Big Ideas Lab - Machinists

Episode Date: April 1, 2025

Before a laser fires or a rocket launches, machinists make the mission possible. This episode explores the world of machining at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory—where skilled craftspeople transform raw materials into components for fusion research, national security, and space exploration. From time-tested manual tools to advanced digital manufacturing, machinists at the Lab combine traditional craftsmanship with modern technology to solve some of the most complex engineering challenges on Earth.-- Big Ideas Lab is a Mission.org original series. Executive Produced by Levi Hanusch and Lacey Peace.Sound Design, Music Edit and Mix by Daniel Brunelle. Story Editing by Daniel Brunelle. Audio Engineering and Editing by Matthew Powell. Narrated by Matthew Powell. Video Production by Levi Hanusch. Guests featured in this episode (in order of appearance): Drew Hash - Apprentice Machinist, LLNLDawn Hill - Senior Machinist, LLNLBrought to you in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Precision is an art. And for Drew Hash, that artistic pursuit began in the kitchen. Drew spent 25 years as a chef, mastering the subtleties of flavors, heat, timing, and technique. Cooking required instinct, focus, and a deep understanding of how the smallest adjustments could transform a dish. He later took his craft outside the kitchen and poured these skills into the art of knife making. Making knives required patience, discipline, and an obsession with detail. Each blade had to have the perfect balance and grip, move effortlessly through ingredients,

and hold up to years of use. This process demanded the same precision he had mastered in cooking, where small adjustments made the difference between good and exceptional. Then Drew's pursuit of precision opened the door to something even greater. He stepped into the world of machining, where measurements became smaller, tolerances tighter, and the demands of precision higher. Drew was driven by the pursuit of perfection and joined the machinists of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, crafting some of the most precise objects on Earth. Components for fusion research, space exploration, and national security.

The same patience, discipline, and eye for detail that guided him as a chef and knife maker would now be tested in entirely new ways. Welcome to the Big Ideas Lab, your weekly exploration inside Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Hear untold stories, meet boundary-pushing pioneers, and get unparalleled access inside the gates. From national security challenges to computing revolutions, discover the innovations that are shaping tomorrow, today.

Machinists at Lawrence Livermore shape raw materials into specialized components essential for national security and scientific research. With tools ranging from manual lathes to computer controlled machining systems, they cut, drill, and mill with extreme science, blending traditional craftsmanship with advanced technologies like digital manufacturing, additive processes, and high precision lathes. Some machines have been in use for decades, yet their precision remains unmatched, even by modern standards. The 1953 Swiss-made jig bore is a tool prized for its accuracy and near-perfect alignment of critical components. They say it's the most accurate machine in the lab, so it was an absolute pleasure to work on this machine, while also being kind of scary because I didn't want to crash it.

Drew Hash is an apprentice machinist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory training through the machinist apprenticeship program, a rigorous four year course designed to develop the next generation of precision machinists. The program combines classroom instruction with hands-on experience, exposing apprentices to a wide range of machining techniques and technologies. Working with lab mentors, machinists rotate through different machine shops, gaining expertise in precision milling, turning, and grinding, to name a few.

Beyond technical skills, the program emphasizes problem-solving and independent thinking, preparing apprentices to work on high-stakes projects. But machining wasn't Drew's first career. I was a chef for 25 years, and I got burned on that, and I transitioned into knife making. Knife making was sort of my retirement plan, and it ended up snowballing into something that was a lot of fun and very popular. His path eventually led him to machining at the lab, a place where machinists have a long-standing reputation for doing extraordinary work.

Machinists at the lab were legendary through the years, like they did crazy stuff, so I was aware of it. That reputation, along with his growing interest in machining, shaped his view of the trade. I was intrigued by machinists, but I didn't know a lot about them. along with his growing interest in machining, shaped his view of the trade. I was intrigued by machinists, but I didn't know a lot about them. Old school photos you see of them in their coats, wearing a shirt and tie underneath, standing next to a monstrous machine in 1950,

no eye protection. Even as an apprentice, we get a lot of freedom to come up with processes to get the job done on our own. There's more than one way to skin a cat when it comes to machining. As long as the end goal is met, here at the lab, their emphasis on getting it done right, they need it to be perfect.

So how you go about doing that is kind of up to me. That's what I enjoy. There's a lot of troubleshooting and problem solving involved, similar to cooking, similar to knife making also. Drew's path to machining was unconventional. Every machinist, regardless of how they enter the field, shares a common commitment to precision and craftsmanship. Our responsibility is to make these parts from prints for the sake of our customers, and they need to be 100% perfect. The problem is how do we do that as quickly and efficiently as possible?

