Reader Forum

Gunsmith Poll We conducted a poll of gunsmiths on our Facebook group (FB.com/ groups/americangunsmith). Of the 205 responses, the results were 41% are current gunsmith (either full or part-time), 32% work on their own or friends’ guns in a non-professional capacity, 19% consider themselves general gun enthusiasts, and 8% are either serious gunsmith hobbyists or former gunsmith/retired from the trade. Thanks to everyone that responded! Free Gunsmith Video Series We have a free gunsmithing video series online.

The topic emphasis is building match-grade AR-15 competition rifles. See the series at AmericanGunsmith.info/free-gunsmithing-videos. KBC Time Savers Are you happy with the state of your toolroom or toolbox or does it look like a 15 year old’s bedroom just before mom does the laundry? Even if you keep a decent toolroom and work area, would you and your shop benefit from going through some sort of re-organization effort?

Studies show that many have made the leap to a better organized floor using an inventory management system. Vending machines area natural representation of the best possible inventory management system by having and displaying what you want when you need it. Before implementing a vending system, you need to determine feasibility. How large is your facility? How many employees do you have on the floor? How many work stations are you currently stocking? How far does one have to walk to re-tool on consumables?

Do you have a core group of tools or consumables that represent 50% or more of your budget? Is your spend over $75,000 a year? If you don’t have a minimum spend and a highly concentrated usage of specific items, your buying power as a vending customer is just not there. For a vending machine to be viable there is a cost associated with the machine and usually an agreement to purchase a certain dollar amount within a specified time frame with the budget growing yearly.

Most companies offer a slightly different version of the same program. What if instead you could get the simplicity and efficiency of ordering products as needed without all of the commitment and size constraints associated with vending machines? Plus get the labeling and support to further organize your facility with a place for everything, and everything in its place? Due to client demand to help improve the speed and ease of purchasing and reordering KBC Tools & Machinery recently added their KBC Tools App.

Available in the United States and Canada in the Apple and Android app stores, this app puts all of KBC’s 100,000+ sku’s in the machine operator’s hand on site, in the cafeteria, or in the toolroom. Unlike some existing programs that first appear to reduce manufacturers’ overall spend but end up locking them into long term vending programs with huge margins on incidental spend and annual contracts requiring a minimum spend to keep the vending machines on site, KBC’s App approach doesn’t require this lock in.

Customers can buy where they want without contractual obligations. It helps standardize product purchases by allowing customers to create templates of commonly bought products for quick ordering, with common pre-made templates available. A reorder can be made from previous purchases with just a click. Your mobile device can scan barcodes to look up exact items and no data entry

means no mistakes and no paperwork. KBC can create Barcode Labels for your toolroom for ease of identification, specified storage locations, and quick replenishment of critical MRO supplies. The app helps determine optimal min/max levels for each SKU based on usage and inventory requirements for LEAN, Just in Time, or Just in Case ordering. This works for a busy one person manual machine shop or a 500-person CNC manufacturing facility.

For time savings in your machine work, KBC offers their Octane Chip Guard T-slot covers for T-slot tables to save shops money and machinists and tool and die makers clean up and set up time. Those ever-common T-slot grooves quickly fill up with metal chips and need cleaning on a regular basis and before the next tooling set up. Chip Guards eliminates the hassle, the mess, and the potential eye injuries from operators blowing those chips out of the T-slots.

Derek Pulsifer, President of Octane Workholding LLC, offers the following break down. "A conservative estimate based on a small shop with one machine and a $90/ hour shop rate based on 250 working days a year running a single shift, a shop is spending $1.50 per minute. The Octane Chip Guard easily saves 15 minutes per day and often much more than that. That equates to $22.50 saved per day, and $5,625.00 per year on a single machine.

Automatic washdown is possible when the swarf can easily be evacuated, making cleanup a thing of the past for many shops. We have customers with hundreds of machines, some with bed lengths longer than train cars and their return on investment can be staggering." Octane Chip Guards are made from a high temperature silicone and come in 10 foot lengths in a bright and attractive blue and in the most popular T-slot sizes, ( 9/16"/14mm, 5/8"/16mm, 11/16"/18mm, 7/8"/22").

The flexible silicone Chip Guards are durable and washable and reusable should you need a different setup. Installation is easy with no special tools required: Measure the length you need and trim with a utility knife. You can measure the full length of your table or around workholding setup, whichever you prefer. Apply a rust preventative to the T-slot and along the cover, this protects your bare metal surfaces and aids in installation. LPS3 or similar is recommended.

Pinch the flexible legs and press straight down into the T-slot. If the Chip Guard is difficult to install, place one end in the T-slot. Next, pull the opposite end with your free hand and begin pressing the Chip Guard along the groove from the starting side. Stretching the Chip Guard in this way reduces its width for the perfect fit. Press the Chip Guard until it is flush with the T-slots chamfer. The compressed silicone will retain itself for a very secure hold. AG