GD&T Training Methods: YouTube Education vs Corporate Programs and $50 CMM Alternatives
Profile can basically be used for everything. After you have profile, you don't really need anything else.
In this week’s newsletter Aaron Moncur has a conversation with Dead Odell, whose YouTube channel has taught thousands of engineers the GD&T concepts their universities never covered.
In this episode:
The origins of GD&T
An outside-the-box inspection solution
YouTube for education beyond what you learned in University
One GD&T concept to simplify all the noise
Bonus Content:
Podcast Spotlight
Dean Odell: GD&T Mastermind & Youtuber
Dean Odell's journey from welder to YouTube educator shows how technical education is expanding beyond traditional institutions. After accidentally enrolling in Mechanical Engineering Technology instead of machining, Odell discovered his talent for making complex GD&T concepts accessible to thousands through his YouTube channel.
The most striking insight: GD&T isn't the intimidating barrier many engineers believe it to be. Originally developed at General Motors in the 1950s to replace verbose drawing notes with standardized symbols, GD&T simply codified practices machine shops already used. Today's misconception that "machine shops don't understand GD&T" reflects poor shop selection rather than systemic limitations - quality shops handling aerospace, medical, or defense work master these concepts routinely.
Odell's teaching methodology challenges conventional corporate training. His whiteboard-only approach forces active note-taking and deeper engagement compared to PowerPoint presentations. This technique, combined with his systematic video progression from basic machine operation to complex inspection procedures, demonstrates how technical education can be both comprehensive and accessible.
Perhaps most importantly for cost-conscious engineering teams, Odell advocates for affordable inspection alternatives. Height gages costing under $200 can perform many measurements that companies assume require expensive CMMs, democratizing quality control for smaller operations.
Engineering teams increasingly rely on practical, immediately applicable knowledge delivered through accessible platforms - and Odell's success demonstrates this approach works for technical subjects.
>If YouTube isn’t your thing, check out this episode and all of our past episodes on Apple, Spotify, and all the rest.
Where the Southwest’s elite engineers gather
Most conferences = sales pitches, no learning. PDX = hands-on learning and solving real world problems
What you WON'T find at PDX:
❌ Vendor sales pitches disguised as "education"
❌ Theoretical presentations you'll forget by Monday
❌ Networking events where everyone exchanges the same business cards
What you WILL find:
✅ DfAM best practices taught by Impac Systems
✅ Mastering GD&T presented by R. Dean Odell
✅ Sick 3D Robot Guidance by Clayton Controls
✅ 30+ other vendor experts ready to help solve your hardest problems
The catch? We’re limited on attendees. And we’re giving you exclusive access to some of the remaining available seats.
Mesa, AZ | October 21-22, 2025 | $295 (while space remains)
P.S. As subscribers of this newsletter, use code “WBH50” for $50 off registration!
P.S.S. Enter to win one of two free expo passes by filling out the survey.
What we can learn from history
Modern CNC: FANUC's Automation Philosophy & Software-Driven Manufacturing
The intelligent machines that emerged from the Computer Integration Era of the 1970s established the foundation for everything that followed, but the next four decades would see this intelligence evolve from isolated decision-making into networked manufacturing ecosystems. FANUC's vertical integration strategy and reliability-focused philosophy, which had challenged American approaches during the initial CNC adoption, would ultimately define the architectural principles governing modern manufacturing control systems.
The Japanese approach that FANUC pioneered - prioritizing consistent performance over maximum capability - proved prescient as manufacturing moved toward continuous operation and lights-out production. While American manufacturers initially dismissed FANUC's "good enough" philosophy…
For more, visit the full article on The Wave.
The Wave Topic of the Week
Sheet Resistance
A member of The Wave engineering forum, is asking about sheet resistance:
“…taking the required Sheet Resistance (Ohm/SQ) and using it to help design the correct amount of conductance into the part (size of mesh) as well as converting it into a regular resistance value (Ohm) that can be placed on the inspection documentation for measuring with a multi-meter.”
Do you have experience with sheet resistance and incorporating it into your designs/inspections? Join in on the conversation on The Wave Engineering Forum!
Closing Thoughts
A $50 Solution to a Half-Million Dollar Problem
Most engineering organizations face a critical measurement gap: they need precise inspection capabilities but lack the budget for coordinate measuring machines that can cost $500,000 or more. Dean Odell's advocacy for height gage-based inspection represents a paradigm shift in how teams approach quality control.
You get them on eBay for 50 bucks... as far as one that's calibrated a couple 100 bucks maybe.
Odell explains that height gages that can perform many of the same measurements engineers assume require expensive CMMs. He emphasizes digging deeper into the actual needs of the part before considering expensive equipment; which, often provide capabilities beyond what is needed.
[When you’re] measuring things on a plate... your best friend is a height gage, but there's not very much information about as far as textbooks or reference materials, you basically have to have somebody show you how stuff works.
Engineering teams have the opportunity to develop internal expertise and a unique, puzzle-solving approach to develop creative solutions with the overhead of formal CMM programming
Everything is its own puzzle... there's no standardized way to measure the position of a hole. Some parts are easier than others, but you kind of got to come up with it on the fly.
The key lies in training team members to think systematically about measurement setups rather than relying on automated solutions. Understanding multiple measurement methods builds more robust quality systems and reduces dependence on single-point failures in measurement capabilities.