Gulp! I just signed the paperwork on a new Tormach 770!

Well, I've been wanting one for numerous years and finally have enough parts to make to need an ATC, so I've now got a nice new PCNC 770 on the way to my house. I'm nervous, yet excited. My old mill worked great, but I needed something faster with a lot less manual input, so now I'm getting it.

My wife thinks I'm nutz. Heck, I KNOW I'm nutz. :D

I'm going to be using it for manufacturing a modern version of an antique wood lathe called a Rose Engine. I've been doing most of it with a Syil X3 for all these years, now it's time for a machine with some grunt!

I've got my own pallet jack now just for moving the machine around, and I've got an engine hoist in the garage for putting it on it's stand. I just hope everything goes smooth when my new tenant arrives.

Wish me luck guys!

Wade in MN

Congrats man !

Manufacturing a Rose Engine! Wow, impressive. I've been reading up on them over at Bob's blog.
Rose Engines: The Preferred Machine for Guilloche « CNCCookbook CNC Blog CNCCookbook CNC Blog

Keep us updated!

Congrats... and GOOD LUCK!

David

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Originally Posted by tbaker2500

Manufacturing a Rose Engine! Wow, impressive. I've been reading up on them over at Bob's blog.
Rose Engines: The Preferred Machine for Guilloche « CNCCookbook CNC Blog CNCCookbook CNC Blog

Keep us updated!

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I've actually been making Rose Engines for 3 years now, but I needed a better mill that what I've been using and I was desperate for an ATC. My website is Mandala Rose Works LLC - Home if you are interested. I've got some other accessories and versions that will be out once I have my new Tormach.

My Rose Engine is more dedicated to woodworking that metalworking, but I do have one customer that uses it for Guilloche work. I also make my own cutting frames and other accessories.

I have a lot of fun with it, now I hope to have even more now that I can make more stuff!

Wade

Slick! That's pretty cool stuff. Thanks for sharing!

Well, I have received my tool changer and other accessories yesterday. I'm just waiting on the mill and stand now. They will arrive tomorrow from the shipping company. I wonder if I'll be able to sleep tonight? My boss was nice and gave me a half day off tomorrow so I can setup and play with the machine.

I'm so darn excited it's ridiculous!

I feel like a kid waiting for Mom and Dad to get up on Christmas morning, well, at least my wife isn't saying I can't open it before Christmas!!

LOL

Wade

Awesome. The older we get, the bigger the toys!

Hi Wade

Know what you mean about excited
but for me it was a mixture of excitement and being dead scared - am I upto it or will it be $$$ wasted????.

Got the Mill on the stand and that was a bit scarery
Done a few parts - took me ages with cutting air and getting used to it.

Have not been able to do much in the past few months - have had family problems but looking to get motoring soon :}

I mentioned in another thread the learning curves that I think I face - just realised there is another one - getting used to setting up - tool offsets, jog shuttle direction (I am still getting the + and - wrong and hitting the stops)

But I am sure it will be come natural and intuative the more I use the beast

Have fun unpacking it and cutting yr first part

Peter

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Originally Posted by peterfcooper

Hi Wade

Know what you mean about excited
but for me it was a mixture of excitement and being dead scared - am I upto it or will it be $$$ wasted????.

Got the Mill on the stand and that was a bit scarery
Done a few parts - took me ages with cutting air and getting used to it.

Have not been able to do much in the past few months - have had family problems but looking to get motoring soon :}

I mentioned in another thread the learning curves that I think I face - just realised there is another one - getting used to setting up - tool offsets, jog shuttle direction (I am still getting the + and - wrong and hitting the stops)

But I am sure it will be come natural and intuative the more I use the beast

Have fun unpacking it and cutting yr first part

Peter

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I had all the same concerns, its been 11 months for me, there is a learning curve thats for sure! I still cant get used to the table moving the wrong direction etc, but thats a minor problem here.
The biggest learning curve was the software involved mainly cad for me, and the fixturing.
I cut a lot of wood to start with as its much easier on tools ha!

There is a lot of satisfaction in watching it making parts and they are all identical and I can work on something else while it does it!

Have fun!

THE DIFFERENCE IN MEN AND BOYS IS THE PRICE OF THEIR TOYS!!!

I know it won't be money wasted, as I make enough on my side business to make the mill payments. I just needed an ATC and something a lot more accurate than my Syil. From everything I've read, the tormach is it.

I was told from the shipping company that it would be delivered between 10am-2pm. Wanna take any bets as to whether it will arrive? I'm betting closer to 2pm. Argh!

I had a ton of tool holders for my old mill. I sold them to the guy who bought my old machine as I needed to but ATC compatible ones. I had tool offsets in Mach3 for all my tooling. It was pretty easy to setup. I never used a tormach offset measuring device tho. I just have one tool in a holder than never get's removed. That is my T0. Then I use a touch sensor, and set the tool at zero. After that, I put the next tool in, jog it till it touches the touch sensor, and enter the z value into the mach3 tool offset screen. It works every time for me and all the tooling is repeatable.

It's going to be a long day of setup, I'm sure!

Wade

Quote:

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Originally Posted by peterfcooper

Hi Wade

Know what you mean about excited
but for me it was a mixture of excitement and being dead scared - am I upto it or will it be $$$ wasted????.

Got the Mill on the stand and that was a bit scarery
Done a few parts - took me ages with cutting air and getting used to it.

Have not been able to do much in the past few months - have had family problems but looking to get motoring soon :}

I mentioned in another thread the learning curves that I think I face - just realised there is another one - getting used to setting up - tool offsets, jog shuttle direction (I am still getting the + and - wrong and hitting the stops)

But I am sure it will be come natural and intuative the more I use the beast

Have fun unpacking it and cutting yr first part

Peter

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Absolutely now money wasted. I have had my machine since July 2011, and I have not regretted it for a single minute.

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Originally Posted by Steve Seebold

Absolutely now money wasted. I have had my machine since July 2011, and I have not regretted it for a single minute.

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Same here...I'm just over a year with my 770, and no regrets. I had to buy with a Credit Card, but the machine has made every monthly payment, and should be paid off soon. Then it's all gravy.

Well, all I can say is that if anyone want's kick butt financing on their Tormach, they should check out US Bank. They have the most amazing leasing program I've ever seen, and they are easy to work with too.

I just got my machine fully functional yesterday. The ATC changes tools wonderfully, so I'm totally thrilled!

Now to learn it, finish enclosing it, get the rest of my machines back into the shop, and start making chips.

Dang, still a lot to do!

Wade

What made you choose the 770 over the 1100?

Combination of things really.

First of all, my shop has a cnc lathe, a manual metal lathe, the tormach, a large wood lathe, a bandsaw, and a workbench in it, and it's only 10.5' x 11.5'. That's a lot of stuff in a little space. The 1100 would not have fit. Believe me, the day after I ordered it, I was questioning if I shouldn't be ordering the 1100 instead, but after looking at the dimensions, there was no way it was going to fit into my shop. The 770 has all the workspace I need in it for the stuff I'm doing.

Additionally, the 1100 is 220v and I only have 50 amps total going to the shop with 2 other devices (heater and wood lathe) on 220v. I didn't have anymore circuits available for a 220v mill.

The other thing that played into it was that I wanted the 10,000 rpm spindle as I do mostly aluminum.

I figure if I ever need a larger workspace, I'll get the 1100 and have 2 of em going. :)

By that time, I should have a larger shop too.

Wade

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wwendorf

Well, all I can say is that if anyone want's kick butt financing on their Tormach, they should check out US Bank. They have the most amazing leasing program I've ever seen, and they are easy to work with too.

Wade

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I see Tormach has a list of companies offering financing Lease, Finance, and Resale | Tormach LLC providers of personal small CNC machines, CNC tooling, and many more CNC items. did you contact any of those and if so why was US Bank better, and which lease program should I ask US Bank about?

Thanks for any info.

I do my banking with US Bank, and have talked to them before about leasing. They have some of the best terms, have reasonable interest, and don't hide anything from you. They can even give you an early payoff option. I have checked out other lease companies before, and a lot of them have terms that are all for them and none for you. US Bank is one of the largest equipment leasers in the US. They have a simple app and don't want your first born. They also don't need a huge percent down, if any, depending on your credit.

If you want to contact someone, you can contact Shawn Whitney at US Bank.

Here is his contact information (with his permission):

Shawn Whitney
Small Business Specialist
US Bank N.A.
129 W. Main St.
Anoka MN 55303
P.763-422-4410
[email protected]

Good luck,
Wade

Hi Wade in Minnesota. I am west of St Cloud MN. I got my 1100 series 3 in March 2012, Then the ATC, Tilting 4th. Probe, Microscope camera, dig rpm, big screen, mounted roto zip. engraver, 1000+ psi coolant, all enclosed, and a neat overhead trolley/elec hoist to load the vice and 4th. ect ect ect ect. If you want to stop in feel free to give me a shout.