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Lean Built: Manufacturing Freedom: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Henry Holsters and Pierson Workholding
Two successful entrepreneurs talk about manufacturing, lean principles, and the freedom they are pursuing in life and business.
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- 5 days ago47 min
What Should You Fix First in Your Machine Shop? | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E170
How do you grow a machine shop without losing sight of what makes the business worth running in the first place? In this episode, Andrew and Jay discuss the relationship between short-term goals and long-term growth, exploring machine utilization, shop rates, unattended machining, and the financial decisions that shape a company’s future. They dig into the economics of lights-out manufacturing, the challenges of managing tool life and automation, and the importance of identifying and eliminating bottlenecks one at a time. Along the way, they consider the value of strategic acquisitions, the role of people and processes in building a successful business, and why maximizing production isn’t always the same as maximizing success. From Rick Rubin’s approach to creative decision-making to the importance of protecting time outside the shop, the conversation ultimately comes back to a central question: How can business owners focus their limited time, energy, and resources on the things that matter most?
- 1 weeks ago50 min
Are Your Lean Processes Lean? | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E169
Jay and Andrew kick things off with a spirited disagreement over Jay’s decision to take a palm sander to his 1977 Fender Precision Bass. From there, the conversation turns to Andrew’s latest adventures cutting 4140 steel on the Matsuura, Jay’s big announcement about his new Haas UMC 500 with a 27-pallet pool, and the importance of choosing equipment that actually makes sense for your business.They then dig into gross profit margins, knowing when to discontinue a product, why some of the most valuable things a company does can’t be measured on a spreadsheet, the surprising power of customer experience, the difference between a beautiful shop and a truly lean one, and why even your lean processes need to be lean.
- 2 weeks ago58 min
What CNC Machines, Baseball Bats, and Guitars Have in Common | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E168
What do flying tiny homes, CNC machines, electric guitars, and the Tesla Roadster have in common? More than you might think.In this episode, Jay and Andrew cover a lot of ground, beginning with the challenges of moving a 19,000-pound tiny home over a house with a massive crane. That experience sparks a conversation about professionalism, customer service, and why manufacturers should pay more attention to the customer experience.From there, the discussion turns to shop improvements, machine rigging, the advantages of anchoring CNC machines, and the difficult decisions involved in buying, selling, and upgrading equipment. Andrew shares his experiments with bandsaw blades, while Jay reflects on saying goodbye to a machine that helped build his business.Things get especially nerdy as the conversation moves into the physics of vibration and resonance. Drawing connections between machining, musical instruments, baseball bats, and even the infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse, Jay and Andrew explore how seemingly minor changes can dramatically affect performance.
- 3 weeks ago33 min
Are You Running Your CNC Machines Too Slow? | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E167
This week, Jay and Andrew talk about finding the right balance between speed, efficiency, and quality in the machine shop. After catching up on Jay’s experiment with working remotely during a family vacation, the conversation turns to used tool holders, the hidden costs of excessive tool changes, and some unforgettable machine crashes.They share stories of broken pull studs, destroyed spindles, and a terrifying incident involving a 45-pound piece of aluminum spinning on a ShearHog. Along the way, they explore why running machines too conservatively can be just as problematic as pushing them too hard, and how machinists can systematically find the sweet spot between performance and reliability.
- Oct 5, 202653 min
Buy It, Build It, or Make Do? | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E166
Jay and Andrew talk through the shop decisions that look wrong on paper but make sense once you consider the whole system. That means knowing when excess inventory is costing you more than it is worth, why cheap equipment can sometimes be exactly the right equipment, and when spending money now saves far more expensive time later.They also dig into 3D printing, toolholding, material choices, and the hidden value of simply trying something instead of deciding in advance that it will not work.Check out all the awesome videos on the Pierson Workholding YouTube Channel and Pierson Plus, and be sure to comment that Lean Built sent ya!
- Sep 28, 202631 min
Letting Employees Make Decisions Without Losing Control | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E165
What happens when your business grows to the point where you no longer know everything happening inside it?Jay and Andrew talk about the strange transition from doing everything yourself to building a team that can make good decisions without you. They get into delegation, giving employees room to improve processes, knowing when production needs to take priority, and why good employees eventually need to move from waiting for instructions to simply proceeding unless told otherwise.They also discuss the tradeoff between time and cash, why hiring competent people can accelerate a company, how to think about employee reviews and frequent feedback, and why business owners should deliberately hire people who know more than they do.Plus, there is plenty of shop talk along the way, including coolant changes, lessons from IMTS, and an upcoming Matsuura reinstall.
- Sep 21, 202658 min
Why We Left IMTS Optimistic About Manufacturing | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E164
Jay and Andrew are back from IMTS 2026 with sore feet, too much espresso, and a lot to think about.They compare notes on what actually stood out at the show, from higher-density workholding and spindle-gripper automation to pallet pools, CMMs, in-process probing, and the surprising lack of AI hype on the machining floor. But the bigger question is what any of it is actually worth to a working shop.When does automation create real capacity, and when are you buying an expensive solution because it looks like what a modern shop is supposed to have? Jay wrestles with the ROI on a quarter-million-dollar pallet system, while Andrew makes the case for simpler automation that keeps machines running while people do something else. They also dig into inspection, why quality should happen as close to the process as possible, and when the machine you already own may be the best inspection tool available.Along the way, they talk IMTS survival strategies, trade show networking, bandsaw blades, the changing generation of machinists, why manufacturing knowledge is becoming less guarded, and what younger shops can learn from the last decade of other people’s expensive mistakes.
- Sep 14, 202651 min
Get More Optimized, Be Less Flexible? | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E163
Andrew and Jay are getting ready for IMTS and talking through what they actually want to find when they get there. The conversation starts with high-density workholding and the tradeoffs between flexibility, access, and optimization, then moves into 3D printing, shop organization, prototyping, and the difference between looking organized and actually improving flow.They also talk automation and AI in manufacturing. Where should automation make decisions for you, and where should it simply give a skilled operator better information? Andrew and Jay consider what aviation safety can teach manufacturers about systems, human judgment, and failing safely, then look ahead to how AI might help machines recognize problems nobody explicitly programmed them to expect.Plus, Andrew introduces his kids to Fusion, Jay automates more of his shop shutdown process, and the guys make time for the important questions, including hot sauce, fresh salsa, and whether sushi gets progressively more dangerous the farther you travel from the Pacific Ocean.
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About Lean Built: Manufacturing Freedom
Two successful entrepreneurs talk about manufacturing, lean principles, and the freedom they are pursuing in life and business.
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