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Less than a week ago, I stepped off a plane from Japan—it was a business trip, but like any kind of travel, it left me looking at my life, my business, and other manufacturing companies differently.

One of the reasons I write a blog is so I can share my experiences and thoughts with people like you and other people in business, with the hope that my experiences might teach you something. 

I just received a package containing a sawguide sample from our newest customer, and I had to write this article right away. They were having issues maintaining clearance between their babbitt pad and saw blade. In other words, they had no gap control!

Like many people, I enjoy watching sports. Like many people, I enjoy watching sports. Well, kind of. What I really mean is that I LOVE watching sports and I often get really worked up about the team I’m rooting for.

I recently received a call from a friend of mine about one of his customers. I knew the news couldn’t be good. Turns out, this customer had been burning up saws for a long time.

This year marks the 500th anniversary of an extremely annoyed monk who nailed a list onto a church door because he was fed up with the Roman Catholic church.

I may not be a monk, but I’m fed up and I have a list of reasons why.

I just received an email from a friend who recently visited a troubled sawmill. This sawmill has unfortunately been experiencing a lot of problems with their saws getting very hot and underperforming.

Like many of you, I go on vacation with my family every year. If you travel with others, you know that every detail of the trip is up for debate. Everyone wants to maximize their vacation time and take advantage of every free minute. That can take a lot of planning, and a lot of discussion and compromise to please everyone on the trip.

If a vacation is well-planned, most of the time everyone returns happy.

Stop! Think about what I just said: well-planned and happy. What a concept. Don’t you wish more businesses did the same thing?

Gap control is the one of the most critical items to control in a sawmill. It determines how accurate your cuts are, and the quality of your lumber. Having gap control means maintaining that perfect 0.0015” gap between the saw blade and the babbitt pad of the sawguide.

My week has been brutal so far and I bet you’ve had some weeks like that, too. Every day things go right, and things go wrong. We spend most of our time fixing the things that went wrong which doesn’t leave much time for celebrating the things that went right. Not exactly a fun time, in my opinion. If you spend all your time putting out fires, how do you know when you’re really, truly successful?

I read an article yesterday that listed all the famous people who passed away in 2016. I couldn’t believe how many talented people we lost, and that I knew of each person on the list. It was mind numbing.

We ran into a very interesting situation this week that I bet most of you would never have thought could happen. One of our sawguide systems, that has been running for several months, has had ongoing issues with fluctuating water volumes.

People all over the world take medication, or seek medical care, every day to help cure illnesses because we hate being sick. Being sick slows us down, makes our minds fuzzy and we just plain don’t feel well. It’s really no fun. Obviously!

Although sawguides are one of my favourite subjects, I occasionally develop writer’s block when asked to write another blog post about them. I have heard this happens to many professional writers.

Some of the decision making that I see going on in this industry is simply amazing. A lot of it involves the words, “Good enough!” I keep hearing those words over and over. 

I have recently attended a few forestry sector tradeshows, the same ones the sawmill industry usually attends. I have spoken with many people in the industry who have questions about sawguides, which of course I am always very happy to answer. 

Some kind soul took it upon himself to remind me that the galactically insignificant number that indicates my age will soon be advancing by one digit. Normally, I would have just smiled my characteristically exuberant smile, and not given it another thought. But today, the thought of this tiny digit change made me actually sit down and reflect on what has happened in my life since the previous number advancing incident last year.

I think about this question a lot, and I am often stumped by what I see going on around me in the manufacturing sector. I find that people in our sector are doing the opposite of what I think should be the norm when it comes to spending money. The question I often wonder is:

Every once in a while, which lately is more often than expected, I come across an article that makes me really pause and think. In this case, the article in question struck me square in the face with the ‘hammer of truth’. Usually I don’t take reports by large organizations too seriously...

The title of this article might be a bit strong, but there are times when sawmills immediately jump to blaming the saw blade manufacturer first. Don’t get me wrong, there are saw blade manufacturers out there who do not manufacture a good product and even for the good manufacturers, a batch of unsatisfactory saws slip through the cracks every once in awhile.

Myself, like many of you, look forward to weekends when I don’t have a lot of chores I need to do (or that someone has told me to do). Free of chores you actually get a chance to putter around, relax and...

