Within Tolerance

David McHenry of Rego-Fix joins Justin to dig into the engineering behind tool holders. They cover micro friction damping, why collet surface finish affects runout, and how hydraulic, shrink fit, and powRgrip compare. Plus, why the biggest tool holder isn't always the best one.Check out Justin's IG @justingraylabsCheck out Rego-Fix's IG @regofix_group-----------------------------------------Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Our first catch-up since IMTS. Zap survives the post-show plague and a truck fire, Kinematic Sauce picks up a distributor, and Dylan gets the shop ready for a CMM. Then we dig into Patreon questions on the best and worst of IMTS, horizontals vs. five-axis, center of rotation programming, and automating first-run parts. Plus, why a clapped-out Fox Body beats a fresh build at the track.Check out Zap's IG @zap.consulting-----------------------------------------Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Chris Townsend joins me to talk about Eagle Manufacturing, the student-run business at Brown County High School in Indiana. We get into running a real shop with 70 students working short class-period shifts, using ProShop to keep handoffs on track, and giving kids room to fail safely. Plus, why a flat top grill might be the best culture investment in the program.Check out Eagle Manufacturing's IG @bceaglemfg-----------------------------------------Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Episode five of My Tool Library Is Better Than Yours. If your shop runs on a standard tool library, those tools need to always be there. Justin and Zap break down Kanban cards, tool tags, and tool storage. Sometimes the answer is a better system. Sometimes it's just more holders.Check out Justin's IG @justingraylabsCheck out Zap's IG @zap.consulting-----------------------------------------Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Everyone's answer for the best part of IMTS 2026 was the same: the people. Zap, Justin, John Grimsmo, Chris Hopkins, Andrew Henry, and James Meyette join me across four days of mini episodes, recorded from the Kennametal, Rego-Fix, Datron, and Matsuura booths, to talk about what caught their eye. We get into less AI hype than expected, metrology finds in the back rows, high-density workholding done the crawl-walk-run way, and the unglamorous side of running automation overnight. We also talk about a very special knife reveal and a packed meetup, with a massive thanks to Kern for hosting!Check out Zap's IG @zap.consultingCheck out Justin's IG @justingraylabsCheck out Andrew's IG @henryholstersCheck out James' IG @cncappsjamesCheck out Chris' IG @chopkinsmaxMassive thanks again to @kernprecision for providing a wonderful place again for the meetup and to @datroncnc @matsuurausa @regofix_group and @kennametal for allowing us to record in their booths! -----------------------------------------Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast