Big step up!

[dbb-the-bruce]

Ordered my new Tormach 770M on Monday, just found out it's ready to ship. No idea what to expect for transit WI -> NH time but should be here sometime next week. I'm psyched! My neighbor has a Bobcat skid steer with forks and is going to get the pallet around my house to the basement entrance from my driveway. Another friend is loaning me an engine hoist. Got it figured out where it fits in the shop.

I've spent the last 3-4 years learning CAD/CAM/CNC with Fusion 360 and a Carbide 3D Nomad 3. I think that time was really worth it - working with brass and stainless pretty much at the limit of the machine. It's a great little machine but has a small envelope 8x8x3 and somewhat underpowered high speed spindle for working with metal.

I added the spindle speeder to the Tormach - most of my work is still going to be on the small side with tiny endmils for details. Best part is I'll FINALLY be able to drill and tap with my CNC Mill.

I'll post some pics when it gets here.

 

[RJSakowski]

Ordered my new Tormach 770M on Monday, just found out it's ready to ship. No idea what to expect for transit MN -> NH time but should be here sometime next week. I'm psyched! My neighbor has a Bobcat skid steer with forks and is going to get the pallet around my house to the basement entrance from my driveway. Another friend is loaning me an engine hoist. Got it figured out where it fits in the shop.

I've spent the last 3-4 years learning CAD/CAM/CNC with Fusion 360 and a Carbide 3D Nomad 3. I think that time was really worth it - working with brass and stainless pretty much at the limit of the machine. It's a great little machine but has a small envelope 8x8x3 and somewhat underpowered high speed spindle for working with metal.

I added the spindle speeder to the Tormach - most of my work is still going to be on the small side with tiny endmils for details. Best part is I'll FINALLY be able to drill and tap with my CNC Mill.

I'll post some pics when it gets here.

You had me worried for a moment. One reason that I bought my 770 Series 3 machine was that Tormach was local and I could pick it up. They moved to Madison a few years back which is still a fairly short drive.

I'm curious as to why you added the spindle speeder. One reason that I bought the 770 rather than the 1100 because of the higher spindle speed. I have always found the 10K rpm more than adequate and I use end mills as small as .2mm.

 

[dbb-the-bruce]

Fixed it! too fast on the state abbreviations. I'm so far east, everything west of NY is more or less the same (no not really)

My experience is that you can run small end mills (.0625 and smaller, I have used a .005) at significantly faster feeds when RPM is 15 - 25K. I may be a little biased in this due to the Nomad 3's high speed lower power spindle.

I'm looking forward to having enough power to feed faster. The 770 spindle power is rated at 1.1 kW - (1100 W) The Nomad 3 is 130W. So with the 3:1 spindle speeder the 770 should be almost triple the power of the Nomad at higher speeds.

And a lot more power running without the speeder. The Nomad has been a great machine to learn on but it just doesn't have the nuts.

 

[JackBrush]

If the engine hoist is an A frame type which most are you might need to lift the stand up off the floor half a foot first. I just used a harbor freight 3 ton jack and 2 2x8s cut in 2 feet pieces to get the legs under the stand. Although my mill is a PCNC 1100 so im unsure if the stand is designed different.

NYC CNC had this same issue here

The older 770 had this psycho kit you could buy in which you took the entire mill apart which looked insane to me. you took the head off by attaching it to the mill table. I'm not sure is a thing with the 770M anymore.

the speeder does make sense if you are using very small endmills btw. Or at least that's what they advertise on their site

 

[dbb-the-bruce]

My neighbor came over with his bobcat skidsteer and moved the heavy pallet with the mill into my basement. Was great - double doors to a finished space, tricky and couldn't just drive it in and also across lawn and down a hill to get there. After that used a borrowed 2 ton engine hoist. It was big and beefy.

I broke down the other two pallets of stuff and moved things one or two at a time with a simple hand truck. Took some time but wasn't difficult. The base was the only big part other than the mill and it was completely manageable on a hand truck.

The stand on the 770 (after you remove the chip/coolant drawer) has legs that happened to be just a little taller that the wye legs and castors on the engine hoist. Don't know if Tormach designed it that way on purpose but really helped to put one of the hoist legs in between the base legs.

It was still tricky to get the suspended mill centered over the base with the mount hole lined up and with the base where I wanted it due to the hoist legs, the base legs and other obstacles (a pair of support columns visible right behind the mill). Was able to get close enough that I could use a drift rod/pin to line up one corner and then it would shift in the right direction when lowered. All in all not that hard once I sorted it out.

I could see how it might be even more challenging with a different base. Also used a sawzall to trim the pallet when picking up the mill.

I considered the 1100 (larger than the 770) and looked at the crazy kit to disassemble it just to get it into my shop. Would have also had to be sure it toped out between joists and it -probably- would have fit. All of that plus more money for a bigger mill made me decide that it just didn't make sense.

 

[JackBrush]

Ah yeah, look at that. They essentially trimmed the parts of the stand that'd be in the way

 

[Advil]

Yeah. That's quite a bit different from the 770 S3 stand. Mine has a door in the front for storage, but yours has way better access to under the chip tray and a much higher minimum height between the stand and the feet potentially making it easier to move around. I have to make sure the feet are cranked to a certain height so the pallet jack can fit under. Yours looks like no problem.

I have rarely ever seen a Tormach Speeder in use... post more as you get it set up! It'll be fun to see what's changed over time.

 

[dbb-the-bruce]

They essentially trimmed the parts of the stand that'd be in the way

The CAD model showed the base and coolant/chip draw as all one body and I couldn't find any pictures without it. I was assuming that only the sides were clear. The drawer actually sits on casters on the floor, but you have to mount the casters first. It was a little awkward figuring out how to get the drawer out while the whole base was bolted onto its pallet - scrapped some paint off but not a big deal.

 

[mbaulfinger]

I was wondering what you were making with your Nomad and what you'll be making with the Tormach? I'm guessing the Nomad will be sticking around the shop for various projects. Is this just a hobby for you or a side business? Also I'd like to know what software you use to create your models and toolpaths? Thanks alot and congratulations on the new machine! enjoy it!

 

[JackBrush]

I was wondering what you were making with your Nomad and what you'll be making with the Tormach? I'm guessing the Nomad will be sticking around the shop for various projects. Is this just a hobby for you or a side business? Also I'd like to know what software you use to create your models and toolpaths? Thanks alot and congratulations on the new machine! enjoy it!

He said fusion 360 earlier

...

I've spent the last 3-4 years learning CAD/CAM/CNC with Fusion 360 and a Carbide 3D Nomad 3. I think that time was really worth it - working with brass and stainless pretty much at the limit of the machine. It's a great little machine but has a small envelope 8x8x3 and somewhat underpowered high speed spindle for working with metal.
...