Business of Machining

Are you ready to talk technology and tools from IMTS with Saunders and Grimsmo? I hope so! Because this episode gets nice and technical The Johns are back from IMTS, inspired, and ready to get back to hustling. They’re happy they can pick up where they left off because of their awesome employees holding down their respective forts while they were gone, and keeping up with the daily grind and proce...

THIS IS NOT YOUR ORDINARY PODCAST! THIS IS AN AWESOME, IMMERSIVE AUDIO EXPERIENCE OF IMTS!  Energy = Kinetic People = Inspirational Podcast = Straight, No Chaser   Experience IMTS as Saunders and Grimsmo as they meet people on their way to AB Tools.  BOOM. You're on the podcast!

Buying Machines for your Business Grimsmo and Saunders talk about the importance of Customer Service when it comes to buying a machine. “Just sell me machines and give me service” - Grimsmo Service is important because.... “Fun Fact: Everything mechanical in the world ceases to work at some point” - Saunders When it comes down to it, the quality of the machine is going to affect your relationship...

The Grimsmo Grapple: Touchy Subjects The guys do their best to be open and honest but some topics are hard to discuss! Compartmentalizing family vs. business life is easier said than done. At GK, business IS family, so it's near impossible! Process Reliability--NOT JUST FOR PARTS OR BUSINESS OPERATIONS Grimsmo shows tremendous strength in his ability to self-evaluate.  Instead of hiding behin...

Moving from CNC to RNR Grimsmo takes a well deserved break. His idea of a vacation? Renting a Tesla and taking it out on the open road to Tobermory for a coupe days. No need for new windows when you’re out in nature! And sometimes you can be most productive when you're relaxed.  The Grimsmo Shop Reaction:  “Guys, John’s gone! We can do whatever we want!...LET'S CLEAN!” The Grimsmo shop h...

The Johns share heartwarming entrepreneurial moments that hit them RIGHT IN THE FEELS. Square One No matter your experience level, the learning should never stop. Each new aspect of business sends you back to the green. If your brain is exploding, you're doing it right! A Testament To Self-Care Grimsmo and Saunders know the drill (pun intended) when it comes to "taking time off." Usually it's...

Work/Life Balance: how kids can make you sleep better Sound like an oxymoron? Sometimes we need an escape from work; you can get stressed because you’re working too much. Call it what it is! A BUSINESS. When payroll gets involved, that’s when it gets serious (and when something starts to run like a mini corporation). The Johns discuss the difference between planning and dreaming when it comes to g...

The Importance of Self-Care Take a second to think about YOU. Have you slept well? Eaten well? If you're used to running on empty , it's time to refuel and recharge. Take care of yourself today. Your business depends on it! Grimsmo goes on a BENDER, but it's not what you think! Engraving is now 98% closer to being a lights-out operation. While he didn't get much sleep, he IS energized by tackling...

Both Saunders and Grimsmo have been working towards the success of their business for about a decade, and an article written about NYC CNC helps them both reflect. Just as a new lifestyle starts to creep up on the Johns, things start to speed up at the Grimsmo shop. Erik beat his knife making record! Now it’s up to the others to keep up! Wake up, John!  How you wake up can determine the rest...

What today's episode lacks in pep, it makes up for in realism: Entrepreneurship can be exhausting --and it isn't necessarily a bad thing. After the Johns team up in Canada, the overwhelming excitement settles, leaving the need for recuperation behind. Stay tuned for the video and video podcast! GET OUT OF MY SHOP...AND INTO MY KITCHEN? A change in surroundings brings new thoughts and ideas to the...

It’s Friday today, which means that Saunders picked Grimsmo up yesterday morning to take him on a trip to Kitchener, ON, and visit CAMplete . Saunders is stoked to pick their brains about 5-axis, but they are really just happy to be doing it together! “If you don’t live in a 5-axis world, you wouldn’t even know what you’re missing” - Saunders Let’s talk about processes! Stay tuned for a bonus podc...

Do you have a parallel version of you ?  Maybe it's time to give them a shout and review the first half of the year with them, you may be surprised.  John and John have more than just their names in common; they also are in about the same place business wise, and have about the same number of employees. Now all Grimsmo needs is that new shop! Saunders and Grimsmo discuss the balancing ac...

If you haven't felt STUPENDOUS lately, this podcast will brighten your day. Get ready for a game of Not Metalurgist Part 1 & 2, a nugget of advice from Brad Southard, and Saunders gets his butt kicked by a 5th-Axis toolpath on the HAAS! Up the ANTSY? During the annual Blade Show lull, Grimsmo suddenly finds extra time AND the urge to move on to something new. Instead of making parts, he's pinp...

