Explore past newsletters, podcast episodes, and shop-floor insights from the CNC Underground community.

Latest from the Underground

The newest stories and conversations from CNC Underground.

#15 – Wild Machine Crashes & Shop Survival Tips

What happens when a shop-floor guy becomes the one running the business? John Ely joins CNC Underground After Hours to talk about machining, leadership, culture, and why communication may be the most underrated skill in manufacturing.

CNC Underground – March 12, 2026 – Issue #38

This week in CNC Underground: a look at how outdated processes might be leaving profit on the table, practical guidance for programming Y-axis lathe operations, and a shop-floor story about the apprentice who grew up in the trade and eventually ran the shop.

The Underground Archive

7 Ways to Automate CAM Busywork
End Tool Chaos + Smarter Inspection
Rebuilding US Manufacturing
Smarter Roughing, Shorter Cycles
CAM Trends, Tribal Knowledge, & More
That One CNC Button No One Touches
Machine Thin Features Without Chatter
Everyone Saw It. Nobody Stopped It.
Rough Faster Without Breaking Tools
Machine Orders Up, 2026 Outlook
MIT’s New Program & Deburring Tips
Tool Life, Safety Tech, & Ransomware
Boeing, Mitotec & a Killer CAM Tip
Real-Time CNCs & Smart Toolpaths
Hybrid Mfg, Laser Lathes & CAM Tips
Cybercabs, CAM tricks, and CNC Jobs
Microsoft’s Warning to Manufacturers
The CAM Tweak That Fixes Bad Finishes
A Turning Point for U.S. Manufacturing
Is Your Toolpath Fighting Your Machine?
The $6.5B Bet Reshaping U.S. Mfg
Confidence, Auto, & STEM Momentum
AI, Gen Z Recruiting, the Utah Boom
Manufacturing Can’t Shake the Slump
Why the U.S. Just Bought 10% of Intel
MIT’s $500K Manufacturing Club
The Billion-Dollar Manufacturing Shift
Automation, Labor, & Reshoring Crunch
Made in the USA
Fix Multi-Turret Bottlenecks in CAM
What Most CNC Pros Miss
Will AI Replace Your CAM Job?
#1 Mistake Shops Make With Old Files
One CAM Tip Could Save Your Part
CNC-Milled Putter Wins the U.S. Open
Why U.S. Manufacturing Isn’t Back Yet
What AI Knows About Your Toolpaths
The people behind the machines

Voices from the underground

Catch every episode of CNC Underground: Afterhours on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.


The Underground Runs on People Like You

Shop story worth telling?

Share your crash, lesson learned, or shop-floor moment. The best ones might be featured in CNC Underground.

Be A Guest

If you work in machining, manufacturing, tooling, or CAM and have something to share, apply to be a guest on the podcast.

Follow and Join

Follow CNC Underground & Afterhours on LinkedIn and subscribe to the newsletter for weekly insights from the shop floor.