The Lone Machinists

In this absolutely respectable and definitely clean Episode 69 of the Lone Machinist Podcast… things go off the rails in under 2 minutes. We kick things off with Curt accidentally spending what could’ve been a small mortgage payment on sticker equipment, because apparently “I can make my own stickers” is a perfectly valid financial strategy. Meanwhile, Jamie goes full outdoorsman, hosting a bachel...

This week on The Lone Machinist Podcast, Curt and Jamie set out to talk about machining… and instead accidentally reinvent software development, question modern civilization, and nearly bankrupt themselves with printers. Highlights include: • Curt buying a printer “just for one thing” like every responsible adult ever • Jamie discovering his fourth axis is not a tool, but a supernatural entity • B...

This week on The Lone Machinist Podcast, things go exactly as planned, which is to say, absolutely not at all. Curt successfully fixes a lens right up until the exact moment he completely destroys it, proving once again that “if it ain’t broke, fix it till it is” is less of a motto and more of a lifestyle. Meanwhile, Jamie is deep in tolerance stack-up hell, rearranging his entire workshop like a...

This week, everything works… except the things we actually need. We start off optimistically with solar power plans and dreams of energy independence, before immediately spiraling into real-world problems like rising fuel costs, questionable ROI, and whether running a machine shop on sunshine is genius or just expensive optimism. Then Fusion 360 decides to absolutely ruin Jamie’s week, turning sim...

This week on The Loan Machinist Podcast, Jamie and Curt battle the literal "Demon" of Tolerance Stack-Up, because apparently, adding up a bunch of "tents" actually equals one giant headache Curt scores a $600 lens for sixty bucks and plays a high-stakes game of "Did I just buy a paperweight?" while Jamie contemplates becoming a full-time electrician because Fusion 360’s latest update is officially...

In this episode of The Lone Machinists Podcast, we remove 94.6% of a perfectly good piece of aluminium just to prove we can, debate whether a bandsaw is the solution to all of life’s problems (it is), and discover that titanium will happily destroy your patience before your tooling. There’s vacuum workholding wizardry, Ultem experiments, and just enough tolerance talk to keep things dangerously pr...

In this episode of the Lone Machinists Podcast , Jamie and Curt once again prove that running a machine shop is mostly problem-solving, mild chaos, and questionable purchasing decisions. Jamie explains how Curt bullied him into buying a gimbal and why filming smooth shop footage is apparently harder than flying a plane, while Curt announces he’s defecting in the AI wars and claims Claude is now th...

This week on The Lone Machinists, Jamie and Curt spiral (responsibly) through ultra-paranoid RAID backups, fiber lines getting excavated into oblivion in South Africa, and the launch of the brand-new Noughtical Workholding Shopify store. We dive into mirrored drives, M-Discs, offsite backups, and why losing your childhood photos is a trauma you only need once. Then things escalate: Haas machines b...

This week on The Lone Machinist, the "Original Kurt" returns to reclaim his throne (or at least a guest spot) as we welcome Jon Dillehay from 2SM Performance and Engine Trix. We dive deep into the mechanical prowess required to maintain a garage-based empire, the tragedy of the Harbor Freight bandsaw graveyard, and why Jamie is currently machining at a feed rate of "boobs millimeters per minute"....

Welcome to the Loan Machines Podcast, also known as the Schrödinger’s Guest Episode, where we ponder whether John is actually joining us or remains a ghost in the machine. In a harrowing turn of events, Curt recounts his battle with a porcelain ramekin that nearly claimed his eye during a routine oatmeal delivery for his rats—proving that while he wears safety glasses in the shop all day, the kitc...

Buckle up for another episode of the Lone Machines Podcast, where we discuss the fine line between professional machining and absolute shop chaos. In this episode, Jamie recounts his harrowing experience performing spindle surgery with tweezers to float solder into a corroded via—all because his probe decided to quit after being "slightly squished" at 12,000 RPM. He also explains how he's balancin...

In this episode of The Loan Machinist, Jamie and Curt dive into the chaotic reality of running a machine shop while battling the elements and outdated technology. Jamie recounts a rough Monday in South Africa where 30mm of rain and a lightning strike claimed a workshop monitor, while his wife "swore at him" over comments regarding his machine's nicknames. Meanwhile, Curt reveals his seizure-induci...

