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If you jump in the Tormach Operators facebook group, it's in the files section for download. I can't imagine doing it any other way now!

The PM25 had a 24k spindle for a while, but then my son and I found a disassembled Tormach and bought it for $500. We had it running in a few days, were super impressed, and we each bought new 1100mx’s! I have used the heck out of it!!

@@billstrahan4791 wow what a steal! Were are you located?

@@makosharkcnc7730 Dallas area. We ended up spending a few grand on the original Tormach to get it all going. It had blown stepper drives, and some other problems. But it made us both realize that we wanted something bigger and beefier than the PM25!

@@billstrahan4791 did i hear you right, pm25 had 25k spindle, on stock bearings

@@makosharkcnc7730 Oh no, I built a new spindle mount to hold a chinese 24k 2.2kw spindle It was amazing. I wish I had the same spindle in my Tormach. RPM is really critical when using small end mills.

Yeah, at some point youtube decided this was a short video, and changed the dimensions and cropped it. Bizarre. In any case, it wasn't special. I just hand ground an HSS lathe tool to match the profile of the belt. I used my jewelers loupe to verify that the tool seated nearly perfectly into the existing pulley, then clamped that tool in a vise and set it up as a mill turn operation in Fusion 360.

Sure, I just made a custom motor mount, and custom pulleys. I'm happy to share my fusion 360 files if you want to make your own. It was sure a different mill after than!

@@billstrahan4791 The fusion 360 files would be most appreciated. What year model is you PM25? I ask because I was told on the new models the controller board would not let the speed go beyond 2500 based on feedback from the built-in spindle speed encoder. Not sure if this is true.

@@GregoryLynnWood Its a few years old. There isn't a spindle encoder on the PM25. Nothing is there to sense spindle RPM. And this doesn't change the motor RPM, it's just a mechanical change. Same motor, controls, and same motor speed. Which means that if you're milling steel or drilling large diameter holes this isn't for you. But if you're running up to 3/8" end mills in aluminum or brass and you know how to manage spindle load by adjusting axial and radial depths of cut to hit a target for material removal rate/power required then it's a big change to the PM25. All I milled on it was aluminum and brass, so having nearly double the RPM just meant all my operations nearly doubled in speed. Look at my youtube account name and email me at [first name]@[last name}trust.com. That's my email address once you replace the part in brackets.

@@billstrahan4791 is there not a rpm display right above the e-stop, there is on mine. The encoder is a low resolution that is mounted under the quill DRO. RPM can’t be decided by the controller as it has no way to know which pulley position the belt is on. I’m going to 3d print a pulley first and give it a try. Maybe the reports of the controller governing it to 2500 is wrong and not just something on newer mills. Mine is under a year old. Email you shortly.

@@GregoryLynnWood Oh yes, I recall the RPM display. Yeah, on mine that RPM had no feedback into the motor control itself. It was just a display. FWIW, if you want to 3d print the motor mounts and the pulley and get the appropriate belt, you can at least run it to check. I ran it at 4300 RPM with a 3d printed pulley and motor mount. The pulley lasted a couple minutes, but the motor mount is fine from 3d printing. So I made the aluminum pulley then made the rest of the motor mount parts from aluminum replacing the plastic 3d printed parts as I went.

Aw shucks! :)

I think I did! :) Kidding aside, it's the flow, not just having it under coolant. The flow is sufficient to wash all the chips out and to carry them to the chip tray. I don't want to have to shovel chips out of the machine, just dump the chip tray. I also don't want the flexible accordion style way covers getting chewed up by chips. This keeps chips out of the way covers.

email me at my first name @ last name plus "trust.com"

It's pretty great. I don't do many things much deeper than about 2" but it works great. It's also great that it doesn't matter when doing outer contours on tall parts. I've run some 2" axial cuts around large pieces and it doesn't matter which side you're cutting, it's flooded. The old system would be starved of coolant when cutting opposite the nozzles.

No offense taken. I don't know how you define "need" but a) this machine ran 4.5 hours yesterday cutting titanium. b) this amount of coolant ensures everything gets washed down to the chip tray. I spend ZERO time cleaning my machine. c) by encapsulating the tool fully, I reduce atomized droplets of coolant. Any coolant droplet thrown off by the spinning tool is captured by the sheet of coolant falling around it. So, I have advantages that I experience and value. Saying I don't need it without first invalidating those advantages makes no sense to me. I totally get that most of these machines run with a dribble of flood coolant or with a mist coolant system. Neither of those work for me. And I haven't discovered a downside to having this much coolant, only upsides. But thanks for watching the video and taking the time to comment.

