News

Simply a Run of the Mill Question

The owner of the metalworking machine sales company woke up predawn to his cell phone ringing. The number was from the Eastern U.S., a couple ...

Take Your Metal for a Spin

In metalworking, a lathe is a machine that rotates a piece of metal at high speeds so that a tool applied to the surface of the spinning workpiece ca...

How’s the Weather?

The new secretary at the used machine tool company was helping her boss with the annual inventory. Stopping in front of an optical comparator, she asked, “Do...

That Ain’t No Drill Bit

The machinist had been pestered by his neighbor’s son into giving him a part time job working in his shop. “I know all about machine tools and working w...

What Is Hobbing?

Hobbing is a type of metalworking process that falls under the category of machining—using a machine to remove material from a workpiece to achieve the desired...

A Burr in Your Saddle

Burrs are seldom considered good things. The rough, prickly husk surrounding the seeds of some plants is called a burr (often spelled with just one “R”). Those are the kinds that stick to the fur of animals to spread themselves out into a wide area to reproduce. They are pesky when they get caught on clothes and can be a real irritant to horses when th...