Is it enough to simply provide solutions in today’s business environment? Finding a quick solution to a problem is one thing, but a complete and functional solution involves many complex components. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “I’ve been around since before dirt was invented.” Another thing that’s been around since dirt was invented is companies saying their customers are being unreasonable. Those pesky customers, eh?

The following is a case study on why it’s not just the quality and design of your sawguide that you need to look out for, but the quality and design of your Babbitt pad and pocket as well.

To constantly remind an athlete that they did not place in the top three medal-earning spots is like rubbing salt in a wound. The athlete deserves more encouragement than just being reminded that they were the first loser, or last loser. Some interviewers seem to take...

For many of us, our first jobs were simple, mind numbing, broom operating tasks that required very little training—and there wasn’t much responsibility to go with them. But is this level of training sufficient for an Oiler in your saw mill?

I was not going to write about this today, but I was provoked this morning. It was right after I walked into work and, like many of you, I am not the world’s happiest early morning person. I saw...

Saw Guides require precise control of water and oil. Here's a VIDEO showing how a Weyco Raymond Guide Lube system can be used to provide this precision control.

I love cooking! It goes without saying that I also love to eat good food. I love the adventure and even the romance associated with food.

Remember Opa, my Grandpa? The reason I ask is because I remember him telling me the same thing I wrote about in my last article—“the day you quit learning, is the day you die.”

A few days ago, I was asked if I had bought my ticket for that great big lottery prize everyone was getting excited about. I stopped for a second since I hadn’t heard how big the prize was.

Have you ever asked a really stupid question? Is there such a thing? I was brought up with the knowledge there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

During the holiday season, we spend a lot of time with friends and family to celebrate and catch up. Many of us do this year-round, but it really gets intense near the end of December.

I have been to a lot of trade shows and filers conventions. A common theme is emerging at each one; business is improving at a rapid rate and sawmills are going full tilt.

We’ve arrived at the end of another year. It’s amazing how quickly this year has gone by. I can’t help but reflect on what has transpired over the last 12 months.

Have you ever wondered why some things work great in certain places and fail in others? I have come to understand that when designing any type of lubrication system, the biggest obstacle we encounter isn’t always the machinery, but sometimes the customer themselves.

I was driving to work this morning in what I would consider the worst weather we have had in a long time. Here in Vancouver, we have been getting inches of rain for the past week and according to next week’s forecast, the future does not look any brighter.

I was having lunch with a business acquaintance. We were talking about various issues that he saw in sawmills and during that conversation he said, “Did you know that many sawmills that I've visited have had to open up the gap between the sawguide and the sawblade, in order for the sawmill edger to start?”

One enjoyable autumn day around lunchtime, my wife and I were walking through a piazza in Florence, Italy. We came upon a sight that was a first for me: pigeons resting in the grass.

Since it’s racing season around the globe and many people love watching race cars go fast. Many dream they could get in a really nice race car and drive at high speed. I for one am not against that. It’s amazing on how many precision components go into a race car.

I want to start by saying that no animals were harmed during the writing of this article. You’ll understand why I need to say that in a moment.

Remember the old days of carburetors? Did you ever get the notion to start making small adjustments to see if you could make it run better?

“Sorry, your price was higher than your competition, so we purchased from them instead!” This statement is heard by salespeople all over the world every day. They often don’t understand why they lost the order because their product is superior to the competition’s.

Have you ever given thought to what goes on behind the scenes when you see a new product? The saw guide lubrication system we build is one of those products that’s almost an application or machine specific that people think is a “one size fits all” type of machine. They never are.

“Have a nice day!” The officer walked back to his car and sped off. There I was, standing on the side of the road. My vehicle had just been impounded for 7 days for going over the speed limit.

Have you ever driven behind a car that’s going fast and their brake lights keep flashing? I have and I always wonder what the heck is going on. It is scary! I didn’t know what they were doing.

I have always been inclined to immerse myself in the culture of anything I do. Whether it’s travel, a hobby, a sport, work, home – anything! To fully understand something I think you need to understand the culture around it.

Whenever we are asked what we use to lube chains, we say, “oil.” It’s not a sarcastic answer it’s the truth. Some customers have used grease to lubricate chains and the results weren’t the best.

