The Tuff Writer

CAM You Dig IT...

After months of evaluating various CAM packages (seriously, months... I'm not joking) it looks like we've finally settled on HSMXpress for the shop. Originally I had my heart set on MasterCAM X9 but was willing to consider SolidCAM. Neither of those panned out (I'll explain why in a moment) but Autodesk made me an offer I simply couldn't refuse. 

You see, HSMXpress is a completely free 2.5D CAM package which integrates into Solidworks. While both MasterCAM ($3000) and SolidCAM ($995) offer cut-rate 2.5D versions of their CAM packages, HSMXpress is a very complete and very functional "entry level" piece of software. What's more, HSMXpress is amazingly intuitive and easy to use (for the most part). Virtually everything I've learned in MasterCAM translates into HSMXpress. All of the basics and even many of the advanced features are there. 90% of the fine-grained control for the toolpaths is present, and even easier to use (the pop-up tool tips are a great idea). The included documentation, while not perfect, is very good and quite comprehensive. It's also available as in-app help or separate PDF. HSMXpress also includes "Adaptive Clearing" which is a high-speed machining toolpath for roughing (expect to pay through the nose for the admittedly more sophisticated, if not necessarily more useful, toolpaths in MasterCAM and SolidCAM). 

So why not MasterCAM? First of all, it's ridiculously expensive. The multi-axis quote came back at $12,000 plus another $1,250 a year in mandatory maintenance. Add simultaneous multi-axis plus turning and we're looking at well over $20,000. This includes an antiquated (although very powerful) interface right out of Windows 3.11 which is inconsistent across new / old toolpaths and an odd tendency to crash much too often. The tool library interface looks like something from Windows 95. Student discount? Forget about it. 

SolidCAM seemed a little more promising. The plugin to Solidworks is seamless. The interface, if anything, is even better than HSMXpress. The tool library is good and easier to use than MasterCAM. Unfortunately, if you want iMachining (their version of high speed toolpaths) you'll have to pay through the nose. SolidCAM sales called me multiple times and even offered me a version of the 2.5D SolidCAM Xpress software for free only to never follow up. Then they called again and said they could only give me a discounted price. They still never followed up. I started to loose interest rather quickly at this point. Since the full blown software with iMAchining still approaches $20,000 plus a maintenance fee, and they couldn't deliver on a promise to save their lives, I decided not to even bother going any further. (Note: One of instructors actually gave me his seat of the software and said I could have it because he didn't want it)

HSMWorks is a bit different. Owned by Autodesk (a huge professional software company) it turns out this piece of software is surprisingly simple and easy to use to generate basic toolpaths. While not quite as complete / granular as MasterCAM (which has a vast number of toolpaths and options) it does everything that I need for right now. Complex toolpath options are available, but not required. This means that control is as granular as you need or like it, but a simple pocket or contour doesn't require a degree in rocket surgery. Not only that but the full-blown HSMWorks version (the 2.5D HSMXpress is free) comes in at $11,000 with multi-axis and turning. There's even a monthly subscription license option. Student discount? Here's the interesting part, if you're only using it for school (and not commercially) they'll even give you a free full 1 year HSMWorks license to learn on. HSMExpress (the abbreviated 2.5D version without some of the bells and whistles) is free with registration. Best of all... they seem to be updating the software all the time (three times already since I've started playing with it in November).

For the moment all of my machining is simple prismatic milling. Eventually, I'll get to surfacing (already have played with it a bit) and will have to purchase the full-blown CAM package but I have to say, after the support and consideration from Autodesk for students and the ease of use of the platform, it's probably going to be HSMWorks. Thus far I have not run into anything that I could do with MasterCAM X9 that I could not replicate in HSMWorks. Some things required additional reference geometry (which you still have to use in MasterCAM anyway) or possibly breaking an operation down into separate toolpaths, but so everything that I could machine in MasterCAM I have also been able to machine in HSMWorks, often programming it faster. The quality of the post-processed toolpaths has been solid, no weirdness or goofy instructions to the HAAS. 

