[dark-dna]

Hello everyone!
this is my first day to the forum. I am 24 years old, live in LA and I am just about to purchase a TM1 from an engineer at boeing. He will sell me all of his accesories... I will post another message to say what I got for the price = D my question is what do I need to get my TM up and running? I will put it in my garage, don't know much about electricity, will definatelly need a screw compressor (how much is a descent one?), transportation, etc. I allready have a coolant pump kit as well as a spray mist unit that I can use. any ideas that you guys can give me will be of great help. thank you all and I look forward for some answers, thank you.

[Edster]

I had a tm-1. It doesn't use much air, so you don't need a screw compressor. I had mine running on a 40A 240V single phase service. So if you have a small air compressor and 240V single phase in your garage, as long as you can fit it in your garage your good to go. Btw put it in a corner, it's messy

[dark-dna]

I was thinking about getting a screw compressor mainly because of quietness. my neighbors are really friendly but since I'll have it in my garage I want it to be as quiet as possible. how is the maintanance on this machine? does it drain a lot of electricity? oiling it? what type of coolant do you recomend? (hangsterfer's 500?) thanks!

[Geof]

The smallest screw compressor you can get from Chicago Pneumatic will be plenty for the one machine and it is around $3500. Not as cheap as a little piston type by a long way but quiet. I suggest go this route and even get the next size up so you have plenty of air for either airblast when cutting steel dry or for vacuum venturi if you want to go this route with plastics.

[Rocko1]

Get a compressor with a large tank, and a controllable psi setting on when the pump needs to come on. That way you will not have it running all the time and thus very quiet. Just my 2 cents.

[SeymourDumore]

On the note of a screw compressor, I understand that the Chicago Pneumatics are some Chinese made somethings.
For less than $3700, you can get a Kaeser SX6 5HP rotary screw compressor.
Neat little unit, very quiet and reliable.

If I'm wrong about the Chicago, I apologize.

Regarding the coolant, I have Blaser and Hangsterfers in lathes and mills. The Blaser tends to get offensive without coolant maintenance, but it is an excellent product with great lubricating properties. It does not harm your paint, parts or machine surfaces. I have heard some folks getting a rash, but I have not experienced it at all.
Hangsterfers is an OK coolant, BUT!!! I have rust spots on my 1 year old VMC's table and rust spots on ID holders on the 6 month old lathe. The other 2 lathes and 1 VMC with Blaser are spotless.
Drilling a 4" deep 7/8 dia hole in Al creates a wicked crater at the break through and bad welding onto the carbide tips with Hangsterfers. Blaser is clean as a bored hole. My guess is Blaser lubricates better.
Hangsterfers is foaming like a rabid dog. Not so bad on the mill but the lathe has drip spots all over the tank where the foam seeped through. Quite ugly mess. No noticeable foaming with Blaser.
Price is comparable.

My $.02.

[Edster]

I think the Chicago pnuematics compressors are rebadged Atlas Copco compressors. I don't know where Atlas Copco's are made.

I have an Ingersoll rand UP series rotary screw compressor. I bought it through MSC. The sales rep said it was made in USA. The smallest is a 7.5 HP model.

I'm using Hangsterfers s-500. So far it's the best coolant I've tried. I haven't had the chance to try the Blaser yet. When my 55gal drum of s-500 runs out I'm going to try it. Do you notice rubber stuff inside the machine deteriorating with Blaser? s-500 is pretty good but it still attacks the rubber stuff in my Haas lathe, but maybe that's just Haas using the wrong kind of rubber.

[SeymourDumore]

Edster

The SL10 is 6 years, MiniMill is 5 years while the MiniLathe is 3 years on Blaser. All from day one. Absolutely no issues with rubber components or the goopy seals Haas uses around the sheetmetal.
I am using Hangstefers S1001, the longest is the VF4 for 14 months and a Mori for 6, again all from day one with the coolant. Can't say there is noticeable rubber problems, but the carousel on the mill has a soft paint spot now and the paint on lathe just above the spindle is getting rubbery and discolored.

[PBMW]

I used S100 for about a year. Could not whip the foam issues. Went to Hangsterfers Neosol 300. No more foam problems.

[Edster]

Seymore, what ratio are you mixing your coolant?

I just replaced the swollen rubber grommet around the tool probe on my lathe. I thought switching to hangsterfers might fix the problem, but instead of it swelling it's deteriorating now. I usually mix my coolant 10 parts water 1 part coolant. I run a lot of copper and this usually works the best.

[SeymourDumore]

10-1 on both coolants.
In between I usually just add water, and check with the refractometer every couple of weeks or so.