they were all $6/lb with free shipping on orders over $39. Great deal tbh

Banana Metals just lowered prices 25-40%. Come get your blocks, I need the space

@redbottravels @TimDOES Can’t you use the “keep accessory power on” option in the Tesla app instead of adding another battery?

@TimDOES Not overkill, just power user mentality If the robotaxi uses Starlink, why not my robotaxi? Here’s my mount, I added a peakdo linkpower so the Starlink doesn’t die when the car turns off (and needs to reboot) during short stops

My Premium Connectivity trial just ended and I am subscribing even though I also have a Starlink Mini Is this overkill or the perfect setup?

@amer_icon Don’t chamfer it unless you want to flex on them

DFM. I ain't chamfering that. That's the upside of not having a model, I can make it up as I go.

Tomorrow's nightmare. It's a nightmare because I just realized I don't have a solid model, only the waterjet cut blank drawing. Here's a sample of the drawing I was working off of. I can infer intent, but this one is pushing the limits. And would it kill you to give me a spare?

@amer_icon Did you finish the groove before roughing up to the chuck? If not, might help to leave that material for as long as possible

It was fine until the finish cut and it went to hell. Now I think the finish pass is a bit light but I'm trying to hold a 0.001" range. I didn't figure out the chipbreaker until the second part. It's 3mm wide with a 0.015" corner radius. As you can see, I've got some hangout and some deflection.

Larping as a lathe guy again. Struggled a bit with the multi-directional tool getting the groove in there without chatter. Switched from a GG to an MG style chipbreaker was the solution. I gotta pay more attention. New tooling day, not a substitute for new machine day but close.

engineers are the artists of highest order

@EverestBrady Turning a .010” chamfer with a tool that has a .015” tip radius is already too much head scratching for me. I just use CAM for everything and make hand edits when needed

Hand programming on a lathe generally seems faster and easier to read than CAM output code

@diaper @mikemorhaime Agreed. They claimed I was on a two year contract. I didn’t remember that but if I was, it’s because that was my only option.

@SafetySquintz @mikemorhaime Wut? That's insane. How is that any of their business?

Finally cancelling my cable service. Chatting with a “Live Agent”. They started asking me all these detailed questions about what I use Internet for and what devices I have connected. After 12 minutes of questions, I finally asked to be done with the questions and get on with the cancellation. Then after 20 min of silence, they offered to downgrade my Internet service for less money. I’m determined to stick with it and actually cancel though. Over an hour in and they are still making me offers to reduce the rate! And they aren’t even very good offers. I can’t believe they are able to do this. Should be illegal. Any good cable cancellation stories to entertain me while I wait?

@diaper @mikemorhaime This is exactly what I did for my small business but then they asked to see a lease or utility bill from the new location. I then photoshopped an electric bill to escape Cox in Phoenix AZ. Now Starlink and never looking back

@mikemorhaime Just lie and telling them you're moving out. If they ask where just quote some rural middle of nowhere place that doesn't have their internet.

@jrhartman131 How much money and time would it take to repair? With the replacement cost being so high maybe it’s still worth trying to extract more value from it

Our 1999 Homag beam saw seems to have finally died. We've made many repairs but, like an old car, eventually it's time to throw in the towel. Very much not the machine I wanted to replace. Any legit saw is a big expense and doesn't open any revenue streams for us. A new homag, hendrick, etc are all 120k + and recent used ones are 60-80k. White labeled chinese ones are in the 60s but depreciate fast. Big investment to basically say "yes, we can still cut things" So I played devils advocate this weekend thinking "do we need a beam saw?" Modern sliding saws have a smaller footprint, are powerful, precise, and good for fab - the new ones are pretty impressive. We can probably sacrifice some of the production efficiencies of the beam saw anyways. Well, turns out a custom configured Altendorf is nearly a six-figure saw too🤦‍♂️Other than a Martin these are as good as it gets. Without some of the bells and whistles we could probably get it down into the 60s. Still feels like a ton of a sliding saw. Just another day in mfg SMB.

@itsdannypereira Not sf but close enough?

Need a pallet jack in SF today Will pay whenever

Rare miss by Elon here. The lizard people are the last ones to empower

@jimbelosic Jim, big SCS fan here. I have used your auto quoting software to check my sanity for my own job shop quoting that I do daily. Last few times I’ve compared quantity 200+ jobs we were ~3x cheaper. Good on you for addressing it. Stay crushing it 🇺🇸

CNC machined parts are now 40% off for qty two, 78% off qty 10, and almost 90% off as you approach 250-500 units. The new robots are hauling ass so I can lower prices a bit