PFG Live

Guest: Adam Demuth! - We catch up with one of our favorite toolmakers and learn of his recent exploits. Recent projects include some fun ceramics projects. Prototyping Precision Paper Punchers - Precision paper punching at a distance is an interest shared by many machinists, and Adam and Spencer are no exceptions. We discuss Adam's designs and implementations. His innovative use of his grinder in...

Direct to Build-Plate SLA - We are so used to seeing SLA (resin) prints on supports, we forget that direct-to-buildplate is possible. The DAMTEE and DAMKEEZ projects were examples of parts that take advantage of no-supports. Lessons were learned in failed prints when we made the MOLY-2 holders. We're getting the hang of it. Killing the Elephant's Foot on the Form 4 - When you print direct to the b...

Solopreneurship: Stay On Target! - It is not easy recognizing when you are drifting off course. The gifts of collaborative on-line tools. Making hard decisions. I Really Need to Vent! - Putting an electronics enclosure into a harsh, marine environment. 'Tain't easy. To vent or not to vent an enclosure... that is the question. 3D Scanning: Non-Trivial - We have an intern starting from zero, trying...

Solvents in the Shop! - Some are benign, some are downright dangerous. Choose wisely and use them safely. Three-Step SLA Support Recipe? - I have come up with a recipe which may be useful in many SLA situations. The speed of the Form 4 printer caused me to rethink my recipe with good results. Housing Design For Extreme Environments - I am in the middle of a design for a client, and it's got me thi...

DAMTEE and DAMKEEZ: A Study In P1 - What started as a joke with my wife (alleging that I keep losing my tea between shop, truck, office and kitchen) became a design exercise and a successful one at that. It also highlights the important of the Way of P1! 3DP Plastics in Hi-Temp Applications - A chat with John Saunders @nyccnc about the threat of part damage leads to considering different materials...

Catching Up With Tom Lipton - He's been a busy guy, and we miss him. Let's see what's happening in the wilds of California. Who Wouldn't Want More Moore? - Holy Surface Plate, Batman!! Tom hints at a new find, and it looks awesome! A Five-Block Test On The Form 4 - Printing directly to the build plate has been a challenge. We found ... a problem?? A surprising update. ----- Save $500 at FormLabs b...

Form 4 Arrives: One Software Glitch - It's up and running and the first prints are spectacular. But, getting started was not trivial, and it took some doing. It's always software, ain't it?! Kish and Moly: A True Story - We revisit the classic story to celebrate the availability of Moly Sticks for diamond wheel dressing on the KP Store. And, y'know, knowledge. Grinding Wheel Uniformity - A gedanke...

FormLabs 4: Second Visit Followup - In which I asked FormLabs to print some samples on the new Form 4, and I got to do further investigating. And, boy, did I find out some things. :-) Printing Grimsmo Bearing Cages: P11 Wins! - John asked if we could try SLA-printing his bearing cages. It only took until P11, but it seems to be skookum. Self-Checking Gages - We discuss two useful examples of self-...

Upgrade to Form 4 Printer? - We've been making the family of NOZ products on the @Formlabs Form 3+ printer. How do we react to the new Form 4? Productize 6-inch Lapping Plates? - As we build out out hand-lapping system, requests for the 6-inch lapping plates are coming in. Do we add it to the KP product list? Over-automation in the Small Shop - Can you have too much automation? Yes! When do you kn...

Lapping From Ra to Rz - I was challenged by @proteummachining to start looking at Rz rather than Ra for surface roughness. Let's see why. Wireless Devices In The Shop - In which I cross the streams. Inspired by @JohnGrimsmo having issues with his Bluetooth probe, I find it necessary to talk antennas. Again. The Joy Of Unnecessary Precision - We love to chase it, but at what cost? If you're doing i...

3-inch ToolMakers Flat: First Lapping! - After all the preparation, I finally do the first lapping... and it rocks. Process improvements will, of course, ensue. The Expensive Stuff Is Cheaper... Again. - In which I buy a carbide tool which was cheaper, and end up breaking it. Then buying what I should have bought in the first place. Buying Stuff To Take Apart And Learn - My son, Jared, asks if we...

