pcnc440's after near 3 yrs - Page 2


Page 2 of 6 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 113

Thread: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

  1. #21

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    Quote Originally Posted by mountaindew View Post
    btw: many new air compressors I see are 155 psi now with a 120 psi cycle low. I replaced my old one with a new 155 psi unit and I have pdb set to just release tool at the max psi setting of 120 psi advised by tormach.
    I've been eyeballing eastwood's baby scroll compressor for a while. I want that thing real bad but it's hard to justify $1500ish when the unit I have now is in perfect working order. Someday I will sell it off for whatever I can get out of it and put that money towards an upgrade but there are a few other things I want more than a new compressor.

    Quote Originally Posted by metalmayhem View Post
    A newbie who thinks that they can just by a tormach and start a business doing contract work will probably find they bought a pipe dream
    I may or may not have been perfectly described by that sentence a little over a year ago. I've since learned just how much I don't know and my perception of reality has changed dramatically as a result. I originally bought the machine to make parts for myself instead of paying others to make them. In the process of buying and setting up, I decided that contract work would be easy and would help offset the cost of the machine. Now I make parts for myself and prototypes for my employer on occasion and I am happy with that. I still hope one day to bring in some contract work and I do casually look for it here and there but last week I did my first real "production" run of parts for my employer. 100 parts in one day and I was SMOKED at the end of it. Better or different workholding would have made a big difference but that wasn't an option so I did what needed to be done. After that, I have no desire to run long jobs on my machine. I enjoy the process of programming, fixturing, and making chips but when I get to the point of standing in front of the machine all day cranking out the same part over and over, I lose interest pretty quick.


    Oh, and as for those other toys. No more two strokes in my garage anymore but the big italian v-twins will still land me in a world of physical and legal hurt if I don't behave myself



  2. #22
    Member mountaindew's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    earth
    Posts
    2151
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    Quote Originally Posted by soofle616 View Post
    I've been eyeballing eastwood's baby scroll compressor for a while. I want that thing real bad but it's hard to justify $1500ish when the unit I have now is in perfect working order. Someday I will sell it off for whatever I can get out of it and put that money towards an upgrade but there are a few other things I want more than a new compressor.
    Nothing that nice. Just a porter cable 2 stage from local ranch supply on sale was less then 400$. Simple noise maker that also produces air.

    I'm still an avid MX fan. They dont use 2strokes much these days. But 450's fly tho



  3. #23
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    on my feet
    Posts
    962
    Downloads
    1
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    Quote Originally Posted by soofle616 View Post
    I've been eyeballing eastwood's baby scroll compressor for a while. I want that thing real bad but it's hard to justify $1500ish when the unit I have now is in perfect working order. Someday I will sell it off for whatever I can get out of it and put that money towards an upgrade but there are a few other things I want more than a new compressor.



    I may or may not have been perfectly described by that sentence a little over a year ago. I've since learned just how much I don't know and my perception of reality has changed dramatically as a result. I originally bought the machine to make parts for myself instead of paying others to make them. In the process of buying and setting up, I decided that contract work would be easy and would help offset the cost of the machine. Now I make parts for myself and prototypes for my employer on occasion and I am happy with that. I still hope one day to bring in some contract work and I do casually look for it here and there but last week I did my first real "production" run of parts for my employer. 100 parts in one day and I was SMOKED at the end of it. Better or different workholding would have made a big difference but that wasn't an option so I did what needed to be done. After that, I have no desire to run long jobs on my machine. I enjoy the process of programming, fixturing, and making chips but when I get to the point of standing in front of the machine all day cranking out the same part over and over, I lose interest pretty quick.


    Oh, and as for those other toys. No more two strokes in my garage anymore but the big italian v-twins will still land me in a world of physical and legal hurt if I don't behave myself
    money can definitely be made if a guy has the right connections . early on i considered offering prototype work for my previous employer to fill in time . I think they would have went for it since I designed and setup many of their products when I worked for them .
    i will agree with you on the long runs , it's brain numbing . At first i was excited doing my own production but then its brain numbing to . designing something new and seeing the finished product is much more fun , but at least i can turn on my tv which is hooked to my pc and watch movies



  4. #24

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    I was super lucky in that when I started out I had designed a product for my day job and was able to machine the first few prototypes at home on my converted mill. When it came time to apply for a patent my boss decided he wanted to own the patent despite it being my design and creation. Fair enough, I designed it for a process for the company on company time, albeit working waaay out of my job description. He however wasn't sure what to do about all the prototypes I machined at home in my shop, he hadn't paid me to do that work and I basically owned them. So I wrote him an astronomical bill and he cut a check. The bill more than paid for my machine in a single swoop. The best part was that I paid for all the tooling and material on my corporate account, so it was almost straight profit. Then I negotiated 25% ownership of the patent, which I figured was more than fair since I wasn't spending anything to file. We eventually found a local guy to cast the part instead of machine it, we upped our profit margin by like 15% as a result, and I receive royalty from the sales of the part. I'm not getting rich, but it works.

