The beta testing is over and the automatic tool changer for the PCNC 440 is now for sale!  Now you can take your small mill to the next level with some extra automation.

Texas is a hotbed for high tech manufacturing companies, especially machine shops. Colter Crossley, who owns and operates Blackstone Solutions and Technologies, prides himself on being a successful small business in the heart of a highly competitive market.

It’s fairly common to find machines that have multiple spindle options available. I don’t mean that you can specify multiple options, but that there are actual multiple options delivered with the machine.A very simple example would be multiple pulley ratios. More exotic would be sub-spindles, for example a high-speed auxiliary spindle or speeder on a mill.

Traditional vises use a screw to tighten the two jaws together and hold your work. This works fairly well in most applications, but sometimes you’re dealing with delicate parts and require a touch more finesse when clamping. That’s where toolmaker vises come in!

Ilan Dei owns and operates a full-service design and manufacturing facility that helps emerging companies create a memorable and iconic identity and brand in the heart of Venice, California.

Years ago, when I was starting out as a DIY machinist, my limiting factor was always the ease and convenience of rough cutting stock.