Business of Machining

You won’t be driving around in a parking lot for this episode, folks. It’s our shortest one EVER! Grimsmo's got some swiss lathe installation guys in this morning, and sometimes the work day starts earlier than 9am  Grimsmo Recieves his Tornos Swiss Lathe The Grimsmo workshop has changed. There is now a new machine behind Grimsmo, and lots of set up to do. About the Lathe: Tornos GT13 Has spa...

IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN.... BLADESHOW 2019 is just shy of 3 weeks away and GK is ready. On their 8th year of attendance, something is different. The usual 2-week, frantic crunch to stock up on product IS NOWHERE IN SIGHT. Not only do they have knives and SAGA pens ready, the 1776 American Independence knife is nearly finished aside from some final engraving! CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW POST! **You know you'r...

Survival Mode Although this term is usually in reference to stress, this time it's literal. Saunders gears up for a lesson in bushcraft. Routine Maintenance - Like a Boss? Learning the inner workings of a machine is just as important as learning the inner workings of your brain.  Could Grimsmo's nightly walks and new to-do list system be paying off? For the past week, the team's been bus...

Topics of Discussion: People are different, but the Johns have more than just their name in common. They also think too much. “Everyone thinks they’re normal” - Saunders How else are people different? Extraversion vs. Introversion Book Smarts vs. Street Smarts To-Do List Writing Methods. Ex. Make a video for future you! Then set up a reminder to watch it. “At the end of the day, doing is what gets...

Talking Growth and the Entrepreneur Mindset Having a team doesn’t mean you’re not an entrepreneur anymore. You still have to clean those toilets! Check out “The E-Myth” “When you live it it’s not cliche at all” - Saunders Delegating Grimsmo is more and more comfortable with delegating tasks, which is awesome! But don't worry, he is still around to help whenever his team needs him. Hear about what...

The Joint Open House - 8 Years Strong Grimsmo remembers how he felt when he first went to a trade show: out of place.  Tip from a veteran attendee: "Form relationships, ask questions, be direct, and make it happen." Not only was this event an internal pat on the back, you could say that Skye's big wish has been granted or rather, GRANITED. After visiting Kern, Grimsmo's wheels are turnin...

The Grimsmo Team is headed to a local machine show! The Joint Open House Participants include: Elliott Matsuura, SST, Ferro Technique, and DMG Mori. It will give Grimsmo and his team a chance to ask lots of questions, and learn new things. There’s a lot of small tooling reps there, so it’s a good chance to make new connections as well as build current relationships. “I’m actually kind of jealous”...

EUROTRIP 2019: A Dream Come True First off, apologies for the missing podcast last week but it wasn't because they didn't try! With Laurens Wijnschenk-Mauritsz in tow, it was the prime opportunity to record. The problem? A sleepy cell phone! Although Grimsmo's returned to Canada, Saunders is adamant, "There are more factories and I'm not leaving until I see them ALL!" "Screw it, let's do it!" - Gr...

Let the podcast go on! Saunders may have lost his voice, but that’s not stopping these two from putting out another episode. Get ready, goal set, go! Grimsmo is hitting lots of goals lately. The team averaged their ideal daily production number for the ENTIRE month of March! Grimsmo is also on his final steps of purchasing a Swiss Lathe! Learn more about its specs and the steps Grimsmo is taking t...

Word of the day: 5-axis In other words, Saunders has his 5-axis Haas machine, and he’s spending some time lately getting to know it and CAMplete. He talks about his 5-axis starter kit, and moving up to technology that seemed almost unreachable before. AND it’s helping Grimsmo thaw to the idea of learning more about 5-axis machines himself. Becoming Swissish ROUND 2! Grimsmo talks about his trip to...

A Stone's Throw Away The parallels in the lives of Grimsmo and Saunders are uncanny to say the least. Both get the chance to clear their heads--one on Lake Ontario and the other on Lake Erie. Full Steam Ahead During one of the most emotional weeks of his life, Saunders watches on Instagram as the UMC-750 and TM3 are delivered in his absence--and that's a beautiful thing. With a team he can rely on...

When high production is vital to your business, planning ahead for down time when employees are down for the count could make or break. Although Skye thought he escaped the illness that overpowered his co-workers...he spoke too soon.  Angelo steps up to the plate. NUANCE + PROCESS SHEETS? After Saunders tours Superb Industries, Inc., the Moore Jig Grinder poses a challenging question.  H...

