We’ve all been impressed, at one point or another, by a part that was made for aerospace. They usually have tight tolerances, weird geometries, and of course they’re made from ridiculous materials like Inconel or a crazy titanium alloy

While we all know the importance of picking the right machine tool for the right job, it’s important to remember that there is so much more to making chips than just the mill or lathe you are using. Choosing the right tools and workholding for your job is just as important, if not more so!

Sometimes, there can be a lot to CNC machining – everything from computer programming to materials science is involved – but paying attention to a few things can make a big difference in the parts that you make. Here are six little things that can make a big difference with your CNC machining.

Soft jaws are one of the simplest methods of customized workholding. Basically, you create an inverted version of your part within the jaws of your vise, and clamp things down.

Over the last decade, 3D printing has grown in popularity and decreased significantly in price. Even though 3D printing is a long way from bettering CNC machining in speed, materials, or reliability, additive manufacturing technology may have a place in everybody’s shop. If you have a mill, why do you need a 3D printer in your shop?

The world of metalworking and machining is broad, in part because there are so many varieties of metal to play with. One of the most forgiving metals to cut is brass, and here’s four reasons we love to work with it.