I am in the process of designing an efficient yet inexpensive tool changer for use with X2 series mini mills. My goal is to be able to sell kits at a very reasonable price. Being a student in college I cannot afford to purchase a $1200 Z-Bot tool changer, nor would I want to spend almost 3 times what I paid for my brand new Harbor Freight Mini Mill, on an accessory for it. So what i am wondering, is what people are using already for tool holders. Whether it be Tormach Tooling System (http://www.tormach.com/Product_TTS.html) or High Tech Systems Rapid tool changer (http://www.hightechsystemsllc.com/pt_rapid_changer.html) or something else that I don't know about. Using tool holders that are commercially available will help make the tool changer less expensive. In the end if I am successfully in producing a product that other people are willing to purchase I will be designing others for different mills, like the X3. So what is everybody using?-Adam

You may want to do a little searching around here on this idea. Hoss has one fully prototyped and has the blueprints up for anyone to build one for very low cost. Its on this Benchtop mills page not to far down. His tool holders are similar to Tormach's. You may want to check out his site also he has done some amazing things to his X2FREAK mill. http://www.hossmachine.com

I have seen Hoss's tool changer and like it very much. I have been following his work on his x2 for months. The thing that i am trying to avoid is mounting the tool rack on the bed of the machine. I am going for a turret design that is near the top left of the machine. I am basing my design off of the Haas Mini mill and the Sharp CNC SV-2412 tool changers. -Adam