After getting up in the morning, many of us prepare ourselves for work. During this preparation, a lot of us will read the morning paper, which is usually full of bad news. I have heard that bad news sells much better than good news. I guess that means bad news makes money and good news doesn’t.

We recently commissioned a saw guide system for a customer and ran into some old school thinking.... 

Almost everyone has purchased a new car during their lifetime. A few unsatisfactory situations aside, most people are very happy to have a new car.

I’m often asked how we reduce the water and oil that is needed to cool saws and lubricate guides with our saw guide systems, where others can’t. It’s a simple matter of physics.

There are moments in our lives that change the way we do things. When these moments happen in my life, they are so unexpected and make me really stop and reflect.

I continue to see coloured Saw guides brightly lighting up the walls of Sawmills like decorative art. The last time I checked, Saw guides are used in a precision industrial application for the accurate cutting of lumber. They are also a major expense.

Do you hold yourself to the same high standards that you hold your employees to? Leadership is defined on Wikipedia as “a process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.”

When we talk about lubrication systems, it can cover a very broad range of requirements, system styles, configurations and more. It’s a really wide brush!

Being busy doesn't necessarily mean making money. Are you spending enough time ON your business? If not, you're likely "Out of Control".

We’re pleased to feature this week’s guest blogger, Ron Vandermeulen. Ron is an independent expert with over 34 years of saw manufacturing experience.

What on Earth does eating spinach have to do with being an effective and productive member of a team? Everything!

We are very pleased to introduce guest blogger, Dean Maier from Industrial Autolube International. Dean Maier has been in the automated lubrication business for 25 years, with 85% of that time spent in forestry applications.

It’s obvious that everything is for sale given the right price. If I said that selling businesses is a big business then that would be an understatement. There are literally hundreds of businesses that make money selling other businesses. This means there must be a lot of businesses that are being sold.

After writing my last article on gap control, a business acquaintance of mine asked me if Babbitt grinders (some call them Guide Dressers) played an important role in maintaining the gap.

Implementing these new trends would require us to make big changes in the way we do things, and set Modern Engineering in a new direction in order for us to remain competitive. However, if we were to ignore these changes, there is a high probability that we will be left to die as road kill on the economic highway.

Why is the accuracy of a saw guide so important? If you look deeper into its importance, what it actually comes down to is 'Gap Control'! You are probably wondering what this is.

Amazing enough, the paint had had yet to dry on my previous blog “When to Burn a Bridge” when I received a letter from one of our company suppliers. The letter looked innocent enough. There were no underlined or bold words or capitalized sentences that indicated screaming.

As I talk to people in the Sawmill industry, I find that many have been told things about anodizing that are incorrect. I think it’s important to have a clear idea of what anodizing is, so let’s start with an overview of the process.

I, like many people, am not in the habit of burning bridges (destroying relationships or taking a stand.) I actually go out of my way to avoid confronting people or companies that are doing things that annoy me.

I remember having a friendly conversation with a gentleman about saw guides and he said a few things that really bothered me. The first was that the people working in a sawmill couldn’t tell the difference between an accurate saw guide and one that’s less accurate.

Most of us spend 40 hours a week at work. This means that over the year the average worker spends 2,080 hours of their life working. Sometimes companies offer a great experience where you see growth, teamwork, learning and communication.

For many years saw guides were always made of steel. Steel was the material of choice because it was believed to be the strongest and most economical material.

I think we’ve all experienced bad leadership at some point in our lives, but I would rather talk about what makes a great leader… because frankly I’d like to see more of them in this world.

Many years back I was at a Filers Convention and someone got up to give a presentation. He was speaking about Saw guides and how they were manufactured. I thought it was going to be interesting to hear someone else’s perspective until the gentlemen stated, “The best anodizing is clear anodizing!”.

One of the things that we all like is to go shopping. Shopping gets us out, it fulfills our need to explore, and acquire things that we may want or need.

Many years ago sawmills ran saws that are made from thick steel plate so that the saws which were held in place by a collar could remain right while they were sawing lumber. The circular saw spacing was achieved in many ways including the use of spacers on the arbors that turned the saws or to tighten the saw collar to the arbor at a predictable distance.

