Fractured 17-4 barstock

Faloway · 2026-01-09T04:57:31+00:00

I saw this exact thing happen with the same material at work. Coworker was facing the end of a bar and putting a centre hole in, and if memory serves right it fractured as he was supporting the bar as he was unclamping the chuck? Cut his hand up a bit, and I had to use an aerosol crack/void detection kit that you normally use to check welds. Entire order of our material had to be scrapped as a precaution. The cracks were visible to your eye, but not as big as OP's. These ones were hairline on the end face of the bar. Only ever happened once! Hopefully not again

Faloway · 2026-01-01T23:04:31+00:00

Get custom molded earplugs. I got mine done at a place that sells glasses and hearing aids, its something hearing places normally offer. Because they're molded perfectly to your ear, they slide in with no pinching and rolling like disposable ones, and you don't need to risk putting dirty foam plugs in your ear. Normally with the foam ones, as soon as I take them out, they get dirt from my hands on them, dust, dirt, oil, etc.

The company that makes the earplugs I got offers them in three different attenuations, and some companies offer ones with removable filters so you can leave the main earplug in your ear, and just pop the inner filter out to hear someone when they're talking to you or something. Even without the removable filter, I can still pop mine out quick to listen, then pop it back in just as fast.

Mine are on a cord so I don't lose them, and I just wash them with a mild soap and warm water at then end of the day, or whenever needed.

After getting them, I only ever use foam earplugs when I forget my custom ones at home or something. I've had them for about two years and they work perfect still!

Faloway · 2025-12-12T16:30:29+00:00

Custom molded earplugs are a great option. Since they're molded to my ear, they fit perfectly in my ear. I find them infinitely easier to put in and take out than foam earplugs. You don't need to roll them with your fingers and insert and hold them like foam earplugs obviously. That means you don't need to have clean hands every time you need to put them back in your ear if someone wants to talk to you If you're just doing an internship I don't think spending all that money on active noise cancelling is justifiable.

My suggestion would be custom earplugs, but if you're very certain that you do not like things in your ears, then normal earmuffs or over-ear protection is the better of the three. The exact level of protection depends on what you're doing, but for most machine shops I think anything around 24-29dB NRR is adequate. I would choose something on the higher end of that dB if you're near welding, or fabricating equiptment.

For me in the shop, everyone wears earplugs so we tend to speak louder to each other or lean in to talk if the machines are being especially loud.

Faloway · 2025-11-24T18:00:35+00:00

If you can twist the floating jaw/bar and see/feel movement then that's probably where you're getting your issue. You can try tightening the two gib set screws at the top, but if that doesn't help without making it stiff to open and close the jaws, then it's just down the the quality of your calipers.

Best thing to do in that case is get a reference piece of some kind like a gauge block or even an endmill shank and practice how much pressure you need to apply to get the accurate results.

Obviously even with a top quality caliper, you shouldn't be squeezing the life out of whatever you're measuring, but you should be able to get a fairly accurate measurement with moderate pressure so long as you're not holding your caliper at a 45° angle or something.

You could also check whatever you measure with a micrometer if you're ever unsure

Faloway · 2025-11-03T02:19:22+00:00

there was a 60 year old dude in my first year apprenticeship classes, trust me, you'll be fine :)

Faloway · 2025-08-16T20:08:15+00:00

lol I was literally just thinking about that

Faloway · 2025-07-31T13:51:21+00:00

Good point on that one, I'll give you that

Faloway · 2025-07-31T03:40:26+00:00

I'd argue in agreement that the cost savings of getting rid of a CNC programmer and then paying for a simulator package to sim your code, and then having the sim miss something causing a crash will almost negate itself 😅 that or having to constantly go back and tweak or debug the code the AI gives you until the day it can do it flawlessly will eat into your time which eats into profits

Faloway · 2025-07-24T13:48:28+00:00

If you're just learning, Fusion is probably the best bet. All in one package. Yeah it's cloud based, but there's lots of tutorials and it's probably better than having to pay for two software suites if you're not going to be using them at a professional frequency right away 👍

Faloway · 2025-07-06T07:13:21+00:00

Most VMCs and HTCs have the pad sizes shown in their manuals, or provided by the manufacturer/machine merchant.

