Just realized I was overcomplicating my tool offsets after talking to an old timer at the shop

I was setting up a new job on the Haas yesterday and this guy named Ray, who's been running machines since the 80s, watched me for a minute. He said, 'Kid, you're checking every tool like it's a brain surgery. For roughing steel, just touch off the first one and let the others ride. If you're within five thou, you're burning money on cycle time.' It hit different because he wasn't being mean, just practical. I tried it on a run of twenty flange plates and saved like fifteen minutes of air cutting. Anyone else have a simple rule they follow for when to be super precise versus when to just get chips flying?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_taylor3d ago

Ever notice how this applies to everything? We overthink cooking, cleaning, even sending a text. Sometimes good enough really is good enough.

the_willow3d ago

My first part-off tool taught me that lesson the hard way.