Hello,

I have read this forum for years and just recently joined. This last year we got a Tormach PCNC1100 Series 3 and i have enjoyed every chip i have made. I've gotten comfortable with Mastercam and getting the machine to do what i want but now we are getting into some work that would routinely call for +/-0.002" and i have noticed some problems.

We haven't had much difficulty hitting +/-0.002" on smaller parts held in the vice, but i am worried about making larger fixtures for larger parts with the issues i am seeing. The main one seems to be the flatness of the mill table. If i put a depth gauge in the spindle and zero it at the top left corner and then check other points on the table i am seeing some variation. The worst of the variation seems to be from the top right to the bottom right corners, it is going from -.0035 to +.003 when compared to the top left (that's a total variation of 0.0065" over 9" of Y travel!). Is there anything to be done about this? I have leveled the machine with shims under the feet and this seems to be the closest it wants to get to flat.

My second issue is when i measure the edge of the center precision T-slot i am getting a variation of 0.0115", i have always wondered why the vices we use will not align with the keys in them. Is there any adjustment that can be done for this? I am debating running an endmill down one edge of the slot to straighten it, but that will only get the 18" that the mill can travel...still may be better than it is now though.

My best solution i can think of for all of this is to get a Tosa Tool Plate and level it in the Z direction with shims under it, and then align it to the X travel and do all of the fixturing from there?

Other than that the machine seems to be in great adjustment, all backlashes are < 0.0005" and the spindle nose runout is < 0.0002

Thank you for any help