P1 is Life - Making the first prototype, and noting how long it lasts. It's a metaphor for ... everything. Making a Lapping Station - Fixin' to get ready to lap, specifically the ToolMakers Flat TMF-3 What's All The Fuss About An Ellipse?? - A report from the Eclipse, and why Ellipses are interesting. And more... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "s...

Storms, Blackouts, Earthquakes, Eclipses! - I wish we were kidding. All this happened in the last week, or will tomorrow. Success Hand-Tapping, Next Hand-Lapping - We got the 4142 Pre-hard part tapped, and the ToolMakers Flat is ready for hand lapping. What's the plans? Will A.I. Design and Machine Your Parts? - It's starting to be a question. And more... Links for products/designs mentioned are a...

Followup on the ToolMakers Flat in 52100 Steel... Quicken The Quench: Heat The Oil? - A casual question from Tom Lipton set me on a course... does heating the quenching oil quicken the quench. Does the Temper Negate The Cryo? - Spoiler: No. They do different things. Crappy Tapping In 4142 Pre-Hard - I am not having fun with this operation. There are reasons. And more... Links for products/designs...

Of Clock Springs And Toolmakers Flats: Turning the 52100 steel produced some pretty evil chips. Some of them broke. 52100 Steel: Planning The Heat Treatment: We are ALMOST running the recipe recommended by the NBS (now NIST) many years ago. Will our minor deviations matter? We'll see. A Box Of Grinding Gems From Tom: Books and goodies from Tom Lipton. Very neat stuff, and the knowledge was hard-ea...

Rotary OD Lapping: Sine Rolls - We make a soft lap from scrap. We struggle with three different compound choices, and end up where we should have in the first place. Evaluating Round, Straight, Size - It's not trivial down in the Tenths. Crash Recovery: Just Breathe - It happened. Nobody died. Nothing broke. We'll do laundry later... And more... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/l...

Successful Sidewheeling - We learn about "forming" the wheel, and finally nailing the dimenensions. I Didn't Expect The Backlash! - Would have been fine in a mill, not so much in a surface grinder. But, we overcame. Sine Right Here: Charles W. Sullivan - His signature is preserved, and we thank him for a cool tool. We went deep on side-wheeling with Robin Renzetti @ROBRENZ . And more... Links for...

Restoring and Using Tools: Getting old tools, especially shop-made tools, back to working order and using them productively. Tighten Your Hub: Staying concentric, stable, true and dressed. Oh, and also in your grinding... Helping Non-Machinists: There Is No Sketch: We make brackets. But, we need to become communicators with those that don't have the technical skills, but still have stuff they need...

Grinder Therapy: We discuss "grinding in" two cast iron instruments for our friend UnixCarbide Autocollimated Boring: Unix completes the supply chain by delivering bagels... and some goodies from across the planet Decluttering With Mental Money: How Two Bucks is going to save your shop Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stone...

The MIT LMP Shop: A Student's First Chips Guest: Dan Gilbert, Instructor ! McMaster Drawing, Your Queries, and More... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic Precision)

McMaster Catalog Giveaway Visiting Two University Shops Chattering About Damping And Resonance We're giving away a McMaster-Carr Catalog!! 1) Be subscribed to the YouTube channel 2) Comment on the YouTube video as directed in this podcast! We will randomly draw a winner next week. Deadline is midnight Saturday. (Award is at our sole direction. No purchase required. Not endorsed by YouTube.) Links...

Euphamistics: Precision Hole Punching The Many Aluminum Alloys Restoration Of Others' Shop-Made Tools Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic Precision)

Guest: Tom Lipton! Lessons From Moving Into A New Shop Attracting Talent To Our National Labs And, of course, more! Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic Precision)

Happy New Year 2024! Pinch of Copper? What is the Ideal CNC Cycle Time? Tools, Food, Earthquakes, Oh My! Preparing resin-bonded diamond wheels... Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a registered trademark of Kinetic Precision)

USA to Canada Shipping: What's DDP?!... and why does it save a bunch of costs for send PFG Stones Northward? Preparing For SLicing Ruby Stone... Which blade? What procedure? At Home With 460-Volt Machines... What Adam ( @adamthemachinist ) learned and what Aaron needs to know. Links for products/designs mentioned are at pfg.gg/links Follow me on Instagram at "spencer_webb_nh". ("PFG Stones®" is a...