At Lawrence Livermore, machinists work from highly detailed engineering blueprints that specify every dimension, tolerance, and material requirement. Each one a blueprint for transforming raw materials into flawless, functional parts. Dawn Hill is a senior machinist at Lawrence Livermore Labs. The apprenticeship itself is pretty competitive to get into. They don't just take anybody they want, people with experience. The apprentice program, one of California's most prestigious such programs and a fixture at Lawrence Livermore since 1954, trains machinists to meet the lab's unique manufacturing

needs far from the industry standard. Machining requires technical expertise and a deep understanding of how materials are shaped and refined. Transforming raw materials into precise components is intricate and highly specialized. You think of 3D printing or even additive manufacturing where you're starting with nothing and you're building material up. We're kind of the reverse of that. We start with a chunk of material, metal, plastic, whatever, and we're removing material to make a part out of that. There's actually about a dozen different machine

shops throughout the lab and they all serve different purposes. I work in SMMF, Special Materials Machining Facility. We do a lot of exotics, more parts that are specific to the mission of the lab. Exotics are metals like titanium, vanadium, tantalum, and specialized alloys, materials known for their strength, heat resistance, and precision requirements. These metals are essential for the lab's advanced research and national security projects. Working with these specialized materials often requires creativity and problem solving. Machinists must find the best approach, sometimes using the latest technology and other times relying on time-tested methods that have been around for decades. One time we had this job when I worked in the main bay and it was a giant piece of aluminum

that was this very odd shape and they wanted us to cut it up and make these really intricate pieces out of it for them and everybody was like, how the heck are we going to do this? I ended up using a bandsaw, which is a pretty crude way to cut up material. It's the exact same way they would have done in 1956 or maybe even 1906. Like that technology is still relevant. Machining is about problem solving at the highest level. The work at the lab is highly specialized and supports projects from fusion research at the National Ignition Facility to precision optics for space telescopes. Every project presents a unique challenge requiring technical skill and creative problem solving to shape materials that push the limits of engineering.

I think the scale that we work at as far as size is pretty mind blowing that most people can't wrap their head around. Even me sometimes I'm like, I can't believe how minute that measurement is. We're dealing in some time millions of an inch. How even big is that? head around, even me sometimes, I'm like, I can't believe how minute that measurement is. We're dealing in some time, millions of an inch. How even big is that? Machinists must constantly adjust for variables like heat, material stress, and even microscopic imperfections that could impact the final product.

When you're machining, you're going to be putting some stress into the material and stress in the material is going to cause that part to move. And we want the part to not move. We want a perfect part. There's things we can use, like how flat a part is before and after I've machined it, the roundness of the part before and after I've machined it. That will tell me if it's getting too much stress in it, if it's moving around too much. So I'm keeping track of that. This level of precision is about following measurements

and understanding how materials respond under stress. Hands-on experience and instinct also play a vital role. One disadvantage of CNC machines, although there are many advantages, is that they don't have their own intuition, right? They don't know what it feels like. The operator does not know what's really going on. Whereas, in a manual machine, you can feel vibrations in the machine, in the floor. You hear things. Obviously, you see things. Sometimes you smell certain things that are a red flag of like,

oh, I got to turn this down. The role of machinists is constantly evolving with new challenges and new opportunities emerging. Machinists at Lawrence Livermore are shaping the future of precision manufacturing, using machine learning to optimize tool paths, reduce material waste, and improve accuracy. The role of a machinist I see changing with the technology, but physics and geometry aren't gonna change.

The qualities of material aren't gonna change. The cutting tool technology, I don't see it changing that much in the near future. The ability to troubleshoot, problem solve, and adjust to real time challenges is something no algorithm can replace. I think the most exciting thing for me is the possibilities are literally infinite as far as learning. I consider myself the forever student. I will never know it all and as long as I'm hungry

for learning I can go whichever direction I want. If I want to start making watches, I can do that because I have the skills. If I want to work on parts for space stations or spaceships, I can go do that. The amount of options is very appealing to me. And I think just knowing in the back of my head that there's always going to be something to do and learn. Machining at Lawrence Livermore is a critical responsibility.

Every component they craft contributes to a larger mission. I believe in the mission, and I like the fact that what I'm doing is also serving what I consider a greater purpose, a greater good, perhaps. At Lawrence Livermore, machinists are constantly adapting to new materials, techniques, and ways of thinking. For nearly 70 years, these skilled professionals have been the unsung heroes of scientific

innovation. And one thing is clear. Human expertise is irreplaceable. visible. Thank you for tuning in to Big Ideas Lab. If you loved what you heard, please let us know by leaving a rating and review. And if you haven't already, don't forget to hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app to keep up with our latest episode. Thanks for listening.