At Tormach, we find ourselves visiting a lot of different trade shows since we touch people in so many different areas – from education to makers to heavy industry – and last week was no different.
At Tormach, we find ourselves visiting a lot of different trade shows since we touch people in so many different areas – from education to makers to heavy industry – and last week was no different.
Ground V-Blocks are a handy tool for workholding, especially when paired with a machining vise. You can use them to hold round bar, square bar, and they are also great for supporting end work. In our latest episode of Tormach Fab Lab, Mike C. points out some tips and tricks to keep in mind when using V-Blocks. You can purchase the V-blocks used in this video here: Buy V-Blocks for Tormach More Tormach Fab Lab Videos:
In this new Tormach Fab Lab episode, we're showing the basics to setting up a Quick Change tool post on a CNC Lathe. The QC toolpost kit for our 15L Slant-PRO CNC lathe is size CXA, which holds 3/4" tools. There are many different styles QC tool holders that you can purchase for this post, but the three used the most are:
After a bit of time off, we're getting back into the swing of things on the blog. Today's video topic is in response to several recent questions we've fielded recently about a very useful gauge: the Haimer 3D Sensor. For those unfamiliar, Haimer 3D sensors can be used to quickly and accurately find milling work offsets in X, Y and Z. When properly setup, these will exceed the accuracy of most other edge finding techniques available to the small shop machinist. Here are two things to keep in mind:
You can set up a companion spindle with our Horizontal Spindle Arm Mount for milling in the XZ (G18) or YZ (G19) plane. This can be a great technique for doing light milling on the end of a very long workpiece. In this episode of Tormach Fab Lab, Mike C. demonstrates how to get this setup right.
Although not nearly as common as 3- or 4- Jaw chucks, a 2-Jaw Chuck can be quite handy for certain 4th Axis jobs. The jaws on a 2-Jaw chuck are opposite each other (obviously!) and they are driven by a scroll plate, just like the jaws on a 3-Jaw chuck. They are typically used in 2 scenarios:
