The fuck it ain't a necessity. I like to get parts done in this lifetime.
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Workshop/benchtop CNC mills
- Thread starter JNHEscher
- Start date
The fuck it ain't a necessity. I like to get parts done in this lifetime.
Provience
Kill!
are you working in a low volume one off mobile situation?
There is a massive difference between getting paid by the piece and making random shit you happen to need.
All my home stuff is 1 off random shit that costs me money. I still ain't got that much time. Not to mention surface finish and tool life. If I wanted to cut at Bridgeport speed, I would have got in My time machine and gone back to 1930 and got a Bridgeport. But I don't. Shit, even most Bridgeport's have coolant pumps.
JNHEscher
Red Skull Member
Both points are valid. In this situation, I just assume I have a coolant system ready and in place rather than coming up on a part that really needs it and I'm standing there with a mister and getting handfuls of chips thrown at me. Especially if I land a Tormach. 10k spindle speed spits it out.
Provience
Kill!
subybaja
E. Spengler
"I don't know how those guys in 1960 even went to the store with under 1000 ft/lbs in their truck! I mean really, cavemen!"
Ted_Kaczynski
On A Journey
Where are you going to stay in this bus? No RV park I've been to is going to allow the noises and smells from fabrication and machining. Not to mention you'll be on 50a service unless you are running a decent sized generator, then that goes back to the noise issue.
A trailer setup would be badass. If you could fit a little mill in there, even better. But I agree with above, a little lathe would probably be more useful on the road. Even one with a little milling attachment might get you out of a bind here and there.
Doug is putting a tormach 775, and a combo plasma/router in SV Seeker. If he can do it on a boat, surely you can pull it off in a trailer!
JNHEscher
Red Skull Member
Anywhere that works for us. Lots of BML. Lots of bus people have started following me since we started our build and most of them have told me many times that we'll be highly welcomed with my fabrication, machining, mechanic, electrical, plumbing, woodworking knowledge. When I was welding on a friend's bus, he told me about how often people show up and asking about what he fix. No more than 5 minutes later, a couple pulled up in the shiny, huge 5th wheel and and asked me what work I can do for them. Fairly confidant that I'll have jobs on the road.
Our electrical system is going to be plenty powerful. Building it to fully off-grid, but I'll have hookups installed just in case.
JNHEscher
Red Skull Member
The lathe does get used for a ton a repairs. Likely putting a milling attachment on it at some point.
I'll have to check out Doug's build. That sounds so badass. I'd love be on the water. I keep joking with my wife that a tug boat conversion is next.
rockmup
El Hefe
I've owned the Taig w/4th axis- I enjoyed it but its too light for what you want to do.
I have many hours on machines like the skyfire- I enjoyed them but again, too light for what you want.
I have used a Tormach but bigger that what your looking at - I liked it for what it was.
I also have lots of time with full size machines of all brands, this is the only thing I would buy. Even the knockoffs are better than what your looking at.
He hasn't loaded the machines in to the engine room yet, but he's talked quite a bit about what's going in there. I think he has someone building the new plasma/router setup right now specifically for the boat. He just announced that he's launching in August so I suspect he'll be loading it up pretty soon.
Ted_Kaczynski
On A Journey
You should go live on the road for a while. I full time and can tell you you're not going to be welding/grinding/milling/running a big generator on a daily basis in RV parks/resorts. I get stink eye by blue hairs and camp host visits for battery powered impacts, skill saw, and jig saw when I do small wood projects.
You'll have jobs, where and how will be your limitations.
JNHEscher
Red Skull Member
That's the input I was actually looking for in this thread
. The Skyfire's actually look to do pretty well for being another Chinese unknown. Tormach 770 seems like it's borderline heavy duty enough to do what I want and their support is unmatched. Haas mini is out of my price range, otherwise I'd be eyeing that pretty hard.I checked CL last night. There's a loaded Tormach 1100mx and a loaded Bridgeport cnc up in Denver. The BP is $8500 which seems suspiciously cheap. 480 volts, though. I'll have 220. Could use a step-up, I suppose.
JNHEscher
Red Skull Member
Got a link to the build?
JNHEscher
Red Skull Member
This is what I first thought before I had people telling me they need me out there. We do want to stay away from RV parks as much as possible. No interest in running a genny for anything, but we'll have something for backup. There's a few parks that will allow fab work.
kf4zht
Red Skull Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2020
- Member Number
- 561
- Messages
- 1,068
I run mine in my office. Honestly the alcohol wash is far worse than the resin. Both are better than abs on a fdm printer
Resin got a bad rap due to the industrial stuff being nasty, plus a lot of the community are basement dwellers who spend all their time printing d&d anime garbage.
I thought everyone had heard about seeker now. Dude built a 74' steel motor/sail boat from scratch in his back yard....in oklahoma.
Here's the channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj_XaV1ss-qdD-lPUtTEcXw
This a few years old now, but it's a good intro to what took place in the first 7 years.
