New machine shops don’t always need to niche down right away. Sometimes the best move is to stay general, run the work, learn your strengths, and let the right opportunities point you toward specialization. Full episode of MakingChips on YouTube. #Manufacturing #CNC #MachineShop #MakingChips

He didn’t want to learn CNC. Programming felt intimidating, unfamiliar, and easier to avoid. But once he and his dad started learning on their first CNC mill, everything changed. Now? He calls CNC “the greatest thing ever.” #CNC #Manufacturing In the full episode, we dive into: • How Leighton went from running a tiny Craftsman lathe as a kid to starting Hillco • Why his first CNC mill changed the way he thought about machining • How Facebook groups, word of mouth, and local relationships helped him land real work • The realities of building a shop while still working a full-time job • How he thinks about quoting, pricing, and learning CAM • Why repair work, walk-ins, and oddball jobs can become major opportunities • His vision for growing into CNC lathe work, aerospace, AS9100, and eventually hiring young talent Watch or listen to the full episode here: makingchips.com/show/making-… #Machining #CNC #Manufacturing #MachineShop #SkilledTrades #CNCMachining #ManufacturingCareers

The Free “School” That Got Him Into Manufacturing For the next generation, discovering manufacturing often starts with watching incredible CNC cuts, complex parts, and creators who make the trade feel exciting and accessible. In this clip, Leighton Hill shares how channels like Titans of CNC, Edge Precision, and Abom79 helped spark his interest in machining, turning YouTube videos into inspiration, education, and even family night with his dad. In the full episode, we dive into: • How Leighton went from running a tiny Craftsman lathe as a kid to starting Hillco • Why his first CNC mill changed the way he thought about machining • How Facebook groups, word of mouth, and local relationships helped him land real work • The realities of building a shop while still working a full-time job • How he thinks about quoting, pricing, and learning CAM • Why repair work, walk-ins, and oddball jobs can become major opportunities • His vision for growing into CNC lathe work, aerospace, AS9100, and eventually hiring young talent This is a great look at how the next generation is finding its way into manufacturing: through curiosity, family support, online learning, and a willingness to say yes to the work in front of them. #CNC #Manufacturing #MakingChips

Pumped to drop a new putter tomorrow @HannaGolfCo. The Des Moines. • 3 degrees of loft • 3 lie angle options • 4 sightline options • 10 sightline color options Tomorrow at 10:00 AM Central on our website. Every order on release day will have "Day One" milled on the bottom. We will have RH and LH options available. As well as black and satin finishes!

Dropping next week. Our first @HannaGolfCo blade model. Wednesday at 10:00 AM on our website. • 5 sightline options • 3 lie angle options • 2 finish options • Multiple shaft & grip options. Make it yours.

Do shop owners have to step away from the machines to grow their business? In this clip, Paul challenges a common assumption. If machining is what you love most, you don’t have to give it up. As the owner, you can hire for the roles you don’t enjoy and focus on where you bring the most value. Growth doesn’t have to mean leaving the shop floor. It means designing the business around your strengths. From the MakingChips Generation CNC episode with young shop founder Chris Huffman. Check it out: 📷 makingchips.com/from-model-t… 📷 youtube.com/watch?v=Gvr9J_ym… #MakingChips #metalworking #Manufacturing #Leadership #ShopOwner #CNCMachining

Your machine should never be waiting on you. If the spindle stops… you’re already behind. The best shops stay ahead: • Prep the next jobs • Stage tooling • Set up before the run ends That’s how lights-out actually starts. Not with robots. With discipline. 🎧 Full episode: youtu.be/ej4wqd8ZpzY #CNC #Manufacturing #MachineShop #Automation

Machine shops compete in capitalism every day. Every quote. Every customer. Every point of margin. So why are some OEMs still telling shops who they’re allowed to buy from? If dealers are good, let them compete. If they need protected territory, that tells you plenty.

Young #machineshop owners: technology is oxygen. Michael King runs 3 CNC machines by himself at The Monk Works — and he refuses to use paper job travelers. Why? Digital workflows are faster, repeatable, and eliminate friction. 🎧 Full MakingChips Generation CNC episode: youtu.be/P_IdSAQqrOI #CNCmachining #Manufacturing #MachineShop #GenerationCNC

To celebrate shipping our 1,000th putter at @HannaGolfCo, we are doing a giveaway. How to enter: • Retweet this tweet • Fill out the form in the next tweet There is a catch: It's a blind giveaway. It's a prototype. You will get it before we even release it on our website. But we aren't sharing what the putter model is. Here is what we are sharing. • Aged copper plate finish • Can select length • Can select lie angle • Can select sight line • Can select paint fill color • Can select black or chrome shaft • Can pick the initials you want milled It's a custom prototype putter. You just don't know what it looks like. We will be releasing this putter in April or May (not the same model we are posting about tomorrow). I love this putter. We had a DI team in the shop, and half the guys got this putter.

@zanehengsperger said something on our latest episode that stuck with us: “If America is going to reindustrialize, you need someone working on every part of the supply chain.” Not just machine shops. Mills. Metal suppliers. Wire harnesses. Automation. The list goes on. Reindustrialization isn’t one hero company. It’s thousands. The bigger issue? Most young people were never exposed to how important this world is to our economy and national security. If you care about the future of American manufacturing, this episode is for you. Full conversation: youtu.be/uSpHyZVN5h0 #reindustrialization #metalworking #manufacturing

This is refreshing to hear said out loud

Excited to talk reindustrialization, why new grads should be excited about working in a factory, and how American manufacturing can win with technology.

Going live on X tomorrow at 1 PM CST (2/9). We’re sitting down with @zanehengsperger from NOX Metals to talk shop—what’s working, what’s not, and where manufacturing is headed next. No slides. No fluff. Just a live conversation. Join us 👉 @Making_Chips

Starting a business without a plan isn’t bold — it’s a gamble. Larry Robbins doesn’t sugarcoat it: no plan means you’re taking the biggest crapshoot of your life. If you want to waste money, he jokes, you might as well just send it to him. He also reflects on Die With Zero and the balance between being smart with money and actually living your life. Blunt advice on ownership, risk, and intentional decisions. youtu.be/UGzC7QM9ogs #Manufacturing #EntrepreneurAdvice #GenerationCNC

Starting a CNC shop young isn’t the flex… Staying alive long enough to earn trust is. Ep 505 w/ Caleb Harris from Covenant MFG …. We talk first machine w/ limited capital…pricing early jobs…overflow growth…why reputation matters most when you’re small.

AI slop is everywhere… …so we put 3 chatbots in the hot seat on @MakingChips (Ep 502). Sesame…culture Gemini…automation ChatGPT…growth Takeaway: AI isn’t the answer…it helps you ask better questions. What shop problem would you throw at it first?

New episode out now! open.spotify.com/episode/4pM…

We had 19 fosters pass thru Hill Manufacturing this year…these dogs are so much fun! Enjoy the highlights!

Don’t miss @Making_Chips episode 500 tomorrow!