One of the best parts about the holiday season is seeing all the wonderful ornaments and gifts that our community creates using their Tormach equipment. During a Tormach YouTube live streaming event, a member of the Tormach team created a snowman ornament out of aluminum and stainless steel using our capable 770MX CNC mill and the 15L lathe. The snowman shape was designed using Fusion 360.
Creating the snowman body on the 15L lathe
To start the project, hex stock was loaded into the 15L lathe for crafting the snowman's body. The 15L lathe efficiently faced off the end of the stock and utilized a profiling tool to carve out the distinctive top hat. Following that, the round middle and bottom sections were shaped using the same profiling tool. To enhance the ornament, decorative facets were incorporated into the bottom by employing hex stock. The completion involved using a part-off tool for removing the part from the stock.
Adding the snowman arms with the 770MX CNC Mill
After shaping the snowman’s form on the 15l lathe, the next step involved transferring the part to the Tormach 770MX mill to add the arms. To address the challenge of working on a curved surface, an end mill was employed to spot the precise locations for the arms. Subsequently, the part underwent a drilling and tapping process halfway through from both sides, showcasing the capabilities of the 4th axis on the 770MX.
The machinist employed a manual pass on the mill to eliminate the remaining nubs from the lathe's part-off feature, utilizing the same setup as when adding the arms. This highlighted the seamless integration of manual finishing work alongside CNC operations on these machines.
This fun project highlights the 770MX and 15L as capable, affordable, and easy-to-use solutions for small-scale CNC production. If you’re interested in the 770MX or 15L lathe, schedule a pre-sales consultation with a member of our team, and they will be happy to answer any questions you have. Happy Holidays!
Would you like a chance to win a $250 Tormach store credit? Then be sure to enter our Holiday Gift Contest on the Tormach Forums. Click the image below to visit the forums and view contest details.
We can't wait to see your holiday creations using your Tormach machines.
