BusinessEducationTechnology

The Lone Machinists

Jamie Peacock & Curt Van Filipowski (Feat. Jon Dillehay)

Curt and Jamie dive into business and manufacturing as one-man shops.

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20 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 3 min
English

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S2 · E3
Saturday · 25 min· Video
Day 4: I Don't Plan on Buying Pens for Two Years
Jamie is officially running on fumes as the IMTS marathon continues, but there’s still plenty of time for machines, workholding, questionable engineering ideas, and collecting an absolutely unreasonable amount of free stuff. Today’s recap covers small five-axis machines, the X-Horse, ToolDawns, a Wazer demo, and why a Wazer might make sense for some applications but definitely isn’t the answer to everything. Jamie also discovers some seriously clever engineering at the Lang booth, including a robot-loading system door that apparently gave an engineer a solid boner. There’s also discussion about mineral-cast router frames, IGUS samples, pneumatic workholding, EMO, tumbling systems, and the possibility of building a servo-driven tumbler because apparently buying one isn’t enough. Meanwhile, Jamie has accumulated enough pens, stickers, flash drives, tombstones, Tech Decks, and other booth loot to justify its own inventory system. The show is winding down, the FOMO is getting worse, and Jamie is already planning what needs to happen at the next one. Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
Wednesday · 14 min· Video
Day 2: That Thing's Slow as Balls
Day two of IMTS, and Jamie is somehow fitting even more machines, people, questionable decisions, and engineering ideas into an already packed schedule. The day ends with Oktoberfest, late nights, escalator shenanigans, and a trip back to the Airbnb to talk shit until midnight. And starts straight back into IMTS, with Jamie working his way through tooling, workholding, abrasives, automation, and an increasingly ridiculous collection of machines. There’s discussion about Index’s wild multi-spindle Swiss setup, Siemens PLCs and integrating a probe, a tiny CNC project for grinding serrations into inserts, and why apparently a pneumatic vise is now something Jamie needs to build. They also discover that the steel shelf was actually aluminium, leading to Tall Jacob being sent in because nobody knows who he is. Meanwhile, Curt continues experiencing IMTS through messages and social media, while Jamie keeps getting recognized by his voice and discovering that seemingly everyone is at the show. Add in giant machines, questionable prototypes, FOMO, meetups, karaoke, and a water bottle that is becoming increasingly thick, chunky, and girthy, and Tuesday at IMTS is shaping up nicely. Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S2 · E1
Tuesday · 16 min· Video
Day 1: How the Hell Do You Program This Thing?
IMTS is officially underway, and Jamie has already discovered that three hours in the machine tool hall gets you through roughly one third of it. In this Monday recap, Jamie and Curt catch up on the first day of the show, the meetup, the endless FOMO, and the sheer number of people, conversations, machines, stickers, and merch flying around. Jamie talks about getting recognized by his voice, finally meeting Grimsmo, collecting enough stickers to make his water bottle significantly girthier, and spending the day wandering through the halls with various machinists and manufacturers. There’s also plenty of machine-shop nerdiness, including Index’s ridiculous multi-spindle Swiss setup, the LK machine Jamie is eyeing, tiny C250s, high-precision five-axis machines, temperature compensation, giant gantry routers, and a massive hamburger being milled from a ton and a half of material. Meanwhile, Curt gets to experience IMTS entirely through everyone else’s Instagram stories. And apparently Jamie is now being peer-pressured into making a pneumatic vise. Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E90
September 14 · 1 hr 1 min· Video
Ep. 90: The IMTS Pregame
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, the machines are starting to outproduce the humans, which sounds great right up until you realize somebody still has to finish all those damn parts. Curt is running huge production batches ahead of a pre-sale, discovering just how much his machines can actually produce, and realizing that hand finishing is rapidly becoming the bottleneck. We get into pocket clips, blasting, tumbling, sanding, scotch-briting, abrasive brushes, custom tooling, and increasingly questionable ideas for automating the finishing process. Jamie is getting ready to head to IMTS, trying to prove out programs before leaving, considering whether a Swiss machine might actually make sense, and dealing with a workshop back door that has apparently decided it wants to become a water feature. There’s also plenty of discussion about Instagram posts versus reels, ultrasonics, production mistakes, traveling to the US, and the increasingly chaotic schedule surrounding IMTS and the following weeks. The machines are doing their jobs. Now apparently the humans need to catch up. The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E89
September 8 · 1 hr 4 min· Video
Ep. 89: Everyone Wants a Willy
