Learning CNC can be a daunting task. Even if you’ve already mastered the concept of moving from napkin sketch to CAD to CAM, you still have to take raw material and cut a part… make some chips, as we say.

For those of you looking to step up the efficiency and ease-of-use of your Tormach mill or router, adding an ETS is a worthy upgrade to consider. An Electronic Tool Setter (ETS) is a device that sits on your machine table and acts as a ‘switch’, telling the PathPilot control when a tool touches the top of the ETS at which point the control records the Z position of the machine.

CNC entrepreneurs come in many different varieties. Some run their businesses like a small machine shop, doing parts for larger companies and shops, while some create their own products to sell online or to fellow machinists.

From washing and polishing to powder coating and sandblasting, there are endless ways to finish your parts. When you’re dealing with aluminum or titanium, anodizing is one of the most popular.

Machine maintenance can make all the difference in the world inside your shop. Whether you’re talking about HVAC, hand tools, or machine tools, keeping your shop clean and maintained will not only make things last longer, but it will also help you become/stay efficient.

When you’re making parts, there are a lot of things to keep in mind… tolerances, feeds and speeds, tool wear, workholding… the list goes on and on. Whether you’re making your own parts or stuff for a customer or even shipping components off for Xometry, the final finish of your product is important to remember.