by Phil Kerner | Oct 21, 2015 | Members Only: The Tool Room, Real Manufacturing Experiences, Set-Ups
Some people look at things and think "how can I do this?" I look at things and think "What's the easiest way to do this?" One of the reasons I've become a set-up wizard in my later years is that I always believe that there always HAS to be a simpler and easier way to...
by Phil Kerner | Sep 14, 2014 | Fixture Building, Members Only: The Tool Room, Milling, Real Manufacturing Experiences, Set-Ups
Because they count on me to a lot of different and oddly-shaped parts at work, I'm constantly challenged to come up with quick, creative, and consistent ways to locate and hold parts on my Mazak CNC mill. Here's one that's had some gussets welded to it before they...
by Phil Kerner | Jul 29, 2014 | Members Only: The Tool Room, Real Manufacturing Experiences, Set-Ups, Shortcuts and Time Savers
One of my favorite techniques that I've added to my collection of tricks is to request that my small parts - and even some of my larger parts - be cut from stock that's at least 1/8" thicker than the finish size. This allows me to square up (5) sides in just one...
by Phil Kerner | Jul 6, 2014 | Members Only: The Tool Room, Real Manufacturing Experiences
Let's face it: there's nothing quite as maddening as breaking a tap, is there? While I've covered some methods of how to avoid the dreaded broken tap, I've never shown you one of the ways to remove one once is broken off in a hole. There are several ways to remove a...
by Phil Kerner | Jul 5, 2014 | Members Only: The Tool Room, Real Manufacturing Experiences, Shortcuts and Time Savers
Almost every single day, I take pictures of some of my work. Some are used for more in-depth lessons, while others are just useful just to use as little reminders and to give you guys a few new ideas on some of your own projects. Every few months, I go through all of...
by Phil Kerner | Jun 22, 2014 | Members Only: The Tool Room, Milling, Real Manufacturing Experiences, Set-Ups
Every once in a while, a new part comes across my bench that I think might be interesting to you. Besides my Tool & Die stuff at work, many times I'm given brand-new projects in order to come up with an accurate and repeatable process that can be used later when...