Lol. If OSHA comes to my house and suggests such a thing I'll let ya know. ;)

he closed it.

Not saying i agree at all but I've watched a father and son SURF a table while machining.... the reason? Had to blow the chips off with air gun to see its cutting okay... from a guy in the trade for over 25 years! 🤦‍♂️

Of course it does! I need to have at least one area that my Tormach can outperform it! I'm pretty sure VMC races in which each competitor gets one pallet jack and has to move the mill 100' would also be a hands-down win for the Tormach! LOL. But you might beat me in some other not so valuable metrics. :)

@@billstrahan4791 haha i have a Cmx 1100v and My flood coolant started to be so bad a few months ago. I need to clean it because i think k got some plastic chips In the system. Nice job

It's a 1/4hp pump. Stock is 1/8hp. The problem is all the restrictive push to connect tubing. I was getting about 60-65% of this with the stock pump once I made custom fittings and converted it all to 3/4" garden hose. But the 1/4hp pump was on order, and what's worth doing is worth overdoing!

Oh, and the reservoir isn't any bigger. I just keep the coolant VERY full so the pump doesn't cavitate. I don't even have the old sight gauge on there. No need.

Thanks. I am trying to make myself post more stuff about machining. I always feel like I need to edit and make it polished, but for now I'll just try to get information out there!

100%. I didn’t mention him here but give him credit elsewhere. He was kind enough to share his experience and some design input. So I got it right the first try! I am still appreciative to him for the help!!

Other than a drill and a face tool to make the initial shape, the others were custom. I ground an HSS lathe tool to be small and pointy enough to make the v shape and then made the broach tool as well. Just a length of steel rod with a cutout on one end to hold a piece of HSS and the end of the rod was drilled and tapped so I could run a screw in to press against the HSS tool to hold it in place.

That is only a different pulley and motor mount. The pulley was made on the PM25, I just printed a test for dimension checking and couldn't resist running it. The pulley and motor mount are my own design, and I'm happy to share.

Send me an email to my first name here on youtube, followed by @strahantrust.com and I'll get you the models. The motor mount is easy to make, the pulley requires some mill/turning treating the mill like a lathe, unless you have access to a CNC lathe. But I made it on the PM25 and all my cam is still in the fusion models so you'll at least have an idea how I did it! Let me know any other way I can help.

@@billstrahan4791 Thanks i sent email

Thanks! She loves me enough that she got her PPL locally in a 172 and then went on to get her instrument ticket in our plane! Having a two pilot cockpit when the clouds are thick and the radio is busy is MUCH more enjoyable!

I'd be happy to. I modeled it in fusion 360 and built the motor mount parts on the mill and turned the pulley on the mill in mill-turn mode using the mill like a lathe. If you plan to machine this for yourself, the Fusion files would be helpful. The 3d printed pulley wouldn't last more than a few minutes though. I was just doing it to test the dimensions and then wanted to see if it would run. Let me know if you want the files and I'll figure out how to post a link to them here.

@@billstrahan4791 I would love the Fusion360 files, for both the mount and the pulley. I want to machine the pulley the same way you did. I think you can "share" the files on the fusion site and it will give you a link to post or you can PM me if you want.

@@rosspower7514 Motor Mount: a360.co/3b2N3Q5

@@rosspower7514 Pulley: a360.co/32zU5rX

@@billstrahan4791 Thank you very much sir, I hope I can get them done correctly. I know it will go a long way to help with finish. BTW, I thought I saw somewhere that you were selling your complete pm head unit. did you? and why.

Yes, it made me laugh. I really printed it just to validate dimensions, but I was curious. The pulley took a while to make, and seeing over 4500 rpm with the plastic pulley was motivation to get it done. Had to make rough turn the pulley on the manual lathe, then chuck it in the mill and use it like a cnc lathe to cut the pulley grooves. Then I 3d printed a spindle lock and made a bar to cut the keyway by plunging in Z on the mill. Lots of steps, but I eventually got it done.

Sert! How ironic, I was on your channel just a couple days ago and looked to see where you were so I could look into getting some consulting time with you. Are you ever out in the DFW area?

Bill Strahan shoot me an email at sertengineering at gmail