For Meanwhile in the Garage, the knife project shown in this video was not about producing a finished product or starting a new line of tools. It was used as a way to shift their workflow from hand cutting to a digitally driven cutting process while leaving the rest of their fabrication methods intact. The knife provided a familiar form factor with demanding materials, making it a practical test case for understanding how waterjet cutting would change their day-to-day work.

Before any material was cut, the focus was on how WAZER Pro would physically integrate into their shop. Its form factor meant that they could put it almost anywhere as long as power and water supply could reach. 

“I think this path is the best because it has water supply and also the measure for runoff.”

The Setup was handled directly from the manual, with the team working through installation step by step. They remarked on how easy to follow and clear the instructions were.

“The manual is really cool. There is a step by step. Nothing missing. Everything is here.”

With the machine installed, they moved on to cutting, starting cautiously with an initial file to confirm operation before committing to knife components. The first successful cut made their faces light up as they saw the quality and the possibilities really started to take shape in their mind.

Hand Cutting With Angle Grinders as the Baseline

Prior to bringing WAZER Pro into the shop, cutting metal for projects like this knife was done by hand, primarily using angle grinders. That approach required attention demanding careful controlled cutting, and time spent correcting inconsistencies before parts could be fit or finished. During the video, this contrast becomes clear when they describe how a piece would normally be handled.

In this context, the angle grinder represents the existing baseline: flexible, familiar, and effective, but dependent on operator skill to achieve consistent results. WAZER Pro is not seen as a direct replacement to angle grinding but as another tool that can achieve different results. One benefit of CNC is WAZER Pro is working hard on its own so that the guys can focus on other things. They then come back to the finished cut.

No one tool is perfect

The guys acknowledge WAZER Pro’s clear advantages. WAZER Pro is quieter, less messy, doesn’t work harden material, and can cut through a wider material variety. No one tool can do everything so they’re not planning on getting rid of their angle grinder. But WAZER Pro is quickly becoming their favorite new tool to work with.

The knife components were chosen as a test project deliberately. Cutting hardened steel and titanium were material choices that would contrast hand cutting and waterjetting well. When examining a titanium blank, they were impressed with the clean quality of the cut.

“This is a titanium plate. And look how clear it cuts. You see, we’re just going to grind it a little bit and then we’re going to assemble it and it’s done.”

The waterjet cut replaced manual layout and rough cutting, but not finishing. Grinding and assembly remained part of the workflow, making it easier to evaluate exactly which steps had changed and which had stayed the same. Late in the video, the presenters made it clear that the knife itself was simply a reference point.

By using a single, well-defined project, they were able to judge cut quality, precision, and required post-processing without abstracting beyond the task at hand. Only after working through multiple materials did they reflect on what the change meant in practical terms.

“It works really precisely. It saves you so much time just to cut.”

In the context of this project, WAZER Pro demonstrated its value at a specific stage of fabrication. Cutting steel and titanium parts digitally reduced the time and variability associated with hand cutting, while allowing the rest of Meanwhile in the Garage’s established workflow to remain unchanged. The knife project served as a focused way to understand that shift—one cut at a time. WAZER Pro will be making many more apperances on their channel as they work on their next crazy ideas. Make sure to stay tuned and subscribe to Meanwhile in the Garage and WAZER on YouTube.