Within Tolerance

Joe Alonso tells the full Novo Modo origin story—off-grid childhood, working full-time at 16, a career detour through blindness and Microsoft, and launching a shop on pure conviction with no customers lined up. We dig into his inspection-first approach, keeping shops small on purpose, and why culture fixes more than training ever will.

Check out Joe's LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/joseph-alonso-34874690Check out Novo Modo's IG...

Zap and Dylan catch up after a busy stretch. Boise expansion, Texas customer visits, QuickBooks meltdown, and the Claude Code build. Dylan's still chasing power for the Flex, doubled up compressors, and is increasingly frustrated with Fusion. Plus questions on specialization, work holding, financing, and the worst shops Zap's walked into.

Check out Zap's IG @zap.consulting

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Brian Kippen is back after nearly four years to talk about an incredible period of growth and change at KAD Models. From teaching machining to acquiring a wire forming business, adding a MAM with automation, and managing three facilities across two coasts—all while raising a toddler. We dive into the cultural challenges of bringing precision work to a fast-paced prototype shop, the reality of machine automation ROI, and why delegat...

Zap and I wrap up 2025 with our first live podcast! Patreon members join us as we answer questions, reflect on 2025, and talk about plans for 2026. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful 2025 and looking forward to a great 2026 with more guests and episodes!

McMaster Ugly Sweater - https://laurenfahey.me/mmc-ugly-christmas-sweater/

Keyence Sensors are - FR-S01 for radar level sensing and FI-C20D for refractometer

Check out Zap...

We catch up on a busy stretch: Zap’s UK stint, dialing in systems, and turning chaos into consistency—including saying no when it counts. Dylan locks the shop layout, keeps the S700, preps for the Hermle HSFlex and hyperMill, and shares a few hard-won long-cycle lessons.

Justin's Speedio Filter - https://marketplace.sendcutsend.com/p/CD80E306/chip-filtering-grate-filter-for-brother-speedio-s500-and-s700 Check out Zap'...

From an 800 sq ft pole barn to a 4,000 sq ft shop, Devin shares how Lichen leveled up: team, layout, and automation. We cover the R450 cobot project, M300 wins, live‑tool lathe realities, and building a stable, sustainable operation without the chaos.

Check out Devin’s IG @lichen_mfg

and check out his podcast Incremental at https://open.spotify.com/show/5pjzm7sFZrumDHv2eqytg5

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Curt of Confounded Machine shares how a garage hobby became a thriving EDC pen brand. We dive into retrofitting a Hardinge, moving to a Syil X5 , iso-grid grips, entropic anodizing, and his new “Mech One” mechanism.

Rigibore RADS video mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0pM5cKUKSA

Check out Curt’s IG @confoundedmachine

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Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintoleran...

Jamie Peacock of JSpec Engineering and The Lone Machinists podcast joins to talk one‑man‑shop reality, from building and retrofitting machines to launching the Anchor Point zero‑point system. We hit in‑house anodizing, adding a 4th on Siemens, and why relationships beat everything in business.

Link to the article discussed in the episode: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lets-talk-cheap-labour-expensive-mistakes-danica-peacock-cqr...

Juan March returns with InFab co‑founder Blake Nazario to share how a shop-floor problem became a purpose-built ERP for high-mix job shops. We cover InFab’s beginnings, its rebuild for multi‑tenant use, ITAR/GovCloud and CMMC, plus AS9100 tools. Juan also updates us on Jax’s growth: a larger facility, a Datron ML Cube, DMG DMC 85 with integrated pallet pool, a new CMM, and an industrial “Roomba.” We wrap with quoting realities, roa...

Zap, Justin Gray, and I trade wins, war stories, and hard lessons. Justin breaks down Toolpath’s CAM automation progress—constraints, search space control, and getting from “seven ops” to the three you actually want—plus new work on undercuts and 3+2. Zap brings DMG mill‑turn tales, a 1.5× tool life bump, and the hidden cost of tool library drift. I talk CMM headaches and adding a newer manual machine. Then rapid‑fire Q&A: VF‑2...

From the coolest $10 aviator safeties to a future “van-cast,” Dylan and Zap catch up on shop projects and a mountain of listener Q&A. Dylan shares a smart coolant-dosing build, a bio-renewing parts washer win, PH Horn saw success, and ballbar/linear guide fixes that tightened up the Speedios. Zap details big wins on a project, Mastercam Mill-Turn on a Nakamura, and rolling out prepaid-hours plus Asana API automation. We dig int...

Patrick McClintock (@job_shopper_tn) joins me this week to discuss his unique journey from tech school to becoming a skilled machinist and programmer. We explore his decade at Galyon Manufacturing, his transition to RbSA Industrial working on tube bending tooling, and the challenges of changing jobs after building deep connections. Patrick shares the story behind growing his Instagram, the creation of the Impractical Machinists pod...

Zap joins me in the studio for our first-ever video recording! We share updates from both our shops, with Zap detailing his extensive travels and successful business model revamp. I discuss recent shop improvements, material supplier frustrations, and a surprising visit from wastewater management. We answer listener questions about optimal shop layouts, machine installation planning, and whether premium machines are worth the inves...

Denis Basaric of KafaTek shares his fascinating transition from software engineer to manufacturer of premium espresso grinders. We discuss his pursuit of perfection - from designing coffee burrs with 5-micron adjustability to implementing robotic automation and sophisticated QC processes. Denis also explains the technical differences between burr designs, his philosophy of building products meant to last generations, and the challe...

From Finance to Fixture plates - John Saunders reveals the winding path that led to creating NYC CNC and Saunders Machine Works. We discuss his transition from investment banking to manufacturing, building an audience through YouTube, and the hard-won lessons of business partnerships. John shares candid perspectives on his major equipment investments, product development strategy, and why focusing on fewer things done well transfor...

In this episode, I sit down with David Liu, founder of Brittle Fluid, to discuss his fascinating journey from mechanical engineering student to software entrepreneur. David shares his evolution from Harbor Freight mini-mill hobbyist to professional machine shop owner, and his experiences at Neuralink and Atomic Machines. We explore his current ventures creating software tools like Tool Trace and Rocket Brackets that reduce friction...