The West Coast's fast-paced, prototype-driven innovation scene is where model makers Jeff Tiedeken and Crystal Allen feel right at home. Drawing on practical experience and a collaborative approach, they support startups and tech companies by machining and welding prototype parts that bring new ideas to life.

Jeff Tiedeken and Crystal Allen have machined parts for just about any industry, from deep space to the deepest parts of the ocean to the deepest unknown parts of our brain. Their mentors include former Autodesk CEO Carl Bass, Tom Lipton of the Ox Tools YouTube channel, and Elon Musk and Robert Reagan of SpaceX. Tiedeken has been on Discovery Channel's “Biker Build-Off,” has welded parts for nuclear reactors, and has even taught people to weld who now oversee nuclear welding operations. Allen learned how to run a CNC for fun, spent years building a giant kite to harvest wind energy, went sailing in the Pacific on a 1934 wooden sailboat, and loves to fly airplanes.

“Cutting Time is all about making something that's never been made before,” says Tiedeken. “We work very early with the teams in the beginning phases of startups. Most of the time, they don't even have investment money yet. Sometimes it's just a sketch on a piece of paper or an idea in a meeting – there aren't even people on the teams yet to do drawings or models. We help bring their idea from concept to reality for all levels.”

The pair must be flexible and resourceful to match the dynamic, fast-moving nature of the startups and tech companies they count as clients. That agility often means wearing different hats.

At Cutting Time, “I get to do a bit of everything around the shop,” says Allen. “Machining on the Matsuura and Haas machines, fabrication, cutting on the Omax Waterjets, welding, and grinding. I quote, design, work with the customers, ship out packages, and make sure we get paid.”

Tiedeken grew up in Minnesota, learned to weld and machine at a young age, and developed a passion for bicycles and motorcycles. The combination of being a young, Mountain Dew-fueled creative wizard who could weld and machine to aerospace standards caught the attention of TV producers. That led to moving to California in 2006 and multiple television appearances on Discovery Channel.

Allen grew up in Alaska with a wide range of interests – some might even say contradictions. She demonstrated talent as a painter and earned a fine arts degree at San Francisco State University – with a dual emphasis in robotics. Her curious mind led to roles at Makani Power, a company that sought to harness affordable wind power by developing novel kite energy technology, which was ultimately acquired by Alphabet (Google).

Around 2014, their worlds overlapped. Tiedeken was a contractor for Makani, where he would trade jokes and half-flirtations with Allen while dropping off parts. But he never quite got around to making a move. By the time he mustered up the courage, she had left – on a yearlong sailing trip in the Pacific! Undeterred, Tiedeken bided his time, and upon her return a year later, he asked her out. The two adventurers clicked, and the rest is history.

Over the years, Tiedeken and Allen have influenced other startup companies to select Matsuura and Haas, helping them not only pick the machines and work with Selway but also assisting them in staffing machinists as a service.

“We are very lucky to have built such a strong relationship with Selway and the Matsuura team,” Tiedeken continues. “They have taken us in like family.”

Toolpath's AI-powered machining platform can determine, in seconds or minutes, whether a shop has the tooling and capabilities to machine a part and the costs and profitability of the job. It can also make tool recommendations, provide contextual design-for-manufacturing feedback based on the tools already owned, analyze part geometry to determine the optimal setup, and choose a sequence of operations to deliver the best results.

“We are in a very special time, from quantum computers to humanoid robotics,” Tiedeken continues. “AI is happening right now. There's a huge demand for our knowledge, which is kind of a unique thing – to be valuable for our brainpower and capacity of our CNCs at the same time. The demand for our skills and knowledge as a manufacturing community is needed more than ever because we are discovering new things faster and more efficiently. It's addictive to be around, and we are really proud to help build the future.”

“IMTS brings so many different styles of skilled professionals all together, from sales to technicians, programmers, the best craftsmen in the world, engineering professions, and so much more. The cross-pollination of people is just so amazing to be around,” says Tiedeken.

In addition to walking the show floor, Tiedeken and Allen focus on the social aspects of IMTS, such as boat cruises on Lake Michigan with karaoke parties thrown by exhibitors like Matsuura, and impromptu bike rides on Chicago's city bikes.

Their advice is to enjoy Chicago, walk around the show, and meet people. Tiedeken feels compelled to go every day of the show “because otherwise my brain would melt just going one day.”