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Unread 29-11-2014, 18:44
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Re: One tool/machine to level up a moderate shop

Quote:
Originally Posted by scottandme View Post
I would check out the procunier tapping heads (same as in the linked video) - they're expensive new ($500-700) but are pretty easy to find on ebay for ~$100-200. Make sure it includes the collets, since those run ~$20-30 each.
Already managed to acquire the NC heads from Tapmatic with the accesories. The smaller has an ER collet the larger the rubber and metal blade design like in the video I linked earlier.

Originally all Tapmatic heads used that rubber and metal blade style collet.
As the ER collets worked their way into the Sherline, Taig and MaxNC world so did they work their way into the tapping head world.
So many of the newer Tapmatic designs have ER collets.

I have lots of different SAE and metric collets so this added accessory set of the ER collets, which has more pieces for the range of sizes, was not a huge deal for us.

I did run into the issue, as stated before, that nobody made the proper interlock bar for the Haas spindle we have. Neither Tapmatic nor their competitors. However tracing the mill spindle face on paper and making the part is a good project.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cory View Post
You might be able to talk Haas/your HFO into giving you that option at a discount/free.

The math may still work out better for having the tapping head to use off machine in a drill press, but you don't need any specialty holders/taps for CNC use. Any run of the mill tap held in an ER or TG collet (or whatever your collet of choice is) works fine.
I haven't had any luck with getting that option for free. We also acquired recently an education version of MasterCAM. Had to cough up over $2,000 for those licenses.

I had given the school some of my BodCAD package licenses to hold and use at no cost but the other mentors were more familiar with MasterCAM so we went and got the MasterCAM. I am fine with MasterCAM and HSMWorks on the Haas personally as well. I had a few exposures to HSMWorks via Solidworks at places like NextFAB. I've used MasterCAM professionally. I've used BobCAD for my hobby work. I have quite a few older versions of BobCAD that I acquired from closing businesses at a large discount over the years.

I learned CNC on G/M code direct entry so for simple things I usually just need a terminal. I am so inclined to make my students work on my friend's retrofitted Bridgeport with the punch tape reader

Last edited by techhelpbb : 29-11-2014 at 18:50.