    All of that said, I don't think I needed an accidental slam dunk like that to justify (financially) my machine. Hard work and little patience will do it. Like you guys, I don't like production type stuff. I much prefer the challenge of designing and machining a new part or two. Though there is some satisfaction in really dialing in a part after many runs.



  5. #25
    Member popspipes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1777
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    All of that said, I don't think I needed an accidental slam dunk like that to justify (financially) my machine. Hard work and little patience will do it. Like you guys, I don't like production type stuff. I much prefer the challenge of designing and machining a new part or two. Though there is some satisfaction in really dialing in a part after many runs.[/QUOTE]

    exactly! I would much rather design and get the bugs out of a program, then I am more or less done as it turns into repetitive work from there on............

    mike sr


  6. #26
    Member 1minworkbench's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2021
    Posts
    10
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    I just recently ordered a 440, and have been a bit nervous about whether I made the right decision (still waiting on it to be delivered). I was kicking around the idea of getting a 770, but it would eat up just a bit too much real estate in my garage. I also kicked around the idea of converting a PM-30 or something similar, but decided it would also take up too much space. Plus I really want to hit the ground running with making parts.

    Funny enough, just the other day I was thinking about how I could expand (if that time ever comes), and while I love the idea of a larger more professional machine, the idea of using multiple 440s popped into my head. So it's pretty cool to hear that somebody is actually making that work for them.

    Either way, your post really helped me feel like I've made the right choice, and I appreciate you taking the time to write it. Now I just have to find a way to contain my excitement while waiting the next 3-4 weeks for it to arrive!



  7. #27
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    on my feet
    Posts
    962
    Downloads
    1
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    glad the post helps . If you plan to work within their work envelope then they aren't disappointing . Only so much power can be expected out of the small spindle motors , and faster lighter cuts will balance that out . At the same time they can handle a reasonable cut . I'm sure the low belt setting produces plenty of torque but my mills are always running at 10k except for a couple tools

    Expansion depends on the situation , for myself I'll just do more of the same parts which the 440's will cover . As hobby machines they are easy to move around a sort of tuck away if space is an issue . I'll eventually get a couple 770's , but for now I'll be ordering another 440 next week and another in a yr or so .



  8. #28
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    on my feet
    Posts
    962
    Downloads
    1
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    I will say that not everything is rosy with these mills .
    I'd love to have a picture of the guy who designed the way covers . That way I can hang it on my wall as a reminder that I do not want to be that moron when designing .

    I decided to do some maintenance on one of the mills and tighten the gibs . The x was easy enough , the y however was a bloody nightmare merely because they have made the way cover screws so difficult to get at . For one they used phillips instead of cap screws . It is so tight to get at that the screw has to be started at an angle when reinstalling the covers . I eventually got so pissed off that I jammed 10-24 screws , and let them thread their way into place . Even still the difficulty of lining the bolts up to the hole was ridiculous .

    They are great machines , but , a bit of thought into the covers would have gone a long way , and , better limit switch placement would have been wise to



  9. #29
    Member popspipes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1777
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    Quote Originally Posted by metalmayhem View Post
    I will say that not everything is rosy with these mills .
    I'd love to have a picture of the guy who designed the way covers . That way I can hang it on my wall as a reminder that I do not want to be that moron when designing .

    I decided to do some maintenance on one of the mills and tighten the gibs . The x was easy enough , the y however was a bloody nightmare merely because they have made the way cover screws so difficult to get at . For one they used phillips instead of cap screws . It is so tight to get at that the screw has to be started at an angle when reinstalling the covers . I eventually got so pissed off that I jammed 10-24 screws , and let them thread their way into place . Even still the difficulty of lining the bolts up to the hole was ridiculous .

    They are great machines , but , a bit of thought into the covers would have gone a long way , and , better limit switch placement would have been wise to

    After the second time of checking the ways I used magnets on all of them, this was a couple years ago and they are working fine, I can check the Y and Z ways in a few seconds now instead of a few hours.......

    mike sr


  10. #30
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    on my feet
    Posts
    962
    Downloads
    1
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    now thats an interesting idea I may have to try that to .



  11. #31
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    591
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    Yeah, the front half of the Y way cover is coming off on my mill. The covers aren't damaged, they've just ... come loose. And won't easily go back again. I'm considering duct tape.



