Episode 243: PIVOT!

Making It · 10 Jan 2020 · 1h 08m

What this episode covers

David Picciuto, Bob Clagett, and Jimmy Diresta discuss their recent pivot points, with David and Jimmy exploring knife making using forges and heat treating techniques, while Jimmy details acquiring and setting up a Bridgeport mill and South Bend lathe. The hosts share personal career pivots, including David's transition from graphic design to YouTube, Bob's move to the School of Visual Arts, and Jimmy's shift from marketing to product development. They emphasize the importance of hands-on learning, proper presentation, and managing finances as key life changes.

Mentioned

Companies
Lincoln, Kmart, Dell
Products
Bridgeport, South Bend, Yelp
Also
Blondie Hacks, Modern Guide to Knife Making, Torbjörn Åhman, Parks 50, Steve Pellegrino, Liam Hoffman, Knife Talk, Gary V, Harvey Pich, Dave Ramsey, School of Visual Arts, Debbie, Rick, Adrian, Laura Zera

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Shop Talk Live · 1h 00m

    STL250: Catching up with Ed Pirnik

    Ed Pirnik, the former senior web producer and creator of Shop Talk Live, joins host Ben Strainer to discuss the podcast's origins, including its early live-streaming experiments and the organic development of the host dynamic with Mike Pekovich and Matt Kenney. Mike Pekovich also appears to promote his new book and online course, 'Foundations of Woodworking,' which focuses on core joinery skills like mortise and tenon, dovetails, and dados. Pirnik reflects on his career transition from international photojournalism to woodworking media, his current projects including building a cherry cabinet and a custom Telecaster guitar, and the technical evolution of the show from manual RSS coding to third-party distribution.

  • Shop Talk Live · 1h 05m

    STL342: What We Wish We Knew

    Bridgid Gruber of Dinkle's Woodshop joins hosts Ben and Amanda to discuss what she would tell her younger self after starting woodworking eight years ago. Gruber, a former engineer turned video editor, shares advice on avoiding niche jigs like router dovetail jigs, understanding power tool physics, and the value of taking classes or joining maker spaces. The conversation highlights her work editing workshops for Fine Woodworking and Lost Art Press, emphasizing that making woodworking accessible and overcoming the fear of mistakes are key to growth.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 14m

    An Interview with Ben Krasnow, 8 years on

    Ben Krasnow, host of the Applied Science YouTube channel and a hardware engineer at Verily (Alphabet), discusses his career path from Valve to Google X and his approach to engineering. He details his work on an accommodating contact lens, the challenges of innovating in the distorted healthcare market, and his preference for 'just-in-time' learning over formal education. Krasnow also shares insights into his home lab setup, his transition to KiCad for PCB design, and specific experiments like replicating Vantablack and building an EDM machine.

  • Being an Engineer · 59m

    S2E18 Side Hustles, Asking Dumb Questions, & Not Compromising Your Values | Nate Post

    Nate Post, a New Product Introduction Manager at Edwards Lifesciences, discusses his career in medical device manufacturing and his side business, Blue Collar Blades, where he handmakes artisanal cutlery. He explains how his non-engineering background allows him to ask 'dumb questions' that lead to innovative solutions, such as modifying high-voltage tanks and creating cleanroom enclosures for noisy equipment. Post also details the operational challenges of scaling his knife-making process from 25 hours to under 7 hours per unit and his commitment to maintaining personal values over corporate compliance in previous roles.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 10m

    An Interview with Simone Giertz

    Simone Giertz, CEO of Artificial Stupidity and host at Tested, discusses her transition from a Maker in Residence at Punch Through to building 'shitty robots' for entertainment. She explains how combining comedy with hardware engineering helped her reach a mass audience, contrasting her approach with traditional educational content from companies like Adafruit and SparkFun. Giertz also details her experiences at CES, her struggles with mechanical engineering and sourcing parts for potential maker kits, and her philosophy on 'beginner's mind' in learning new skills like welding and 3D modeling.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Making It. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.