[Steve Seebold]

I had been owner of a real CNC machine shop before I bought my machine so I had a pretty good idea of what kind of tooling I wanted to have on hand.

I ordered 4 each 1/4, 5/16, 3/8 and 1/2 inch set screw tool holders and 6 each ER 16 and ER 20 collet holders. I have since added one ER 16 TC tap holder, a 1 inch saw arbor and a couple of boring bar holders.

The ATC came along about 5 months after I got my machine. I don't have one, but I do have the PDB. I hate to say it, but from what I have seen and read, I'm glad I don't have the ATC. My desk is right beside the machine, so for me it's no trouble to stand up and change tools. Besides, I can do it a LOT faster than the ATC does it.

I also have a 46 inch TV next to the machine to keep me company. Sometimes I turn it on just for noise. I HATE QUIET. I have a radio out there too, but the static it gets from the computers and the lights makes it intolerable.

I found some LED lights at Costco that replaced the florescent lights in the garage. I put in 4 of them and they really light the place up. Those along with 5 LED's in the machines enclosure provide all the light I could possibly need.

Now back to the question of what I do to make money on my PCNC 1100.

I make a line of running gear for gasoline powered remote control model boats, and there is a local fiber optics company for whom I do a lot of prototype machining. Right now, I am working on some prototype heat sinks for a company. I have no idea where he got my name but as long as he pays his bill, I couldn't care less.

I will also go knocking on doors when I don't have anything to do. Sometimes that can be real productive. Other times, not so much.

I don't take big production jobs. A Tormach isn't that kind of machine. My business card says "ONE TO TEN PIECES IS OUR SPECIALTY". I will take a 25 piece job, but I will turn down a job that has 26 or more pieces.

My brother has a wire EDM shop and he will take jobs with as many as 80,000 pieces. He's nuts.

I did make an exception about 6 moths after I got my machine. I got a job that was 75 pieces, but I was able to make it in 3 25 piece runs. That job was worth $39,375.00 so I wasn't about to let that one get away. I was able to keep one of those parts as long as I don't put it on a web site if I ever start one.

I no longer work to make a lot of money. I'm 70 years old and now I work for something to do. I have told my wife, my retirement party and my funeral are going to be the same day.

[popspipes]

Toolholders here around 50 with ten more er16's on the way, I hate changing out tools, however if you look at the cost of them maybe I should take a new interest changing out tools??

[Methylethylketo]

Toolholders here around 50 with ten more er16's on the way, I hate changing out tools, however if you look at the cost of them maybe I should take a new interest changing out tools??

If you figure a half hour to pull the old tool, change the tool out, measure the height, update the tool table, and continue cutting, extra toolholders start to make a lot of sense. And once you hit the magic 30ish holder threshold, you can run multiple independent jobs using just the tools you have already in your caddy. At that point, you're golden.

Also, using ER collets to hold drill bits is like the best thing ever. No chuck wobble, stupid high gripping power, and tool holder+collet is way cheaper than a good quality drill chuck. For drills you use all the time, it's amazing.

[Steve Seebold]

Half an hour to change tools is EXACTLY why I don't use the tool table. I can change tools the way I do it in less than 5 minutes.

If you figure a half hour to pull the old tool, change the tool out, measure the height, update the tool table, and continue cutting, extra toolholders start to make a lot of sense. And once you hit the magic 30ish holder threshold, you can run multiple independent jobs using just the tools you have already in your caddy. At that point, you're golden.

Also, using ER collets to hold drill bits is like the best thing ever. No chuck wobble, stupid high gripping power, and tool holder+collet is way cheaper than a good quality drill chuck. For drills you use all the time, it's amazing.

[Steve Seebold]

My wife just told me this evening that she wants to replace our 55 inch Sony TV with a 60 inch Samsung, so I guess I'll put the 55 inch one in the garage and convert the 46 inch Samsung that's there now to a computer monitor.

I had a 37 inch monitor when I had my shop, and let me tell you, it's really nice to be able to see a 24 inch long part full size.

[phoneman]

Steve

Could you please explain to me the method you are using that does not include the use of a tool table.

Thanks

Dave

[popspipes]

I started out not using the tool table, but I had to zero Z for each cutter, thats OK for one part but for several sticks of parts the tool table saves me time.

[CNC-Dude]

OK, I have had an idea which may be CNC worthy. I may not be able to pay for too many tools, but I think this could become a nice product!

