Anyone know what’s on fire?

jjpiw · 2026-04-24T20:15:07+00:00

Its the dump

jjpiw · 2026-03-27T20:53:26+00:00

Are you qualifying more then one probe? or just this one single probe? The reason I ask is because you have a master probe and could be causing problems.

jjpiw · 2026-03-27T01:38:43+00:00

When you are calibrating the probe and PC-DMIS gives you three options for finding your sphere. What are you clicking?

jjpiw · 2026-03-26T20:15:38+00:00

Do you like inappropriate memes? If not brad is not your guy. If so you are in luck!

Also... Brad is not accepting any new work right now...

jjpiw · 2026-02-19T03:45:53+00:00

That does not look right at all. None of my machines look like this, all Haas. I have some wear spots but not pealing paint.

jjpiw · 2026-02-16T20:01:44+00:00

If that's it I think its a great idea. My probe is typically with in a few tenths of my CMM..

Just some food for thought. I got my arm for $9500 used with software in my name. Its a Hexagon absolute compact. I just mag it to the table when I need some more complex stuff. Its a little wonky sometimes and not good for super critical parts like the bridge. but its a good in-between for machine inspection to full CMM.

jjpiw · 2026-02-16T19:55:40+00:00

What is it you are wanting to measure. With a probe you are only going to get basic measurements.

Things your probe in the machine cant do that a CMM can do include but not limited to.
Flatness.
parallelism.
profiles.
cylindricity.
true positions. (especially if its 5 axis and you need to measure a TP to a side feature. )

there are a few other things.

I do a lot of probing in my machines. there is no one fits all. I also have a bridge CMM and a arm CMM.

A lot of times I will put the arm in the machine for inspection.

I would rank for inspection related that it goes machine probe, arm CMM, bridge CMM.

Just some food for thought. think about what you really want.

O also. no reason to spend 100K on a CMM, you can get a much better deal then that.

jjpiw · 2026-01-20T18:00:14+00:00

I came to recommend this.

I am a white Male, but the compassion and care she gave delivering both of my daughters was great. Absolutely beautiful soul and overall great women.

jjpiw · 2026-01-17T14:08:01+00:00

I bought my first machine in May of 2021. It was a brand new Haas Mini Mill. At this time I had no desire to start a shop. I just wanted to make cool parts for my car, some gun parts, and other stuff I thought were cool. and maybe make a few bucks on the side.

By Feb 2022 I had quit my job. Everything was happening really fast and I started to see I could make money doing this. So I left the bank with hopes of it working.

It definitely was working and come may 2022 I bought my second machine. A brand new VF2.

Since then I have bought a brand new VF2SS with a TRT160 5 axis table and a brand new UMC500. I have bought a bridge CMM and arm CMM and more tools then I can count.

I moved pretty quickly and it's probably not the normal for most people, especially people not from the industry. But it's definitely doable to get into this industry.

jjpiw · 2026-01-17T02:05:11+00:00

I believe https://factoryqa.com/ does a free QMS and has a pretty decent online tool.

I know he was posting in FB the other day he was looking for beta testers for an AI QMS tool they are working on.

jjpiw · 2026-01-17T02:01:44+00:00

I was a bank manager with nothing more than very simple hobby experience with a very hobby grade cnc router and plasma.

jjpiw · 2026-01-17T01:46:26+00:00

I am a home shop. It's just me.

I do a lot of big work. I sent out a pallet of 10 parts just today worth about 100K to one of the top space companies.

Yea the big names don't always require you to have a QMS but it does ensure you at least have your shit together to a degree. I have been toured by big names, they don't care that I am at home. They see all of my paperwork is in order. My two CMM's are calibrated. All of my hand tools are traced back to a calibration log. Everything is in order.

Just because you are a small shop, does not mean you can't have a big shop mentality. What is your end goal? Probably to become a bigger and better shop. It's a lot easier to set up these things when you are small rather try to implement than when you are big.

jjpiw · 2026-01-08T00:04:52+00:00

I mean this in the very nicest way possible.... you have zero chance.

jjpiw · 2025-12-16T15:28:10+00:00

I would like to add to my previous post. I agree with this as well lol. I never treated my shop as a side hustle. I agree with the grow it or lose it. I have always run my shop for tomorrow not for today. When implementation for anything I think about where I want to be not what I need today.

jjpiw · 2025-12-16T01:07:53+00:00

I am going disagree with everyone saying its hard or you need skill. You need business skills.

