Parts Department

By Justin Brouillette & Jem Freeman

Justin Brouillette (Portland CNC) & Jem Freeman (Like Butter) discuss CNC machines, their product design and manufacturing businesses, and every kind of tool that they fancy.

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4.4

99 ratings

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FAQs about Parts Department:

How many episodes does Parts Department have?

The podcast currently has 167 episodes available.

Parts Department episodes:

December 09, 2025164 - The filthy assistants
Jem and Justin catch up after Thanksgiving, celebrating the sale of Justin's YCM mill and his new fiber laser adventures. They swap stories about home automation dreams, robot programming, and the joys of hiring with AI assistance. Plus, a touching tribute to the generous soul who gave Jem his robots.
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DISCUSSED:
✍️ Comment or Suggest a Topic
UMC Ep2 Youtube
Chatty G voice feels so dumb ꘎
Oh my Packout fever ꘎
Claude 4.5 Haiku looses the plot again ꘎
Opus 4.5 daily drive
Importance of a good sump
Getting daily fiber
Justin bought this 30w Fiber laser
Death
New Hire for PDX CNC?
Home Assistant? - Hacksmith / Grimsmo
Hacksmith Knife Vlogs

---
Profit First Playlist
Classic Episodes Playlist
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Show Info
Show Website
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Please note: Show notes contains affiliate links.

HOSTS
Jem Freeman
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Like Butter | Instagram | More Links

Justin Brouillette
Portland, Oregon, USA
PDX CNC | Instagram | More Links
...more
1h
November 25, 2025163 - Jokes don't work in space
Jem records from a van battling massive audio lag while engineers occupy his shop floor. He celebrates winning Business of the Year and permits for the new home shed. Justin is drowning in rush jobs, finding a surprise in the YCM sale, and daycare lice. Plus, they discuss buying fiber lasers, upgrading the Fusion Bulk importer, and fancy 5-axis calibration tools.
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DISCUSSED:
✍️ Comment or Suggest a Topic
Rush the rush
Elephant Robotics - Nestworks CNC
.0003,.0006,.0006 (.0076, .0015, .0015mm)
Focused Training
Updated Fusion Bulk Importer to v.2 Add-in
Local awards
Building workshops for other people
Planning permit
Justin buying this 30w Fiber laser
Jem's laserpecker

---
Profit First Playlist
Classic Episodes Playlist
---
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Become a Patreon - Get the Secret Show
Review on Apple Podcast
Share with a Friend

Discuss on Show Subreddit
Show Info
Show Website
Contact Jem & Justin
Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook | Youtube

Please note: Show notes contains affiliate links.
HOSTS
Jem Freeman
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Like Butter | Instagram | More Links

Justin Brouillette
Portland, Oregon, USA
PDX CNC | Instagram | More Links
...more
44min
November 11, 2025162 - Grumpy boss mans
Jem's been grumpy after a slow studio sale, while Justin's juggling rush jobs solo. They chat about robot vacuums saving thousands in labor costs, Justin's new task app that harasses you into productivity, coolant mixers, and why reflection time keeps slipping away. Plus hacked Unitree robots spreading viruses like worms. Both feeling the squeeze between email and actual work.
Watch on Youtube
DISCUSSED:
✍️ Comment or Suggest a Topic
Solo humpin
Glue ups
Creative Woodworking mini tour
Slave to email ⠄
Unicorn Sales and Support hires?
Luddite floor cleaning ꘎
Grumpy boss ꘎
I need your app ꘎
Shopify MCP coming ST
No reflection makes Jem a dull boy ꘎
More grumpy ꘎
Spray booth build ꘎
Two new robots at PDX CNC
Boss capacity limiting
Unitree robots hacked

---
Profit First Playlist
Classic Episodes Playlist
---
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Become a Patreon - Get the Secret Show
Review on Apple Podcast
Share with a Friend

Discuss on Show Subreddit
Show Info
Show Website
Contact Jem & Justin
Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook | Youtube

Please note: Show notes contains affiliate links.

HOSTS
Jem Freeman
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Like Butter | Instagram | More Links

Justin Brouillette
Portland, Oregon, USA
PDX CNC | Instagram | More Links
...more
55min
November 04, 2025161 - I want my hat back
Jem and Justin geek out over Jon Klassen. Jem’s selling equipment. They chat UMC updates, marketing consultant wisdom, and why email rules sales plus thoughts on pneumatic air line strategy.
Watch on Youtube
DISCUSSED:
✍️ Comment or Suggest a Topic
Jon Klassen books are good
Where is my hat
So many jobs
UMC update, closer
Jem sells his Multicam Router
May sell YCM?
Unhook, dismantle room
Talked to a consultant
Email is best method for sales, don't worry about unsub
Website conversion
AI management
Uses social media to confirm
Finalist business awards in AU
Pneumatic air lines workshop optimisation
Maxline
Camaster Out of Business?

