Brad Jacob from Maple Lane Machine and Tool joins Patrick and Cameron as guest host for this episode.

They catch up on what has changed at Brad’s shop, how the VF-2 is working out, and why he has been considering a different CAM system. That leads to an honest discussion about software support, unexpected updates, five-axis programming, cutter compensation, modeling around tolerances, and the amount of work you can lose when you leave a system containing years of programs and models.

The second half is built around stories submitted by machinists. There is a new machine that supposedly needed nine tons of concrete—but actually needed one setting changed. A young programmer who thought he had nothing left to learn. Perfectly good threaded parts rejected by questionable gauges. A rush job made from material the customer later admitted was wrong. Four long shafts, sixteen-hour days, and a baby due at any moment. And a batch of good parts rejected because the inspection room was too hot.

We’d like to hear how other shops handle these situations. Have you ever switched CAM systems, challenged a rejected part, or accepted a rush job you later regretted? Share what happened—and what you learned from it—in the comments.

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Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

Thanks for listening!!!

Every machine shop runs into the same challenges sooner or later. Cash flow gets tight, tooling costs keep climbing, and deciding when to invest in new equipment is never easy.

In this episode of the Impractical Machinists Podcast, Pat, Cam, and Brad answer questions from the Practical Machinist community and share how they'd approach some of the biggest decisions shops are facing today.

What would you do? Let us know in the comments.

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Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

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Taylor Jenkins didn't start out wanting to be a machinist. He wanted to fly planes.

Then COVID hit, his plans changed, and he ended up in a composites program working with carbon fiber instead, chasing the same hands-on itch he'd had since high school building RC gliders and racing drones. From there he landed a job as a CNC operator in southern Utah almost by accident, just because he could already read a blueprint.

A few shops, a few good mentors, and one really bad boss later, Taylor ended up running his own shop, Lone Wolf Precision, completely solo. No crew, no robots, just him, two Brother mills, and an auto saw he's genuinely proud of.

In this episode, we get into:

- His path from drone racing and RC planes into machining (it's a weirder story than you'd think)
- The probe crash that almost killed his new Brother machine, and what it taught him about automation actually eating your "free time" instead of giving you more of it.
- The aerospace shop that trained him right, including learning the CMM inspection feedback loop the hard way
- The bad coworker situation that finally pushed him to leave that job for good
- The six weeks he had to buy a machine and make a brand new production contract work, after turning down a job offer to do it
- How he finds new work (hint: it's not LinkedIn), and why he fires customers who aren't worth the headache
- The saw stop he designed because every shop bandsaw stop he's ever used has been garbage

If you're running your own shop, thinking about starting one, or just like hearing how somebody actually built theirs from the ground up, this one's worth the listen.

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Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

Thanks for listening!!!

Ron Gobbels, CEO of Kam Wire EDM Technologies located in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, joins the guys for a conversation that covers a lot more than just wire EDM. 
From growing up in the trade under an old school German mentor, to making a scary leap into shop ownership and watching the work dry up almost immediately — Ron shares the real story of building a specialty machining business from the ground up. He also breaks down everything you've ever wanted to know about wire EDM — how it actually works, what it can and can't do, and whether it belongs in your shop.

Timestamps:
0:00 — Introductions
0:49 —Why Ron diversified in 2019
8:26 — Ron's background — from old school tool & die to cowboy to EDM shop owner
11:00 — How Kam Wire EDM started and the scariest month of his life
16:31 — How Ron connected with Ian Sandusky
22:15 — What is wire EDM and how does it actually work?
28:16 — Crashes, floods and EDM horror stories
36:47 — Fixturing and cutting different materials
44:51 — Tolerances and what affects accuracy
51:40 — Should you have a wire EDM in your home shop?
55:25 — What to look for when buying a wire EDM machine
1:05:54 — The thickest and thinnest parts Ron has ever cut
1:09:20 — Can EDM replace grinding and milling?
1:11:42 — Do they take walk-ins?
1:16:46 — Ron's impractical tip: never stop innovating

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Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

Thanks for listening!!!

Eddie Riddell runs Steele Co Engineering out of Perth, Australia — one of the most isolated cities on the planet, about 12 hours from the nearest place. He started with a fabrication business, got it up to four employees, then walked away from all of it to do what he actually wanted: run a one-man CNC machine shop on his own terms.

