--- title: CNC Machining Blog | Hurco CNC Machine Tools (3) description: Welcome to the Hurco CNC machine tool blog. Subscribe for weekly posts on high-speed and 5-axis machining, workholding, the latest control technologies, plus Hurco tips-and-tricks…just to name a few. (3) --- # CNC Machining Blog - Tips and Tricks for Machinists Welcome to the Hurco CNC machine tool blog. Subscribe for weekly posts on high-speed and 5-axis machining, workholding, the latest control technologies, plus Hurco tips-and-tricks…just to name a few. Browse by All Manufacturing Industry Insights CNC Control & Software Milling WinMax Conversational Programming 5-Axis Machining NC / G-Code Programming CAD/CAM / Post Processor Hurco Turning Lathe Tooling Mill Tooling control technology High Speed Machining Mold Making Tool & Die Prototype Machining Workholding Automation Aerospace & Defense Hurco History cnc lathe turning center cnc machining entrepreneur history of machining 3d dxf Automotive Gerald Roch Hurco50 Indiana business Mr. Roch US Navy USS Indiana Vintage Hurco conversational cnc control conversational programming customer dxf dxf transfer hurco cnc indy inventions inventor manufacturing history 2-axis shearing machine 2d dxf 3D Import AI Artificial Intelligence COVID-19 Circle Segment Cutters Compu-cut Coronavirus Ed Humston Energy Hurco 50th Anniversary Hurco US Navy IRS Make48 Medical NHRA PRI Show Purdue Polytechnic Anderson Youth in Manufacturing autobend cnc mill depreciation federal income tax future history of Hurco how its made indycar racing rigid robust section 179 smart machining tax deduction vmx y-axis ![Is Conversational Programming Dead in Modern Machining?](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/Hurco-WinMax-CNC-Control.web.jpg) [WinMax Conversational Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/winmax-conversational-programming) [NC / G-Code Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/nc-g-code-programming) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Hurco History](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco-history) [CAD/CAM / Post Processor](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cadcam-post-processor) [Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco) [conversational cnc control](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/conversational-cnc-control) [conversational programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/conversational-programming) During my 35+ years in manufacturing, I have worked at several shops and visited hundreds more. In the vast majority of these job shops, there has been at least one CNC machine with some type of conversational programming; in many of these shops, they used conversational programming for most of their work. ![Veterans Day Video](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/veterans_day_block.jpg) [WinMax Conversational Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/winmax-conversational-programming) [NC / G-Code Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/nc-g-code-programming) [control technology](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/control-technology) I'm acting as guest blogger for Mike Cope today because he took a vacation day to honor veterans as he has done each Veterans' Day for the past 20 years. Mike has many interests, but he is passionate about patriotism and serving veterans and active duty military personnel. Therefore, he takes November 11th seriously...it is just one of the days during the year that he gives back to local veterans through honor and service. Professionally, Mike is the go-to guy when it comes to understanding how the Hurco [CNC control](https://www.hurco.com/en-us/products/Pages/WinMax-our-cnc-control.aspx) makes machinists more productive and shops more profitable. He knows the control inside and out, and helps all of us make sure the end user understands the value of the multitude of software features WinMax provides.  ![How to Interrupt Cycle on Hurco Control](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/HOW%20TO%20INTERRUPT%20CYCLE%20ON%20HURCO%20CONTROL.webp) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco) [cnc machining](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-machining) Interrupt Cycle can be used anytime on the [Hurco control](https://www.hurco.com/en-us/products/Pages/WinMax-our-cnc-control.aspx) when the operator wants to suspend the automatic operation of the machine and place the machine into a semi-manual mode. This can be done in both conversational programs and NC programs. ![Vintage Hurcos: CNC Machines Built to Last](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/IMG_2804.jpg) [Milling](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/milling) [Hurco History](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco-history) [Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco) [Vintage Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/vintage-hurco) Hurco CNC machines are built for the long haul thanks to their robust iron that will last a lifetime if maintained properly. We love to highlight customers who are still making money with vintage Hurcos that they purchased back in the 1980s and 90s. [Bryant’s MachineShop ](https://www.bryantscnc.com/)is a great example. ![3D Solid Model Import 3-Axis and 5-Axis: Conversational CNC](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/3dimport-1-1.png) [manufacturing history](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-history) [5-Axis Machining](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/5-axis-machining) [WinMax Conversational Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/winmax-conversational-programming) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Manufacturing Industry Insights](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) [control technology](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/control-technology) [Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco) [Hurco 50th Anniversary](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco-50th-anniversary) Hurco's [3D Import feature](https://info.hurco.com/3d-import-solid-model) provides the ability to import a solid model directly into the[ CNC control](https://www.hurco.com/en-us/products/Pages/WinMax-our-cnc-control.aspx) and conversationally program features from that solid on both 3-axis and 5-axis machining centers. ![Hurco, Submarines, and the U.S. Navy - continued](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/USSIndianaCommissioningBLOG.jpg) [Hurco US Navy](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco-us-navy) [US Navy](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/us-navy) [USS Indiana](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/uss-indiana) [Vintage Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/vintage-hurco) [Hurco50](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco50)   This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend the commissioning of the US Navy’s newest nuclear submarine, the USS INDIANA. In January of 2017 I posted an article about getting to meet the crew of the Indiana; in September she was christened, and now, after the September 29th ceremony, she is a full-blown US Navy vessel! For the ceremony the US Navy activated a 100 year old Captain – who was an original Plank-Owner (original crew member) of the previous USS INDIANA battle ship – to pass the official ship’s telescope to the skipper of the current USS INDIANA. It was awesome to see the support provided to this effort by the entire state of Indiana. As the name-sake for this amazing boat (the Navy calls submarines “boats” and not ships) the state of Indiana stepped up in a big way. All 92 counties provided something for the crew of the Indiana. Individuals and clubs or organizations worked countless hours on gifts and donations. Dining tables complete with an Indiana collegiate sports theme, made from Indiana sourced veneer will adorn the mess hall. A humidor and three poker sets – all hand-crafted from oak wood sourced in Constitution Grove located in Crane, Indiana - will give the officers and crew something to do in their down time. A teak wood bar top – made from a section of the actual deck of the WWII era USS INDIANA BB58 – will be placed in the Chief’s lounge and will offer them many hours of “recreation” to help pass the time. Purdue University also provided a beautiful replica of the Bicentennial torch that was carried all across the state during the Bicentennial celebrations.   In addition to providing machines to the companies who actually built the USS INDIANA, Hurco’s involvement was also a bit more personal. The insignia of the US Submarine service is a warfare pin that includes a submarine flanked by two dolphins (fish not mammal) on either side. These pins are symbolic within the community of submariners, and synonymous with submarines throughout the Navy. As Hurco’s contribution we machined a set of these dolphins for each member of the USS INDIANA crew…and since the state of Indiana is known for limestone, we machined the symbolic dolphins out of Indiana limestone! For anyone who might want to watch the entire ceremony, here is a link to the US NAVY official video...hint, the good stuff starts around 59:50 mark:    Below are some pictures of many of the items donated to the crew of the USS INDIANA:   ![Importing Solid Model STL File as Stock Geometry in WinMax Software](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/Capture-1.jpg) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Manufacturing Industry Insights](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/manufacturing-industry-insights) [CAD/CAM / Post Processor](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cadcam-post-processor) [Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco) The ability to import an STL file for stock geometry is a Hurco WinMax feature I'm excited to discuss. Although many people have this feature on their controls, they either aren't aware of it or don't know how to use it. I thought it was worth a quick blog post and video.  ![Hurco Control: Overlooked Features of WinMax Software](https://blog.hurco.com/hubfs/Work%20Offset.jpg) [WinMax Conversational Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/winmax-conversational-programming) [NC / G-Code Programming](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/nc-g-code-programming) [CNC Control & Software](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/cnc-control-software) [Hurco](https://blog.hurco.com/topic/hurco) The Hurco control is so easy to use and self-teach that often times there are overlooked features that could be extremely useful if operators knew about them. This blog article is to help machinists understand some features of the WinMax® software they may not have been aware of. 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