Another nice feature is that I've been able to create work-holding withing my part model and have a complete part with CAM and work-holding in a single file. Very nice for house keeping and excellent when I've had to return to a part weeks later and see how I was planning on holding the part. 

I haven't even really started playing with assembly programming but I can already see the advantage of designing my work-holding models and then verifying that my part model will fit within my work envelope and program a production run accordingly, including secondary operations, in one comprehensive file.

Alright, enough playing on the computer... time to make something.

-jack

Kickstarting Delivery...

If you've been following Tuff Writer for a bit you probably know that the Mini-Click is our third Kickstarter project. By every account, it is also the largest and most successful project we've done to date with 495+ backers and well over 650 pens. While it's exciting to keep growing the projects it's also a bit taxing. You see, the daily TW work of designing, manufacturing and delivering pens (and accessories) still continues. Customer and dealer continue to place orders and we work hard to fill them. Now... I'm not complaining, mind you. Everyone here loves what we do but I will say, it gets a bit overwhelming sometimes.

To give you some example, realize that I type this at 10:39 PM on a Sunday night after having worked since 9-ish AM (just like yesterday) blasting, cleaning, assembling and click-testing pens. Fortunately, I don't do it alone. Joe was here like a trooper for a good chunk of the day. Peachy was shipping pens and updating tracking numbers until she started to fade out at around 7PM (poor Peachy came down with a cold and still worked the entire day). Savannah even stopped by after a full 10 hour shift at Best Buy (oh yes, we all have day jobs... TW is a second job for everyone here) to drop off parts and help with assembling mechanisms. 

My assembly station (AKA second home):

That said, there's nothing like seeing a project come to fruition and watching something that a few (long) months ago was just an itch in the back of your head, become a reality and deliver it to backers who have patiently come with us on this adventure. Every project has been an education. Every project has given us insight into what we know, what we need to learn, what we do well and what we need to improve on. This one has been no different.

Still, the final product is coming out so solid. The pens themselves are very good. Smaller and lighter than our previous pens but well balanced and very comfortable. The current version of the 416SS pen advancing mechanism is in a league of its own. I know that everyone expects to hear that from us since we make it but it's hard to for us be modest when we've put this much work into designing and making this thing and it came out even better than we could have hoped for. This version uses a custom tool to mill the race (yes, yes, it's a turned part but we're talking live-tooling here), which is radiused to mate the ball bearing along the bearing surface (as opposed to coincident on just two points of the race). It's amazingly smooth and a fundamentally better (and more expensive and time consuming) design than any similar mechanism. We've even added grooves to the plunger to make it instantly identifiable. 

So much work for something so small:

Fortunately, after a good night's sleep and a full day at our day jobs and we'll be ready tackle another batch of pens. We have the process dialed in pretty well and make for a good team. From blasting and polishing to cleaning and assembling. After that, testing and finally packaging and shipping. Everyone here is detail oriented and a blast to work with (of course... the R rate humor helps) so it is oddly relaxing, but then I guess we're wired for it as well.

A fresh batch, coming right up:

Time to kiss the wife, pet the dogs and call it a night. Tomorrow, I get to do it all over again.

Hm... sounds pretty damned good to me.

 

-jack

 

Loco Video Day at Tuff Writer...

We're gearing up for another Kickstarter project here at Tuff Writer HQ. This means putting in a some work thinking about design issues, prototyping and building a shinny new, fresh Kickstarter page. It also means recording a new video!

Last time we flew our friend Mike Rigg out from Colorado for the job but that's really asking a hell of a favor and we didn't want to dip into that well too often. So this time, we searched high and log for someone local. After checking the local classifieds (Craigslist) we ran across the crew at Video Loco. They called back quickly after I sent out an email, answered all of my questions and seemed to know what they were talking about. They never promised to be the cheapest, but they did say that they would actually deliver. So, we set up a meeting to chat and Patrick came over to get an idea of what we were thinking about. We agreed on the scope and set the schedule.

Saturday came and the crew from Video Loco was on time and prepared:

They brought an entire SUV full of equipment that looked like it cost more than the van! I had a script and shot-list ready and they read it over. We decided to break the shots up by location (assembly room, work-shop, office) and got rolling.