In this episode, Eddie breaks down why he made that call, how he pulled off buying a brand-new mill turn as a one-man shop, and what it actually takes to build a lean, profitable business by yourself.

We also get into:

• Why he introduced a minimum charge and how some clients stayed, some didn't — and why he's fine either way
• How his terms and conditions let him walk down to a customer's house with an angle grinder — and why the customer paid immediately after
• What it's like sourcing machines and materials from the most isolated industrial city in Australia
• His goal to get down to working 3 days a week — and the mindset shift that made it possible
• Why he chose to stop having employees and never looked back

Eddie's approach to business is simple: know your worth, keep your overheads low, and don't let anyone treat you like a bank.

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Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

Thanks for listening!!!

What's actually killing machinists faster — big corporate shop rules or the chaos of running your own place? This week Pat jumps in as guest host and we go deep on all of it. Lead time strategy that keeps customers off your back, why a $350 pizza might be the best business investment you make this year, and the real reason good machinists walk out the door and never come back.

We get into scrap part confessions, exotic material nightmares, G-code quizzes that stumped everyone, and the one question every machinist eventually asks themselves — if you could start a shop from scratch, what would you actually do differently?

In this episode:

• Lead time strategy that protects your sanity
• Why you should never ship early
• The $350 pizza that saved $4,000
• Big shop vs small shop culture debate
• Scrap part show and tell
• G-code quiz: G18, G96 and more
• No-quote jobs and when to walk away
• Starting a shop from scratch — machines, mindset and mistakes

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Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

Thanks for listening!!!

Owning a machine shop sounds great… until you’re chasing work, quoting jobs at midnight, dealing with problem customers, and trying to stay profitable while keeping the lights on.

Recorded live as a panel session during a Kennametal open house event, Brad from Marvel Machining, Ian from Lakewood Machine & Tool, and Luke from Progressive Turnings / Crusader Machining sit down for a real conversation about the ups and downs of running a shop.

They talk about finding work, quoting jobs, when to say no, staying busy vs actually making money, keeping good employees, buying equipment, and the jobs that almost broke them.

Whether you’re a one-man shop, running a full team, or thinking about starting your own business, there’s something in here you’ll relate to.

Just honest shop talk from people living it every day.

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Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

Thanks for listening!!!

Pat, Cameron, and Brad catch up on what’s been going on in their shops—from current projects and production challenges to the reality of keeping work on track.

They also dive into a listener question about when to go full-time with a side shop, breaking down the financial side, the risk, and what that transition actually looks like. The conversation touches on balancing a day job while building something on the side, using your job to fund equipment, and what happens when that decision gets made for you.

They also get into shop culture, big vs. small companies, and why more machinists are thinking about going out on their own.

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Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

Thanks for listening!!!

The guys kick things off talking about the realities of repair and walk-in work, then get into quoting strategy — specifically what to do when a customer hands you a massive stack of confusing prints and expects a price by Tuesday.
From there it's community questions: trusting manufacturer speeds and feeds, probing from CAM, machine warm-up routines, and how AI tools like ChatGPT are actually finding their way into everyday shop life.
Brad shares advice on finding enough work to go full time, and the guys close out responding to a second-gen machinist who programmed 510 new parts in a year and still couldn't keep up — breaking down what's really going on when programming becomes the bottleneck.

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Drop your comments or topic ideas in the forum.

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Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

Thanks for listening!!!

Hans Keisler from Motor Control Technology joins the podcast to talk about his path through the machining trade — from working at Lockheed to building his own aerospace-focused machine shop.

We get into what it’s really like working in a union shop, the differences between big aerospace companies and small job shops, and what it takes to go from a one-man operation to hiring employees.

Hans also shares the reality of chasing aerospace and defense work — certifications, compliance, IT requirements, and all the behind-the-scenes work that most machinists never see.

It’s an honest conversation about building a shop, navigating the industry, and trying to make cool hardware that ends up on some pretty serious projects.

🔔 Subscribe, Rate, and Review to never miss an episode. Your feedback helps us bring you the content you love!

Drop your comments or topic ideas in the forum.

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Connect with the hosts on Instagram:
Patrick Mcclintock: IG or PM@Job Shopper TN
Cameron Graves: IG or PM@Machiningiscool
Bradley Thomas: IG or PM@Marvel

Thanks for listening!!!