For some, Social Media is a way to manage their life, for others it’s a very confusing place filled with # signs and @ symbols. Whether you are an online junkie or a newbie trying to figure out what it all means, social media is here to stay.

After a quick review of the main sawmill equipment manufacturers, there’s definitely a leader in the area of video galleries.

I was recently lucky enough to attend the Japanese Machine Tool Show in Tokyo, Japan. I’ve been to a lot of machine tool shows but this one seemed different right from the start. 

I have wanted to write this article for awhile. You see, nothing boils my blood faster than encountering living proof of Darwin’s theory of natural selection, especially when that living proof is a customer service rep on the other end of the phone. 

Wow. The virtual ink had not yet dried on my last blog post about piecemeal maintenance when I started getting an influx of emails from readers. Clearly, many people identified with the issue about maintenance not being performed the way it should be.

I was talking with an old friend recently who also works in the manufacturing industry, and has been in it almost as long as I have. Both of us remember when dirt was first invented and mass manufactured. As usual, sitting in my living room, we bantered about many industry topics. 

I attended a trade show in Portland, Oregon a number of years ago. The show was three days long and by the third day, I was exhausted. Standing on that cushionless black trade show carpet for 8 - 10 hours a day is a bit painful.

Chances are, unless you were born under a rock, you remember a very famous Tom Cruise movie where he plays a lawyer who cross-examines a General, played by Jack Nicholson.

When my father immigrated to North America in the early 1960s, he got his first job at a large machine shop. When he reported to work on his first day, the shop foreman took him to a turret lathe and asked him if he had ever worked on a sophisticated piece of equipment like this before. 

I was fortunate enough to visit Milan, Italy this autumn. It was a very busy time of year, with the Expo going on as well as the International Machine Tool Show (EMO). There were literally thousands of people around you at all times. It really puts into perspective how many people are on our planet today.

One day many years ago I found myself sitting in a Purchasing Agent’s (PA) office, thinking to myself that there were so many other places I would rather be. The PA shuffled papers rapidly around his desk as if he were organizing the rest of his day, like I wasn't even there.

The first thing I ask of any company or business I'm considering working with is, “Does your company have a sense of community?” Modern Engineering works hard to build community and I'm proud to be part of it, as well as see the positive effects first hand.

I’ve been in manufacturing my entire working life, making widgets for people used in various industries. There are many manufacturers like me out there. We’ve worked hard to become globally competitive, because we have to be competitive in order to survive. In recent years many of us have successfully helped re-shore, or bring manufacturing back from overseas.

Once in a while I come across a situation where manufacturing companies are doing things that don’t make sense in today’s competitive environment. These companies usually do well for themselves and are quite busy. But they all get to a point where they need to hire more people, or invest in equipment that is more productive.

I, like many of you, work very hard to be innovative and progress in my career and my company. Hours are spent reading and exploring new ideas to implement and take it to that next level. Many sacrifices are made in order to do this. In reality, same as you, I take this very seriously. Every once in a while I come across literature and opinions that make me want to set the rest of my receding hairline on fire.

There are many things that can bother a person in their work and business life, but there’s one that really drives me crazy. I call it, “The Business Yo-Yo”. Every day I speak with business acquaintances and in these conversations we always seem to ask the standard question, “How is business going?” More than 95% of the time we only get two answers:

When was the last time you saw a “Made in Canada” (or USA) on anything? Our company decided to have hats made so we came up with a brilliant idea. Why don’t we have them designed and manufactured in Canada since we are, after all, Canadian. We found ourselves a very nice gentleman to design the hats, who also happened to be the son of one of the employees at Modern.

It seems like every day, at one point or another, I encounter something written about 3D Printing. It's getting so much publicity it seems to be the rock star of manufacturing. 3D Printing is touching every industry, and many have called it the global game changer.

These days when we buy a piece of CNC equipment, they quote the memory of the CNC machine in Meters (although I've never seen it in yards!) Have you ever wondered what a meter of memory looks like? Or how large it will be? Nowadays we're more accustomed to buying memory in megabytes or gigabytes—so what exactly is a meter of memory?

Labor in Europe is expensive, so they are continually looking for ways to decrease the cost of labor per dollar (or euro) of output. They factor in all labor when they look at machining a component. This includes everything from preparation of materials, to shipping.

