[Paladin]

I could use a little guidance on the Tormach classes from anyone who has taken them.

I have zero CNC experience and am not a machinist.

What I am, is mechanically inclined and have been working with a manual Bridgeport mill for the last year or two.

This experience has taught me I need a CNC

I have years of metal working, forging, welding, etc. experience. And have taken cars apart and put them back together again

I am planning on buying some books, downloading CAD programs to play with and taking classes. Would CNC for Beginners be too basic for someone who has a clue?

I'm a quick study and have been cruising the forum and will dig into some books before hand.

I'm planning on taking the CNC Fundamentals Class and was concerned that it may repeat a lot of the CNC for Beginners and I'd just be wasting my time/money.

Any experiences to share?

Thanks!

[MillingMan]

I don't know man, in my opinion those classes are a waste of money. I guess it depends on how fast you want to get up and running on your CNC. We have a few large old CNC machines at my work and while the 24' Manual Mill i run would have a cut going I would go over and practice on the CNCs when they were not in use. Writing mock programs, cutting scrap pieces and such just to get a grip on things. If your are mechanically inclined and good with computers it should all come naturally to you if you just practice. Theres a ton of how-to videos for CAD/CAM software out there, and anything that isn't complicated enough to need CAD/CAM, is no more difficult to machine than on a manual mill once you know the basic G-Code functions.

[Paladin]

Thanks for the reply. My goal is to get up and running quickly.

When I added the Bridgeport I had never run a mill before and there was a learning curve, and I still know a machinist could probably show me all kinds of tricks/tips that would make things faster.

So, with CNC I wanted to shorten the curve, break less tools, etc.

[rowbare]

You sound like the kind of guy who can learn most of this on his own. You might do just as well by buying a couple of hundred dollars worth of metal (say 75% aluminum 25% steel) and a handful of mid quality 2, 3 and 4 flute end mills ranging from 1/8" to 1/2" and locking yourself in the shop till you have reduced all the metal to chips or have broken all of the end mills.

For a good start in CAD, download Draftsight, a free AutoCad clone, and work through the Getting Started guide. SheetCam is well regarded for 2.5D and CamBam is also pretty good. CamBam has a 30 or 40 session evaluation period and you can learn a lot in that time.

Keep your eye out for anything you can find on fixturing since you will spend a lot time figuring that out once you get going. Tormach sells a couple of books on the subject. They aren't too bad. Any of Edward G. Hoffman's are excellent choices but can be hard to come by and pricey.

bob

bob

[Jim72]

Hi Paladin,

I too am self taught on manual machines and weld etc. I had zero CNC experience or even exposure other than youtube. I took the CNC fundamentals class in July and do not regret doing it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I don't think I would take the beginners class, I think the fundamentals covers anything the beginners class covers and lots more. It is not 3 and 1/2 days of bookwork, you are not going to know everything about cnc, and you are not going to know all the ins and outs of the tormach. The class is good for someone with no experience because it lets you get some theory, some programming, some work with sprutcam, and most important some hands on machine time. And it is on someone else's machine while you are being coached. You get to see some of what the machines are capable of and get to see some approaches to set up and measurement and order of processes etc. The most impressive for me was to see the amazing things that can be done (quickly) with cnc that are very difficult, if not impossible, with a manual machine.

Like I said I would do it again. I think it is valuable and enjoyed it. Eric, Mike, Rory, and the engineers did a great job and we had a good time to boot.

Hope this helps,

Jim

[Paladin]

Thanks for the reply's.

I'm confident that I could learn how to run it, but my goal is to be productive within the first month, I have some specific things I want to make with it.

I'm just trying to make the best use of my time and money.

[David Bord]

Congrats on taking the plunge! You sound very similiar to me as far as what experience you are bringing into CNC and what kind of study you are. I can say its probably the single best purchase of my life(sad I know)... but its allowed me to design and create parts that have been in my head for years. Its been extremely gratifying.

It took me a few years to get pretty proficient at it working on it every other weekend or so. There is LOTS to know on several levels. If you can afford the cost, I would say the Fundamentals class would be money well spent. Ive heard nothing but good things about the classes, and the folks at Tormach are top notch and real pros.

Do I think you could get started out without it? Yes. Just depends on how much pain and frustraition you want to circumvent in the process

One thing I would invest in, is G-Wizard speeds and feeds calculator. I think I probably rubbed 100 endmills to death before I caught a clue because I wasnt taking enough of a chip per tooth. The software is very good for preventing this and keeping you, and your endmills in good shape

David

[Paladin]

Congrats on taking the plunge! You sound very similiar to me as far as what experience you are bringing into CNC and what kind of study you are. I can say its probably the single best purchase of my life(sad I know)... but its allowed me to design and create parts that have been in my head for years. Its been extremely gratifying.

It took me a few years to get pretty proficient at it working on it every other weekend or so. There is LOTS to know on several levels. If you can afford the cost, I would say the Fundamentals class would be money well spent. Ive heard nothing but good things about the classes, and the folks at Tormach are top notch and real pros.

Do I think you could get started out without it? Yes. Just depends on how much pain and frustraition you want to circumvent in the process

One thing I would invest in, is G-Wizard speeds and feeds calculator. I think I probably rubbed 100 endmills to death before I caught a clue because I wasnt taking enough of a chip per tooth. The software is very good for preventing this and keeping you, and your endmills in good shape

David

I do plan on getting G-Wizard, seems to be recommended by many people. I learned by trail and error (mostly error) on the Bridgeport, and am determined to hit the ground running on the Tormach.

The Fundamentals class is not cheap at $975. plus expenses, but if it can make me productive in 1 month instead of 6months of trial and error then it's worth it to me.

[David Bord]

I'd call Tormach. I bet they would be very honest about that.

David

[Paladin]

My impression so far is that they would indeed be upfront about it.

I thought it would be a good idea to out to the community and get feedback from people who had taken them.