In this episode of the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie and Curt dive head-first into shop chaos, questionable safety decisions, and machines that just won’t stop printing money. Jamie introduces the Bukkake Blaster 7000, a new coolant manifold upgrade that blasts hardcore, while Curt reflects on the joy of a machine running nonstop for hours—hot, moist, and perfectly intolerant from the first part t...

In this episode of the Loan Machines Podcast, Jamie and Curt bounce between small wins and absolute disasters in the shop. Jamie dives into poking around a PLC “just to see how hard it could be,” accidentally saving himself hundreds of dollars and making his machine do exactly what he wants. Curt, meanwhile, declares war on an inkjet printer in the name of responsibility… and loses badly. Along th...

In this episode of the Loan Machinist Podcast , Jamie and Curt dive into fixing machining problems from opposite sides of the planet, building spindle grippers for unattended automation, and discovering exactly how much force is too much force. Along the way, Jamie accidentally starts a small fire, Curt fights Windows’ refusal to stay awake, and both agree that modern operating systems might just...

In this year-end wrap-up episode of The Lone Machinist , Jamie and Curt unpack the wins, losses, and lessons of 2025 while looking ahead to 2026. From broken thread mills and tool break detection paranoia to shop layout upgrades, anchor point workflows, and the mental inertia of one-man shops, this conversation is packed with practical insights and plenty of laughs. They dig into why small annoyan...

This week on The Lone Machinist , Jamie and Curt catch up after a chaotic end to the year that included sick days, machine crashes, voltage gremlins, and at least one deeply buried electrical landmine. They break down how being a few volts out of spec can derail an entire shop, why automation math is often more depressing than helpful, and what happens when Fusion gives you just enough confidence...

In this canned episode of The Lone Machinist , Jamie and Curt go full laser-brain and unapologetically geek out over CO₂ lasers as shop support tools — specifically for packaging. From hacked-up K40s and DIY laser builds to cutting foam, cardboard, MDF, acrylic, sandpaper, and occasionally setting things on fire, they break down why lasers quietly become one of the most valuable machines in a mode...

In this episode, Jamie and Curt dismantle some of the biggest myths in home and garage machining. No, you don’t need 100 horsepower. No, a bigger phase converter won’t magically create more power. And yes, you will destroy your driveway at least once. From machine layouts and electrical realities to coolant disposal horror stories and scrap economics, this episode is a practical — and occasionally...

Join Curt, Jamie, and special guest Dylan as they navigate a week packed with cursed tolerances, and unhinged workholding ideas. They dive into Dylan’s questionable engineering philosophies, the psychology of over-tightening everything, and why some jobs require therapy instead of tooling. Expect chaos, CNC heresy, and the kind of unfiltered commentary that should probably require a permit. Want t...

Join Curt and Jamie as they flirt with disaster via stainless chip-welds, rogue wave springs, and Spinderella doing witchcraft-level tolerances. They also endure pot-plant side quests, vacuum-fixture dark magic, and a Chop-o-Matic jailbreak that dumps 10 kilos of pins on the floor. Peak chaos, peak craftsmanship, peak “why are we like this?” Links Discussed: VERY INTERSTING VIDEO: https://youtu.be...

Join Curt and Jamie as they dive into coated-tool alchemy, German cans of death, and the eternal struggle against stupid-long gauge lengths. They also unpack hydraulic holder upgrades, the Imperializer’s grand return, pallet fever dreams, sublimation spray sorcery, and why making tiny brass parts is sometimes better than dealing with tool steel tantrums. It’s another episode of precision, profanit...

Join Curt and Jamie as they dive into a week of machining mayhem, including the saga of the impossible tool stick-out, eight-sided geometry gymnastics, and a near-miss crash that proves physics always wins. They also get into probe repeatability experiments, neighbor-induced noise paranoia, hand-crafted chamfers, and the eternal battle between fancy 3D toolpaths and good old common sense. It’s ano...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including Spinderella’s royal crown upgrade, the great ABS hoard, Brick Shit House’s tournament domination, and Fondler 2’s triumphant debut. They also dive into AI-assisted customer service, VFD tuning woes, round-bar philosophy, and why every shop should have bathroom SOPs. It’s another week of chaos, craftsmanship, and coolant fumes, with a touch...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as Bertha’s farewell move, the Coolant Flood Disaster, Carl’s lucky retrofit, Spinderella’s VFD woes, and why admin work might just be the real horror show. Links Discussed: Jamie's phase converter: https://arcweld.co.za/phase-converter-single-three-phas Wild DIY CNC: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSuntravel   M66: https://lin...