Page 16 - EDM Today Winter 2025

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PROBLEM: Instead of me and my fellow writers chasing
for continuing it in fi ne tradition (and to all three of them
and writing stories that will eventually be so heavily edit-
for including me for so long). Much appreciated gents, as
ed or pictures restricted to the point it can’t be used, I am
it’s been a privilege and an honor to educate and share
asking for willing shops who are anxious to contribute.
my experiences. Thanks again.
SOLUTION: We are seeking readers who can make
This concludes a thumbnail description of my gratifying
past history and my present status at EDM Today maga-
recommendations for a “Top Shop,” especially any willing
shop owners and decision-makers seeking free interna-
Kern will relate the trials and tribulations he encountered
tional exposure of your EDM shop’s uniqueness. Whether
behind the pages of EDM Today during its decline, brief
it’s through your processing, your agility, your capacity or
capability, let the EDM world know about it via the only zine within this, our 35th Anniversary, issue. Next, Roger
fall and resurrection. An amazing feat.
EDM-specifi c publication available. If interested, please
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contact Joe Ballek, my Publisher and Managing Editor,
via email for his consideration.
HISTORY FIRST, THEN THE FUTURE
(Like the old newspaper want ads said at the bottom:
Our growing masthead of writers and contributors has
“Serious Inquiries Only”.) Please.
never been as large and wide with such broad EDM,
business and legal acumen, so I see great promise in the
depth, breadth and quality of future EDM Today articles.
Regarding who these writers are, their bios, experience
“HOLY COW!”
and why they were selected, I’d respectfully have Joe the
Five years ago, within my 30th Anniversary article, I
pleasure of describing his growing staff and his future
described how Jack fi rst approached me in an aisle at
WESTEC 1989, where he described his concept of start-
ing a new EDM magazine. I was in full support of it, but I
had no idea he was seriously counting on me to join him plans for EDM Today himself. First, it’s Roger’s turn.
YOUR TURN
in a magazine. Neither of us had any experience.
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ROGER...
Surprised and a bit hesitant, I challenged him honestly,
Hmmm….taking
“C’mon, Jack...what do I know about journalism?”
the handoff
He shrugged and answered curtly, “About as much as I
for this history
do. C’mon, throw in with me and we’ll fail together.”
from my former
Feature Editor
I took his reply in jest and we both laughed and shook
and our indus-
hands in the middle of the aisle at the audacity of the
try’s foremost
thought (the only “audacity of the thought” turned out to
raconteur – no
be my own).
With no interaction with Jack since WESTEC and the sub-
hands-on EDM’er qualifi es me to continue our original
ject of writing for a possible future EDM magazine long
mantra “By EDM’ers, for EDM’ers.” Please visit my website
forgotten, I got a breathless phone call from Jack about pressure there! Hopefully, my fi fty-nine years as a
itp4edm.com and click on the About Roger tab, then the
six months later, excitingly saying, “I’ve got an offi ce, I’ve
Meet Roger button to review my credentials.
EDM Today Magazine EDM Today Magazine EDM Today Magazine
got a staff and I’ve got a printing service, so you’d better
start writing. I need something by December 1st.”
An EDM Today Time Out is Called
I thought, “Holy...”
[Roger’s note: By the way, this Time Out
My thought was interrupted when he added, “Sorry, but
editorial practice was pioneered by our
I’m in a hurry right now. Just write a lot. Send them in so
own Bud Guitrau. They say imitation is
we can maybe stack them and stay ahead of any dead-
the best form of fl attery. Amen.]
lines. We’ll talk about everything later,” and hung up.
This time out will explore the history of
My fi nished thought certainly wasn’t “cow!” as I realized
what he had just said and recalled our laughing,
audacious handshake agreement standing in an aisle
My dad’s shop bought its fi rst EDM in 1965, an Ingersoll
of WESTEC 1989. (“Holy cow, Bud!”) my relationship to EDM Today’s founder, Jack Sebzda, Sr.
200B with a tube type power supply. In 1972, we were
looking to take our EDM capabilities to the next level,
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and I was assigned the task to research the possibilities.
Jack Sebzda was the EDM salesman for Triplex Machin-
BUT “HOLY COW!” WAS RIGHT!
ery Sales which was the Charmilles dealer for our area,
Because we did create an EDM magazine and together
and my dad and I traveled to their New Jersey facility to
we learned about journalism quickly and expanded the
witness a test cut. Now, moving up from an Ingersoll to
magazine through advertisers and eventually grew to
a Charmilles was not a path to be taken lightly, as the
sponsoring Regional EDM conferences with dozens of
Charmilles was more than twice the price! During that
expert speakers and hundreds of attendees. Thirty-six
visit, I was immediately impressed by Jack, as he was
years after our audacious handshake, I’m pleased to
a toolmaker who skillfully expounded on the technical
fi nd myself still contributing to the educational efforts
and un-biased philosophy of EDM Today magazine only
so common at that time. Jack successfully demonstrat-
through the efforts of and credit to my editors and
ed the technique of creating not only the die, but also
support staffs, past and present. benefi ts of the machine rather than the typical sales BS
the perfectly mating punch utilizing the reverse burning
technique which was facilitated by the low wear technol-
Many thanks to Jack Sebzda, Sr. (posthumously) for
EDM Today Magazine
EDM Today Magazine EDM Today Magazine EDM Today, Winter 2025 Issue
ogy just recently introduced. To make a long story short,
starting it, Roger Kern for resurrecting it, and Joe Ballek
(Continued on page 16)
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