I was seriously impressed with their professionalism and attention to detail. Even the product shots were set-up, meticulously lit and shot multiple times to make sure there was adequate footage for editing:

The close up work of the pens themselves was given special attention:

I'm very excited to see the final footage. I don't actually know what the total cost is going to be (they still have to add the editing hours in) but I am getting the feeling that this will be a pretty decent video. They said that they'd have something to show me within a week or so.

Until then, there's plenty left to do on the projects. Kickstarter has given it the green light and we've continued to edit the story and rewards. We're dialing it in and will do our best to have something ready within the next few weeks.

Between the upcoming project(s), the new CNC machine we have coming in and Mastercam X9 classes... man, there's barely enough time to sleep!

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Choosing a CAM software package...

As we've been grown our manufacturing capabilities over the past few years at Tuff Writer we've started spending more and more on infrastructure. Originally, this meant buying a few shelves to turn the dining room into a "warehouse" or purchasing a few new tools for parts assembly. Recently, this turned into buying industrial grade equipment (compressors, grinders, presses) which cost significantly more than standard hobby grade tools. So far, they've all been worth it, even when I had some doubt. This includes spending $2,500 to buy an air compressor on Fellhoelter's advice. Knowing then what I know now, I would even consider buying a $5,000 screw compressor instead. Now that we're almost done building out the shop and about to start slowly filling it with even more equipment, things are going to get expensive on a whole new level.

Purchasing CNC equipment is always a complicated decision which includes signing up for years of payments, but it is made easier by having experience with HAAS machine equipment. Once you have the equipment, if it doesn't work out, you can also sell it and get most of your money back (even old and poorly maintained CNC equipment seems to hold its value pretty well). The real hard part is deciding on which Computer Aided Machining (CAM) software to choose.

CAM software is a funny little racket. You purchase a piece of software which costs anywhere from $1,000 - $20,000 (depending on what features and toolpaths are needed). This software then requires an annual "maintenance" of anywhere from $500-$5,000 a year. In addition, there are dozens (if not more) of viable options by different vendors and most of them are sold by Authorized Dealers which do not list prices publicly, making direct comparisons difficult. To make things worse, there's a bit of wheeling and dealing involved which means that even the listed prices aren't necessarily cast in stone depending on who you are or who you know (or the time of day and direction of the wind). If you choose poorly... you can't just sell the software license so you're stuck with it. Considering the scope of the investment (both in terms of money and considerable hours becoming proficient with the software) and the duration of commitment (purchasing a CAM package only to find that it doesn't actually support some required process down the road would be financially crushing) this is no small challenge.

Using the Amazon method of simply checking reviews on-line and on machining forums seems like a good start it that only goes so far. Every CAM package seems to have supporters and detractors. For every glowing recommendation there's a shop that tried the software and hated it. Another option is to simply go with the most popular package. After all.. that should be a safe choice, right? Maybe but that also seems to make it the most expensive and there are other issues to consider. Is the software stand-alone or part of another package (i.e. Solidworks)? Since I do all of my modeling in Solidworks, it may be possible to get a cheaper software that is part of Solidworks and allows for faster programming as any design changes are immediately reflected in the CAM software (thank you Dave Zamora for teaching me associative design). So where does that leave our fledgling little machine shop?

It looks like we'll have to evaluate a few different CAM packages and put them to the Pepsi Challenge (tm) in the hopes of finding the best, most cost efficient piece of software for our purposes. Most vendors allow a 30 day free trial of the software but that does mean a significant investment in training and testing. Still, it's better than nothing.

Mastercam: The most popular CAM software for small to medium machine shops in the US by a wide margin. It also happens to be the most expensive (we're ignoring massive enterprise software like CATIA). I'm actually taking an 8 week class in Mastercam X9 to get familiar with CAM software programming. There is also significant training and documentation available from third parties for this software. Entry level seems to be around $5,000 with a full loaded version (for milling and mill-turning) at around $25,000.

