Machine maintenance can make all the difference in the world inside your shop. Whether you’re talking about HVAC, hand tools, or machine tools, keeping your shop clean and maintained will not only make things last longer, but it will also help you become/stay efficient.

Sometimes, there can be a lot to CNC machining – everything from computer programming to materials science is involved – but paying attention to a few things can make a big difference in the parts that you make. Here are six little things that can make a big difference with your CNC machining.

When you’re dealing with CNC, keeping things square is vital to the entire process. While you can get away with a crooked vise, it will eventually come back to bite you.

This week, as I bore the responsibility of preparing a PCNC 1100 for an upcoming trade show, I made the realization of how much I dislike cleaning. Making chips is fantastic entertainment, but picking up those chips makes me cringe.

Tormach machinist, Jeff Hamre, provides a rundown of the maintenance and upkeep necessary to keep your 4th axis rotary table operating properly. He also goes into detail on the new backlash adjustment procedure introduced in 2015 and a few accessories available.

Tormach machinist, Jeff Hamre, walks through backlash adjustment on a 4th axis with a cut-away model. Backlash can be thrown off during shipment, so it can't be set at the factory, or through normal wear-and-tear, which makes adjustment necessary throughout the life of the machine. Learn more about Tormach's 4th Axis options here.