Where in the world is Saunders now? Stockholm, Sweden! And it’s “life-changing” How could it not be when it's this beautiful? This episode is a shorty but a goodie as our two favourite John’s talk production and management at the Sandvick Coromant headquarters, and how it relates to their businesses. Link to Sandvick Coromant: https://www.sandvik.coromant.com/en-gb/pages/default.aspx Saunders was...

Grimsmo: I'm back...I think. GK: You sure? Grimsmo: *rolls into shop at 11pm to feed the lathe* Yep! Grimsmo's recovered from Blade Show 2018! VIDEO: Blade 2018 w/ALEC STEELE and more awesome makers! Delrin Bearing Cage QC Process--DIALED Debur. Pivot. Slip Fit. Insert Bearings. While Grimsmo's catching up on Delrin bearing cages, catch up on SAGA SATURDAY!  Batch Gone Bad Admitting a mistake...

First thing’s first: Grimsmo’s back from BLADE SHOW, BABY! To sum up: Awesome team bonding experience. The Grimsmo crew and Brad Southard shared everything (including the booth and the AirBnB) Met SO MANY people during the event, and down in the pit!  “A great way for makers to connect with their customers.” - Grimsmo “Meeting people is what it’s all about!” - Saunders The REVEAL of the SAGA!...

There Ain't No Rest for the....Knife Maker? Grimso's dragging from pulling a 14.5 hour shift to get the SAGA ready for Blade Show! Speaking of Blade Show, it's TODAY! Gathering the team with pens in pockets, GK heads to Atlanta, GA for the World's Largest Knife Show --and it's going to be his best year yet! If you're headed there, make sure to stop by table 948 to find them! Tolerances on Tol...

GOOD OL' TUG AND PULL Grimsmo's laser focus on the SAGA means that attention to other business areas may be lacking a teensy bit. Machinist Woes The pieces and parts of your business are running like clock-work but something's missing. Easy Answer: Get a dose of SPINDLE THERAPY! Following the SAGA of the SAGA? If you listen closely, you'll hear the sound of awesome ! Blade Show is fast approaching...

Saunders is in Connecticut for a Yamazen/Matsuura event. A new technical center was opened; there’s going to be lots of learning to do! Getting info is great--but info for the sake of info isn’t always a good use of time. You’ve got to know when to get your head out of that Rabbit hole! At the end of the day, you’re making parts, and only need to know so much before getting started. GRIMSMO PEN PR...

*YAWN* Saunders is s bit sluggish from last night's informative and intoxicating brain picking session after a DMG event in Chicago . At a customer panel, Devon--1186 mfg and Albert from Machined Concepts share their stories and some food for thought: 5-Axis isn't just for one-offs or complex parts! A great deal of people are using 3+2 machining in a production environment, which is a great way to...

Hiring is RISKY business... But Grimsmo’s gotten super lucky so far! Saunders points out that Skye might just have been Grimsmo’s riskiest hire, but so far it’s all good! How long should it take before hiring = more product produced? First it’s necessary to get a system set up! Grimsmo is in the midst of switching from temporary solutions to permanent solutions. Looks like it’s time to talk ERP SY...

New INTERN for Grimsmo Knives! At the risk of making the podcast solely congratulatory, Saunders gives his pal a pat on the back. GK Mother of Pearl Video FAST LEARNERS? New people at the shops seem to learn at an alarming rate but processes viewed through a 10-year learning experience lens seem more complicated than they truly are. If it's easy to learn, that's a good sign! Revising the Welcome G...

IT’S JOH TIME! And no, that’s not just John’s name misspelled. The Grimsmo team took a field trip to the 2018 Joint Open House last week!   Trip Notes: Have your codes and questions ready on the cloud. There are SO many people with answers there! Sweet to see an MX 330 in the flesh metal Spent 5 hours at Elliott Matsuura Checked out the Robodrill for a half hour Keep an eye out for the 2018 J...

Even amidst the morning grogg, the Johns still manage to talk big picture. Today, is a Matsuura day and MAM-OH-MAM it's going to be awesome. While Saunders is in Connecticut to learn about values that drive Matsuura, Grimsmo heads to the Elliot Matsuura Joint Open House with his team to check out the BROTHER SPEEDIO S700X1. everybody's workin' for the weekend ...but the MAM72 works ON the weekend....

Grimsmo’s wish list is GROWING! He's lapping up a ton of information about Lapping Machines as the Grimsbros get “pickier with age.” And hey, a diamond grit is a Grimsmo’s best friend! Another thing on his wish list is a profilometer , to help measure the smoothness of the each blade’s surface. Machining in Ohio vs. California vs. Australia. What’s the difference ? Should you invest in an ERP syst...