This week's episode of the Lone Machinist is basically what happens when the machines start producing faster than the humans can keep up. Curt is drowning in production, running huge batches of parts ahead of a pre-sale and discovering that the real bottleneck isn't machining anymore — it's finishing. We get into hand-finishing pocket clips, blasting, tumbling, abrasive brushes, custom tooling, and the increasingly ridiculous idea of automating all the bits that happen after the machine stops. Jamie, meanwhile, is preparing for IMTS, trying to quote a massive recurring machining job, figuring out how to make some questionable drawings less stupid to manufacture, and discovering that his new workshop has a back door that apparently doubles as a water feature. There's also international shipping, tariffs on stickers, transporting a ridiculous amount of merch to the US, Instagram deciding that photos aren't interesting anymore, and Curt continuing down the ultrasonic-cleaner rabbit hole. And somewhere in all of this, a bigger printer and possibly a Swiss machine start looking like perfectly reasonable purchases. Basically: the machines are doing their jobs. Unfortunately, we aren't keeping up. Links Discussed: Comparing Ultrasonic Units Video: https://youtu.be/rdouvT3zZzg?si=86_zWZ3fT2RyzE_l IMTS Meet Up RSVP Form: https://forms.gle/CQXMmFsTZEytb8gD7 The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E88
September 2 · 1 hr 19 min· Video
Ep. 88: Scaling Without Losing Your Shit
This week on the Lone Machinist, Curt finally fixes his titanium anodizing problems—and discovers that the secret was apparently replacing the Multi-Etch he’d been using for years. Suddenly the anodizing behaves, the fades work, and he can leave batches running without turning everything into expensive scrap. Meanwhile, Jamie has gone completely off the rails with production. A 4,800-piece aluminium order has the machines running practically around the clock, with spindle gripping cranking through parts while Jamie swaps trays, programs jobs and generally becomes the pallet-changing robot himself. There’s also bar pulling, proper spindle liners, 15,000 upcoming parts, a fourth axis hacked into the PLC, and four completely inappropriate pressure switches. The conversation eventually turns to the real problem with scaling: machining more parts is easy. Finishing, cleaning, anodizing, packing and shipping the damn things is where everything starts falling apart. Also: Millbilly manoeuvres, questionable purchasing decisions, and the ongoing discovery that Jamie is, apparently, illiterate. Links Discussed: IMTS Meet Up RSVP Form: https://forms.gle/CQXMmFsTZEytb8gD7 The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E87
August 26 · 1 hr 19 min· Video
Ep. 87: If You Want Me to Do It, Pay Me Properly
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie has one hell of a week in the shop. A mold job turns into roughly 40 hours of machining in just three days, including a late-night finish, while the machine burns through an impressive amount of coolant along the way. It also sparks a much-needed conversation about pricing, especially when a retrofit or machine job takes significantly longer than expected. Meanwhile, Curt continues experimenting with anodizing and gets increasingly consistent results before dropping some big news: a 100W MOPA fiber laser and fourth axis are on the way. Back at the shop, Jamie is working on ways to automate more of the production process, including improvements to the spindle gripper, automated part handling, and a new coolant-level monitoring system designed to survive the reality of life inside a CNC machine. There's also plenty of discussion about production planning, R&D, getting machines to run unattended, and the eternal struggle of trying to take a few days off when you're the person everyone relies on to keep the machines running. 40 hours of machining. 60 litres of coolant. One very tired machinist. Links Discussed: IMTS Meet Up RSVP Form: https://forms.gle/CQXMmFsTZEytb8gD7 CyberPunk FPV Mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/cyberpunk2077/mods/31642 The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E86
August 19 · 1 hr 12 min· Video
Ep. 86: Spindle Grippers and Questionable Decisions
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie and Curt discover that zero-point workholding really is fucking magical. Jamie has reached the point where swapping between jobs is becoming almost stupidly easy. A tray comes out, another goes in, the machine already knows where everything is, and production can carry on without spending half an hour re-indicating a setup. The Anchor Point system has officially gone from "cool workholding system" to religion. And there is plenty more happening around the shop. Jamie is preparing for the upcoming IMTS trip, including a meetup at Justin's shop in Cleveland. The current plan involves landing in New York in the morning and then driving roughly eight hours straight to Cleveland for the meetup. Because apparently flying halfway around the world isn't enough punishment. Then comes another retrofit. Jamie discovers that the drives on the machine use a proprietary encoder communication system, meaning the easy solution he was hoping for isn't actually a solution at all. The motors can stay, but new encoder wiring needs to be pulled through the energy chain — approximately 60 metres of encoder cable worth of fun. Meanwhile, the