Happy with your Tormach?

[TT350]

Hi guys I’m new here.
I have a new 9x49 VS ENCO that I was looking to
retro, a friend told me about Tormach. I run 50-75 parts
at a time mostly aluminum and plastic.
Most parts are no larger than a box of kitchen matches
and can be done in a vice.

It looks like I can buy the Tormach with all the options
and spend less money and have a extra machine in the
shop.

Are you guys happy with yours?

Thanks
Chris

[steve127]

I am happy with mine. But to be fair I am NO machinist. So I have nothing to compare it to. I can tell you that I cut lament wood 8 hours a day and have no snags. I would buy another if I needed one. The guys at Tormach have been VERY helpful! Because of my lack of ANY machinist skills it took a lot of patience to get me started, and they were there to help. And they didn't even laugh at me I have had some Machinists look it over and they say for what am doing it is great!
Steve

[hockeypuck]

I am also very happy with my Tormach. I make small aluminum injection molds on mine and it works great. The customer service is excellent.

[MichaelHenry]

I've been very happy with mine as well. Finding the right CAM software at a reasonable price has been a much bigger problem for me and you might want to check into that if you are making multiple parts at a time. Some custom fixtures and CAM software that nests might be useful in that case.

Mike

[TT350]

Ya your write cam soft wear can get pricey.
I was looking at Mecsoft and Sprutcam.
Need some help here too.
I have Autodesk Inventor for designing parts.

[Don Clement]

I am happy with my Tormach. I make all the parts for my focusers see: http://www.clementfocuser.com and the Tormach is doing a great job so far. I use SprutCam to create most of the programs that run on the Tormach. My parts are modeled in a 3D parametric modeling program and imported as IGES file into SprutCam. SprutCam is a bargain when bought with the Tormach and is at least 20% the price of comparable CAM software such as MasterCam. Tormach PCNC is at least 20% the cost of almost any VMC and the TTS is a good inexpensive alternative to more expensive toolholding systems.

Don Clement
Running Springs, California

[MichaelHenry]

Chris,

Like Don I'm also using SprutCAM, but I've been finding it tough going to get productive in SprutCAM. Lots of SC users (including Don) seem happy with it though so it's probably just that my brain doesn't think the same way it does. Then too maybe I have a lousy instructor, being self-taught. Profiling has been a snap, it's the more complex operations that are giving me fits.

Mecsoft is supposed to be releasing Visual Mill 6 next month and I may be taking a serious look at that if a mental breakthrough doesn't happen soon with SprutCAM.

Mike

[TT350]

I know this question may need to go in another
forum but here it is.

I’m just about ready to pull the trigger on a new Tormach and the good deal on the Sprutcam software.

My question is I would like to engrave but may Autodesk
inventor doesn’t do font for that purpose and Sprutcam
is just cam. I have looked until my eyes are bleeding!!! there are sooo many cad/cam software’s to chose from
please help!
Oh by the way I don’t have an extra 5 grand for software.
I would like to be able to engrave on cylinders using my
rotary table.

Thanks guy
Chris

[MichaelHenry]

My question is I would like to engrave but may Autodesk inventor doesn’t do font for that purpose and Sprutcam is just cam.

SprutCAM Expert 4.0 (which Tormach sells) does have some engraving capability but I haven't tried using that yet. There used to be a tutorial for engraving on the UK SprutCAM site so you might check there to see if it is still available.

I'm pretty sure, though, that SC 4 can only use the 4th axis in indexed mode. If so you might have problems engraving all the way around a cylinder.

Try posting the question in the SprutCAM forum here on CNCZone or in the Sprut-run forum.

Mike

[TT350]

Thanks M.H.

[philbur]

I have used my rotary table/Tormach to engrave on cylinders. The Tormach manaul give an example of letter engraving on a cylinder that could be done with free software. How difficult and the cost of software depends on what you want to engrave on the cylinder. Simple letter/number engraving type work is a piece of cake. If the engraving has any "depth" to it then you are into expensive software.

Tell us more about what type of shapes you wish to engrave.

Regards
Phil

Originally Posted by TT350 I would like to be able to engrave on cylinders using my rotary table. Thanks guy Chris

[TT350]

Nothing in particular, just looking at all my options.