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Not sure I could be of any help. I only programmed a few products then ran it for a year. Sold it a couple years ago.

@@PriddyShiddy what size of tool holders were you using on that machine?

Excellent point. Closer/better video would have helped too. It's just a block of steel machined into a hex. Hole big enough for the nut on the handle. Drilled and tapped the handle for matching holes on the 'nut'.

@@PriddyShiddy Yes, I get it, but my point is really about the video itself. You make a video about a mod to your mill, but only show the end result and how to use it, whereas people are more interested in the process of getting there. My $0.02. Still think it's a good idea, and you would definitely attract more people if you were to shoot the process instead of just the end result. Cheers.

Luc Morin spot on. Keep meaning to shoot some more when things level off. Lots of toys since the last video years ago

@@PriddyShiddy I'm in the process of making one too, but at the moment, I'm looking for a way to hold the hexagonal part on my rotary table (100mm only) in order to precisely mark/drill the 6 mounting holes. All my clamps are too big!! I'm thinking of getting me a few of those eccentric nuts to clamp the sides. Any insight on how you drilled those holes? Were you very precise? Thanks.

Luc Morin I milled The Hex then put it in the vise picked up the center of the hex and drilled the hole pattern or the clearance holes. I kept the Z where I needed it pulled the handle off held that in the vise with a v block picked up the center and drilled the tap holes. Tons of programs online that will give you the hole pattern location for free. Just make sure you approach it all from the same direction in other words always go x positive and y negative or something so you’re always approaching every hole from the same direction so the backlash doesn’t bite you in the rear end

Hi Matt. I just sold this machine to another shop out here. John has an awesome Instagram at hi_tech_machining and I bet he'd be happy to take a look for you

the stock motor? same site I listed below has them. littlemachineshop.com

of that** the white big thing

+Jason Lo They are 3225 Gear, Spindle Drive and 3230 Gear, Center Shaft both available from littlemachineshop.com/products/product_category.php?category=1716750115&First=F&Last=I

still have to learn the language because it didn't like mastercam output. I have the manual for the a model but it doesn't cover 2nd turret so I'm not sure how to code that. got some more googling to do!

+Brian Carmicheal Good luck!! The internet is awesome for finding info, but you seem to have a pretty rare unit. I'm looking forward to seeing it in action! :)

+bluehandsvideo They are quite handy to say the least. I am going to make another set for my 7x12 Jet Bandsaw sometime soon and will film. Heck... I have a Haas Mill and a Miyano lathe (just arrived) and have had to move to a 2,000 sq/ft shop since these videos were shot. I need to get a better camera and drastically improve lighting. Excuses for not filming things I guess. Such a waste since I get to buy and play with a lot of fun toys now. As for tapping I usually use my Dewalt 20Vmax Brushless for tapping now but back then my little Porter Cable NiCad couldn't handle 1/4" in steel.

+Brian Carmicheal I also have a 7x12 and a 4x6. Thought I'd get rid of the small one when I got the big one, but I use them both all the time. Congrats on "having" to move into a bigger space with more toys!! :) Gotta love gun taps!! It's rare that I ever use a carbon tap these days. 2F HSS spiral point gun taps whenever I can!! :)

+bluehandsvideo I definitely would have kept my little red 4 x 6 but it just had too many issues. Just started breaking blade after blade on day. all 6 spares in three days. Threw my hands up and drove to KBC Tools and bought a new Jet 7x12 then left the 4x6 out in the dumpster out of anger. Great little machine! That 4x6 cut stock to make the first 6,000 Omni-Cruises, 6,000 of the pivot nuts, god knows how many AL bars for customer production work I used to run on the X3 then Tormach and eventually on the Haas. I think I paid $150 on coupon from HF... some of the best money I've ever spent. Got a welder, well two of them, last month so I get to weld up a stand for the 7x12 soon. Hope to get a Canon Rebel x6i by then and do some better filming.

+Brian Carmicheal My little 4x6 doesn't get used very hard, but the first thing I did with it was build a stronger stand.....well worth the time doing that!! I just went and looked at your Omni-Cruise.....very cool!! I'd never seen/heard of it before. You paid $150 for the 4x6? That's about what I paid.....then they started dropping the quality and raising the price. Haven't looked at them in a few years. I bought a Rebel T4i thinking I'd shoot video with it. I found my Sony HDR-CX260 way easier to use. If I remember right, I could still only do a 15min vid clip on the T4i. There are times when I just want to hit record and let it run. I can do that with the Sony and not the Canon. Plus, the Sony is lighter, handles low light better, focuses better, tracks focus during video way better. Just make sure that whatever you get will shoot progressive video instead of being limited to interlaced. You have to do an extra de-interlacing process because you can really see the interlacing when there's movement in the vid. Looking forward to seeing new vids!! :)

+bluehandsvideo Sony needs to send you a commission. I just ordered a Sony HDRCX440 after looking at some reviews and comparisons. I figure I definitely need to film all of what I am about to do to/with my Miyano BND34T that I received two weeks ago. I finally got it all cleaned up and powered and there is very little documentation on these anywhere I can find. Hopefully I can get her spitting out parts for me in a few weeks and make some videos along the way.