  12. #32
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    on my feet
    Posts
    962
    Downloads
    1
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    I'm thinking to replace the cover screws with studs and nuts . I figure that once the cover is lined up to the studs it'll be much easier to thread on a couple nuts . I'm going to do some adjusting on one of the other mills this week and then go with that idea



  13. #33
    Member maker of things's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    189
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    Metalmayhem, thanks for the write up. I read this post because I am looking at another machine and the 440 is of interest. Would you point me to more info on the ballscrew swap you did?

    -Jon
    instagram @hermit.shed


  14. #34
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    on my feet
    Posts
    962
    Downloads
    1
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    The x ballscrew is easy to remove , and I just swapped for a longer screw that I had on hand from previous retrofits . they just have the typical cheap chinese ballscrews . There is only so much extra room to play with though , otherwise the table will run too far across the dovetail
    Stock a guy can push the table safely to 10.375" easily , and 10.5 will put the screw end withing the wiper seal on the ballnut



  15. #35
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    on my feet
    Posts
    962
    Downloads
    1
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    btw , forgot to mention that the limit distance has to be changed in the ini file in order for pathpilot to move the x beyond the preset limit . the bumper for the switch also needs to be moved on the mill



  16. #36
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    1516
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    Quote Originally Posted by metalmayhem View Post

    'I don't do any hogging'
    That is prob the key to life.



  17. #37
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    on my feet
    Posts
    962
    Downloads
    1
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    pretty much .
    Lighter faster cuts will accomplish the same result in the same period of time without the worry of a melt down or something silly



  18. #38
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    591
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    Lighter faster cuts, if you mean "shallower layers," wear end mills out much faster, because you're only using the tip, and almost all end mill breakage is at the corners of the tips (which is why radius cutters are helpful.)

    Lighter faster cuts when you take a shallower radial cut with an adaptive/hypercycloidal toolpath, is better, but you can't go that much faster -- chip thinning only gets you so far.



  19. #39
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    on my feet
    Posts
    962
    Downloads
    1
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    Shallow depth high feed rates

    I am well rounded when it comes to high efficiency cutting and tooling when it comes to working in the industry , be it aluminum or the various steels . And I've seen guys come in and be terrified to run steel at the speeds and feeds we ran at one of the shops . Light depths of cut gave us more tool life , more material removal and a higher turn over which we needed because we needed to up demand of the products . Yes we used less amount of edges on the tools but our tool costs went down considerably and the production went up . A guy just needs to know how to hit that sweet spot .
    I've also worked in shops with high hp , big ugly tools on big ugly parts that hogged massive amounts of material

    Both methods have their place

    I've got cutters that have been running for a couple yrs . These 440's are basically nothing hp and it is safer and more efficient to run tools at 90ipm with lighter cuts , especially when it's only me monitoring 4 mills . At the same time my products don't require hogging . Some portions could be optimized a little , but a bit of lost time vs a possible melt down / wasted part / broken tools balances out better in the end .
    My highest cost when it comes to tools are the small cutters which I push fairly well , and it's the nature of the beast with small tools . I'm roughly 10-15% backed off from outright snapping them on a constant . Even then my tool breakage is low unless it is a new prototype



  20. #40
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    on my feet
    Posts
    962
    Downloads
    1
    Uploads
    0

    Default Re: pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

    got notice yesterday from tormach that my next 440 is on the way . I asked for a quote without the pc control but they wouldn't do it even though they are back ordered . The pc's were not back in stock when they were supposed to be so I requested the pc be refunded and the mill shipped without . This person was a bit more reasonable and did it without hesitation . I've got 3 mesa cards and an array of pc's on hand and I really don't need another . My broker hit me up for my credit card which means it is well on it's way and I hope to see it in the next week or so .
    Space is getting a bit tight so I'm thinking I'll have to wait until I move before I get another one or two , which will likely be next year

    I have another grizzly type base on the way and 1200lb leveling casters . The casters work great for my other mills but require bolting tubing to the bottom of the base to extend the casters out , otherwise it is top heavy and could tip . this setup works well and saves a chunk of change vs the tormach base . I've also ordered a couple more monitor and keyboard mounts . These work great , and a chunk of drilled plywood screwed in front of the keyboard tray works well for holding my tools

    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails pcnc440's after near 3 yrs-capture-png  


Page 2 of 6 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


About CNCzone.com

    We are the largest and most active discussion forum for manufacturing industry. The site is 100% free to join and use, so join today!

Follow us on


Our Brands

pcnc440's after near 3 yrs

pcnc440's after near 3 yrs