Plasma to Fiber Laser: The Brad Goodman Journey | Ep 238
Release Date: 03/04/2026
How Much Working Area Do You Really Need? | Ep 260
Talkin Shop with ShopSabre
What size CNC machine does your shop really need? In this episode of Talkin’ Shop with ShopSabre, Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters take on a question that sounds simple, but can have a major impact on your shop: how much working area do you actually need? They dig into the factors that often get overlooked when choosing a CNC, including machine footprint, material sizes, workflow, production demands, and where your business could be headed in the next few years. They also explore why choosing the right size involves much more than simply looking at the parts you are cutting today. If you are...
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Your CNC Machine Is an Employee: Why Quality Equipment Is an Extension of Your Team | Ep 259
Talkin Shop with ShopSabre
What if your CNC machine was not just a piece of equipment—but another employee on your team? In this episode of Talkin’ Shop with ShopSabre, Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters challenge the way businesses think about CNC equipment and explain why the lowest purchase price does not always mean the lowest long-term cost. Brandon breaks down how a CNC machine adds production capacity, consistency, accuracy, speed, and reliability to a business. Just like hiring an experienced employee, investing in higher-quality equipment can give your team more capability while reducing downtime, improving...
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The New Salesman: How Influencers Changed Marketing—and Why Trust Still Wins | Ep 258
Talkin Shop with ShopSabre
Should you trust the influencer—or the experience behind the message? In this episode of Talkin’ Shop with ShopSabre, Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters break down how influencers have changed modern marketing and why visibility does not always equal expertise. Customers now research products through YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, podcasts, and online communities before ever speaking with a salesperson. That can be powerful—but it also makes it harder to separate genuine experience from paid promotion. Brandon explains why the best influencers bring more than followers. They understand the...
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New vs. Used: Understanding Where the Real Value Is | Ep 257
Talkin Shop with ShopSabre
Should you buy a used CNC machine or buy new? The price tag says one thing. The next five years of ownership say something completely different. In Episode 257 of Talkin' Shop with ShopSabre, Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters take on the question every shop owner eventually has to answer. Not just about CNC machines either. Your next truck, your next piece of equipment, your next major investment. Same trap, every time. Here is the part nobody tells you. Price is what you pay today. Value is what you actually receive over the life of what you own. Those are two...
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Is Avoiding Risk Hurting Your CNC Shop? | Ep 256
Talkin Shop with ShopSabre
Think playing it safe protects your CNC shop? It might be the most expensive decision you never made. In this episode of Talkin' Shop, Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters break down how real business owners weigh risk against reward, and why the shops that grow are the ones willing to move before every question has an answer. You will hear the questions every owner wrestles with. Should you finance or pay cash for that next machine? How do you know when it is time to add a second CNC? Is the "safe" choice to wait actually leaving work and profit on the table? Brandon and Nick answer real...
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What Does an Employee Really Cost You? | Ep 255
Talkin Shop with ShopSabre
How much does an employee really cost a small business beyond their hourly wage? In Episode 255 of Talkin' Shop with ShopSabre, hosts Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters answer that question directly for shop owners and small manufacturers. The short answer: an employee's true cost runs well past base pay. Once you add payroll taxes, workers' compensation, health and dental benefits, a 401(k) match, paid time off, training time, onboarding, tools, and software, a worker's real cost can land about 25 percent above their wage, and in extreme cases up to 50 percent higher. A $25-per-hour...
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The ROI Math Most Shop Owners Get Wrong | Ep 254
Talkin Shop with ShopSabre
When does buying a CNC machine make more sense than hiring another employee or outsourcing the work? On this episode of Talkin' Shop with ShopSabre, hosts Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters answer that question for shop owners weighing automation against labor. The conversation breaks down how to calculate the real return on investment (ROI) of CNC automation — and why most shop owners get the math wrong. Brandon explains the difference between calculating ROI literally (only the time a task takes) and "paralysis by analysis," then reframes the core question every owner asks. It isn't "how...
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When Is It Time to Automate Your Shop? | Ep 253
Talkin Shop with ShopSabre
You already know the answer. You're just waiting for someone to say it out loud. If you've ever stared at a job you turned away, a backlog you can't beat, or a stack of repetitive work eating your week alive, this episode is the gut check you've been avoiding. Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters get real about the single most expensive decision growing shops keep putting off: when to stop doing things the manual way and start investing in automation. They break down the exact warning signs that you've outgrown your process, why "we'll just work harder" quietly kills your margins, and the...