shop is getting busier, the new workshop continues to evolve, and Jamie is preparing to change coolant on the LK because the existing coolant is getting increasingly thick with tramp oil. The replacement is an aluminium-specific coolant that is about to get thrown directly into a production job — because apparently the best way to test coolant is to put expensive parts in it. And, as always, the episode eventually reaches the Google Box, where Curt has drones, transmitters and AliExpress purchases waiting for a sale, while Jamie has tiny screws, pneumatic check valves and yet another reason to spend money online. Links Discussed: IMTS Meet Up RSVP Form: https://forms.gle/CQXMmFsTZEytb8gD7 Kens Keyboards: https://notsuspicious.com/ Lego: https://www.reddit.com/r/DontPutThatInYourAss/comments/1nd8ant/legobutt_plug/ The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E85
August 12 · 58 min· Video
Ep. 85: Coolant, Calendars, and Counting Errors
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie discovers an important new limitation in his manufacturing capabilities: This week we're also talking about the reality of running production when customers apparently expect you to know which parts they need urgently without actually telling you which parts are urgent. "I'm not telepathic, motherfuckers." Jamie is trying to impose some sanity on the workday with a hard 7 PM cutoff and a maximum of 540 minutes of production time per day, because allowing customers to constantly turn everything into an emergency is a fantastic way to end up working every night. Meanwhile, the new 3D printer has gone from "cool new toy" to a legitimate production tool. In just five days, it's already clocked around 45 hours of printing, producing tool tags, trays, gripping fingers and other shop hardware. One batch of 75 small parts was made possible by printing custom trays, getting everything prepared while another machine was running, and then putting the CNC into three hours of unattended production. Of course, the printer now has one major problem: The CNC is spraying coolant all over it. So naturally, the solution is to build a giant lid for the LK out of square tubing and plastic sheet rather than doing anything remotely sensible. So grab a coffee, check your quantities twice, and hit Cycle Start. Because apparently 28 does not come after 27. Links Discussed: nimble gripper: https://nimblegripper.com/ tool audit: https://jspeceng.github.io/Tool-Audit/ How ELRS Works: https://youtu.be/ssmQkRkXE84?si=FisbQeGbXOltDpLv IMTS Meet Up RSVP Form: https://forms.gle/CQXMmFsTZEytb8gD7 The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E85
August 5 · 1 hr 21 min· Video
Ep. 84: Birthday Cake and Broken Machines
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie celebrates another trip around the sun the only way a machinist knows how—by spending it surrounded by machines, projects, and just enough chaos to keep life interesting. Because apparently birthdays don't stop production schedules. The guys catch up on everything happening in the shop, from ongoing product development and production runs to the constant balancing act between making parts, designing new products, and finding enough hours in the day to do both. As always, every solved problem seems to reveal two more waiting just around the corner. There's plenty of discussion about running a small manufacturing business, the realities of launching new products, and why building a successful shop is often less about having the perfect idea and more about consistently shipping good work. Along the way, the conversation wanders into birthdays, family traditions, workshop stories, and the little moments that remind you life exists outside the machine shop... even if only briefly. Whether you're running a one-person shop, dreaming up your next product, or just trying to make it through another production week, there's something in this episode for every machinist. In This Episode: Birthday celebrations, machinist style Shop updates and production progress Product development and what's coming next Running a small manufacturing business Lessons learned from another busy week The usual machining stories and terrible jokes Why coffee is still the most important shop tool Grab a coffee, hit Cycle Start, and remember: Birthdays are temporary... unfinished shop projects are forever. Links Discussed: nimble gripper: https://nimblegripper.com/ applied science: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyIQkqBXhS0 The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E83
July 29 · 1 hr 7 min· Video
Ep. 83: Nimble Gripper Has Entered the Chat
