The Lone Machinists

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...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as Retrofitting Spinderella, Phase Converters, and Fancier tool options.. Links Discussed: Delta EMI Filter: https://www.deltaww.com/en-US/products/EMI-Filters/ALL/      The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.j...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as The Arival of Spinderella, the magic of the Siemens Oscilliscope, and the frustration of Facebook Scams. Links Discussed: Star gazing binoculars: https://www.analogsky.co/   Alternative Camera Firmware: https://thingino.com/   fudion for linux: https://github.com/cryinkfly/Autodesk-Fusion-360-for-Linux   ...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as Progress with the Goodway, DLCing pens, and Kyocera inserts breaking chips. Links Discussed: AJ Toolpath Video    https://youtu.be/uozp5MjDl-4?si=GXdGNwizwVFT1VbN   AJ Shop Tour Toolpath    https://youtu.be/KQcKLFxpxJQ?si=DuM-lsMAByaV2kHy   The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.c...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as Troubles with Ethercat, PDX CNC benchmark, and gutting the Goodway. Links Discussed: Old School Turret Lathe Manual: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89089665293&seq=7   PDX CNC Benchmark: https://portlandcnc.com/blog/2023/7/apple-silicon-f360#gsc.tab=0   thead gauge: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/328...

Join Curt and Jamie as they pick the brain of the man behind Noddy’s Performance Products. The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Jamie: http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering https://www.jspeceng.com/ Curt: https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/ https://www.confoundedmachine.com/...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as a tale of RGB fans, eccentric presses, and how to name a lathe. Links Discussed: Silly Shorts (explict): https://www.siirigo.com/collections/best-sellers?spm=..collection_0fe78a52-0f05-4c9a-a0a4-e1bdb3ea92a4.header_1.1&spm_prev=..collection_e3d33a69-d75d-4a01-ab8d-d004b578faab.collection_1.1 Parts Department Podcast: http...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as CUSMA fun, Harbor install, and blowing up ID tools. Links Discussed: The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturi...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as Plane Crashes, Thinking in 100x scale, and Ti screw feeds. Links Discussed: DIY Hone / Degreaser thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR11dx064QQ Reddit DIY Build: https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/11lhh7g/my_diy_vapor_blaster_wet_blaster_id_put_it_up/ Commercial Vapor Hone: https://vaporhoningtechnologies.com/weekend...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as Actual customer service (better than you think), Smart lathe sl36 (13000), and how health is wealth. Links Discussed: Prescribed reading - Pumpkin plan: https://mikemichalowicz.com/pumpkin-plan/ 20um benchy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgQbPdiuUTw Swiss-Type / Sliding Head Lathes: https://www.chiah-chyun.com/en-US/p...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as Tiny tiny bearings, 4th axis, and now we can't go back, and making aeroplane parts. Links Discussed: Retroid: https://www.goretroid.com/en-ca/collections/retro-game-system The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/onl...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as Curt’s 2, 1, 1 week schedule, Cycle832, and Jamie reading books. The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/#bonus-content Merch: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheLoneMachinists Need Work Done? Check out Subtract Manufacturing a...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as 4/5th axis Anchor Point, Doctor Who at the medieval fair, and how Justin Gray is a sweetheart. Links Discussed: Robot Oblivion: https://www.instagram.com/robotoblivion?igsh=emprNWk4b3hpcGl5 Toolpath: https://toolpath.com/ The Lone Machinist: Website: https://thelonemachinists.com/ Bonus Content: https://thelonemachinists.com/...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as making screws, tumbling and nebula, and Project Hail Mary. Links Discussed: The Blight: https://www.cnczone.com/forums/vertical-mill-lathe-project-log/56549-cnc.html My Next Masterpiece!!! I Built a Tool Post Milling Spindle Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9g4bvlIMpE Actionbox emco video: https://www.youtube.com/watch...

Join Curt and Jamie as they discuss their week, including topics such as hydraulic holders, Ano upgrades, and thinking in terms of 10x production to find better ways of doing things. Links Discussed: Patreon Q&A: https://www.patreon.com/posts/q-for-next-weeks-135203847?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Sunday Nobody:...