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Cnc
8 posts
2025-08-22
Coolant, Workholding, and Setup for Your First CNC Job
Tools selected, offsets set — now the part that separates good parts from scrap: workholding, coolant, and setup. The final post in the CNC mini-course.
2025-08-11
Feeds and Speeds: The Math Behind Every CNC Cut
Feed rate and spindle speed decide chips vs. smoke. Get them right and tools last; get them wrong and things break. The math, explained simply.
2025-07-30
CNC Tooling: Endmills, Drills, and Inserts Explained
The cutting tool is where the machine meets the material. What tools do and when to use which one — the difference between clean parts and broken tooling.
2025-07-18
CAD, CAM, and CAE Explained: From Idea to Finished Part
CAD creates the model, CAM generates the toolpaths, CAE validates the design before a chip is cut. How the three acronyms connect — and why it matters.
2025-07-07
G-Code Explained: Your CNC Machine's Language
G-code is the language CNC machines speak. CAM writes it for you now, but you still need to read it and catch problems before they become crashes.
2025-06-25
CNC Coordinate Systems and Work Offsets Explained
Before you cut a feature, understand how a CNC machine thinks about space. Get coordinate systems and work offsets wrong, and your part is scrap.
2025-06-14
CNC Mills vs. Lathes: What Each Machine Is For
Mills and lathes are fundamentally different — how they work, what they produce, how you set them up. The breakdown, from someone who's run both.
2025-06-03
CNC Machining 101: What It Is and Why It Matters
I used to own a machine shop. CNC machining changed how I think about making things. If you've wondered how a part goes from drawing to reality — start here.