[jdholbrook]

Looking to get the PCNC 1100 and in my searching the site I found the

DIY Frame Kit for PCNC 1100

Anyone have this or have seen it?
Comments?

I prefer this type simply due to being less bulky.

[mrquacker]

For that price you can buy all the pieces from 80/20 directly for much less. Check out their clearance section on eBay.

[treyjugson]

For that price you can buy all the pieces from 80/20 directly for much less. Check out their clearance section on eBay.

while that may be true you aren't paying for just 80/20 stock. it's a kit already designed to fit with all the precut 80/20, drip panels and lots of other bits and hardware that you just bolt together following the detailed instructions to build the enclosure and relocate the control panel. you could just duct tape some coroplast together instead and call it quits.

[mrquacker]

You can buy the relocation kit separate from tormach. This kit doesn't come with any panels, you have to buy those anyways.

If you're smart enough to run a tormach, you're smart enough to figure out how to bolt together a bunch of 80/20.

[treyjugson]

You can buy the relocation kit separate from tormach. This kit doesn't come with any panels, you have to buy those anyways.

If you're smart enough to run a tormach, you're smart enough to figure out how to bolt together a bunch of 80/20.

yes but it is included in the price of this kit. you would have to choose what type of panels regardless. the last part is debatable. that's the reason for the kit so someone doesn't have to design the thing themselves, just bolt it together. if you were going to design and offer a kit like this yourself what would you charge? bet it's more than just the cost of 80/20 stock.

[MichaelHenry]

If you're smart enough to run a tormach, you're smart enough to figure out how to bolt together a bunch of 80/20.

Some people would rather spend their time making things that can't be purchased or that they can sell at the same or better profit margin that Tormach is imagined to have on that enclosure - different strokes for different folks.

Mike

[jdholbrook]

That's my thinking.
Too much to do. Better to get something that doesn't take thought, or very little thought.

I'm a little bit of a neat freak.
Anyone know a good paint for the walls? One that resists coolant?

[BAMCNC.COM]

It's simple.

Lets say $1 per minute, or $60hr rate. Can you build the enclosure and save money at $60hr?

The answer is NO, and if you can, then I'll take one!

Next comment... Does the enclosure make you money?.... No.. Do you have an ATC that can make you money?... Well..

Thoughts or something...:

An Enclosure encourages extra coolant pressure, which encourages problems - Rust, paint removal, chips in places they shouldn't be, rust.., spindle bearings failing quickly..
Fix: Quit using coolant and buy proper endmill with proper coatings - I machine Grade 5 Titanium on my Tormach with... AIR.. AIR only!

An Enclosure costs lots-o-money, and makes it so you can't access places as easily, or clean as easily
Fix: Don't get an enclosure, save your money for something useful.

An Enclosure is for Hardcore people who NEED a VMC, or people who do this as a Hobby and.. well that's it

An Enclosure will never make as much money as you put into it - exactly like college... :O

Trolls will have fun with this!

[treyjugson]

your logic is wanting, even with flood out of the picture the purpose of an enclosure is to contain the chips thrown about, yes especially if you are using AIR.. AIR only! unless your wife likes them tracked into the house, not mine. it can also provide some protection from shattering bits. i'm wondering how much steel cutting you do as some people are known to use mills for that too.

[nitewatchman]

I added a Tormach enclosure to my machine to contain Ductile Iron dust. We could not afford the down time to build one - we actually installed the enclosure while the machine was running castings.

What started as a favor to run a couple of parts for a company to "get me out of a bind" has turned into LOTS of parts (and lots of dust, don't cut ductile wet - trust me on this). I don't like the wear and tear on a machine from cutting cast or ductile iron, but these parts made enough clear money (after taxes, FICA, IRS, Business License, Ad Valorum Tax, etc.) last year to buy 1-1/2 more Tormachs with ATC's and Enclosures and junk the current one.

A true VMC would make the parts quicker BUT at the increased cost, I don't know that the "put it in your pocket" money would be any more. This job is a fluke and they come along rarely, and the margins are good. Part of what makes us attractive is our willingness to handle the require Zinc Chromate Plating (outside vendor) and a lazy buyer.

So we are going to ride this horse as long as it runs - Tormach, ATC, Enclosure and all.

Oh and by the way the four years I spent in Mechanical Engineering School did return favorably on the investment.