---
Profit First Playlist
Classic Episodes Playlist
---
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Become a Patreon - Get the Secret Show
Review on Apple Podcast
Share with a Friend

Discuss on Show Subreddit
Show Info
Show Website
Contact Jem & Justin
Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook | Youtube

Please note: Show notes contains affiliate links.
HOSTS
Jem Freeman
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Like Butter | Instagram | More Links
Justin Brouillette
Portland, Oregon, USA
PDX CNC | Instagram | More Links
...more
46min
October 28, 2025160 - Does Profit First Work?
Our biggest Profit First review yet. Jem and Justin break down why the system saved their businesses, how Mercury Bank automation beats manual tracking, and why you don't need to be perfect with it. Plus the psychology of fake scarcity, stealing from the right accounts, and what happens when sales are better than you hoped.
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DISCUSSED:
✍️ Comment or Suggest a Topic
UMC 🤘
Phil's AU 2024 Fusion Workflow Template Talk
Hot, stressed, sunburnt feeling but great sales
Baby pants obsession
Dian Jin Vise DJ-1217

PROFIT FIRST
Profit First Resources Page
Eric Larson start PF (10%)
2sec lean it
Justin's bank - Mercury
ST Assistant
Restructure - Split Lease and Payroll
New Debt account
New Mercury Distro Days (Fridays)
Weekly vs Fortnight
91% elusive - broke it finally
KittaParts 50%
Trust the system

Starting Accounts
Income
Profit
OpEx
Materials & Freight
Payroll
Lease
Tax

---
Profit First Playlist
Classic Episodes Playlist
---
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Become a Patreon - Get the Secret Show
Review on Apple Podcast
Share with a Friend

Discuss on Show Subreddit
Show Info
Show Website
Contact Jem & Justin
Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook | Youtube

Please note: Show notes contains affiliate links.

HOSTS
Jem Freeman
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Like Butter | Instagram | More Links

Justin Brouillette
Portland, Oregon, USA
PDX CNC | Instagram | More Links
...more
55min
October 21, 2025159 - Nano Banana Daddy
Jem and Justin catch up after Justin's anniversary trip, discussing his new Haas UMC 5-axis mill installation and Jem's late-night robot programming sessions. They explore the Lang workholding system, debate the death of traditional rendering with AI tools like Nano Banana, and share skepticism about Sora video generation. Justin turns down a massive aluminum router job due to equipment limitations while Jem perfects his ABB dual-robot sanding setup.
Watch on Youtube
DISCUSSED:
✍️ Comment or Suggest a Topic
UMC landed, Ep 1 on Youtube
Jem's Robot Workholding
Lang QP 45963
$20k parts no quote
Rendering is dead. ꘎
Nano Banana Daddy
Sora 2
Casey Neistat on AI
Fang shipped!
HTX new video

---
Profit First Playlist
Classic Episodes Playlist
---
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Become a Patreon - Get the Secret Show
Review on Apple Podcast
Share with a Friend

Discuss on Show Subreddit
Show Info
Show Website
Contact Jem & Justin
Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook | Youtube

Please note: Show notes contains affiliate links.

HOSTS
Jem Freeman
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Like Butter | Instagram | More Links

Justin Brouillette
Portland, Oregon, USA
PDX CNC | Instagram | More Links
...more
40min
October 07, 2025158 - Matthew, Lord of Vinyl Box
Jem and Justin welcome their first-ever planned guest, Matt Swaidan of Simple Wood Goods. The Ohio-based maker discusses his decade-long journey building a modular vinyl storage business, custom CAM software called Beaver, and automated UR robot finishing lines. They explore surviving the 2022 Baltic birch crisis, intentional downsizing, digital marketing strategies, and maintaining boundaries with four kids under six while running a focused manufacturing operation.
Watch on Youtube
DISCUSSED:
✍️ Comment or Suggest a Topic
We have our first planned guest, Matthew Swaidan of Simple Wood Goods
Your business, GO
Your background?
So many boxes, did you set out to be a box lord?
Assembly line with UR robot
Software dev experience
https://speckle.systems/
Explain Beaver - Production CAM
Anderson Stratros Nest CNC router
Edge sealing experiments
Odoo
The edge bander retrofit?
How dig out of baltic birch?
Change your design or practices?
New products in mind? How much does the production line limit that?
Online marketing experience
Ad spends 10% of revenue
Epoxy floors?