Maximizing use of the Mill Grimsmo’s mill was STILL running when he came in this morning! That is one. Great. First. On top of that, last week was the highest week ever for production at the Grimsmo shop. “You keep saying that!” - Saunders Apparently record breaking is the new norm, and Grimsmo is still trying to produce even more. Saunders’ reminder Reminders can increase production! Sometimes it...

Proud Machining Moments Hit Home Sometimes you only need an upward glance to find comfort and strength.  Click Image Below to See the IG Post:   #Throwback #NeverForget An epic Lakeshore order is a testament to how far you've come but the past is never too distant. The Taig ER-16 spindle and some cheap double-sided end mills  conjure up fond memories of the early days.   Saunde...

The Pen and Knife Balance With limited machines, Grimsmo is always trying to balance knife and pen production. Sometimes he has to get creative. Saunders and Grimsmo talk tools, and creative solutions to achieve Grimsmo’s high standards. “That would work, but it wouldn’t be the finish I want” - Grimsmo Sometimes the solutions are simple. “We both figured out at the same time that the live tool nee...

It's cold. It's winter. Who cares? Moving on. This episode is a hodgepodge of entrepreneurial and philosophical gold nuggets. From Maslow's Hierarchy to epoxy floors, the Johns cover it all. Even IF we are in a simulation...it doesn't matter! Machinist's Philosophies After watching the Joe Rogan podcast episode featuring David Goggins, Saunders is particularly fired up! Joe Rogan + David Goggins P...

Getting Social In 2019, and sharing reality! Grimsmo starts to post Instagram stories daily. Bonus: We get more info on the upcoming Saga Pen! BUT Saunders and Grimsmo agree that they don’t need to stay up-to-date on everything all the time. “Use Instagram the way that works for you...we’re not just going for clicks and views, we’re trying to build a community of people who care, and want to see w...

Spoke Too Soon.  Last week's episode featured Great Mood Grimsmo. He was in high spirits only to find Norseman fixture alignment issues that would plague the team for the remainder of the week. He and Angelo wade through the GD&T lake to find the variance and formulate a possible solution that involves changing the probe tip from 6mm to 2mm.  Click the Photo to View Post!   For...

This episode is a good mix of strategic philosophy and technical discussions. Stay tuned for talks about how to stay motivated AND motivate your team at the same time! Such is the life of an entrepreneur. The Johns will also talk troubleshooting, and favorite tools. Pass it on Grimsmo fixed the pass link on the Maker’s Choice “Congrats” e-mail, and now people can pass the purchase link along quick...

Happy 2019! The guys elaborate on the first time they met in person at the 2015 Tormach Open House. Did Grimsmo inadvertently set a precedent when he purchased his first vertical machining center before having a shop to fit it? The guys get caught up in festivities, family, and friends. This time of year reminds us to cherish time with our loved ones, to reflect, and to ring in the new year with a...

Last podcast episode of the year! BUT how important is the calendar year anyway when you’re constantly trying to achieve your goals? “I’m already living in 2019” - Saunders 2018 THEME OF THE YEAR: STRESS (and how to cope) Saunders went through some of the older episodes, and apparently the Johns talked about this a lot. “I’m okay stressing about the future. I’m not okay stressing about the present...

Down for the Count An illness drags Grimsmo home to recuperate for a few days. Did it have a negative effect on GK production? Urban Survival Gear: The Chapstick of Pens Apparently, this pen has magical features not listed in the description. It vanishes but only reappears once replaced! Check Out Tactile Turn Pens HERE Deep Cuts Grimsmo gets his FIRST custom knife from Brad Southard, complete wit...

Starts off on a SUPER positive note: “We’ve got the recipe down!” The team is taking initiative, and making projects their own. “You need the best guy to come up with the process. Then it’s trainable, it’s a recipe.” - Grimsmo Healthy shops, happy team Do your machines need filters? Where are we at in the SAGA of the Saga Pen? “Priorities, man” - Grimsmo Knives are the first priority, and the lath...

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE...where you might get a little misty-eyed. The cycle has ended; the coolant is off so WHY is the foam still growing!? With no through-spindle coolant and small ER collets, Grimsmo's got no explanation for the extreme coolant atomization--annoying problem but fun to say!   Saunders notices an off-white tinge occurs sooner than it should but instead of replacing it and shr...

It feels like winter in Canada (brrr), but America just had their thanksgiving weekend! Just remember, big data collection never takes a vacation. Directed Marketing is WEIRD Big box stores, like Target, have to stay ahead of the competition and now (in the digital age), that involves marketing to individuals. But even stores that collect big data can fail if they don’t use it properly; Target fai...