Ever wondered how a conversation about burgers turns into industrial automation, toaster engineering, and titanium butt plugs?

This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast:
Jamie survives a wedding weekend, immediately goes back to abusing the LK with horrifying amounts of tool steel, and starts planning how to automate 400,000 fence clamps without losing his sanity.
Curt discovers the joy of dual-wielding online stores, falls deeper into the flux vice rabbit hole, and accidentally reignites his dream of building the world’s smartest toaster.

We also discuss:
✔ Why South African fast food places sound like alarm clocks having a panic attack
✔ Tiny dovetail vices that solve all problems, potentially
✔ Why round bar is apparently the meaning of life
✔ Shop moves, power problems, and machine doorway measurements
✔ The return of Mr. Roboto thanks to catastrophic internet issues
✔ And a titanium “bean” with a flared base that lawyers insist is not a butt plug

If you like machining, fixturing, automation, or hearing two machinists spiral into increasingly dangerous business ideas… welcome home.

Links Discussed:

 * calees cans flaired base bean: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0v_NLglnqNQ
 * toaster technoligy conetcions: https://youtu.be/1OfxlSG6q5Y?si=wgWDy3edZj69aXPV
 * T-shirts: https://www.jspeceng.com/online-store/Merch-c177137041
 * cadbery advert 5star: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXVndnEiF5R/?igsh=ZHFic21vd2c2d3Bn

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 at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/

Want to try out Toolpath [https://toolpath.com/]? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/

Jamie:

 * http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering
 * https://www.jspeceng.com/
 * https://www.noughticalwh.com/

Curt:

 * https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/
 * https://www.confoundedmachine.com/

Ep. 72: Someone Let The Machinists Near The Kitchen Equipment

Ever wondered what happens when two machinists get slightly too much caffeine and absolutely no supervision?

This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast:

 * One of us falls headfirst into an ERP system that started as “just a quick tool”… and is now basically a full-blown operating system 
 * The other accidentally becomes a sticker manufacturer and nearly buys a $2000 mistake off Marketplace
 * There’s a tiny dovetail vice so cute it should come with a warning label
 * We talk shop spaces, power problems, and why 63 amps feels like a personality trait
 * And yes… someone designed a magnetic spinning window thing after being peer pressured on Discord (as one does)

Also featuring:
✔ Chip welding rage
✔ Packaging glow-ups nobody asked for
✔ Questionable naming decisions
✔ And the phrase “spinning disk of justice,” which is now legally binding

If you like machining, making things, or slowly turning simple ideas into wildly overengineered projects… welcome home.

Links Discussed:

 * Template Maker: https://www.templatemaker.nl/en/

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 at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/

Want to try out Toolpath [https://toolpath.com/]? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/

Jamie:

 * http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering
 * https://www.jspeceng.com/
 * https://www.noughticalwh.com/

Curt:

 * https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/
 * https://www.confoundedmachine.com/

Trevor:

 * https://titanringdesigns.com/
 * https://www.instagram.com/titanringdesigns

Ep. 71: The World’s Cutest Vice (and Other Lies)

In this episode of The Lone Machinist, Jamie and Curt are joined by Trevor from Titan Ring Designs, and things get deep… like “question your entire life path while holding a mic” deep.

What starts as a simple chat about machining quickly turns into a full-blown masterclass on creativity, risk-taking, and why making tiny, ridiculously intricate titanium parts might actually be the most logical life choice.

Trevor walks us through his journey from school shop kid to teaching machining, to quitting it all to chase building cool stuff full-time, all from a backyard shop that’s smaller than most people’s garages. Along the way, we get into artistic machining, tumbling black magic, and the reality of turning passion into something that (hopefully) pays the bills.

There’s also a healthy dose of “just send it” energy, some very real talk about the education system, and a reminder that maybe… just maybe… playing it safe isn’t the safest option after all.

If you’ve ever thought about starting your own thing, making something from scratch, or just escaping the 9–5 grind, this one’s going to hit a little too close to home.

Links Discussed:

 * jim carey speech: https://youtu.be/nLgHNu2N3JU?si=wzxY6ad-PFJC-CBB
 * Jeff McWhinney Designs: https://mcwhinneydesigns.com/
 * Titan Ring Designs: https://titanringdesigns.com/products/
 * Fancy Flashlight link: https://www.coolfall.com/pShop.html

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 at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/

Want to try out Toolpath [https://toolpath.com/]? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/

Jamie:

 * http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering
 * https://www.jspeceng.com/
 * https://www.noughticalwh.com/

Curt:

 * https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/
 * https://www.confoundedmachine.com/

Trevor:

 * https://titanringdesigns.com/
 * https://www.instagram.com/titanringdesigns

Ep. 70: How to Build a Business by Accident with Titan Ring Designs 

In this absolutely respectable and definitely clean Episode 69 of the Lone Machinist Podcast… things go off the rails in under 2 minutes.

