A Tormach 400 Series is my dream for ages now. It's not that expensive (all you need to start with is the basic package, the controller, the chip pan, and perhaps the flood cooling system) and leave all the other nice options for later) but practically impossible to get one in Canada. There is a stinkin' distributor in Canada which would not understand (how convenient for them) that I want this machine for hobby and want to charge me over 3k dollars for an alleged value added service, of modifying the machine to comply to the Canadian Electrical Code and Canadian Safety Board regulations. They wouldn't tell what these changes are (it's Single-Phase, 115 Vac 50/60 Hz, 15A breaker, so WTF?). Was thinking about a rented truck trip to Wisconsin to pick up the machine, but this option would also add a significant number of dollars to the deal. Otherwise, Tormach would simply not ship directly to Canada...
^That's an expensive sticker to make sure it's "safe"! That seems like quite a pain. Not sure what other machines are close in size/capability to the 440. Haven't looked in a while.
Might not hurt to troll practicalmachinist, too, and see if a used system comes up near-ish to you without adding the logistical hurdles of Wisconsin.
Might not hurt to troll practicalmachinist, too, and see if a used system comes up near-ish to you without adding the logistical hurdles of Wisconsin.
Build your own gantry router, that’s what a friend did, has made some impressive parts so far.
Have to keep the dust out of the drivescrews and rails though, low level compressed air helps there.
Have to keep the dust out of the drivescrews and rails though, low level compressed air helps there.
I'm in the middle of doing just that as well. Unfortunately, I have a very small basement, so I am disassembling it and building it vertically for a smaller footprint.
John
Gantry routers suck whatever way you are looking at. But I think this gantry router would be rigid enough for my hobby work.
Haha, fair enough! I only lurk occasionally so I didn't put two and two together.
Well thanks Max! Now everybody here can have access to a good solid physics text. JN only has the 5th edition, this is the 8th, so he can get 'updated' too.
I have two CNC routers. One is designed as a small label engraver with a tiny motor and a 1 m x 1.5 m bed. It places the long rails under the bed by a bit so the dust can't easily get there. The short rails are inside boxes with protective accordion pleats.
The larger one has a 5' x 9' bed with a few horsepower driven spindle, all rails are above the table and open. I have to remove and clean the linear ball bearings often enough I keep clean spares around. On my list of things to do is add accordion pleats, but they look quite pricey.
The small one I bought new and cost about the same as my automobile! The large one I bought used from a frustrated sign maker. I did take a precision level with me to show that the rails weren't even straight. Got it for pennies on the dollar. Took about a week to reassemble it and straighten things out.
As with all my tools I expect to spend more on the material that runs through it than on the machine. Already done with the large one.
Should meet that goal with the small one by my 175th birthday! Although not having to send out for engraved labels and panels it already has saved me the purchase price.
For the DIY approach https://www.walmart.com/ip/DIY-CNC-...MI9MKA0pvY4AIViYbACh0awA4NEAQYASABEgJZ8fD_BwE
And a Dremel tool!
The larger one has a 5' x 9' bed with a few horsepower driven spindle, all rails are above the table and open. I have to remove and clean the linear ball bearings often enough I keep clean spares around. On my list of things to do is add accordion pleats, but they look quite pricey.
The small one I bought new and cost about the same as my automobile! The large one I bought used from a frustrated sign maker. I did take a precision level with me to show that the rails weren't even straight. Got it for pennies on the dollar. Took about a week to reassemble it and straighten things out.
As with all my tools I expect to spend more on the material that runs through it than on the machine. Already done with the large one.
Should meet that goal with the small one by my 175th birthday! Although not having to send out for engraved labels and panels it already has saved me the purchase price.
For the DIY approach https://www.walmart.com/ip/DIY-CNC-...MI9MKA0pvY4AIViYbACh0awA4NEAQYASABEgJZ8fD_BwE
And a Dremel tool!
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Wow, very cool stuff! I can only dream of the stuff that could be made on something like that.
My personal contact with large milling machines was when I was working in automotive design, they had Tarus 5 axis mills to machine the clay.
I had been the one at another shop that fixed the 5X9 table router when they had let the maintenance go and the bearings would need to be replaced and dialed in once again. Everyone was so mystified that it just stopped! Duh!
My personal contact with large milling machines was when I was working in automotive design, they had Tarus 5 axis mills to machine the clay.
I had been the one at another shop that fixed the 5X9 table router when they had let the maintenance go and the bearings would need to be replaced and dialed in once again. Everyone was so mystified that it just stopped! Duh!
Dan, thank you very much.
Went through the superconducting section. Strangely enough, it hasn't changed much. It's a few years behind what we're doing.
Just had a visitor from across the other pond (pacific) give a presentation of his Ph.D. thesis from several years ago. Significantly beyond Kittle's textbook. I mean, significantly. And he was fairly well versed in supers and theory. Very impressive content given that it was only a Ph.D. thesis, I was pleasantly surprised.
Jn
And how would I or anybody else prove a negative?
I come from the future and was born on Jupiter in anno domini 2247, prove me wrong if you can.
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I mentored Feynman as well.
So did my brother.*
*if I had a brother that is.
Dropping names is just so....yesterday.
Given the statement, I assume it's on his website and part of his sales pitch, right?
Guess I'll ask one of my friends if he's ever heard of jack. My friend just celebrated 54 years working here, he's a major player in superconductor research, so he must know jack..
I'd ask the older guy, but he's not in my building..it's too cold and windy to walk that far.
Jn
As expected, the book was published in 2005.
I hope the "simpler explanations" are simple enough for many of us. Soon enough we can dispense with the sneerings and heated arguments once measurements with correct method becomes publicly available.
W/R to superconducting technology, any published book will be behind the top research. Nature of the beast. I will lament it when I jump off this bus. I hope my hobbies keep me engaged.
Alas, no matter what the results or explanations, the sneerings and heated arguments will never end. Many define themselves by argument and contrary stance.
The important thing is, at the end of the day, to be able to share a drink at the bar and laugh about life... Or at least, scoff in it's general direction. It is too short to hold grudges.
Jn
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