Solidcam: Cleanly integrates with Solidworks and is feature based off the solid model. Not cheap but less expensive than Solidworks and seems to have comparable functionality (assuming all the same modules are purchased) and includes new high-speed toolpaths for efficiency. They also have extensive on-line video training libraries. The entry level version starts at $3,000. All in with mill-turning and 3D contouring it pushes $20,000.

HSMWorks: Also feature based and also integrates into Solidworks. The limited 2.5D version is actually free. Something to consider is that they are owned by AutoDesk which means that they may eventually push for the AutoDesk Inventor platform over Solidworks. Pricing seems pretty reasonable, less than Solidcam but the features might not line up. One of the big advantages here is that they have a licensing version which allows for a one-time purchase with no ongoing costs. They also have an annual "rental" license which at $3,000 is in line with a Mastercam annual "maintenance" fee making it relatively affordable. Kitted out, the full perpetual license sells for $10,000.

Yup, there are many, many more worth looking at (Delcam, Esprit, etc.) but for the moment it looks like I'll keep working with Mastercam since the training classes are excellent but I will probably have to pick up HSMXpress to hold me over while I figure the rest out. There's also a chance I might get my hands on a full license of Solidcam for cheap so I'll try to do a full comparison as best as I can over the next 6 months.

Who knew it would be this complicated?

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The Broken Arrow...

A few weeks ago my friend and former instructor Randy texted me up and mentioned that he wanted to go to Sedona for his birthday. He wanted to go wheeling and asked if we wanted to come with. Now... mind you, this man has blown off every single wheeling trip I've ever invited him to (5 and counting as of this blog post) and now that he's finally put some shinny new toys on his Jeep he's asking if we want to go wheeling?!? Hell yes!

Phone calls were made, reservations were screwed up and Saturday morning we all met at the Thunderbird exit Home Depot parking lot. We proceeded to tank up and head up the I-17 towards Schnebly Hill Road.

We pulled off at the first available spot to air down while Peachy struck a pose:

And to take in the scenery:

The locals didn't seem mind and gave us directions to lunch:

After an hour of driving, passing a handful of infamous Pink Jeeps from the scenic tour company and stopping for a few more pictures, it was time for lunch:

The crew decided on pizza in Sedona, not a bad way to go:

Now that we finished the appetizer, it was for the main course... the trail of the day was Broken Arrow. I've been wanting to hit this trail for years (yes, literally years). From the guide book, and hearing Brady talk about it, this was a pretty serious rock crawling trail. We were ready to go and eager to see this supposedly "Most Scenic Trail in Arizona" for ourselves.

Like Soldier's Pass, the Broken Arrow trailhead is actually in a subdivision in Sedona. I still find it amazing that someone can literally pull out of their driveway, turn left and hit one of the most well known trails in Arizona.

The trail really starts just past the dirt parking lot at this sign:

Immediately to the right is a slick-rock formation which, while not particularly challenging, will probably be enough to discourage soccer moms who accidentally mistook their new Jeep Cherokee FWD for an actual off-road vehicle from getting in over their heads.

Randy didn't have this problem:

From here we started the trail in earnest. While it was mostly a narrow, single lane dirt road through the beautiful red rocks of Northern Arizona, it was not quite the hardcore rock crawling trail we had been lead to believe (of course, Brady's daily driver is an M3 so if he runs into two consecutive pot-holes he thinks he's off-roading).

The higher we climbed, the better the scenery got:

We stopped at the top to catch the view, but it was actually a lot more crowded than we anticipated:

Thus we started our descent:

The trail looped down, then around and back onto a wonderful slick-rock path. It was just stunning (I recognized this part from blogs and forum posts):

We proceeded to the famous Devil's Staircase. Now... for hardcore rock crawlers this isn't a major obstacle but I will say we had a ton of fun on this descent. It's probably not a place you want to take your stock Grand Cherokee without some skid plates, but it's not as bad as the guidebook made it out to be. The descent was definitely one of the most fun little "staircases" we've run across:

The pictures really do not convey the steepness. Even so, we had no issues with it as I followed a mildly lifted rental Jeep with the rest of the crew right behind me.

