Blog
Manufacturing notes from the shop floor
Practical articles on CNC machining, stamping, welding, tool & die, additive, and how to design parts that don't blow up your budget. Written by the people running the machines at our Jacksonville, FL shop.
Sourcing
CNC Machining in Jacksonville, FL: A Buyer’s Guide for 2026
How to source CNC parts in North Florida without paying for shipping mistakes, long lead times, or programming you didn’t need. Written for engineers, buyers, and shop owners.
April 22, 2026 · 9 min read
Tooling
Tool & Die Shops Near Me: How to Actually Evaluate One
Five questions that separate a real tool & die shop from a CNC shop that owns a press. Maintenance plans, EDM capability, die history, hardness, and steel sourcing.
April 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Welding
MIG vs TIG vs Stick Welding: When to Use Each (Honestly)
A working welder’s breakdown of which process actually fits your part — by material, thickness, fit-up, cosmetics, and what failure looks like in the field.
March 18, 2026 · 8 min read
DFM
The DFM Checklist We Wish Every Customer Sent With Their Drawings
32 things we check before quoting a part. Wall thickness, draft, fillets, tolerance stack-up, threads, datums, and the silent killers that turn $200 parts into $2,000 parts.
February 26, 2026 · 11 min read
Additive
FDM, SLA, or SLS? Choosing the Right 3D Printing Process
A no-marketing-fluff guide to FDM vs SLA vs SLS for jigs, fixtures, prototypes, and bridge production. Material costs, isotropy, surface finish, and the parts each one ruins.
February 4, 2026 · 7 min read
Aerospace
Aerospace AS9100 Machining: What Buyers Should Verify in Florida
FAI documentation, material traceability, calibration programs, and FOD prevention — the five things that separate a real AS9100 shop from one that says it on their website.
May 2, 2026 · 8 min read
EDM
Wire EDM vs Sinker EDM: Which One Your Tool Steel Part Needs
Through-cuts vs blind cavities, surface finish, electrode cost, and the hybrid sequences real die and mold builders use. A buyer’s guide.
April 30, 2026 · 6 min read
Sourcing
How to Read a CNC Quote: Setup, Cycle Time, and Margin Explained
A line-by-line breakdown so you can compare CNC quotes apples-to-apples and spot the shop that’s about to lose money on your job (which usually means a bad part).
April 25, 2026 · 7 min read
Finishing
Anodizing, Plating, and Powder Coating: A Buyer’s Guide to Surface Finishes
Type II vs Type III anodize, electroless nickel, black oxide, powder coat, and passivation — with dimensional growth and what to actually put on the drawing.
April 15, 2026 · 7 min read
Operations
Lights-Out CNC: When It Saves You Money and When It Burns Cash
Bar feeders, pallet changers, probing, and the math of unattended CNC. When lights-out doubles capacity for free — and the parts you should never run that way.
March 30, 2026 · 8 min read