On my day job, I design motor drives and power stages. Most of the systems that I design revolve around BLDC motors with sensorless commutation. Acquiring BLDC motors is semi-easy. I can go to most Hobby stores and find a bunch of cool RC BLDC motors with enough speed capability to generate some serious thrust.

So I had two RC vehicle ideas which would be a blast to build. One is the infamous quad-copter (of which there is a trillion of them out there) and the other one is a hovercraft.

There is nothing new here. All of these gadgets come in many shapes and sizes, but I want to make my own hovercraft just for fun.

What I have not been able to find is the propeller that I would use to transform the BLDC motor into something which is called a ducted fan. You would imagine that you could buy this propeller and mount it to your motor, but as it turns out, I can't find the blasted piece anywhere!!! Perfect excuse to get that Tormach cranking!

Making a propeller should be quite doable with the 4th axis. Maybe not the most intricate propeller in the planet, but then again this is more of a toy.

I admit, however, that designing a propeller is not something I would know how to do. By any chance, any of you have had experience with such a contraption? I guess a starting point is all I would need at this moment.

Even if I can't sell it, it would make for a heck of an awesome Youtube video!

[Philbobb]

OK, I have had an idea which may be CNC worthy. I may not be able to pay for too many tools, but I think this could become a nice product!

On my day job, I design motor drives and power stages. Most of the systems that I design revolve around BLDC motors with sensorless commutation. Acquiring BLDC motors is semi-easy. I can go to most Hobby stores and find a bunch of cool RC BLDC motors with enough speed capability to generate some serious thrust.

So I had two RC vehicle ideas which would be a blast to build. One is the infamous quad-copter (of which there is a trillion of them out there) and the other one is a hovercraft.

There is nothing new here. All of these gadgets come in many shapes and sizes, but I want to make my own hovercraft just for fun.

What I have not been able to find is the propeller that I would use to transform the BLDC motor into something which is called a ducted fan. You would imagine that you could buy this propeller and mount it to your motor, but as it turns out, I can't find the blasted piece anywhere!!! Perfect excuse to get that Tormach cranking!

Making a propeller should be quite doable with the 4th axis. Maybe not the most intricate propeller in the planet, but then again this is more of a toy.

I admit, however, that designing a propeller is not something I would know how to do. By any chance, any of you have had experience with such a contraption? I guess a starting point is all I would need at this moment.

Even if I can't sell it, it would make for a heck of an awesome Youtube video!

Sorry to rain on your parade....

68 - 80mm Ducted Fan Units

There are a few more hobby shops online that have them as well.

Now if you wanted something bigger maybe make a mold to mold them. More work, more excuses for more toys too.

[popspipes]

OK, I have had an idea which may be CNC worthy. I may not be able to pay for too many tools, but I think this could become a nice product!

On my day job, I design motor drives and power stages. Most of the systems that I design revolve around BLDC motors with sensorless commutation. Acquiring BLDC motors is semi-easy. I can go to most Hobby stores and find a bunch of cool RC BLDC motors with enough speed capability to generate some serious thrust.

So I had two RC vehicle ideas which would be a blast to build. One is the infamous quad-copter (of which there is a trillion of them out there) and the other one is a hovercraft.

There is nothing new here. All of these gadgets come in many shapes and sizes, but I want to make my own hovercraft just for fun.

What I have not been able to find is the propeller that I would use to transform the BLDC motor into something which is called a ducted fan. You would imagine that you could buy this propeller and mount it to your motor, but as it turns out, I can't find the blasted piece anywhere!!! Perfect excuse to get that Tormach cranking!

Making a propeller should be quite doable with the 4th axis. Maybe not the most intricate propeller in the planet, but then again this is more of a toy.

I admit, however, that designing a propeller is not something I would know how to do. By any chance, any of you have had experience with such a contraption? I guess a starting point is all I would need at this moment.

Even if I can't sell it, it would make for a heck of an awesome Youtube video!

Andy Brown made RC boat propellers for a period of time, then the economy went south, he made them on a larger VMC machining center, I would imagine he scanned them in some fashion. I would call a hobby shop, they should be able to put you onto a ducted fan of some sort.
Andy is big in RC nitro riggers and engines cant think of the name of his website at present, he is in Florida

EDit: CMDI racing is his company.

[kstrauss]

OK, I have had an idea which may be CNC worthy. I may not be able to pay for too many tools, but I think this could become a nice product!

What I have not been able to find is the propeller that I would use to transform the BLDC motor into something which is called a ducted fan. You would imagine that you could buy this propeller and mount it to your motor, but as it turns out, I can't find the blasted piece anywhere!!! Perfect excuse to get that Tormach cranking!

Making a propeller should be quite doable with the 4th axis. Maybe not the most intricate propeller in the planet, but then again this is more of a toy.

I admit, however, that designing a propeller is not something I would know how to do. By any chance, any of you have had experience with such a contraption? I guess a starting point is all I would need at this moment.

Have you looked at "Ducted Fans for Model Jets" by David James? It lists many suppliers of ducted fans (most probably out of business since the book dates from 1989) together with some of the theory. There are probably lots of other books.

Why do you need a 4th axis? you should be able to mill the fan from one side and then flip for the other side.

[mountaindew]

The thread was about making money "I side tracked it" and I spend way more then I make. Spending the time to learn, practice and master some of these skills keeps me occupied and out of trouble. That alone saves a fortune! All this stuff works together and is mostly very straight forward to learn. A reason for so many holders is utility and also non limiting. When I design something I don't want to be held back thinking I don't have that tool defined and setup for use. This mostly applies to drill operations. I like to group them in predefined cam sets and after loading them into model all I have to do is select holes and check or set depths. The operations I know are pre set for spot drill, size drill, tc thread, clearance drill and chamfer or counter sink. If all the tools are in holders and ready for use your programs are easy to run and complex parts are no big deal.
From what I have seen I have a very modest 36 and many tormach users have 50 or more tool holders couple vises, atc........ making what I have look down right marginal.
I just started a year ago and found the machine to be only half the cost and cad, cam, fixtures, holders, cutters and measure tools to add up to as much as the machine.
md

[Runner4404spd]

now I'm really curious what a 525 dollar part looks like that can be ran on a tormach at 25 at a time.

[cadguy247]

"I have told my wife, my retirement party and my funeral are going to be the same day.

I like your thinkig Steve! I am only 40 but i still hope at 70 that i'm still working in some capacity and enjoying myself while doing so

[Bryan Turner]

> now I'm really curious what a 525 dollar part looks like that can be ran on a tormach at 25 at a time.

Google: "Inconel Suppressor" or "Titanium Suppressor"

Here's one (Titanium) for $995:
Magazines and other rifle furniture

[Steve Seebold]

> now I'm really curious what a 525 dollar part looks like that can be ran on a tormach at 25 at a time.

Google: "Inconel Suppressor" or "Titanium Suppressor"

Here's one (Titanium) for $995:
Magazines and other rifle furniture

I run those $525.00 parts one at a time in batches of 25 pieces.

[CNC-Dude]

I run those $525.00 parts one at a time in bstches of 25 pieces.

WOW! Steve, that means you can basically pay for a PCNC1100 in one of these jobs alone!

If I could find a part like that, my garage would have already detonated like a super nova due to all the iron I would have already purchased in the form of tools, heh heh heh

[wtopace]

WOW! Steve, that means you can basically pay for a PCNC1100 in one of these jobs alone!

If I could find a part like that, my garage would have already detonated like a super nova due to all the iron I would have already purchased in the form of tools, heh heh heh

You can... with an 07 FFL / 02 SOT, some ITAR fees, paperwork and some stiff competition =) Monocore baffles are hard to make much on since there are so many well-known competitors out there making K and modified K baffles for pretty darn reasonable prices!

[Steve Seebold]

WOW! Steve, that means you can basically pay for a PCNC1100 in one of these jobs alone!

If I could find a part like that, my garage would have already detonated like a super nova due to all the iron I would have already purchased in the form of tools, heh heh heh

You're right. You could pay for your Tormach with one order of parts like that, but that's not how I got mine.

I was sitting on my a$$ one Sunday afternoon in July 2011 watching something on the TV and feeling sorry for myself when my wife came in and said she's make me a deal. her niece was getting married in about 6 weeks and if I would agree to wear a suit to the wedding, she would pull enough money out of savings for me to get my machine.

Now keep in mind, I hadn't worn long pants in 15 years and I haven't worn long pants since that night. I take that back. I wore long pants when my mother-in-law passed away in 2012. NEVER AGAIN.

I ordered my machine on July 11, 2011 and it was delivered the next day. It took about a week to get it all assembled, set up and the garage wired, and I was making parts before the end of the month.

[05kevin]

I have been following this thread for a while and when my wife went out of town for a few days I decided to machine one of the ice ball molds that was suggested. I don't plan on selling them just thought it looked like a fun project. I still need to do more polishing and a drill an air/water hole in the top mold. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZQhkKWktNQ

Kevin