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie and Curt discover that making great machining videos is almost as difficult as making great parts. After another week of production, Jamie is finally looking at upgrading the workshop camera setup. The problem? His current action camera has all the image quality of a potato with a lens, which isn't exactly ideal when you're trying to film chips flying inside a CNC machine. The guys compare cameras, lighting, low-light performance, and whether an old cellphone might actually outperform a dedicated action camera. Meanwhile, the shop keeps moving forward. Jamie is preparing to run another batch of parts, making a new bar puller, and juggling product development while trying to find enough hours in the day to actually make chips. As always, production has a habit of getting in the way of all the exciting projects. The conversation also takes a hilarious detour into AI-generated search summaries after discovering that one of Jamie's websites has somehow been identified as a podcast hosted by AJ and Harrison instead of... well... the actual hosts. It's a perfect reminder that AI can be incredibly useful... and incredibly confident while being completely wrong. As always, there's plenty of discussion about shop life, content creation, product development, and the ongoing balancing act between building cool things and actually having time to show them to the world. So grab a coffee, hit Cycle Start, and remember: The part only takes five minutes to machine... getting the camera angle right takes forty-five. Links Discussed: nimble gripper: https://nimblegripper.com/ The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E82
July 22 · 1 hr 15 min· Video
Ep. 82: Reddit Is Mad Again
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie and Curt dive into one of the less glamorous sides of making products: the internet. Between first-come, first-served launches, Reddit outrage, and the inevitable flood of "you should have made more" messages, they discuss why selling a popular product sometimes means disappointing more people than it pleases. And yes... rage comments still count as engagement. Jamie shares an update on Noughtical Workholding, where the next generation of products is already getting redesigned before it's even released. What started as a compact BT30 design has evolved into a Cat40 side-lock version after conversations with beta testers exposed a few practical realities. Sometimes the best feedback is the question you didn't think anyone would ask. The conversation also turns to the realities of growing a manufacturing business. Instead of chasing every custom job forever, Jamie explains why the long-term goal is investing in products and R&D that can scale, while still keeping the machines busy enough to pay the bills. It's the balancing act every small manufacturer knows all too well. Meanwhile, Curt talks about the emotional rollercoaster of product launches, why you can never build enough inventory, and how the internet somehow manages to be simultaneously your biggest marketing tool and your biggest headache. The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E81
July 15 · 1 hr 29 min· Video
Ep. 81: Teaching Engineers to Talk with Al Whatmough
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie and Curt are joined by Al Whatmough, whose career has taken him from apprentice machinist to educator, software leader, and one of the driving forces behind modern CAM. It's a conversation that's less about software and more about how great ideas actually happen. Al shares the journey from teaching machining and CAD classes to helping grow Autodesk's CAM products from a niche offering into a platform used by hundreds of thousands of machinists around the world. Along the way, he explains why teaching turned out to be the most valuable skill he ever learned—and why being able to communicate ideas is often more important than having the right answer. The discussion dives into apprenticeships, learning from the quiet machinists who never stop making chips, and why engineers have a habit of disappearing into problem-solving mode when sometimes the fastest solution is simply asking someone a question. As Al puts it, innovation happens at the speed of communication. The conversation also explores the evolution of CAD and CAM, breaking down why connecting previously separate workflows changed manufacturing forever, and how AI is beginning to create another generation of connected tools. Jamie, Curt, and Al compare how they use AI in their own work, from research and programming to image generation and designing machine controllers. Whether you're running a one-man shop, leading a manufacturing team, teaching apprentices, or simply trying to become a better engineer, this episode is packed with practical lessons on communication, learning, and continuous improvement. Grab a coffee, hit Cycle Start, and remember: The best tool in the shop isn't always the newest machine—sometimes it's the five-minute conversation that saves five days of work. Links Discussed: Concrete Lathe: http://instructables.com/Concrete-Metal-Lathe Unitwist: https://unitwist.com/ The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/ Al: https://www.instagram.com/al.whatmough/ https://www.g28.io/
S1 · E80
July 8 · 49 min· Video
Ep. 80: Production Doesn't Care That You're Dying
