[LeeWay]

I guess there is a difference between auto tool changers and quick tool changers.

I am still considering designing a rotary type changer one of these days for my home made mill. It uses an X2 R8 head right now.
So far though, the most I have to change a tool is once per job. Some jobs just use one tool. Pretty much just use it so far for my production. I want to play with it some once I get a little closer to being caught up.

I have gotten pretty darn fast at doing it by hand with a ratchet on the draw bar.
I have a shelf behind the mill that comes out fairly close to the mill head. I keep the mallet, ratchet, spindle lock and EM's right there.
I can manually jog up, find the hole in the spindle, loosen the drawbar, tap it, remove and reinsert EM, tighten and then shift jog back down close then slow jog to my depth gauge which is a piece of phone book paper, then set to zero.
I can sometimes do this in about 15 seconds. Sometimes a bit longer, but rarely over 30 seconds.
I want to add an electronic height setter as well. That would likely make it even quicker.

There is something to be said though about leaving a machine alone after hitting the initial start button and not having to touch it again until you unload the part. There in lies the allure of an automatic tool changer for me. Just ask Hoss how satisfying his TC was to build.

[Riceburner98]

I was quite shocked to see the latest prices though - I know the dollar's weakened a lot in the last year, but surely not by that much!

No kidding! I swear it was in the $250 range when I bought it..

[digits]

No kidding! I swear it was in the $250 range when I bought it..

I'll have to dig my invoice out later, but when I bought mine, there was so little difference between 3 tool holders and 3 holders plus a changer that I bought two changer + holder sets. Perhaps I'll have to ebay my spare changer now it's worth something

[digits]

I guess there is a difference between auto tool changers and quick tool changers.

I am still considering designing a rotary type changer one of these days for my home made mill. It uses an X2 R8 head right now.
So far though, the most I have to change a tool is once per job. Some jobs just use one tool. Pretty much just use it so far for my production. I want to play with it some once I get a little closer to being caught up.

I have gotten pretty darn fast at doing it by hand with a ratchet on the draw bar.
I have a shelf behind the mill that comes out fairly close to the mill head. I keep the mallet, ratchet, spindle lock and EM's right there.
I can manually jog up, find the hole in the spindle, loosen the drawbar, tap it, remove and reinsert EM, tighten and then shift jog back down close then slow jog to my depth gauge which is a piece of phone book paper, then set to zero.
I can sometimes do this in about 15 seconds. Sometimes a bit longer, but rarely over 30 seconds.
I want to add an electronic height setter as well. That would likely make it even quicker.

There is something to be said though about leaving a machine alone after hitting the initial start button and not having to touch it again until you unload the part. There in lies the allure of an automatic tool changer for me. Just ask Hoss how satisfying his TC was to build.

Most of the simple parts I've made use 4-5 tools - centre drill, 1 drill size for tapped holes, 1 drill for clearance holes, a counterbore for the SHCS heads, and then 1-2 endmills for roughing/finishing. With full flood coolant, I can let it just do its own thing, but I have to sit and wait for it to need a new tool, and I regularly cut myself on a flute changing tools in a hurry! TBH, If I was still changing tools with a collet spanner, I'd have given up this hobby long ago!

I bought the rapid changer with building an ATC in mind, but I hadn't really planned for a horizontal spindle machine! I think it's possible, but it will be interesting as I can't use gravity to put the tools back into the rack and keep them there as the machine moves. The groves on the holders are also a little small for an ATC to grip onto, but I suppose I could learn how to use my lathe properly and make some more with big ATC flanges.

[jams002]

Rapid tool changer how could change an rapid tool easilly






_________________
Rapid Tooling

[bengomez]

What is it? a rapid tool charger? how is that like?

[vlmarshall]

So, does this toolholder still have problems with runout? I've been looking at getting this system for a while now, but I don't hear much about it.
Are the toolholders sold separately from the quick-changer? I only see them as a package deal... and one of each size defeats the purpose of quick tool changes and repeatable tool heights.

I've used a similar, but drawbar-activated, toolholder system on a Bridgeport. It only used one BB groove under the drawbar stem to prevent spinning, and worked quite well. I think it was called SnapChange or similar.