We kick things off with Curt accidentally spending what could’ve been a small mortgage payment on sticker equipment, because apparently “I can make my own stickers” is a perfectly valid financial strategy. Meanwhile, Jamie goes full outdoorsman, hosting a bachelor party that involves mud drifting, bass fishing domination, and aggressively avoiding anything resembling a normal bachelor party.

Somewhere in between:

 * A vinyl cutter that definitely didn’t fall off a truck (probably)
 * A fishing trip that cured burnout better than therapy
 * CNC projects that make you question your life choices
 * A Masso retrofit that somehow actually worked
 * And just enough questionable jokes to remind you… yeah, this is Episode 69

Also, we tried to keep it civil.

We did not succeed.

If you like machining, bad decisions, and the kind of conversations that start technical and end with “how did we get here?”, you’re in the right place.

Come for the CNC talk
Stay for the chaos
Leave wondering why anyone owns this many stickers

Links Discussed:

 * Xteink X4: https://www.xteink.com/products/xteink-x4

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 at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/

Want to try out Toolpath [https://toolpath.com/]? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/

Jamie:

 * http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering
 * https://www.jspeceng.com/
 * https://www.noughticalwh.com/

Curt:

 * https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/
 * https://www.confoundedmachine.com/

Ep. 69: Insert Innuendo Here

This week on The Lone Machinist Podcast, Curt and Jamie set out to talk about machining… and instead accidentally reinvent software development, question modern civilization, and nearly bankrupt themselves with printers.

Highlights include:
• Curt buying a printer “just for one thing” like every responsible adult ever
• Jamie discovering his fourth axis is not a tool, but a supernatural entity
• Both of them vibe coding apps they barely understand and definitely shouldn’t be trusted with
• A deep dive into sticker production that somehow becomes a full-blown identity crisis

Somewhere along the way:
• Lasers start doing things that feel illegal
• French designers approve of Jamie’s “pretty parts” (engineering has entered its fashion era)
• Curt realizes tax season means he technically earns money but spiritually does not

By the end of the episode, we’ve concluded:
The future is incredible, nothing is stable, and we are absolutely not qualified to be this productive.

Press play if you enjoy:
Machining, chaos, questionable life choices, and two guys speedrunning the collapse of traditional skillsets using nothing but caffeine and blind confidence.

Warning: This episode may cause sudden urges to buy a printer, build an app, and completely ignore best practices.

Links Discussed:

 * Justin Gray Labs: https://justingraylabs.com/

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 at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/

Want to try out Toolpath [https://toolpath.com/]? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/

Jamie:

 * http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering
 * https://www.jspeceng.com/
 * https://www.noughticalwh.com/

Curt:

 * https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/
 * https://www.confoundedmachine.com/

The Lone Machinists Ep. 68: Print It, Stick It, Break It, Fix It

This week on The Lone Machinist Podcast, things go exactly as planned, which is to say, absolutely not at all. Curt successfully fixes a lens right up until the exact moment he completely destroys it, proving once again that “if it ain’t broke, fix it till it is” is less of a motto and more of a lifestyle. Meanwhile, Jamie is deep in tolerance stack-up hell, rearranging his entire workshop like a man trying to fit a king-size bed into a shoebox, all while seriously considering trading financial stability for “just one more machine.” There’s anodizing experiments that may or may not dissolve parts into oblivion, discussions about balls, pins, and why nothing ever lines up the way it should, plus a deeply unnecessary but unforgettable segment titled “you poo, I watch.” It’s engineering, it’s chaos, it’s questionable decision-making at its finest, so grab a drink, lower your expectations, and enjoy the ride.

Links Discussed:

 * Noughtical Work Holding: https://www.noughticalwh.com/
 * caleeys cans hulk pill: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/K2lIMSZA_5o

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 at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/

Want to try out Toolpath [https://toolpath.com/]? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/

Jamie:

 * http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering
 * https://www.jspeceng.com/
 * https://www.noughticalwh.com/

Curt:

 * https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/
 * https://www.confoundedmachine.com/

Ep. 67: One More Machine Will Fit (Trust Me)

This week, everything works… except the things we actually need.

We start off optimistically with solar power plans and dreams of energy independence, before immediately spiraling into real-world problems like rising fuel costs, questionable ROI, and whether running a machine shop on sunshine is genius or just expensive optimism.

Then Fusion 360 decides to absolutely ruin Jamie’s week, turning simple edits into 10-minute emotional journeys and making basic machining tasks feel like punishment. If you’ve ever shouted at your CAD software like it personally betrayed you, this one’s for you.

