Recent content by GaryLa

It was called a "Sky Fire" or something similar. Very much like the Tormach -- Specs, shapes, and colors that made it look impressive and professional. When it got down to cutting, not so good. Also, remember that when you buy any machine, you'll also spend a small fortune in tooling for it...

I have a friend who bought one of those mills. Not impressive. For 15K there are a lot choices in older iron. I've seen FADALs and similar for less than 10K. Have a trained tech go over it when you get it, tune it up, etc. I know someone who did that and paid the tech 3K. He paid 7.5K for the...

I used to teach CNC classes at several Maker Space facilities. One had a Tormach. Perhaps I was spoiled, but I found the Tormach to be a pretty awful machine. From their tooling, to the dovetails, to the casting quality, to the sheet metal base. It wasn't very rigid, impossible to keep...

IMO, the smaller table is much more practical. However, setup room is severely limited on a 4". What I did was buy some 1" thick aluminum tooling plate (MIC6). From that I and made a "tabletop" which was 6"x6" square. I find the square is easier to setup on. I drilled/tapped it in a pattern...

I usually pour a 4 inch minimum to 8 inch thick "footer" of concrete. Using 2x8s as a frame, a little larger than the machine's footprint. I vibrate it and it finds its own natural level. This "buffers" me from the original floor's problems and gives me a stable, level base.