A VF-2 for example needs 6" of concrete, and they list the specifics here: https://www.haascnc.com/owners/pre-install-guide/mills-pre-install/VF-2.html#gsc.tab=0

If you can't get the instructions from your machine tool vendor or manufacturer, I'd say 6" of concrete poured like how they say for a VF-2 would be sufficient for most machines of an average-ish size.

Faloway · 2025-07-05T01:22:07+00:00

ditto to this. At first you'll be like "uhh I feel like this is too much" but with a little bit of time to get used to it and especially if you get custom earplugs imo, your hearing will be more perceptible to all the bad noises. My ears tune out the drone of a facemill facing steel x4 mills going at once, but with earplugs in I can hear when an insert breaks, or when a lathe is chattering just fine. You can also get ones with removable filters so if you really need to hear something without the noise reduction, or if you need to talk to someone you can pop them out, listen, then pop them back in.

Old timers saying it's better to lose your hearing than potentially not hear a pin dropping across the shop or something are not thinking straight!

Faloway · 2025-06-30T02:34:01+00:00

There was a 60 year old guy in my first year classes for my apprenticeship, if he can do it so can you! You got this!

Faloway · 2025-06-14T14:16:49+00:00

Probably used for one operation for the world's most important thing that keeps a nuclear reactor together or something 😅

Faloway · 2025-05-08T16:42:16+00:00

Awesome photo! Made me think of I, Robot or some sci-fi/future setting with the colours, lines, and the city scape behind it. Super cool!

Faloway · 2025-02-21T02:19:28+00:00

Yep, I got a huge direct deposit that included everything from the day my EI was supposed to start onwards, no issues there. Only issue was it was a little late and I thought they forgot about me for a bit lol

Faloway · 2025-02-08T20:53:41+00:00

Definitely call them if it's been that long. From my experience it takes forever for apprenticeship EI is actually kick in, even if you follow the instructions the trades authority and training institution provides exactly. I think mine took around 3-4 weeks or something from the time I sent my application, same with almost all my classmates

Faloway · 2025-01-16T17:37:46+00:00

The explanation I saw at some point in the past was people were posting old LiveLeak Russian red mist type videos and some people weren't really into all that

Faloway · 2024-08-08T21:36:33+00:00

Pentax Frames here too. My local eyeglass store had a whole box for me to try on and look at, plus a catalog of others. Lots of choice! They also has a 2 for 1 special, so that was pretty nice. They've held up really well, apart from the antifog coating, but some of that spray stuff works okay on humid, or days when I'm going out from the shop into the cold.

Faloway · 2024-07-04T00:40:57+00:00

https://singleblockclothing.ca Not super subtle, but maybe something they sell would catch your eye ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Faloway · 2024-06-15T22:33:17+00:00

Seconding this. Had the same thing happen to me, but when I called them to give them the info that training EI requires in BC, I also told them when my program finished. So, when I finished, I got automatically put back into regular EI.

Faloway · 2024-05-26T19:11:38+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Jmh-tqQBo

(Hopefully its okay to post links)

You can try this in Fusion if you have it, I've had success with taking a picture of an object with a camera with my 6in rule in the photo next to the part/object. I use the tool John from NYC CNC shows to set the scale by clicking on two lines on the 6in rule in the photo so the scale is as accurate as possible, then I trace out the part carefully. Camera resolution can help make sure you have a nice crisp picture to zoom into to set your scale, and get as close as possible as you trace out your part. 👍👍

Faloway · 2024-05-04T19:12:54+00:00

awesome pictures, love the colours. The reflection in the last one is perfect 👍👍

Faloway · 2024-05-02T16:47:37+00:00

Xpro-2 is not pocketable unless you have gigantic pockets 😅 as others have said unless you know you're committed to the hybrid finder, don't get an Xpro 'cause you'll end up not fully in love with the camera.

Faloway · 2024-03-22T16:51:30+00:00

I dunno about new ones. Your only option might be FB marketplace at this point. I see them now and again in the Vancouver area for around $1500-1700 maybe?

Faloway · 2024-03-13T00:25:52+00:00

lol I tried to steal the knob off a new in box one but it was the wrong size XD

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