---
Profit First Playlist
Classic Episodes Playlist
---
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Become a Patreon - Get the Secret Show
Review on Apple Podcast
Share with a Friend

Discuss on Show Subreddit
Show Info
Show Website
Contact Jem & Justin
Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook | Youtube

Please note: Show notes contains affiliate links.
HOSTS
Jem Freeman
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Like Butter | Instagram | More Links
Justin Brouillette
Portland, Oregon, USA
PDX CNC | Instagram | More Links
...more
1h 9min
September 30, 2025157 - Just fang it
Jem fights corrupted robot flash disks while Justin battles predatory bank loans for his new mill. They discuss 5-axis machining mindset shifts, announce the Fang workholding clamps, geek out over Nano Banana's rendering magic, and debate Notebook LM vs custom AI agents. Plus: PS2 updates and Fusion's new text parameters.
Watch on Youtube
DISCUSSED:
✍️ Comment or Suggest a Topic
I bricked the robot ꘎
Brother 100 tool machine
Notebook LM (again) ꘎
Probing lust
Singularity graphs ꘎
Lieing Loaners
Fang Workholding Clamps
Lang Technik

---
Profit First Playlist
Classic Episodes Playlist
---
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Become a Patreon - Get the Secret Show
Review on Apple Podcast
Share with a Friend

Discuss on Show Subreddit
Show Info
Show Website
Contact Jem & Justin
Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook | Youtube

Please note: Show notes contains affiliate links.

HOSTS
Jem Freeman
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Like Butter | Instagram | More Links

Justin Brouillette
Portland, Oregon, USA
PDX CNC | Instagram | More Links
...more
56min
September 23, 2025156 - Mood enhancing week
Jem achieves lights-out ABB robot sanding with 3D printed horns and Grasshopper programming. Justin loses one CNC machine deal, finds another, signs the paperwork live on air. They explore Twig and Bot's robot probing, Jem's latest guesting on the Shop Stool Podcast, therapy for humans, and negotiation philosophy.
Watch on Youtube
DISCUSSED:
✍️ Comment or Suggest a Topic
High and lows
Hook em horns
Jem on Shop Stool Podcast
💰 UMC?
Twig and Bot Robot Probing
Buy the YCM - reach out, lets make a deal
Always negotiate - lease, machines, jobs
Matthew - Simple Wood Goods
12 inch duct print
Mr Freon AND Leaded gasoline

---
Profit First Playlist
Classic Episodes Playlist
---
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Become a Patreon - Get the Secret Show
Review on Apple Podcast
Share with a Friend

Discuss on Show Subreddit
Show Info
Show Website
Contact Jem & Justin
Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook | Youtube

Please note: Show notes contains affiliate links.

HOSTS
Jem Freeman
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Like Butter | Instagram | More Links

Justin Brouillette
Portland, Oregon, USA
PDX CNC | Instagram | More Links
...more
44min
September 16, 2025155 - Get Alfred a retirement fruit platter
Jem gets deep into Grasshopper software building custom robot CAM while Justin keeps drilling thousands of holes on his ShopSabre. They chat about wild HTX Studio YouTube automation, scary tool changer malfunctions, and the eternal struggle of buying used vs new CNC machines. Plus Justin upgrades to a bigger 3D printer and teases his AirShop inventory & quoting software. Plus koala vaccines, and 8020 extrusion workholding in the future?
Watch on Youtube
DISCUSSED:
✍️ Comment or Suggest a Topic
Koala Vaccine
Jem in love with Grasshopper
Grasshopper Tutorial Video
HTX Studio! ꘎
Justin is still drilling thousands of holes
Multicam Trident CNC Tool Changer issue
Shopping for mills, how can you tell if a secondhand machine is any good!?
Plywood tombstones no so much good ꘎
Should I use 8020 extrusion for fixtures!?
Robot work holding!? ꘎
Extrusion
J moves are sketchy as in Robot programming
Pierson video
H2S on the way
AirShop update Kanban cards done, testers signup here
Eric Trine like wine

---
Profit First Playlist
Classic Episodes Playlist
---
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Become a Patreon - Get the Secret Show
Review on Apple Podcast
Share with a Friend

Discuss on Show Subreddit
Show Info
Show Website
Contact Jem & Justin
Instagram | Tiktok | Facebook | Youtube

Please note: Show notes contains affiliate links.

HOSTS
Jem Freeman
Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Like Butter | Instagram | More Links

Justin Brouillette
Portland, Oregon, USA
PDX CNC | Instagram | More Links
...more
49min

FAQs about Parts Department:

How many episodes does Parts Department have?

The podcast currently has 167 episodes available.

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