 

We finished out the trail and returned back to the slick rock boulders to make it down to the trailhead:

Once off the trail, it was a simple matter of finding an proper air-up spot. Fortunately, these appear to be well marked in Sedona:

By now it was getting to be later afternoon and we decided to head towards our hotel for the night (Super 8 baby, swanky-swanky).

Not bad for a our first day of wheeling Sedona this summer.

Till next time, keep the rubber side down.

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Old School Cars...

I just got done reading this article about the death of the current Land Rover Defender:

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-07-01/rip-land-rover-s-defender-the-greatest-car-ever?cmpid=yhoo

Now... mind you, I've never owned a Defender and wasn't planning on it but am still saddened by the loss. Let me explain: Those of you into 4Wheeling or Jeeps might be aware of the trepidation Jeep aficionados feel in regards the upcoming Jeep Wrangler redesign. Rumors of IFS (independent front suspension) and uni-body frames regularly send Jeep lovers into a mouth foaming frenzy which most people don't understand. But then... most people just use their cars as basic transportation, personal bubbles on the commute to work. True off-road vehicles aren't just about taking you to work or to buy groceries, they're about taking you anywhere you want to go (and some places you never even knew you wanted to go). They're about possibilities. Off-roaders and 4x4s aren't just conveyances for the body, they're vehicles for your dreams as well.

One of the key features of off-roaders is their simplicity. They have what you need and not much more (although this too is changing). Basic 1950's technology which is simple, reliable and easy to maintain, easy to repair and straightforward to modify as necessary. Unfortunately, do to ever tightening government safety and efficiency regulations these vehicles are becoming more and more complicated. Look at the new newest JK or 4Runner and you'll find them to be heavier and more complicated than their predecessors (and arguably much better all around vehicles).

Where things get a bit sad for me is that these regulations, while well meaning (save the trees, save the children, save the planet, save us all!) ignore the fact that some of us don't want / need to have the latest mandated safety features. I don't really need side impact air bags on my rock-crawler. I don't need traction control for my desert pre-runner. I don't care if it has a drive-by-wire throttle and gets 30 MPG. There are already a dozen other vehicles that have these features... I just want a vehicle / platform which I can use for my weekend fun project. Heck, even the new Jeep Cherokee is a watered down crossover SUV. I'm sure it's a great grocery getter or gravel driveway crawler but there's no platform to make a true off-roader here, nothing to build on.

I'm still unclear why the government won't let market forces drive design. You want a 50MPG grocery getter? Great, go buy one. You want a rear-wheel drive 400 HP fire-breathing monster? Knock yourself out. You want a 20 MPG off-road metal-caged beast with solid front axles and are willing to pay for the gas? Too fucking bad, it's no good and you don't need one. Huh?!?!

Unfortunately, the wants and needs of the niche market (which isn't as small as some may think) don't really matter. Government regulation knows what's best for us and makes it virtually impossible for car manufacturers to bear the costs (fuel economy regulations) of specialized models like this... plus, some of them are just no longer legal (safety regulations). It's a shame really.

So while I won't be placing an order for one of the last Defenders, I will ask for a moment of silence.  It's not the physical vehicle we mourn as much as the ideas it represented. The Defender was an iconic vehicle from a simpler, more reasonable time, a time that we seem to be rapidly leaving behind us and and one which I will miss.

Damn... I must be getting old.

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Willow At Bulldog...

We've been working awfully hard at Tuff Writer these past few weeks. Despite all the hours, we're actually still behind. The trip to Lake Havasu City to meet up with Fellhoelter on our "top secret project" didn't help with our pen backlog, but it did get us closer to launching our next project. Even with all of this, when Joe suggested that we go wheeling bright and early Memorial Day, I couldn't think of a better way to spent the day.

Since Joe's wife Fran and her friend Savannah were coming with we decided that Bulldog would be a fun trail with little chance for carnage but maximum opportunity for taking in the breathtaking Arizona scenery. Isaac is still working the bugs out of his YJ and there are enough obstacles on the first part of this trail to make it interesting while the latter portion (which we skipped) is enough to get even a serious wheeler, with a fully caged buggy, a decent challenge.

