[Bob La Londe]

Any idea on DOC, WOC, FPT?

I have quite a large steel project coming up with my G0704 and am frankly lost where to start. I have TTS and a 2hp 6k spindle. But again, I am clueless in steel! I'm sure I'll have to go conservative compared to a Tormach, but any numbers will help.

A G0704 is certainly a lightweight
, but a 2 horsepower spindle overpowers the Tormach 1100. I honestly don't think you could use two horsepower on that machine effectively. The only benefit I would think there is to that size motor is having a little more torque at lower RPMs. That depends on pulley ratio of course too.

[CL_MotoTech]

A G0704 is certainly a lightweight
, but a 2 horsepower spindle overpowers the Tormach 1100. I honestly don't think you could use two horsepower on that machine effectively. The only benefit I would think there is to that size motor is having a little more torque at lower RPMs. That depends on pulley ratio of course too.

I regularly run at or close to 5 cu. in.^3 in aluminum. I get nice operation with little issue. I'm not sure I am over powering much of anything. I run it 1:1. though I have run overdrive to achieve 8k at spindle.

I'll probably give a three flue a try in steel because that's what I mainly have in the box.

[Bob La Londe]

Aluminum is pretty easy once you have found your way of eliminating chip welding. 5 Cu^3 is about 1.3 HP.

Really your material removal rate in aluminum is limited by machine speed, horsepower, and rigidity. If you have flood coolant its otherwise nearly unlimited.

I wouldn't use a 3 flute in steel because all of my 3 flutes are optimized for cutting aluminum with 40 to 47 degree helix angle and razor sharp cutting edges that just can't take the stress and the heat.

I also found I got much better results cutting dry with coated endmills and air blast in steels. Some report good results flooding steel, but they have machines with a zillion nozzles and pumps with rates measured in gallons per minute. Not gallons per hour. They never experience thermal shock because there is a ton of coolant being blasted at the cutter. None of that is absolute though. I d work on the high speed spindles that just has to have flood coolant even in steel.


But of course this thread is about what can be done with a Tormach 1100 with its 1.5 HP spindle.