Al's Sharpening Service

Why we will no longer be a welcoming church

We’ve decided to quit being a welcoming church. No kidding. We’re giving it up. Like so many congregations, we’ve sunk an amazing amount of time and energy into becoming a welcoming church. We changed worship styles, trained greeters and ushers, wore name tags, brewed coffee, went to workshops on hospitality and put our friendliest people …

Why you should never wash your jeans

Laundry is inevitable, but thankfully there are people like Levi’s CEO and President Chip Bergh who want to make our lives a little easier. According to him, you should never wash a pair of jeans. Ever. While this may prompt noises of disgust from those are less-then-enamoured by the idea of walking around in dirty clothes, Mr Bergh explained that he "spot cleans" any stains with a toothbrush.

Knife Master Explains How To Properly Sharpen A Knife

It both is and isn't as simple as running a blade back and forth on a wet stone.

Why almost every pair of jeans has a zipper that says ‘YKK’

If you look closely at the zipper on your pants right now, odds are that it has 3 letters engraved on the tab: "YKK." But what does it mean?

Should a Machine Shop Have a Blog?

I am revising my opinion about machine shops and blogging. Here's why.

11 Great Ideas for Machine Shops

Forward-thinking machine shops must watch for emerging technologies. Here are 11 ideas we found this week for set-up, tooling, machining, and shop operations.

New Machine Shop Ideas Emphasize Productivity, Flexibility, Connectivity

Productivity, flexibility, and connectivity have simple meanings and big implications for machine shop operators and machine tool programmers.

High-Precision, High-Efficiency Ideas for Machine Shops

Precision is at the core of every effort in every machine shop, not simply to complete turning, grinding, milling, etc. with exceptional accuracy and finish quality — but to get every task, every problem, every idea or inquiry addressed effectively, efficiently and profitably. No wasted steps, no missed opportunities.

Study Finds Brass Has Profit Potential for High-Speed Machine Shops

For machine shops with high-speed equipment already on the floor, brass represents an opportunity to capture new profits they might otherwise miss with other materials, according to the study.

How to remove broken, rusted studs (with a full machine shop)

With summer just around the corner, you should probably start putting the final pieces on your winter project. For some, that could mean finally getting the broken studs out of those rare dual exhaust ...

The Ultimate Guide to Improving Machine Shop Efficiency

Making everything work together synchronously and efficiently is a balancing act

Machine shop helps students find success

College is not for everyone.The Temple Independent School District acknowledges this. They have developed different paths for students which still allow them to reach their goals and find success.

Metal AM in a Machine Shop? Ask the Marines

A hybrid system combining metal 3D printing with machining gives the Marine Corps perhaps its most effective resource yet for obtaining needed hardware in the field. It also offers an extreme version of the experience a machine shop might have in adding metal AM to its capabilities.

CNC Machine Shop Reaps Benefits of Hiring an IT Person

A database guru combined off-the-shelf technology with an elaborate proprietary shop management software to drive efficiency throughout all areas of a machine shop.>

The 4 Essential Tips For Safety In Your CNC Machine Shop

Building a Better Business: Lessons for Machine Shops From an Unexpected Source

Learning how to be a great manufacturer by listening to the insights of a different industry, homebuilding (which perhaps is not so different after all).

Sharpening your tools enough?

A question that always comes up at shows, and in person, is When should I sharpen my tools? The obvious answer is when they are dull! How do I know when they are dull? A quick answer is when you are pressing harder to make the same cut you did a few minutes ago. When you …

How to Sharpen Tools on a Bench Grinder

A bench grinder is all you need to turn rusty old hardened-steel tools, like cold chisels and punches, into useable workhorses.

Sharpen Up Your Kitchen Setup With This Precision Tool

Work Sharp's elite adjustable sharpener can tackle nearly any blade you throw at it.

Sharpen Your Tools for Efficient and Easy Work

One way to make easy work for you and your crew is to sharpen some of the tools in your groundskeeping arsenal. By taking a grinding wheel or hand file to certain edges of some of your hand tools, the sharpened edges can assist your crew to: