The Impractical Machinists

What's actually killing machinists faster — big corporate shop rules or the chaos of running your own place? This week Pat jumps in as guest host and we go deep on all of it. Lead time strategy that keeps customers off your back, why a $350 pizza might be the best business investment you make this year, and the real reason good machinists walk out the door and never come back. We get into scrap part confessions, exotic material nightmares, G-code quizzes that stumped everyone, and the one que...

Pat, Cameron, and Brad catch up on what’s been going on in their shops—from current projects and production challenges to the reality of keeping work on track. They also dive into a listener question about when to go full-time with a side shop, breaking down the financial side, the risk, and what that transition actually looks like. The conversation touches on balancing a day job while building something on the side, using your job to fund equipment, and what happens when that decision gets m...

Hans Keisler from Motor Control Technology joins the podcast to talk about his path through the machining trade — from working at Lockheed to building his own aerospace-focused machine shop. We get into what it’s really like working in a union shop, the differences between big aerospace companies and small job shops, and what it takes to go from a one-man operation to hiring employees. Hans also shares the reality of chasing aerospace and defense work — certifications, compliance, IT requirem...

Michael is 20 years old and runs his own machine shop in Idaho. He bought his first CNC at 17 while still in high school, taught himself machining entirely through YouTube, and has never spent a dollar on advertising. In this episode, Michael shares how he went from building RC airplanes to hand-coding G-code on a vintage Swiss lathe, why he moved his entire shop from Tennessee to Idaho, and how he stays up until 4 AM when customers need parts delivered on time. We talk about his equipment (H...

What happens when a finisher ruins a $20,000 part — and nobody wants to take responsibility? In this episode, we dive into the real, unfiltered side of running a machine shop. From late material deliveries and unreliable suppliers to finishers damaging parts and offering little more than excuses, we talk through the situations that quietly cause the most stress, lost time, and financial risk in manufacturing. From there, the conversation widens into shop operations and industry reality: How b...

He started machining at 12 — and after working in over 1,000 companies, he’s still learning. In this episode, Donnie talks about what decades in machining across countless shops actually teaches you — and why experience isn’t just about time on the clock. From growing up in his dad’s shop to walking into unfamiliar machines with no perfect setup, he shares how perspective changes once you stop seeing the industry from only one place. The conversation gets into real shop realities: solving p...

Another week, another pile of machining problems we didn’t ask for but somehow ended up dealing with anyway. In this episode, the guys dig into Instagram questions and end up covering everything from engraving tools to CAM strategy to finding work for a new shop — all wrapped in the usual chaos of real machine-shop life. They talk about jobs that show up already late, material that’s the wrong size (but you don’t find out until it’s on the machine), tooling that mysteriously disappears righ...

We’ve all tried to make a lathe do something it probably shouldn’t. But where’s the line? In this episode, Patrick and Brad get into the real talk about pushing machines past their limits, and why knowing when to level up (your tools and your shop) can make or break you. From shop hacks that kinda work to those that really shouldn’t, the guys share stories every machinist will recognize — the overused end mills, the “temporary” setups that become permanent, and the customers who turn every jo...

Every machinist knows the two worst kinds of headaches: when your threads don’t come out right, and when it’s time to clean the coolant tank. In this episode, the guys swap shop stories about snapped taps, thread engagement gone wrong, and the endless debate of form tapping vs. cut tapping. Then it’s on to the dirty side of the shop — coolant tanks, chip mess, and the cleanups nobody wants to deal with. 🔔 Subscribe, Rate, and Review to never miss an episode. Your feedback helps us bring you t...

From wrenching on South Bend lathes in his basement to running Maple Lane Machine & Tool, Brad Jacob has lived just about every phase of the machinist’s journey. In this episode, Brad sits down with us to talk about how he went from BMX-riding shop kid to shop owner serving the medical industry. We dig into restoring old iron, the grind of starting a business out of your garage, and what it’s like to see your parts end up in life-changing applications. If you’ve ever hauled a Bridgeport d...

Aaron Morrill has been fixing CNC machines since he was a kid—literally. In this episode, we sit down with the Spokane-based repair tech to talk shop life, leveling myths, and what really matters when your machines go down. From growing up doing service calls with his dad to running a multi-division repair business today, Aaron shares the hard truths about downtime, bad installs, questionable machines, and when not to call a tech. 🔔 Subscribe, Rate, and Review to never miss an episode. Your f...

🎉 We made it — ONE YEAR of The Impractical Machinists Podcast! 🎉 From broken mics and awkward intros to actually figuring out what we’re doing — we’ve come a long way. We’re looking back on everything that’s changed this past year — in our shops and our lives. And yes… there’s a special giveaway to celebrate. 🎁 But you’ll have to listen to the episode to find out how to enter. 👀 👇 Drop a comment, leave a rating, and let us know your favorite moment from the past year! 🔔 Subscribe, Rate, and ...