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    Arc slowdown - a typical BobCAM head-banger

    A job so simple I prepared no extra blanks, only the exact number of waterjet-cut blanks as what could possibly go wrong. Just a bunch of 3/8"-16 form-tapped holes in steel - spot, drill, chamfer mill, tap. Both the spot and chamfer ops done using a carbide 1/4" 90 deg spot drill. On the...
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    Thumb in the eye from Solidworks

    I'm one of those folks who pays from my own pocket for Solidworks and the annual maintenance. One factor in continuing to use it is the ability to use the same seat at home, the better to work all day and all night. I just deactivated the home installation to move it to a different computer...
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    Need advice with Mexico customs

    I sold a large lot of used tooling to a business in Mexico and shipped in multiple boxes via UPS Standard. Approximately 50 items, priced and sold as a bulk lot. My mistake. The shipment is being held by Mexico customs because I did not provide a detailed invoice specifying the manufacturer...
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    V belt sheave design?

    We use cast iron 3V sheaves, QD bushed, in a product. They're heavy, overkill, and expensive, but the stock alternative is zinc die cast/setscrew and is not acceptable. Is there a good reason nobody offers a line of simple plain keyed/setscrew sheaves in 6061 AL? The AL seems standard for...
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    Bearing supply?

    We make a product that uses a standard 6204 but corrosion is an issue, would like to upgrade to a **stainless** bearing i.e. W6204 2RS1. It's odd, for a non-junk W6204, mcmaster is the low price supplier, with a made in Japan unit for $43 I'm happy with but can't identify the manufacturer. I...
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    CAM plugin alternatives in Solidworks?

    Given the nature of my work - product development, constantly changing part models, really benefits from a CAM package that operates within Solidworks and enables emailing part models around with the CAM embedded and preserved, even if folks doing the editing don't have a CAM plugin. I'm...
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    Anyone upgraded to BobCAM V6 for Solidworks?

    Last year we bought BobCAM V5 for Solidworks - 3D Mill Standard. I've been using it to make some pretty fancy parts, no rocket science, just basic 3D machining on our Fadal. Some individual parts have 30+ distinct feature groups, it's a lot to keep track of. One of BobCAM's significant...
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    G41 for wear only?

    Thanks ... Edited - I mis-spoke here and misrepresented what Jim Harvey explains in his book. For some reason it didn't make sense the first 3 times I read it but indeed he is saying to let the CAM do the cutter radius compensation and use G41 for wear. The "not my cup of tea" part refers to...
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    Waterjet - Offering Fast Turnaround and 2nd Ops

    Attention industrial designers, engineers, in-house and independent prototype shops, artists, architects, building contractors, kickstarters, makers and other small manufacturers -- we're a waterjet-based manufacturing shop with four employees, located near Seattle, WA. We are a shop you'll...
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    VF2 vs. VF1 vs. TM2P ?

    Looking for wisdom on why someone would consider it a good business decision to buy a TM2P vs. a VF2, just to save $10K to $15K in the up front cost. $15K difference on the base packages, but narrowed once certain mandatory options are considered. Does someone only ever buy a TM2, say...
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    Copper tubing / Shark-Bite connectors for Air ?

    In more of a time-is-money situation than past installations. In the past I used 3/4" and 1/2" type M copper with sweat fittings for semi-permanent shop air distribution. At the moment I need to extend a 3/4" air line about 150' through a maze of overhead obstructions. Don't want to use hose...
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    Light reading (McMaster)

    Met with a young customer today, helping him plan a project. He carried in a Grainger catalog, having explained he wasn't an engineer, but liked to build stuff, and had read the catalog cover to cover for the education. Said he also wanted to read McMaster cover to cover, but didn't know how...
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    Pay-to-play TV product placement?

    We got a call from the production company for a national "DIY" cable/satellite program. Said they wanted to feature a product in a 3 to 5 minute segment in a special theme episode, that it was a natural fit, would be a lot of fun and obviously a boost for our business. Which it would. The...
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    Criteria for advertisers on PM / salecnc.com ?

    Curious if the qualification for advertising CNC machinery on PM is the party's ability to pay, or if there is any deeper consideration. Perhaps these are just google display network placements, and so the PM staff have no involvement in what appears here? Interesting to see the ads here...
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    Punching or otherwise making a custom perforated part?

    I need a cheaper production alternative even to in-house waterjet cutting of a sheet metal part that has about a hundred holes, mostly on a simple grid, that common sense says ought to be an easy blank to procure from a custom perforated metal outfit and finish on the waterjet. My experience so...
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    Tradeoff sourcing custom v-belt sheaves? Possible RFQ.

    I need periodic lots of ~100 ea of two standard size narrow v-belt sheaves. Industry spec 3v3.15 & 3v2.65 for a 3.15" & 2.65" PD sheave for a 3VX belt. The distributor pricing for standard parts is fair, the main problem is the stock parts are all steel or iron and are available only as...
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    Seeking wisdom on pricing & margin of manufactured product

    We'll soon ship a product in a new category for our shop, of my design and made entirely in-house, and I'm having a hard time deciding how to price it, to enable it to sell, and at the same time provide enough margin to cover warranty and post-warranty support, product liability insurance, and...
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    Lelavision - Seattle - musical metal art & performance

    Lelavision is a musical performance art - metal art group based near Seattle, built around the one-of-a-kind musical instruments and other stage and acrobatic props dreamed up and built by Ela Lamblin over the last 20 years. Words don't do them justice. Good folks and lots of fun. In 2 weeks...
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    Practical wisdom using stainless fasteners?

    Was planning to use all 18-8 stainless fasteners (1/4-20 & 5/16-18 carriage bolts, shcs, plain nuts & nylon insert locknuts) in what's basically a high end consumer product so that everything would stay fresh & easy to mess with after time in the weather. With the first few parts assembled...
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    Seeking order fulfillment warehouse in mid-west & Canada

    So our accidental little manufacturing biz is located in an inconvenient corner of the PNW, on an island accessed only via ferry and where everything is expensive, including our warehouse space. A good part of our rent is for storing finished inventory ready for shipment, most of which is...
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