Machine maintenance can make all the difference in the world inside your shop. Whether you’re talking about HVAC, hand tools, or machine tools, keeping your shop clean and maintained will not only make things last longer, but it will also help you become/stay efficient.

While we all know the importance of picking the right machine tool for the right job, it’s important to remember that there is so much more to making chips than just the mill or lathe you are using. Choosing the right tools and workholding for your job is just as important, if not more so!

About a year ago, Titan Gilroy, from Titans of CNC, picked up a 770M for their shop. Since then, he’s been busy testing and learning about with the middle range of Tormach’s mills has to offer.

The world of CNC starts with software. Specifically, CNC starts with CAD software to design and develop your part before you ever create toolpaths and make chips. SOLIDWORKS is one of the largest CAD companies out there, and every year they host SOLIDWORKS World, until now. 

Sometimes, there can be a lot to CNC machining – everything from computer programming to materials science is involved – but paying attention to a few things can make a big difference in the parts that you make. Here are six little things that can make a big difference with your CNC machining.