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie discovers that running a machine shop while fighting off a brutal cough is a lot like running production with a worn-out end mill—you'll get there eventually, but it's going to make some unpleasant noises along the way. Curt spends most of the episode wondering whether he's going to catch the illness through the internet, while Jamie repeatedly reaches for the mute button to save everyone's ears. Despite feeling like he'd been hit by a freight train, there's still plenty happening in the shop. Keel Clamps are finally back in stock, another batch of Barnacles is making its way through production, anodizing is underway, and an elusive APO machine issue is proving that CNC controllers always know the worst possible time to misbehave. Meanwhile, Curt has been battling relentless storms while grinding through production work and shares one of those brilliantly simple workshop discoveries that makes you wonder why you didn't think of it years ago. The guys swap stories about productivity, shop organization, software, and the reality that every problem you solve immediately introduces two more. Later in the episode, they compare approaches to product development, discussing why it's often better to get an idea into customers' hands quickly rather than endlessly polishing it in CAD. As always, it turns into a discussion about making cool stuff, simplifying workflows, and shipping products instead of perfecting them forever. Grab a coffee, hit Cycle Start, and remember: Machines don't care if you're sick... they just pick that moment to break. The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Want to try out Toolpath? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E79
July 1 · 1 hr 12 min· Video
Ep. 79: Month-End Is a Contact Sport
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie is fighting on two fronts: a mystery illness that's trying to end the episode early, and a CNC controller that's decided now is the perfect time to develop an attitude. Somehow, despite the coughing, month-end admin, and machine diagnostics, the show goes on. The guys dive into the latest shop updates, including another batch of Barnacles, fresh anodizing adventures, and the welcome return of Kill Clamps, which are finally back in stock after the laser has been working overtime. Of course, it wouldn't be a Lone Machinist episode without at least one machine throwing a curveball, and this week's culprit is an APO issue that's proving much harder to diagnose than it should be. Curt, meanwhile, has been battling monsoon weather, slogging through production work, and discovers one of those brilliantly simple workshop gadgets that makes you wonder why nobody thought of it sooner—a number-pad mouse that might just be the ultimate CAD companion. As always, the conversation wanders through production efficiency, workshop life, software quirks, and the strange reality that every time one problem gets solved, two more seem to appear. Grab a coffee, hit Cycle Start, and remember: The machine only behaves when someone else is watching. The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Want to try out Toolpath? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E78
June 24 · 1 hr 5 min· Video
Ep. 78: Marketplace Finds and Questionable Decisions
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie returns from the chaos of moving an entire machine shop, only to discover that the universe rewards hard work with paperwork, broken internet, and even more work. The new shop is running, production is back online, and somehow an employee is shipping orders while Jamie isn't even there — a concept so foreign it feels suspicious. Meanwhile, Curt celebrates New Machine Day, although not the kind anyone expected. A ridiculously cheap Marketplace find turns into U-Haul adventures, reorganizing the shop, and the realization that exercise equipment is significantly larger when it's sitting in your garage instead of on Facebook Marketplace. The guys also discuss machine retrofits, servo nightmares, why spare taps only work if you buy them before you need them, and the magical experience of watching orders leave the building while you're somewhere else entirely. Apparently employees are just robots that complain less and require fewer macros. There's also an important public service announcement for South African machinists after Jamie discovers he's apparently one of the few people in the country who actually runs a spindle warm-up cycle. Because nothing says confidence like immediately sending a cold spindle into battle and hoping for the best. Links Discussed: Concrete Lathe: http://instructables.com/Concrete-Metal-Lathe Unitwist: https://unitwist.com/ The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Want to try out Toolpath? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E77
June 17 · 1 hr 19 min· Video
Ep. 77: Break Glass in Case of Feelings
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie and Curt discover that modern machining is really just thousands of lines of code standing between you and catastrophic stupidity. After a mysterious edge case causes a surprise Z-crash, Jamie finds himself debugging macros, reading error logs, and remotely killing machines at three in the morning because apparently sleep is optional. Meanwhile, the zero-point systems continue proving they're powered by black magic, fixtures are being swapped like Pokémon cards, and twenty microns of error is apparently close enough to inspire religious experiences. The new shop is slowly coming together, although progress is competing with the minor inconvenience of actually having paying work to do. Somewhere between making a thousand parts, moving equipment, and planning the next automation project, Jamie decides that what the workshop really needs is labels, a talking stick behind bulletproof glass, and a toilet brush permanently marked "Not For Rectal Use." There are discussions about knife automation, grippers with springs, flip stations, and the accidental addition of Bukaki Mode™, proving once again that software features should probably have adult supervision. So grab a coffee, hit cycle start, and remember: The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Want to try out Toolpath? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E76