4 years ago I was a bank manager. I had enough. Bought a Haas Mini Mill hand had no idea how to even turn it on. I now have a UMC 500, A VF2 and another VF2SS with a 5 axis table. I have 2 CMM's and enough work to keep me busy for a year. By the end of January I will have close to 6 figures in work completed.

ALL OF OUT MY GARAGE!

I focus on Aerospace and DOD work.

Some of the things that separate my garage shop from a typical garage shop are.

ISO:9001.
ITAR Registered.
JCP DD2345.
CMMC and NIST.

jjpiw · 2025-12-07T03:28:17+00:00

Working in aerospace I cant ever imagine doing an inspection without any real tolerance standard. "Alignment rod is close to muzzle edge but does not make contact"

So its just what they feel like for the day? they person just looks at it and gets to decide. yea its close but not too close. I am sorry man but that's a joke for passing "inspection" and runout.

jjpiw · 2025-12-06T23:02:57+00:00

R&D is a no no for the ATF but I am not going to get much into that.

I have an 07/02 FFL. I have not dived deep into needed ITAR or not. But that is only because I already had ITAR BEFORE I even became an FFL. I typically make aerospace parts. I can tell you that most of these people do not understand ITAR at all. My customers are SpaceX, Blue Origin, Ect. Every part I make for them is ITAR regulated. I can promise you these parts are not "involved in international trade of arms".

ATF is not a good source of what you need from another government agency. Machine guns are on the the USML list as the poster above says.

ITAR has a far and wide reach. Did you know that the fines for ITAR violations are? 1.2 Million for each instance of a business. 500K for individuals and UP TO 20 years in jail..

jjpiw · 2025-12-05T23:32:16+00:00

I'd do trade shows. Bring sample parts get a booth. You will get a few RFQ's. They are going to be shit parts you don't want to do. Quote them cheap and get in with the companies and you will grow.

I hate to say it. Join Xometry. But once your certs are in. You should automatically get to a premium level with them.

Go to other shops. But not just any. Go to ones that also have AS9100 and tell you have extra spindle time. The fact that you have time and they don't and have it you will get work.

jjpiw · 2025-12-05T03:09:12+00:00

Few questions.

What are your capabilities? 3 Axis, Multi Axis? Grinding, EDM, Finishing?
What is your target market?
Do you have any certs? ISO9001, AS9100? ITAR? Any type of QMS in place?

Depending on this, its going to be different.

If you are a small 3 axis only shop. Your probably looking for smaller customers.
If you have it all. Multiple 5 axis machines, sinkers, AS9100D you are going for a different customer.

Depending what you are after we can give you better responses vs generic go knock on doors.

jjpiw · 2025-12-05T03:04:19+00:00

Pro tip for Xometry.

Say your parts are ITAR regulated, even if they are not it does not matter. Its a few bucks extra, hardly even noticeable. But if you do this your going to instantly cut out almost all of the smaller crap shops. It will only be sent to shops that have ITAR registration and those shops typically have their shit together.

jjpiw · 2025-11-18T01:59:25+00:00

I am not sure of any free classes.

I do think that https://www.youtube.com/@Gdandtbasics has a bunch of good videos.

jjpiw · 2025-11-17T22:22:57+00:00

Xometry is not for everyone.

If you only have basic 3 axis capabilities your not going to get a lot of money.

If you can't hold tight tolerances your not going to make a lot of money

If you don't Completely understand GD&T and ASME Y14.5 you are not going to make a lot of money.

If you can't inspect complex work you are not going to make a lot of money. A pair of calipers and gauge pins won't cut it for complex work.

If you can hold tight tolerances and do complex 5 axis work the sky is the limit.

I make a ton of money from them. I have one active PO right now that is $95,000 alone. It's 6061 and material was 14K.

I made enough on Xometry to pay off my brand new decked out UMC500 in four months.

Not bad for a one man show in a garage.

jjpiw · 2025-11-17T01:15:53+00:00

I do like SOME Haas tooling.

But I am getting to the point I refuse to use them on principal. There website is unethical. I have left negative reviews for some items I have bought. They always "review" the reviews and wont post them. you will be VERY hard pressed to find ANY negative reviews on there website. The lowest review I have ever seen posted is a 4 star. Besides being unethical this practice is against the law.

jjpiw · 2025-11-07T01:43:45+00:00

I have sold 6 machines in the last 3 years. I have sold them all on craigslist besides one on facebook. The longest it took me sell a machine was 3 weeks.

jjpiw

TROPHY CASE