John Saunders

Recent Posts

Set Up QC Reminders on your Tormach

Any time you are machining parts that interface with other components (spoiler alert: almost ALL parts!), tolerances can be critically important! Equally as important is checking these tolerances – the more frequently you do so, the less likely you are to scrap – or even worse, send out - bad parts.

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Keeping Track of Expenses as a Manufacturing Entrepreneur

Back when we first started our CNC machining endeavor, it was just me in my garage with a Tormach 1100!

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Tormach ETS Setup & Post Processor

For those of you looking to step up the efficiency and ease-of-use of your Tormach mill or router, adding an ETS is a worthy upgrade to consider. An Electronic Tool Setter (ETS) is a device that sits on your machine table and acts as a ‘switch’, telling the PathPilot control when a tool touches the top of the ETS at which point the control records the Z position of the machine.

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NYC CNC Guide to Fixturing & Workholding

In the real world where all parts aren’t perfectly square and designed to fit in a traditional vise, finding a clever way to hold a part can be the most difficult part of the machining process.

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Vacuum Workholding Tips & Tricks

Vacuum workholding is great for securing large, thin parts which otherwise would be difficult to hold down. It also holds the material in a relatively free state and can be a great way to machine flat parts. The DATRON Neo was the first machine we had with a dedicated vacuum table, and now that we’ve had Tormach’s 24R in the shop for a while we’re finally getting used to the workflows of a vacuum table. We’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks for reliably using your vacuum table, so let’s jump right in!

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The Ins and Outs of Threadmilling

Tapping parts by hand can be a pain. It can be slow, tedious, and lead to crooked threads if you are not careful. For many hobbyists, tapping on a CNC machine is not an option, with taps requiring too much spindle power for hobby level machines and/or an encoder to synchronize the spindle rotation to the thread pitch.

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