June 10 · 1 hr 17 min· Video
Ep. 76: The Billet Volcano Arms Race with Ben from Blackfox
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie drags Ben from Black Fox Machining into an emergency guest appearance after recent developments sent the machining community into full rumor mode. Running on almost no sleep and questionable amounts of enthusiasm, the guys dive into everything from home-built CNC machines to the strange reality of becoming accidental role models. Ben shares how a burnt guitar neck, a B-minus shop project, and scavenging parts from scrap bins somehow led to a career in machining. Along the way, the conversation wanders through DIY routers, waterjet shops, engineering school disappointments, and the fine art of becoming a professional shop-floor vulture. Meanwhile, Curt and Jamie discover that raising children in workshops might create unrealistic expectations. Apparently not every garage contains CNC mills, laser cutters, 3D printers, and enough machinery to casually build a billet volcano for a science fair. Curt nearly melts when his daughter announces she wants to become an astronaut, while Jamie confesses to being that guy who helped nieces and nephews turn ordinary school projects into unfair competitions. If you've ever rescued expensive components from a scrap bin, worried about accidentally building your kid's science project to aerospace standards, or looked around your workshop and thought, "Wait… normal people don't have this stuff?", this episode is for you. The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Want to try out Toolpath? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/ Ben: https://black-fox-machining.square.site/ https://www.youtube.com/@blackfoxmachining https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe4Um8tm8DH7WqR94WgeMwjHXlDi9R2GvSe3ayuYfPUHFVreQ/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0
S1 · E75
June 3 · 1 hr 14 min· Video
Ep. 75: CADing a Fence Like It's Aerospace
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie finally gets the keys to the new workshop and immediately discovers that moving a machine shop involves approximately 4,000 decisions, 7,000 trips to hardware stores, and at least one full-scale CAD model of the building. Floor plans are taped out, paint is being thrown around, machines are getting shuffled, and somehow there's still time to argue about carts. Meanwhile, Curt discovers that being nice to people is apparently a business strategy, his X5 is doubling as an industrial space heater, and he may have reached peak machinist by CADing an entire fence before it was built. The contractor was impressed. Everyone else thought he was insane. The long-awaited pneumatic vice finally arrives, barnacles are multiplying in the shop, anodizing experiments go slightly sideways, and both hosts spend an unhealthy amount of time discussing fixtures, keyboards, organization carts, and why every shop project somehow creates three more shop projects. If you've ever bought a machine before you figured out where to put it, designed furniture in CAD, or convinced yourself that "one more fixture" would solve all your problems, this episode is for you. Grab a coffee, avoid the mosquitoes, and enjoy the ride. Links Discussed: Seguin.Ink: https://www.instagram.com/seguinink?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Notsuspicousmfg: https://www.instagram.com/notsuspiciousmfg?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Want to try out Toolpath? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
S1 · E74
May 27 · 1 hr 15 min· Video
Ep. 74: Death Pallet Stackers & Other OSHA Nightmares
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie accidentally speedruns manufacturing because he misread an order and panic-machined a batch of anchor point bodies before realizing they were the wrong version. Meanwhile, Kurt discovers that machining titanium from round bar is somehow less efficient and more efficient at the same time, which feels spiritually correct for machining. We also dive deep into: Industrial shop planning using LEGO men Why carbide prices now require emotional preparation Homemade chip-handling death traps Power draw graphs that make the house lights dim like a horror movie The extremely scientific measurement system known as “1453 bananas” Why random people keep wandering into machine shops asking for jobs And how a chair noise nearly derailed the entire episode There’s also: fountain pens, Linux CNC rabbit holes, load balancing, tumblers in Wendy houses, tiny linear rails, giant tool steel blocks, and enough Home Assistant automation to accidentally become a low-budget smart factory. If you’ve ever looked at a machine tool quote and immediately started calculating breaker amperage… this episode is for you. Links Discussed: sigma wallet: https://www.sigmawallet.net/ The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/ Want to try out Toolpath? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/ Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ https://www.noughticalwh.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/

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