Newbie- Greener Than Green...Moving TM-1??

[Cuda141]

Hey Ya'll. My names Cuda and I'm a first time poster. First let me say I've been reading your forums on and off for the last few years, up til now, where I've been all over this website daily for the past few weeks. Reason being is because I'm one of the lucky ones laid off from Kennedy Space Center (United Space Alliance) after 20 years as a Technician and Inspector in the Shuttle program. Time for a new career. Well, with all that said, I appear to be throwing myself into the CNC Fire. As I said earlier I've been reading your forums for a long time now and I am very impressed with all the knowledge you guys poor out to each other, that's awesome. At the same time, I'm also very intimidated. I'm not a machinist, this is just something I really want to do, and I do understand this will surely NOT happen over night.

First question..Do I need to be a mathematician, hope not?
Second question...I need to get a TM-1 under my 84" garage door opening.
Is that possible, or do I need to round up a masonary saw?

Many more questions to come.

Thanks Ahead of Time,
Cuda

[ToyMaker94566]

Welcome Cuda,

First, are you planning on making a living from your new acquisition or is this just a hobby? Are you buying new or used? Are you paying cash or financing? If you never make a dime, will you have a problem making payments on this machine? If you are seriously thinking there is a market out there because you bought a machine, I think you are in for a shock. If America wasn’t the poster child for Free-Trade to the world, you would probably do well. Consider though that 468,768 corporations in 2010 who employed between 1000 and 10,000 Americans have already moved their manufacturing overseas with many more leaving daily. This is not a good time to ball and chain yourself to a machine tool, liquidity is the key to survival. I don't mean to cast a dark crowd on your dreams, I too have been there. You have lost your job because America is being plundered and over regulated from the top down. From Wall Street to the President and every government lawmaker in between. America is a hostel place to be a manufacturer now-a-days. We are nothing but a bunch of entitled consumer using borrowed Chinese money to feather our over priced dwelling nest and it's time to pay the piper. If you want my advice, learn Chinese and setup shop in China. Or, open a rigging company to help move all these America manufacturers leave town. Seriously, if you want a job with a future, the Feds are in need of more IRS agents and are not worried about a government shutdown since they are paid on commission from what they can take from you.

Forgive me if I sound cynical, becoming a business owner a decade ago has opened my eye to the truth of this country. I have learned that hard work, talent and integrity count for nothing to anyone accept you. I make a decent living but I can see the writing on the wall and our days are numbered. If you have your heart set of self-employment, do yourself a favor and start with an honest business plan. If if makes sense, go for it. If it does not, don’t kid yourself, this is as good as it’s going to get.

Best wishes with your dreams.

~G

[Cuda141]

Yep, I'm definitely a victim of the "Obama Plan". Fortunately, I am paying for this machine cash, so I won't be strapped to a payment. So I have nothing but time to learn, create, and hopefully sell something. But, I am not walking around with blinders on, in the meantime I'll be working for someone else...AGAIN...that is if I can find a job, not easy these days, even with a degree.

[behindpropeller]

Pretty sure you won't have any trouble getting it under the door.

I would hire a rigger to move it unless you have the correct equipment.

Tim

[Cuda141]

The spec sheet says 102" on or with the pallet. Does the head come down to 84" or do I have to remove parts of it?

[behindpropeller]

Originally Posted by Cuda141 The spec sheet says 102" on or with the pallet. Does the head come down to 84" or do I have to remove parts of it?

I think you can take it off of the pallet and you will also need to bend the snake that goes into the Z axis over to get it in.

[KenFoulks]

This document should help you get your TM through the door.

[Cuda141]

KenFoulks,
You-Du-Man...just what I needed to know. That appears to get me over the first hurdle. Many more to go

Cuda

[Cuda141]

I looked at the Spec sheet Ken Foulks sent me, awesome, that gets me in the garage, good thing, but I was wondering if I can leave the feet off of it, or shorten them somehow to keep it somewhere in the 94" to 99" inch range so I don't have to cut a hole in my ceiling. It's at about 99" and the working height with the feet is 105" ?

[KenFoulks]

If you anchor the machine, you can lower the machine almost to the floor.

[Cuda141]

Yeah, I hope I can lower it to where it will run under a 99" ceiling, don't want to have to cut drywall and trusses.