Good to know. A resin printer is on my list. I print with pretty much only PETG right now and I don't notice any odors at all with it. Only thing I notice is it heats up my office when I do long prints.
JNHEscher
Red Skull Member
I really had no idea. Is he the dude that did the sand blasting with the pressure washer on a boat hull? If so, I saw that vid, but never looked at the whole thing.
kf4zht
Red Skull Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2020
- Member Number
- 561
- Messages
- 1,068
Ignoring the size limits resin kicks the shit out of fdm for detail. I print stuff with direct threads, even down to mid 20 tpi. People pick up fdm and go "oh, this must be 3d printed" they pick up fdm parts and won't belive they are printed.
Added bonus, since it's not heat based I have no problem letting it run while I'm sleeping, out of the house etc. After a few smoking melted piles of fdm it made me nervous
300sniper
Gun Plumber
I’ve had a first gen Tormach 1100 since 2007. I upgraded the steppers/drives and spindle VFD a couple years ago. It’s OK for a garage when you have limited power and space. That said, if power and space isn’t the main concern, I’d absolutely, without a doubt go to a used “real” VMC. I’ll never own a stepper driven machine again, well, maybe a burn table or this CNC welding lathe I’ve been building in my mind.
JNHEscher
Red Skull Member
The 770 and 1100 can come with or be switched to servos now. Even though I'm putting together a hefty electrical system for a bus, I should still be relatively conservative with power usage.
Cost, weight, and power consumption of a VMC kinda takes them out of the running. With time, I should be able to dial in a smaller machine to be plenty accurate. Concentric parts will still go in the lathe where I have manual control. Haven't had any problem getting within half a thou despite what a cheap machine I have.
300sniper
Gun Plumber
I replied before I realized it’s going in a bus.
JNHEscher
Red Skull Member
Mocking up the Tormach 770 with Tormach 5" vise so I can measure distances. The mill models appear as though they have the R8 collet in the spindle. 12.5" minus tool stickout and parallels looks pretty good to me.
As much I would love to grab a Hass mini, 3k+ lbs, 3-phase, and overall size are a complete no go. But, I do not know how big the bare machine itself is without the enclosure or stand. Both of those add a significant amount of weight and size. Any ideas? If I could buy one and strip it down to a reasonable weight, that might take care of two problems. Third would require something silly like downgrading motors to use 220 single at the most. I'd settle for a used unit if this worked out. Likely going to be a new Tormach, otherwise.
Probably a few weeks yet before I know whether or not I'm getting a mill. Research is good, regardless.
As much I would love to grab a Hass mini, 3k+ lbs, 3-phase, and overall size are a complete no go. But, I do not know how big the bare machine itself is without the enclosure or stand. Both of those add a significant amount of weight and size. Any ideas? If I could buy one and strip it down to a reasonable weight, that might take care of two problems. Third would require something silly like downgrading motors to use 220 single at the most. I'd settle for a used unit if this worked out. Likely going to be a new Tormach, otherwise.
Probably a few weeks yet before I know whether or not I'm getting a mill. Research is good, regardless.
JolietJames
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2020
- Member Number
- 3040
- Messages
- 348
I'll be selling my little old Kitamura Mycenter1 in a few months. We're moving and it isn't coming with us.
When I get settled in the new digs (looking at Clarksville TN.), I'll be looking for a VF-3 and a Hardinge chucker.
Older cncs are pretty cheap these days. The cost of a building to house them and a power supply are often the most expensive
investments when setting up the shop. If you have the coin to buy new, then not so much.
I've watched some vids in the past with Tormach and would never buy one.
I personally only see value in one of those for teaching/learning.
When I get settled in the new digs (looking at Clarksville TN.), I'll be looking for a VF-3 and a Hardinge chucker.
Older cncs are pretty cheap these days. The cost of a building to house them and a power supply are often the most expensive
investments when setting up the shop. If you have the coin to buy new, then not so much.
I've watched some vids in the past with Tormach and would never buy one.
I personally only see value in one of those for teaching/learning.
rockmup
El Hefe
This is 95% of the printing community, they are printing life size cosplay stuff to wear. lol
Titans of CNC has some great machining info out there and they have a tormach series.
[video]https://academy.titansofcnc.com/video/machining-the-titan-53m-on-a-tormach-part-1[/video]
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Titan has turned in to a bit of shill....or maybe he always has been. He's pushing for whoever is willing to pay him at this point. In the beginning he was 100% HAAS. Then something happened there and he starting hyping DMG...and the Tormach must have sent him a pile of money.
His educational stuff is a great resource, but I take any product/machine recommendations he has with a grain of salt because chances are he's getting paid to recommend them.
JolietJames
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2020
- Member Number
- 3040
- Messages
- 348
I've watched a couple titan videos to check out different software. I wanted to add MasterCam to my list of used CAMs. As someone who has been doing this for decades, I don't get anything out of his vids other than seeing new hardware and software. He isn't more skilled or knowledgeable than the average job shop cnc prog/setup guy. He's doing a hell of a job marketing the industry though. Good to see someone with a platform like his, getting good exposure.