WOW, there were a bunch of comments pending review. Woops. I have actually uploaded a bunch I just haven't gotten around to editing them. Sadly I actually sold the Tormach. It left a few days ago ($14,500 with a ton of tooling) heading up to Washington. I did a lot of work making my processes much more effecient to where a run of 2000 tops and 2000 bottoms for Omni-Cruise is down to 9 days of machining on the Haas alone. Oh, I have a Haas TM2P now. I will try to shoot some new videos. My laptop REALLY needs to be replaced. Editing or loading video causes crashes if I am working on parts so its tough to find time.

***** I hope you do some videos on the Haas. I can't really afford or have room for even a Tormach so I dream,about a TM-2P just like you have. In the time you have it have you ever wished you had paid the money and gone with a TM-3P for more Y axis? If the Haas takes 9 days how long did the Tormach take? You come a long way from the X3!

David Queen production on the Tormach for the same 4,000 parts took 14 days on the shortest run. I was sold out and took to taking 45 minute naps for 4 days straight of non-stop machining on one of the steps. The TM2P has 16" Y which is 3 inches off the front and back of a 10 inch table. That already pushes the boundary of logic for fixtures really. A VF3 would be a fair compromise but I couldn't fathom needing 30HP. To date I've only stalled the 7HP spindle when making a massive programming or offset error that causes a crash. I run mostly 1/2 cutters for job shop work. 30HP would allow nice 1" cutters at full depth and reduce cycle times, but I haven't had enough work to justify the expense...yet. I'll shoot some videos of the TM2P. I just wasn't sure anyone would care since I baby it compared to big mills. Obviously I'm not keen on displaying how I make my Omni-Cruise as there is enough competition and that's where 75% of my time goes.

Thanks for the reply. I'm with you 30 hp seems like overkill for anything could even dreem of actually doing..I'm going to look up the Omni-Cruise, I'm not familiar with it. Good luck to you.

David Queen thanks. Omni-Cruise is my pride and joy :) I machine 4 parts on it and have sold 12,000 in the last 2.5 years and still growing. I just remembered I promised Glacern I post a video of the vise that should be here this week. Brand new design on the 6" double station and I'm getting one of the first ones. It's a tight fit on the TM2P but we'll see how it goes

Yep. It was a raging piece of crap 3 YEARS AGO when I posted this.

I researched small manual Mills and found a lot of info on the X3 being converted to CNC. I chose it so I could learn on a manual then eventually convert to CNC. Which I did. That eventually paid for me to buy a Tormach PCNC 1100 which eventually lead to a HAAS TM2P. the X3 is just sitting in a corner now. It will hold pretty tight tolerances with a little skill and planning. Like any manual mill you cut, measure, adjust the handle / position and take a finish cut. If you can measure you can hit pretty tight tolerances with any type of DRO.

***** Cheers for the info but what was the X3 like for keeping size and doing what you tell it to do, good to here it paid for upgraded machines for you. What did the X3 machine though.

The x3 is manual so it will keep whatever size you turn the handles to. The only difference between machines in this class is rigidity (how deep / hard you can cut) and HP. personally I would recommend the G0704 from Grizzly for the tapered Z gib. The x3 has a head nod issue that makes surfacing large parts tough. Even after trimming the column I can feel the overlap between face passes. I machined parts for motorcycles mostly, Disney, Thompson Industrial Supply, Controlled Motion Solutions and many more. Mostly I made the first 1,500 Omni-Cruises on here after spending 8 month prototyping and designing them. It would hold 0.002 tolerance all day if programmed well.

Wish I could, but the Tormach paid for a Haas TM2P with 40" X and 20 station tool changer, chip auger, rigid tapping, 7 hp spindle, probe, tool setter, high pressure coolant etc. Finally sold the Tormach after it sat unused for most of the last 8 months.

Definitely would go the G0704 route just for the tapered gibs. Adjusting these were an epic pita since you just guess and test, then repeat. Not a huge deal for "normal" use... But I ran this thing as many hours as I now do my Tormach 1100 and now brand new Haas. Been meaning to shoot some video of the new machine and shop too.