The number one reason to use an Aluminum Saw Guide is to help prevent back injuries. Not only do back injuries cost a lot when insurance or health and safety organizations are involved, but the impact of losing staff due to injuries can be detrimental to a Sawmill.

As with a lot of feedback, there were many people who were very frustrated with the way things were going in their country. Many answered the question by wanting government intervention (in terms of tariffs and such) as a way of being more competitive. I felt their pain, but I did not to get into that since I did not think this would have constructively furthered anything.

This worked very well but as the circular saws became larger in diameter and thicker, in order to cut larger diameter lumber, this made them heavier and harder to handle.

A few days ago, I was talking with a friend of mine who works at a subsidiary of a well-known Asian car company. My friend’s employer manufacturers components for their vehicles, and sends those parts to Japan to become part of the assembly line.

I drove by a sawmill the other day. It closed within the last few years. I decided that I needed a break to stretch my legs so I pulled over. I stood there, looking at the empty shell of the mill that had once been a vibrant hub of activity. This made me sad for the people who once worked there and for the community that was built around it.

I don’t think I’m alone in having this ailment, but there’s no medical doctor that can help me. When I wake up every morning, I find that the world has changed, and I know it will change again the next day.

Every once in a while, you will find that business is slow and there are just no orders to be had! Unless you really annoyed your customers and have done something very wrong, eventually the orders will start coming in again and life shall return to normal. The issue is what to do as a company while you’re waiting for this to happen.

My mind is like a gumball machine full of ideas on a regular basis.

Do you remember how video rental stores (yes, back when VHS tapes were around) would have those big gumball machines full of rainbow coloured gumballs, plus the odd black one mixed in?

I saved some money yesterday, but today I am bleeding money all over the floor.

It’s a new day in a New Year. I guess if you really looked at this statement, every day is a new day in a New Year but many of us only look at it that way on January 1st. Is that often enough?

As you are reading this blog, many millions of dollars of equipment are be purchased by companies around the planet, much of it is in the manufacturing sector. The question that follows is, ‘Does the equipment being bought actual innovate their business or just renovate?’

I have been asked many times about how to automate things in manufacturing. I've been asked if automation is like “Buying a Robot?” Many people feel they need to replace the human component with a robot to integrate automation. It sounds simple and straight forward. If you look at it this way maybe you or your company are missing the picture of what automation actually is.

Every day companies are facing challenges to compete. These challenges range from the ability to deliver on time to providing a competitive price. Being in North America we have some of the highest labour costs on the planet, certainly higher than Asia. We constantly complain about this as one of the reasons we can’t compete. We’ve been told that automation will allow us to compete and yet many do not adopt it. The logical question to ask is “WHY!” I truly believe that many do not invest in automation because of fear.

In business we seem to always find ways to avoid doing new things or making improvements to our companies. While I was on vacation in Italy, touring around the town of Lucca, I came across a sign that said “Wine-Oil”. I laughed, and began to carry on my way since it was the type of sign you see all over the place.

What I mean by that is, did you choose to leave some options out on the equipment because they drove up the cost, and like most people, you wanted to keep your budget to the minimum? Take my advice and go back and look at the options.

What do I mean by buy-in? Buy-in is getting all the people who are going to have to deal with any aspect of this equipment purchase to agree on the decision. You may be wondering – “why is this so important?” It’s important because

Since I'm in the machining industry, I'm relating this to the type of equipment that I work with, however this pertains to other equipment as well.

I believe vendor selection is one of the most important factors in your decision, with brand of equipment taking a close second. From experience, I‘ve found that you can end up buying the best piece of equipment but if, afterwards, you can’t get the parts and service from the vendor it’s just a liability taking up space on your shop floor.

Modern Engineering is known as a solutions provider for CNC automation and machining, milling and turning. They are an industry leader and one of the most experienced and modern machine shops in BC, supplying customers from Europe and New Zealand, to North America.

Through these years there have been good times and bad times. In the good times we were manufacturing parts made on new equipment (aka awesome new toys) to our many, loyal customers. In the bad times we were going through recessions that made our customers lives, and our own lives, miserable.