First part of the trail:

Views like this are everyone on Bulldog:

We quickly reached the first obstacle, a steep little sandy hill. Nothing crazy but enough to get the juices flowing. The short JK made appropriately short work of it but Isaac had a little bit of a tougher time. His ultra-short wheelbase made things a litle trickier and to make matters worse, his carbureted engine would stall at steep angles if he let off the gas (which he did... repeatedly... at the worst possible time).

Fortunately, with some spotting and after a few tries he got it:

Joe simply walked it with the 4Runners A-TRAC whirring and clicking along:

We continued on unabated and took in the scenery. Tonto National Forest is one of my favorite places in Arizona. It's amazingly green for low-desert and every view and vista is a kaleidoscope of color.

Ooooh:

Ahhhhh:

We continued on:

Objects in mirror:

Are more off-camber than they appear:

In short time we reached the end of the trail.... well, for us anyway. While the trail was actually in pretty good shape further up there was no reason to drag Isaac's YJ (with no lockers) or Joe's 4Runner over the rough stuff.

Looks good, what's the problem:

The boulders were much larger here and the shelves were off-camber, easily 4 foot tall or larger. About perfect for the Short JK to get a workout but nobody else wanted to rub paint off their sliders today.

The group agreed this was far enough:

On the way back we decided to give the smaller of the obstacles we had bypassed (the nice squeeze and the ridiculous dry waterfall) a shot. Joe decided to spectate but Isaac and I were game to give them a run. It helped that a few locals (John and Larry) had just run this and were willing to give us a spot.

John had run this inside of the dip but I was pretty sure I could run over the top:

Look at that little JK flex, ain't it cute:

 Isaac was up next. I have to give him credit for being a good sport. Even running open-open he was willing to give the rocks a good run.

Started out looking good:

 Only to ignore his spotter and fall right into the pocket.

Looks like this is a time for winchin':

After this it was a fairly straight shot back to the trailhead. We finished up without any undo drama and proceeded to air the rigs back up.

Hm... that little compressor is rattling and awful lot:

That was about all she wrote. We made sure to pass on our contact info to John and Larry to see if we could add a few more wheelin' buddies to the group next time.

Next... it was time to head home, catch a nap and maybe some lunch.

Till next time.

 

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Pen Mechanism Analysis...

The first pens we made as Tuff Writer were the Frontline Series pen. We still make this model. It's a capped pen which has a screw on cap to protect the cartridge when the pen is stored. Over time, we updated to ACME threads, we've added an o-ring to prevent the cap from coming loose accidentally and made various other subtle improvements. Our second pen was the Operator series. This is also a capped pen, but it allows for the cap to post on the back of the pen, with a satisfying "snikt", when the pen is in use. I still consider this to be our most bullet-proof design and one of my personal favorites. Finally, it was time to make a retractable pen (quite possibly the ultimate clicky pen). The Precision Press Pen was our first retractable and the complication of the mechanism led to quite a bit stress and many lost hours of sleep. It's probably our most popular model.

There are relatively few common mechanism types for pens. There is the bolt mechanism which is simple, strong and functional but not very water and dirt resistant without a little tweaking and tend to eat up a lot of space making the pen longer and heavier than it needs to be. The twist design, which is simple and functional but ill suited to one-handed operation. Then there is the push-button mechanism. This is really a vast category of mechanisms as there are quite a few push-button type mechanisms and many of them function in different ways.

When designing our precision engineered retractable pen we looked high and low for the best mechanism. I desperately wanted something that could be operated with one hand. It also had to be durable. This last requirement was tricky as most pen mechanisms are largely plastic in order to keep costs down for mass production. The only drop-in mechanism which made out of metal, making it durable and compact, allowing us to design the pen around ideal dimensions as opposed to mechanism requirements, was and still is the German Schmidt SKM88 mechanism. This machined, two piece cam mechanism (excluding the ball bearing and e-clip) is small, smooth, reliable and, with a 4mm stroke, thus it allowed us to design the pen for various cartridges when using a spacer.

Unfortunately, as good as it is, it's not perfect.

