Look at this uber organized setup cart. If you’re tired of tool drawers looking like a rats nest made of steel you’ll appreciate this shop tip. Unfortunately, it kind of trumps our previous tip of using a lot of magnetic mounts. However, we’re willing to admit that Kaizen Foam from Fastcap is the best choice [...]
There’s a problem here. This photo is from an assembly workstation in a mid size shop. A magnetic bar holds essential tools. The problem is that it is the ONLY magnetic bar in the area and if there’s a tool missing, then there’s a drawn out search for that one tool to complete the job. [...]
We all have computers that need to talk to machines. Modern machinery uses USB sticks or Ethernet for communication. For older machines or for moldmakers who require a dripfeed of G-code, we set out to find DNC software with the best performance to value ratio. The short list of results are in… We tested multiple [...]
In this photo you see three bars of extruded aluminum waiting to be sawed together. Notice the different bars marked with a straight line, a squiggly line and no line. Why? Because not all extrusions arrive with the same exact width and this can create a big problem when holding multiple parts in a vise. [...]
Last year we ran a test on the SUPERMILL TOMCAT 5 cutter since it touted feeds and speeds in steel that are normally reserved for aluminum. You can see that review on machining steel with aluminum feedrates here. Since that review, we did a 6 month follow up with the test shop and we’re here [...]
The phrase “Skate or Die” got popular in the 80′s and although most of society would choose the Die option, this week’s shop tip borrows a page from the rolling reckless among us and courtesy of Pierson Workholding, a manufacturer of vacuum chucks. A skateboard is a pretty simple device, but an easily overlooked component [...]
Haas Automation’s Setup and Run Modes are a keyswitch addition to their control that offers an extra layer of safety and functionality. Introduced in their 2011 line of machines, most operators had to learn a new addition to a familiar control. We’ve seen charts, illustrations, instructions and discussions to explain the differences, but here’s our [...]
We receive plenty of press releases, but when we saw one claiming an endmill that could machine steel at feeds and speeds usually used with Aluminum, we had to investigate further. Primary Cutter, LLC introduced the SUPERMILL TOMCAT 5 flute carbide endmill line designed to run at high RPM and high feed rates providing rapid [...]
According to Kaeser, manufacturer of air compressor systems, the amount of energy required to run an air system for just one year can easily exceed the purchase price. This makes compressed air one of the costliest utilities in the shop. In order to cut down on air consumption, consider using a spindle fan to blow [...]
Safety first… Can you hear me? I said safety first. Several states have already banned cell phone usage while driving. Why would operating a piece of CNC machinery be any different? Sure, operating a machine might become monotonous after awhile, but is that call or text message worth losing focus which might lead to broken [...]