The latest equipment, combined with an experienced CNC team, ensures Modern Engineering is ready to tackle even your most complex precision machining problems.

Modern was recognized for their program to help young adults in high-school gain experience in the manufacturing sector by employing them and providing hands-on experience with sophisticated equipment.

The U14 team was sponsored by Modern Engineering and played for BC at the nationals in Vaughan, Ontario.

5-axis machining center MAM72 series can achieve process integration and high-accuracy complex 5-axis machining with one-chucking to meet the need for “various-variety low-volume production” and “Long-hour unmanned operation”.

I read the news every morning when I get up. I usually pay the most attention to the business section, because I can tell if there have been any traumatic events in the world by what the market is doing.

Like many people, I love travelling. Europe is my favourite destination because of my roots and also my love of culture and history. It’s fascinating to appreciate the past as you admire all the historical structures that date back hundreds of years, and the stories behind them.

By definition outsourcing is—to obtain goods or services from an outside foreign supplier, especially in place of an internal source.

A lot of people I know are national sports fans, may it be NFL, NHL or NBA. Each one has an annual draft where they try to draft the best up-and-coming talent for their team. Unfortunately, the previous year’s winner usually gets last pick.

After writing about the issue, “Where are we going to find future skilled employees? This is my plan.” I received quite a few emails; many were very positive and others directed me to similar articles on the same subject.

If you’re exposed to any media (newspaper, television, online, etc.) you can’t help hearing the prediction that there’ll be a lack of skilled employees in the future. Usually the stories we hear are meant to be dire predictions of our future. 

In 2012, Modern Engineering called on Delta School District’s Brian Tivy, coordinator of Career Programs and Dave De Pieri, Apprenticeship Facilitator.

You know the old saying that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they dress, and how they present themselves? The same rule applies to business. 

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day about his experience in sawmills. The more we spoke, the more the same issue kept coming up.

The forestry sector is one of the oldest industries in existence. There are older occupations, but man has been using the forests for all sorts of things for thousands of years. Everything from homes and heat to décor and even cooking. Vast communities have grown around this industry, supporting generations of people, and spanning centuries of human history.

Everyone has good days and bad days. Today was a bad day for me. No, I’m not ill, but I received some very bad news from a friend. He’s not ill either, but he told me there’s soon going to be a lot of upset people in local sawmill communities.

I can’t believe it’s November already. The year has gone by so quickly, and it’s almost over. I caught my family hanging Christmas lights the other day. Seriously! I thought to myself, “What day is this? What month is this?”

Every fall there seems to be so much to do. There are conventions and trade shows in our business lives along with all the other activities in our personal lives that occur. You get so wrapped up in all these events, but then something happens that just makes you want to stand up and say something.

Spring and autumn are both busy times of year for conventions and tradeshows. It seems like something’s going on every week during these seasons. Over the years, I have been asked a lot of questions about sawguides at these types of events.

If you’ve read this blog for awhile, you know that my most impassioned posts are often a direct result of me receiving a sawguide sample in the mail. Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of dismal sawguides and I keep thinking I’ve seen the worst, but then I keep getting surprised. 

I remember many years ago visiting the Pacific Northwest to meet with the Head Sawfiler at a local sawmill. The first thing we saw when arriving at the mill site was an ambulance. Safety is a huge concern in sawmills and seeing an ambulance is obviously not a good sign.

I had a very interesting discussion this past week with a customer about Lube Systems and how they’re always the first thing to be blamed for any breakdown. It seems that with any failure in a mill the easiest thing to blame is not having enough lube, but that isn’t always the case.

I was talking to a good friend of mine on the phone the other day. We were just chatting about past projects we had worked on together, and others that my friend had worked on. Our conversation was light and going really well until out of the blue, my friend made a remark that changed everything.

I love going to Europe. Visiting all the historic buildings, encountering timeless works of art… it’s such an inspiring place. I am particularly fascinated by what inspiration is behind many of these historical works of art. 

This subject has been on my mind for a long time, stemming from my interactions with new clients. They always wonder why they are experiencing sawing problems.

It was Sunday morning after a busy week when I finally sat down to write this blog article. All last week I was thinking about how to write it. Thank goodness we are in an electronic age, otherwise I would’ve had pieces of paper with half written articles on them torn up all over the floor.