Business of Machining

#459 Hardening the automation system

Yesterday at 4:00 AM

Topics:

Air filtration upgrades ADD AIR FILTER NOTES Horizontal is gone Hardening the automation system Low temp alloys tested! Challenge - elegant solution, want a way for compressors to shut off

#458 Being proud of yourself

06/19/2026

Topics:

Being proud of yourself Low melt alloys, again Willemmin robot down Norseman lock insert accuracy Sole sourcing material

#457 Blade Show Collaboration Knife of the Year

06/12/2026

Topics:

Blade show Collaboration knife of the year White light interferometer working! Robot system hiccups cutting steel Overhaul compressor system Wax fixturing success Waterfall cashflow

#456 Wax fixturing and carbon fiber

05/22/2026

Topics:

Wax fixturing and carbon fiber Robot outfeed tables SMW machine updates White light interferometer working!? Justin interning at Saunders

#455 New intern at Saunders

05/15/2026

Topics:

Six types of working genius New intern at Saunders Carbon fiber inlays Fishbone diagram Memory rail photo gallery

#454 Going nuclear on changes

05/08/2026

Topics:

ERP updates Prompt engineering 19 hours of footage from California Brother S500 + UR robot 3d surfacing vs 2d contour Painters tape on toolboxes

#453 Grimsmo's shop tours around California

05/01/2026

Topics:

Mammoth summit recap "Do you wnat to be right, or do you want to make money?" - Jim Belosic
"40/70 rule" - Jim Belosic Raise your prices? New machines at SMW Grimsmo's shop tours around California "Ask me whatever questions you need before starting this task" "Stop starting and start finishing"

#452 Mammoth Summit on a chairlift

04/17/2026

Topics:

Chairlift conversations

#451 Claude programming

04/10/2026

Topics:

Mammoth ski trip Shantaram book Claude programming Internal purchase orders UR robot deburring Custom step drills

#450 Growth eats cash for breakfast

03/27/2026

Topics:

SMW buys more machines - growth eats cash for breakfast Oil contaminating encoders Fusion sketch slowness and diffraction gratings Coolant maintenance ShopVR Watchmaking deep dive

#449 Don't go chasing waterfalls

03/20/2026

Topics:

Dollhouse of SMW custom tips for dial indicators bismuth, wax, thermopolymers Blade fixturing Ai automations Don't go chasing waterfalls Precision microcast podcast

#448 Everything in the world is triangles

03/13/2026

Topics:

Shipping and tarrifs Fishbone diagram Clamping induced distortion Managing our growth

#447 Shop layout in CAD

03/06/2026

Topics:

Shop layout in CAD Slip roll? UR robot on Speedio Haas machine for sale White Light interferometer Non contact measurement

#446 Speedios automated

02/20/2026

Topics:

UMC400 coolant dribble Speedio automation White Light interferometer Ai Agents Johnny Five

#445 SendCutSend machining

02/13/2026

Topics:

Motorized ball valves and "Shelley plus one" and "switchbot" Diffraction Limited "Micro Manipulator Project" White light interferometer SendCutSend machining Scrapped 30 blades Put a moat in the calendar

#444 Stuff I forget

02/06/2026

Topics:

Shop renovations and office updates Grimsmo lathes are back up and running Shop phone systems Stop the bleed course Vibration sensors Best productivity tip: "Leave yourself an unbelievably easy spot to pick it up the project again" Stuff I forget Speedio automation cells

#443 Webcams watching our robots

01/30/2026

Topics:

POE camera tracking machine alarms Python programs to display DPRNT data Measuring systems Grimsmo's office update Lathe updates Trond power strips with mounting ears on Amazon

#442 Speedio automation

01/23/2026

Topics:

Speedio automation Social media addictions Mammoth Ski Trip White Light Interferomety! Johnny Five update Grinding

#441 Keyence microscope demo

01/16/2026

Topics:

Tool life and strategy Okuma Horizontal for sale Keyence microscope demo Custom python programs Bar-feedio Expectations in a shop

#440 Be present

01/09/2026

Topics:

2026 goals for the year Be present Speedio automation cell Evaporating coolant Grimsmo is on a quest to learn everything there is to know about ultraprecision manufacturing

#439 Checklist for buying machines

12/19/2025

Topics:

Latest obsessions - recycling used coolant - foam 2026 roadmap - what do people want? - execution. - collaborative planning - Complete each task in a way you're proud of Checklist for buying machines SMW Brother is installed! Grimsmo Speedio quest for ultra precision Embarassing Babmu moment

#438 Pissed: Motion sensors when moving machines

12/12/2025

Topics:

Within Tolerance podcast shoutout Pissed: GPS sensors when moving machines First part on SMW's Brother Speedio optimization at Grimsmo SMW Dec 18th hosting Toolpath webinar Grimsmo vision system deep dive Ai tip - feeding it the right imformation Shopify integration

#437 White light interferometer and Grimsmo Vision

12/05/2025

Topics:

White light interferometer and Grimsmo Vision Solving other people's problems, not just your own Saunders travelled to Lights Out Automation, Metalquest, Autodesk, Lambcrafted, and Johnny Five New Speedio and UMC Historical financials

#436 Blocking wax

11/14/2025

Topics:

Blocking wax Measuring porosity in metal Nesting software White light interferometer Audio issues fixed?

#435 Kern float sensors

11/07/2025

Topics:

Audio issues on podcast? Waterjet mod vises Kern float sensors The power of vision systems and AI

#434 Measuring anodizing hardness

10/31/2025

Topics:

Should we die with zero? Measuring anodizing hardness Engineering change notifications Home assistant Foam update Video on probing Lights Out Automation - integrator

#433 15 minute time tracker and critical task lists

10/24/2025

Topics:

Foam update Rachel Whiteread art exhibit 15 minute trackers Mailcall from Abom79 Buying a paving company Water filtration

#432 Raspberry Pi Home Assistant and webcams

10/17/2025

Topics:

Stress relieving titanium Robot flip fixtures Foam update Raspberry Pi Home Assistant and webcams Probing too much Telescopes and lenses

#431 Tariffs

10/10/2025

Topics:

Tariffs Visit to Tuck's Garage Johnny Five is almost alive Speedio S700 purchased! Fieldly.ai (necklace pendant) DIY foam inserts

#430 Tough days

10/03/2025

Topics:

Tough days CMTS tradeshow Selling machines and building the shop Gorilla Stand micro adjustment Kuka arm rubber scraper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS4Bpr2BgnE Influencer marketing

#429 Cheat sheet for different AI's.

09/26/2025

TOPICS:

Watchmaking CA Glue White light interferomety DIFFRACTION LIMITED VIDEO MUST WATCH: https://youtu.be/MgQbPdiuUTw?si=cvqbxAIJuswziIl9 Cheat sheet for different AI's. Notebook LM Tool wear issues on small parts

#428 Selling the Okuma horizontal

09/19/2025

TOPICS:

New computer specs UR10e robot Building a white light interferometer Watchmaking Selling the Okuma horizontal Finishing Johnny Five

#427 White Light Interferometry

09/12/2025

TOPICS:

Tradeshows, Kern Precision days Adam from Laney Machine Tech Cyrus from Cylos Garage White Light Interferometry SMW expanding pins

#426 Drilling and tool life

09/05/2025

TOPICS:

Drilling and tool life Through spindle coolant Speedio S500 details Argon results in heat treat Gorilla stand

#425 Machining graphite

08/29/2025

TOPICS:

Argon purging heat treat bags Revisiting tool life in steel Tapping, form tapping, threadmilling Machining graphite

#424 I hate rework

08/22/2025

TOPICS:

I hate rework Aligning the Erowa chuck on the Kern Expanding clamps One piece flow vs batchwork

#423 What's the ideal retirement home shop?

08/15/2025

TOPICS:

Saunders smashed his finger Met NileRED What's the ideal retirement home shop? Corporate Saga pens Inventory Vapor blasting

#422 AI vs search engines

08/01/2025

I vs We in business Dave Precise: "The best decision is the one that will let you make the next decision faster" AI vs search engines 5 axis work Vapor honing

#421 Atlanta retrieval mission

07/11/2025

TOPICS:

Atlanta retrieval mission Kern coolant float fixed-ish Johnny Five motor gears M2 buttons Dave Precise episode on Within Tolerance

#420 Johnny Five electrical schematic

07/04/2025

TOPICS:

Air compressor and coolant problems Johnny Five electrical schematic M2 steel testing Hard threading Prototyping 5 axis parts