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Stop Making Excuses & Build Momentum | Ep 252
Talkin Shop with ShopSabre
What is the difference between a challenge and an excuse in business? On Episode 252 of Talkin' Shop with ShopSabre, hosts Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters explain why challenges require a response while excuses only require justification — and why that distinction determines whether a manufacturing business grows or stalls. Brandon outlines the concept of business momentum and why it functions like a machine: once it's running, it stays efficient, but once it stops, restarting requires significantly more energy. He argues that momentum in business is built through daily decisions,...
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Why Wasting Time Costs Your Business Big | Ep 251
Talkin Shop with ShopSabre
Why is wasted time the most expensive cost in business? In Episode 251 of Talkin' Shop with ShopSabre, hosts Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters explain why time — not broken machines, material costs, or competition — is the single resource a business can never recover once it's spent. This episode covers the real-world cost of poor follow-through in manufacturing and the trades: unanswered quote requests, ignored emails, missed meetings, and delayed decisions. ShopSabre is an American CNC manufacturer based in Lakeville, Minnesota that builds CNC routers, plasma tables, and fiber...
info_outlineIn this episode of Talkin' Shop with ShopSabre, hosts Brandon Bombardo and Nick Peters sit down with longtime customer Brad Goodman of Goodman Metal Fab in Mississippi. After seven years running ShopSabre plasma and router machines, Brad opens up about why he invested his own hard-earned money in their 2kW single-phase fiber laser and how it completely transformed his shop.
Brad runs a busy aluminum fabrication business serving the racing world (think Street Outlaws and local heroes like Cat Kelly) plus high-volume industrial production parts. He walks through the real differences that matter on the floor: eliminating plasma taper for perfect bolt-ready holes within a few thousandths, slashing post-cleanup time on runs of 200–300 parts, and hitting the tight tolerances his big transformer customers demand. You’ll hear why speed, edge quality, and drop-in-the-box parts add up to serious labor and consumable savings that pay for the machine fast.
Brad also shares honest laser operator advice that new owners need to hear. It’s not plug-and-play, but if you come from plasma you already know half the battle. Learn what focus, duty cycle, air pressure, and nozzle size actually do, why you should run test cuts on your real materials, and how Brad had the machine uncrated, powered up, and cutting the same afternoon it arrived – all because he prepped and studied ahead.
The conversation goes deeper than machines. Brad and the guys talk safety (never skip the enclosure), the unbeatable ShopSabre tech support that’s always a phone call away, and the fab-community mindset of sharing set points instead of hoarding them. You’ll walk away motivated by Brad’s no-nonsense take on quality-first business, hard work, right-sizing equipment for where you are today, and why relationships and reputation beat being the cheapest every single time.
Whether you’re still on plasma, eyeing your first laser, or already running one and want real-world tuning wisdom, this customer story is packed with the kind of practical insight you won’t find in a sales sheet. Brad proves that with the right machine, the right support, and the willingness to dial it in, your shop can level up without the headaches.
For over 20 years, ShopSabre CNC has built American-made routers, plasma tables, and fiber lasers right here in Minnesota with lifetime tech support and a focus on real fabricators who want to grow. Check out the full lineup at shopsabre.com and join the conversation in the comments – we love hearing what you’re building next!
[00:00] - Intro to Talkin' Shop & Welcoming Brad Goodman
[03:35] - Brad's Business: Aluminum Fab, Racing Parts & ShopSabre Journey
[08:17] - Why Upgrade from Plasma to 2kW Fiber Laser?
[09:58] - Plasma Taper vs Laser Precision, Tolerances & Cleanup Savings
[14:06] - Laser Tuning Tips: Focus, Duty Cycle, Air Pressure & Nozzles
[16:15] - Same-Day Setup Story – Machine Running in Hours
[27:53] - Why Safety Enclosures Matter & ShopSabre Support
[32:53] - Community, Sharing Set Points & Long-Term Business Mindset
[47:35] - Future Plans, Rapid Fire Questions & Wrap-Up
#ShopSabre #FiberLaser #PlasmaToLaser #CNCLaser #MetalFabrication #AluminumFabrication #LaserCutting #CNCPlasma #FabShopLife #Manufacturing #LaserUpgrade #MadeInUSA #WeldingTips #SmallBusinessGrowth #CNCTips
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ShopSabre CNC
www.ShopSabre.com
21673 Cedar Ave, Lakeville, MN 55044
800-493-6021