"The teeth start to mash a little bit." That's how Christopher Smith, LeBlond's Service Manager, describes what happens when operators slam their lathe feeds too hard. Those expensive gears you depend on? They're getting destroyed one careless engagement at a...
manual machine tools
Keep Your K.O. Lee Tool & Cutter Grinder Running Like a Beast
Your K.O. Lee tool and cutter grinder is a precise monster of a machine. It's built to sharpen end mills, cut gears and handle demanding tooling work day after day. But like any workhorse, it needs the right parts to keep performing. When critical components...
LeBlond In-Stock Machines Are a Winning Hand
An in-stock LeBlond machine is the best card for Phil to play, even if he doesn’t realize he is gambling. Phil is a machinist who supplies parts for the automotive industry. Uptick in Business? He expects business to pick up with a flurry of recent trade deals,...
Lathe for Beginners
The manufacturing world is facing a crisis. As veteran manual machinists retire, companies are struggling to replace them. Schools eliminated manual machining from curricula for years, and now companies are paying the price. But there's a resurgence...
Lathe Tailstock Parts Are Tougher Than an Abrams Tank (But These 8 Parts Will Eventually Break)
Here's the scorching truth about lathe tailstocks: They're built like tanks, but even tanks need maintenance. After five years selling LeBlond parts, Tim Fuller has seen it all. Dropped tailstocks. Beaten spindles. Parts thrown away by mistake. The carnage is real,...
LeBlond Stands With Machine Tool Schools
May 28, 2025 Dear Machine Tool Leaders, Last month, President Donald J. Trump announced his administration’s intention to halt $3 billion in research grants and redirect them to trade schools and other institutions in the United States. This policy initiative is...
A Drill Press That Erases Memories
Watching the video below causes amnesia. After viewing LeBlond Service Manager Christopher Smith give an overview of our new radial drill press, you will forget everything you thought you knew about LeBlond. https://youtu.be/JnajHs7gq3s This isn't just another...
LeBlond’s End-of-Year Machine Tool Blowout
Are you, a machinist or machine tool educator, ready for an end-of-the-year STEAL of STEEL? Steely new LeBlond and K.O. Lee machinery for your machine shop or classroom? What’s the steal, exactly, you ask? Halloween without candy? Thanksgiving without a cooked bird?...
Brake Monitoring Reset on a Johnson Press Punch Press
Sometimes brakes are necessary. For example, when you are driving too fast and rocketing into a school-reduced speed zone. Or when operating a Johnson Press punch press with a rated tonnage that ranges from 10 to over 200 tons (depending on the particular model). So,...


