[LeeWay]

You can build a very good affordable enclosure. Nothing to it really. You don't need aluminum. Treated 2x4's will outlast the mill. You don't need polycarbonate all the way around either. Very reasonable cost for hardware and not much hardware is needed. I will say that my newest machine has a little larger extra pump that is only used for wash down daily. I love that feature. Now chips are dumped every morning as they are dry then. Wash down the pan and mill every night so you start new each day. That is the way it should be done. Makes it a pleasure to work around if you have any maintenance to do as well.

Here is a teaser image. I know. Not a Tormach.

[mountaindew]

It's simple.

An Enclosure will never make as much money as you put into it - exactly like college... :O

Trolls will have fun with this!

Watching your videos ! Did you ever figure out why t-nuts are NOT threaded all the way thru?
Maybe learning and research like they teach in schools does return in ways that are not always apparent
md

[AVRnj]

Here is a teaser image. I know. Not a Tormach.

I like the enclosure, looks great. What machine is that?

[LeeWay]

Thanks. It's a Novakon Pulsar. The enclosure itself is fairly generic though.

[Hirudin]

Watching your videos ! Did you ever figure out why t-nuts are NOT threaded all the way thru?
Maybe learning and research like they teach in schools does return in ways that are not always apparent
md

I've believe they aren't threaded all the way through to protect the bottom of the t-nut channel.

[nitewatchman]

Did you ever figure out why t-nuts are NOT threaded all the way thru?
md

Tee-Nuts are not tapped all the way through to stop the stud from bottoming out in the tee-slot and preventing the tee-nut from sliding, although I have seen times where this is a desireable thing.

I have also been told that if a bolt were to be threaded into a tee-nut and not stopped by the incomplete threads it could continue to screw in until it bottomed in the tee-slot, acting like a jack blowing out the tee-slot above. I have never seen this first-hand but I have seen plenty of broken tee-slots.

nitewatchman

[tmarks11]

An Enclosure will never make as much money as you put into it - exactly like college... :O Trolls will have fun with this!

My college degree (engineering) made me hundreds of thousands over the last 25 years. And it didn't cost me very much... of course, back in the day, state university tuition was only like $2100/year. A bargain! 5 times that today.

Still a good investment... in you pick the right major.

[mountaindew]

I've believe they aren't threaded all the way through to protect the bottom of the t-nut channel.

Tee-Nuts are not tapped all the way through to stop the stud from bottoming out in the tee-slot and preventing the tee-nut from sliding, although I have seen times where this is a desireable thing.

I have also been told that if a bolt were to be threaded into a tee-nut and not stopped by the incomplete threads it could continue to screw in until it bottomed in the tee-slot, acting like a jack blowing out the tee-slot above. I have never seen this first-hand but I have seen plenty of broken tee-slots.

nitewatchman

Imho very basic knowledge to understand that they are for clamping and if the stud goes thru it will jack or pry in the slots and cause damage!
One of the reasons I stopped watching his videos. If his experience and education does not understand this basic concept then there is little to learn from watching the videos and move on to other media that a person can learn good practice and skills not questionable use of tools.
just my opinion
md

[LeeWay]

It's a good thing then that most enclosure designs do not use T-Nuts.

[mountaindew]

It's simple.

Lets say $1 per minute, or $60hr rate. Can you build the enclosure and save money at $60hr?

The answer is NO, and if you can, then I'll take one!

Next comment... Does the enclosure make you money?.... No.. Do you have an ATC that can make you money?... Well..

Thoughts or something...:

An Enclosure encourages extra coolant pressure, which encourages problems - Rust, paint removal, chips in places they shouldn't be, rust.., spindle bearings failing quickly..
Fix: Quit using coolant and buy proper endmill with proper coatings - I machine Grade 5 Titanium on my Tormach with... AIR.. AIR only!

An Enclosure costs lots-o-money, and makes it so you can't access places as easily, or clean as easily
Fix: Don't get an enclosure, save your money for something useful.

An Enclosure is for Hardcore people who NEED a VMC, or people who do this as a Hobby and.. well that's it

An Enclosure will never make as much money as you put into it - exactly like college... :O

Trolls will have fun with this!

It's a good thing then that most enclosure designs do not use T-Nuts.

Leeway!
Just giving context to this post!
md