Any Tormach users about?

Getting the feel for the Tormach 440; an interesting machine! Not the most powerful spindle and it doesn't reverse so it's no good for tapping, but it's a sweet design. Hoping to add ATC when it becomes available, hopefully end of yr. It doesn't use Mach 3, (which I'd finally become used to) but Path Pilot instead. Still a bit of struggle to get that one working right. Fortunately I've got a pal who writes code for a living and he's being my 'brains' while I figure it all out.

Reply to
SteamboatEd Haas
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"Path Pilot" is Tormach's "skin" for LinuxCNC - or maybe Machinekit, which is largely the same. Any particular problems you are having with it?

You might want to join the LinuxCNC user's group at

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Also, check out the web site at

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There's a wiki, forums and a place to download documentation.

I've been using EMC since 1998, and stuck with it from EMC to EMC2 to LinuxCNC.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Reverse? Reverse what?

Reverse the toolpath, as in back out several moves in a wire EDM manuever? There is a very recent version that has this feature. it may be only in Machinekit, and not in the regular LinuxCNC, I don't quite remember. But, this feature has been developed. It only will reverse about 20 G-code blocks, I think.

If reverse toolpath is not what you are thinking about, then please clarify.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Maybe reversing means putting material back on???

Reply to
Bob Wilson

Well, you need a spindle drive that is reversible, and a connection to the control to command that. If the Tormach machine just has two spindle contactors, that is not going to reverse smoothly enough with a tap deep in the workpiece.

I just rigid tapped 100 holes in 2-56 and 6-32 sizes on my Bridgeport with LinuxCNC. I have an encoder rigged into the bull gear in the head (Bridgeport heads do not allow a standard encoder to be easily fitted). And, I have a VFD with forward and reverse commmands rigged to two digital outputs on my digital I/O board. To make sure the reversal is smooth, I have a software filter in line with the speed command, so the VFD ramps down to low speed before the command to reverse it.

I make some production parts that have 4-40 holes in them, and have done thousands of them with rigid tapping, using combo drill-taps, which make it extremely fast and easy.

I don;t know the Tormach machines very well, although I've attended a couple meetings at their shop. So, I don't know how they deal with spindle reversing, etc.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

And, I'm sure a number of their machines have exactly that.

Well, I rolled my own:

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On the 1J Bridgeport, the bull gear doesn't move. On the 2J, the bull gear moves up and down on a spline to engage the back gear, so this gets more complicated.

I use machine taps and combo drill-taps. I do 4-40 and smaller at 1000 RPM. I've done THOUSANDS of 4-40 holes using the same tap. I break a tap once in a while when I forget some step in the setup, otherwise I keep using the same tap until I make a mistake. If the first hole is good, the rest of the job goes fine. I use alum-tap from Wibro, fantastic tapping fluid.

I used a Procunier "CNC" tapping head for a while, it has the reversing gears and clutch that engage for push and pull on the tap holder. It worked quite well, but was a VERY long extension from the spindle, and had to be set just right in the collet so it didn't wobble.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

I have about a 3" section of hex bolt on the end of my drawbar. When the quill is extended, that completely disappears down into the head. On the

1J, there is a bearing for the cone pulley, that moves up and down about a quarter inch to engage/disengage the direct drive clutch. This always runs at input pulley speed, so when in back gear, it is NOT running at spindle speed, but about 6X spindle speed. So, you can't take the encoder off that. The outer spline for the spindle is WAY down in the hole.

I'm having trouble imagining how such a thing could be fitted to a 1J. Two ways - you could have a long tume that somehow attaches to the bull gear/outer spline, passes through the whole cone pulley assembly and allows the drawbar to pass inside it.

Or, attach a tube to the top of the spindle, with a flat so the drawbar clamps it in place. The problem is if the drawbar is loosened, the tube will not be centered. This would slide up and down with the quill, so that's another problem.

My solution works great for the 1J without the mickey-mouse mechanical issues, and doesn't interfere with the drawbar at all.

I thought it was a cool way to solve the problem, so that's why I published it on the web.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

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Sorry, messages passing in the night.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

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