First off, the mechanism itself is machined out of what appears to be brass. It is then nickle plated for durability. The stainless steel ball bearing inside the mechanism is harder than both the underlying metal and the nickle coating. This means that while the mechanism is of all metal construction and will last a long time, it will eventually wear as the ball bearing impacts the race (either race but predominantly the outer bushing race) during every advance / retract cycle. Next, because this is still a mass produced piece built to be cost effective, the tolerances on the mechanism vary from batch to batch as does the legendary German quality. In some batches we have no malfunctions which in others we find a few "dead" mechanisms right out of the box (we have recently started testing every mechanism before it even touches a pen, lesson learned).

So what does my dream pen mechanism look like? I've been thinking about this a lot and only in the past few months have I really made any progress. First of all, it should be a drop in mechanism. While bolt mechanisms are nice, I don't like the idea of having to design the entire form factor of a pen around a mechanism. Plus, I'm a big fan of modular design (making it easily replaceable). Second, it should be exceedingly durable. This will probably require an all metal design. Since many of our customers carry their pens in harsh environments, durable will mean physically stout as well as corrosion resistant. Given a choice, I'd like to see it machined (although MIM'ed or 3D printed would be fine as well) out of stainless or titanium (although that would make it very expensive for a production unit). Finally third, it should be affordable. It makes no sense to have an excellent mechanism if it drives the pen cost through the roof (at least not for a standard pen).

As of right now, I haven't found this ideal mechanism. For the moment, the Schmidt SKM88 is the best production pen mechanism in the world (this is precisely we use it). Still, technology continually advances and it makes me think that there may be something better out there somewhere.

Or... if there's not, maybe someone should design and make it.

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HAAS TEC 2015

For those of you that don't know, I'm a huge HAAS Automation fan-boy (hell, if you don't know this you must not know me at all). Now, I'm not under some illusion that HAAS makes the best CNC machines or something silly like that. I understand that they are the Toyota Camry of CNC equipment.  Decent quality, cheap and relatively affordable (you know... compared to a Ferrari or personal jet). That said, any company that was started by one man selling rotary indexers out of his car and now has 50% of the domestic CNC market and a 1.5 million square foot facility in California is worth visiting.

With that in mind, Peachy and I headed out to Oxnard, California to see this bastion of American manufacturing for ourselves (you have to love a woman that considers me taking her on a factory tour a "vacation").  We flew in to Burbank on Thursday night and drove our rental Chevy to Oxnard for a night's sleep before the morning tour. The next day, after a continental breakfast, we headed over to HAAS Automation bright and early.

In fact, we were among the first people there and made it through registration with no wait. Instead of waiting around, we promptly hit the tour. After walking upstairs we got led onto walkway above the shop floor. The place was instantly impressive. Simply huge with machines as far as the eye could see.

At ever step there was a HAAS employee explaining what being made and how. One of the first things that drew us in were the robotic grinding cells. These were CNC grinders fed by robotic arms.

HAAS has over 20 robotic cells, most feeding 2 or 3 CNC machines. The grinding cells are among the few where each robot feeds only a single machine.

The other side of the building contained the HAAS small and medium mill and lathe assembly cells. These too were impressive but not as much for their size as their level of cleanliness and organization.

Once through the first building were went out to the casting yard. Here we could see thousands of castings which were enough to last roughly 1 month of production.

 From here we climbed down and into a cart. Thanks to being one of the first groups, we actually got our own cart with two guides. One of our guides was actually a mechanical engineer who worked on lathe turrets.

From here, we went through the other buildings which included:

Automated pallet loaded milling lines:

Lathe turret sub-assembly:

5-axis mill assembly and calibration:

Spare parts shipping:

Cabinet sub-assembly:

And finally, the shipping and receiving warehouse (the main floor here turns over 3 times a day!):

The final stop was the showroom. Here HAAS had 9 CNC machines, from the VF-1 to the DS-30SSY cutting metal for demos. Each machine had a HAAS employee describing each part and answering any questions visitors might have.