[TravisR100]

I too would like to hear from anyone who has bought one recently. The HTS web site doesn't give any specs on runout, dimensions, etc. which is a little disconcerting considering the price and their restocking fee on returns.

I emailed them to ask a couple of days ago but haven't gotten any response yet.

[shadowvoice]

Well... I decided to get one from them - bad luck, I would better NEVER hear about them at all!

First they insisted me to pay by wire, not a PayPal... and I didn't realise a hook (nuts). OK, it went 35US on top as "bank charges" , transfer went smoothly and... Nothing happens anymore!

I hardly got noticed, that my funds are accepted by their bank on November 02, 2009 but since that - nothing happens! As much as I know - my purchase is not shipped yet.

So I got my lesson:
1. Be aware if that seller;
2. It's mighty nice strategy to get customer from overseas to wire funds, not a PayPal:
- Customer have no chance to recover his money;
- No obligations to deliver or delivery can be postponed until Apocalypse.

[hoss2006]

Have you been in email contact with them?
I know Paypal doesn't do business in all countries, One of my customers from Macedonia
had the same problem. I set up a Google Checkout for him that worked.
It may have shipped once it cleared the bank, it can take 2-3 weeks to get there with customs and all.
Email them and get some answers.
Hoss

[shadowvoice]

Have you been in email contact with them?
I know Paypal doesn't do business in all countries, One of my customers from Macedonia
had the same problem. I set up a Google Checkout for him that worked.
It may have shipped once it cleared the bank, it can take 2-3 weeks to get there with customs and all.
Email them and get some answers.
Hoss

I'm using PayPal for more than 5 years already to do my purchase and sells on Ebay. Yes, I receive min 3 parcels from US monthly with different Ebay purchases. It works perfectly with CC issued by banks in my country. The trick is - with PayPal I'd claim non-delivery a long ago, would happily recover my funds and forget about IMService, but due to fact, that they forsed me to do regular wire - I had no chance to cancel a deal and had to relay on mercy of seller.

Believe or not - I even phoned them. Yes I did, despite of time difference and cost! I phoned them several times in order to get know WHY nobody answers my mails or in case of answer - they come so late (remember - at that time they confirmed that respective funds arrived at their account = so they were secure). Finally I was advised, that they are in short of "some articles" and hopefully my purchase will be shipped "soon"!
After some more begging I finally got tracking #...

OK, anyhow - finally I got my purchase to realise that - instead of using small flat rate USPS box, which goes all around globe for 36US without weight limit, IMService gladly used aprox 4 times bigger box than actually would be necessary. And charged 85US for that....

In short words I find myself screwed up for some money, cose here even 80 bucks are good money (especialy in my country) as dollars don't grow on the trees... ;-)

Quality and run out: I had no time to play with that new toy and do respective measurements, therefore cant comment for now. At glance quality looks to be acceptable. If it makes interest for anybody - I can do respective measurements and share my findings - PLS PM.

[pld0vr]

Anyone have any idea how much torque one of these can handle? Wondering if it would work on my larger machine with a 1/2" end mill, 60" min on 6061 with .5" cut... and if not what is the most it can do?

[rc-monster mike]

No way this setup will work well with a 1/2" endmill at anywhere near .5 DOC. It just isn't that rugged(nor are the Sherline/Taig machines it was designed to work on). I have the newer one and some tool holders, but never used it(had to return the original style, as it had a weak spring and allowed the tool to turn inside the taper). The new spring is stronger and runout is .0005" or less on all the holders I have, but I switched to the Tormach system(and a different mill) before I ever used the new stuff. It is light duty at best. For small mills or small tools, it is quick and convenient - I wouldn't plan on doing any serious material removal with the setup, though.

[GeneK]

I concur, the largest I use in mine is 1/4 inch. Mostly I use 3/32 and 1/8 inch.
Don't think that a larger bit cantilevered out that far from the spindle would survive very long.

GeneK

[pld0vr]

thanks for the input. i also spoke with the manufacturer and he said to forget it.

looks like i need a power draw bar.

too bad... i think a scaled up and more robust version of this would be quite useful for a lot of people.

[rc-monster mike]

I agree - a larger and stronger version would be great. It is a nice concept that could fairly easily be scaled up I would think.