People that know Tormach know us as a CNC machine tool company. Our 1100 mill has been the flagship machine for our company for more than a decade, but we have recently made our way into the world of fabrication with our AF50 Autofeed Bandsaw.

When operating a machining or fabrication shop, every dollar counts. Most shops have a bandsaw in their equipment lineup to alleviate the cost of getting custom-cut lengths from a metal supplier. While having a bandsaw is useful, it can still be a drag on your checkbook because of the manual labor required.

When you get into machining, the first tool often used is an end mill. It’s simple, it’s fairly straightforward on purpose, and it’s the universal standard tool for machining. But, we all know that that is just the beginning – tool boxes fill up because there are an endless number of options for tooling. One tool that is often misunderstood, or even disregarded, is the slitting saw. While these saws are often relegated to very specific operations, they can be an invaluable addition to your shop.

Years ago, when I was starting out as a DIY machinist, my limiting factor was always the ease and convenience of rough cutting stock.

Don't forget about slitting saws when you have a part that calls for a deep slot. With a slitting saw, slots with a large depth-to-width ratio can be made both faster and straighter than with a long and skinny endmill. There are two slitting saw arbor sizes available in our TTS toolholder lineup: 1" and 1/2". These are keyless arbors, so they will work with both keyed and keyless slitting saws. We also have a selection of HSS slitting saws to fit these arbors.  

Mechanical engineer by day, PCNC 1100 owner Vesa Silegren revs things up a bit on the weekends. Performance racing enthusiast and self-taught machinist, when Silegren isn’t out on the course in his Honda CRX, he’s back home in his Chattanooga, Tennessee based shop SV Technologies, LLC.