Peachy looking impressed with the TM-2P:

So was the trip worth it? Yeah, it was worth it. Seeing manufacturing on this scale being done in the good old US of A almost brought a tear to my eye. HAAS currently has 4 buildings occupying about 1.5 million square feet. They employ 1,200 people and produce over 60 machines a day. HAAS currently has 50% of the domestic CNC market. That's amazing in such a competitive market.

But you want to know the most impressive thing? It wasn't the facility and it wasn't the machines, it was the people. Every single man and woman working at HAAS was glad to be there. They were beaming with pride at being a part of making HAAS machines and contributing to American manufacturing. Every single person we met, from Sam the engineer (who had only been at HAAS for 2 years) to Matt the lathe production manager (who had worked at the factory for 15 years and remembered when HAAS had only a single building) wanted us to know just how much being a part of the HAAS family meant to them. Everyone was polite, professional and most of all happy to be there and be able to share it with us.

If you have the chance, if you have even the slightest interest in American manufacturing, I recommend you go and see this place for yourself.

I know there are better machines and I know there are other choices but I have to say... my first CNC might just be a HAAS.

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Who Needs A $100 Pen Anyway...

I get this question more often than you think. Not as often as I used to when we first started Tuff Writer as people have come to accept that a tactical pen will come with a tactical price, but every once in a while someone still asks me why they should spend $100 of their hard earned dollars for a pen. Fair question indeed. My answer is this; nobody needs a $100 pen but you should sure as hell want one. Probably not what you expected to hear, right?

Back in my impetuous youth I used to ride and road-race motorcycles. When buying one of my first helmets I looked through the catalogs and had a hard time understanding why I should spend over $200-$300 for a Shoei or Arai when I could buy an entry level Bell for $50. When I asked a friend of mine his answer was, "Well, if you have a $50 head you should buy a $50 helmet. I personally wear an Arai." Hm... interesting thought there. I ended up becoming a fan of Shoei and even the higher end HJC helmets. I wore a cheap Bell (they do make some nice helmets as well) once just to try it and the lack of  quality, the inferior fit and finish, simply did not inspire confidence.Something similar happened again when I was buying leathers for racing. I started out with a cheap set of AGV leathers and after a few low-sides on the track I quickly upgraded to a set of custom racing leathers by Barnacle Bill. By then I had realized that paying a little more for quality can go a long way. As anyone who's raced can tell you, confidence in your equipment goes a very long way towards being able to perform quickly and consistently. You want to know that your gear will be there for you when you need it.

This goes for EDC gear just as it does for motorcycle gear. You don't see a professional NASCAR team using hand tools from Harbor Freight (although they might be adequate) and you don't see Navy SEALS carrying Taurus handguns (although they make perfectly adequate firearms).

At some point most people who have had the opportunity to play with high-end gear realize that there's something to be said about equipment that performs well above and beyond the minimum. It feels better, it works smoother and it holds up a hell of a lot better. If it breaks you don't pitch it, you fix it. Quality gear inspires confidence, the kind of confidence that comes from knowing that your equipment is not the weakest link. I think this is a huge reason for the success of GLOCK pistols. Nobody wants to carry a gun they're pretty sure will fire when they need it. They want a gun that they know will absolutely always go -BANG- every time the squeeze the trigger.

How does this translate into pens? Well... does anyone need a pen with a cold-pressed 1075 spring steel clip which is stamped, blasted, washed and hand dried then powdercoated for grip and corrosion resistance? Probably not, it's overkill. Do people absolutely have a clicky pen with a machined and reinforced 303 stainless steel tip which can easily be hammered through a 2X4? I seriously doubt it. Do you need a pen that has been machined to within .002" tolerances, tumbled for deburring, blasted then hand-cleaned for surface prep and finally acid dipped to clean any residue before being anodized? No, that's taking quality pretty far for most people. Should you care that every pen is made in the USA, hand assembled by us and inspected not once but twice before being shipped out to you? Maybe you do and maybe you don't.

So do you need a $100 pen? I guess I can't answer that question but if you care about your gear like we care about our gear and like the feeling of confidence that carrying a quality piece of kit brings with it, then you sure as hell should want one.

 

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