10. Surviving the CNC Rollercoaster - Truth Bombs, Honest Recaps, and Future Plans with Jessica and Christina

Take a seat at the CNC Underground After Hours table with hosts Jessica Urbans and Christina Casanova for a candid year-end wrap-up that pulls no punches. This episode puts myths to rest, covers mistakes, and lays out practical tactics for shops gearing up for 2026. Automation, tribal knowledge, documentation, training, and shop culture are front and center, woven together with humor, real-world stories, and a touch of chaos.From passive-aggressive sticky notes on the night shift, to the hazards of undocumented processes, to automation gone awry and expensive dashboards nobody looks at, every topic is handled with raw honesty and sharp wit. Hear why documenting your process is non-negotiable, how five-axis machining isn’t just for aerospace, and why one person’s intuition shouldn’t determine your workflow. There’s thoughtful discussion on the “Silver Tsunami,” building clarity, onboarding, and how investing in training pays off in retention, performance, and morale.Practical advice, shop survival tactics, and a few fictional gifts (think a self-cleaning, compliment-giving coolant tank) round out the episode, plus time capsule picks for future machinists—including broken tabs and passive-aggressive email threads. For anyone in manufacturing looking for real talk, lessons learned the hard way, and some ideas to bring—and leave behind—for the new year, this episode delivers.———Connect with Jess on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaurbans/Connect with Christina on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinacasanova/———Join CNC Underground Newsletter!  https://swiy.co/cncundergroundJoin CNC Underground — the go-to weekly newsletter read by 6,000+ elite machinists and programmers. Get cutting-edge tips, tooling strategies, CAM shortcuts, and industry updates in one tight, no-fluff email.————About Midwest CAM Solutions: Midwest CAM Solutions is the world’s largest GibbsCAM reseller, helping manufacturers boost productivity with expert CAM software solutions, training, and support.Learn more at: www.midwestcamsolutions.com————————————————————————————————

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