Meanwhile, Curt casually builds “internet in a box” like a doomsday prepper with a Wi-Fi signal, downloads all of Wikipedia, and somehow makes it sound completely reasonable.

We also cover:

 * Why copy-pasting G-code is a dangerous game
 * The exact moment a missing line ruins your day
 * Buying a new 3D printer for “totally valid reasons.”
 * Designing print-in-place tools that might actually save your machine
 * And why backups (and backup plans) are no longer optional

It’s part machining, part tech rant, part “how did we get here?”

Subscribe if you enjoy:
Questionable engineering decisions
Software-induced suffering
And slowly preparing for the apocalypse… but with good documentation

Links Discussed:

 * Noughtical Work Holding: https://www.noughticalwh.com/

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 at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/

Want to try out Toolpath [https://toolpath.com/]? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/

Jamie:

 * http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering
 * https://www.jspeceng.com/
 * https://www.noughticalwh.com/

Curt:

 * https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/
 * https://www.confoundedmachine.com/

Ep. 66: Fusion Executes Order 66

This week on The Loan Machinist Podcast, Jamie and Curt battle the literal "Demon" of Tolerance Stack-Up, because apparently, adding up a bunch of "tents" actually equals one giant headache

Curt scores a $600 lens for sixty bucks and plays a high-stakes game of "Did I just buy a paperweight?" while Jamie contemplates becoming a full-time electrician because Fusion 360’s latest update is officially "unusable"

We also dive into the oily world of vacuum workholding, where if you aren't pulling enough mercury, you’re just turning your shop into an unintentional oil mist sauna

Plus, Samo the Marmo presses 10,000 rivets by hand, Jamie breaks his resin printer for a Deadpool bust, and we definitely (mostly) don’t talk about Project Hail Mary

Grab your calipers and your patience; it’s just you, the work, and the machines.

Links Discussed:

 * Noughtical Work Holding: https://www.noughticalwh.com/

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 at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/

Want to try out Toolpath [https://toolpath.com/]? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/

Jamie:

 * http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering
 * https://www.jspeceng.com/
 * https://www.noughticalwh.com/

Curt:

 * https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/
 * https://www.confoundedmachine.com/

Ep. 65: If You Can't Make It Perfect, Make It Adjustable

In this episode of The Lone Machinists Podcast, we remove 94.6% of a perfectly good piece of aluminium just to prove we can, debate whether a bandsaw is the solution to all of life’s problems (it is), and discover that titanium will happily destroy your patience before your tooling. There’s vacuum workholding wizardry, Ultem experiments, and just enough tolerance talk to keep things dangerously precise, plus a brief but important life lesson: don’t punch people, because court has worse cycle times than your slowest machine. Throw in exploding part-offs, intrusive thoughts about building yet another machine, and a suspicious conversation about “sausage polishers,” and you’ve got an episode that’s equal parts machining brilliance and beautifully engineered chaos.

Ep. 64: Sausage Polishers & Shop Logic

In this episode of the Lone Machinists Podcast, Jamie and Curt once again prove that running a machine shop is mostly problem-solving, mild chaos, and questionable purchasing decisions. Jamie explains how Curt bullied him into buying a gimbal and why filming smooth shop footage is apparently harder than flying a plane, while Curt announces he’s defecting in the AI wars and claims Claude is now the smarter shop assistant. Meanwhile in the real world, Jamie is busy pressing thousands of rivets a week, chasing a mysterious lathe issue that keeps snapping tiny parts, and discovering that the “slightly noisy” spindle on a friend’s lathe was actually being held together by hopes, dreams, and a very destroyed bearing. Along the way they rant about AI scraping YouTube creators, the increasingly weird world of AI voice scams, questionable surface finishes, and why recording hundreds of hours of yourself talking on the internet might one day be the dumbest or smartest thing you ever did.

Links Discussed:

 * Noughtical Work Holding: https://www.noughticalwh.com/
 * Toxing: https://tox.com/en-us/technologies/clinching/clinching
 * caleys cans: https://www.youtube.com/@cayleependerass/shorts

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 at: https://subtractmanufacturing.com/

Want to try out Toolpath [https://toolpath.com/]? Give it a go and get 10% off by using the code TLM10 at checkout: https://toolpath.com/

Jamie:

 * http://instagram.com/jspec_engineering
 * https://www.jspeceng.com/
 * https://www.noughticalwh.com/

Curt:

 * https://www.instagram.com/confoundedmachine/
 * https://www.confoundedmachine.com/

Ep. 62: The Internet Is Forever (And So Are Our Bad Ideas)

Curt and Jamie dive into business and manufacturing as one-man shops.

jamie peacock

Shows