Why This One Man Shop Thrives on Prototypes, Not Production | Hooper Machine & Design Shop Tour

Jeff’s shop is intentionally built around prototyping and reverse engineering, not production — and the deeper you get into the video, the more that philosophy reveals itself.

Prototyping is one of the most demanding areas of machining, requiring constant design changes, problem-solving, and the ability to work with parts that often don’t exist anymore.

In this machine shop tour, Patrick from the Practical Machinist podcast visits Hooper Machine & Design in Chattanooga, Tennessee to meet owner Jeff Hooper and explore a one-man machine shop built almost entirely around prototyping and reverse engineering.

Jeff shares how his shop handles one-off and low-volume work, why he intentionally avoids production machining, and how tools like 3D scanning, CAD, CAM, and CNC machining work together in real-world prototyping jobs. From antique automotive components to custom fixtures, functional prototypes, and unique creative projects, this tour offers a detailed look at how modern prototype machining actually happens.

Chapters:
00:27 - Jeff's Story
04:03 - The Shop Floor
07:18 Machines
16:19 Scanning & Reverse Engineering
19:00 Creative / Fun Proof

Find Jeff or Hooper Machine & Design here: https://www.hoopermachine.com/
Or   / chip_monkeys  
YouTube: ‪@ChipMonkeys‬

Find Patrick at:   / job_shopper_tn  

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