Tormach Z - quick adjustments.

[@partisanguerrilla3167]

I had no idea you have been running the 1100 since 2007. Heck of a testament that the machine is still adjustable to maintain nice accuracy.

[@Threadexpress]

It is.. I agree.

[@leoblazer74]

I learned on a Tormach 1100 at this place named Techshop. They have a Tormach with a ton of hours, severely abused machine that still runs great and is still really accurate. This thing is used often by people learning to machine, its a communal place so you never know who did what to this thing. The bed is a battleground of scars and even on dent about .05 deep between inside a T-slot, looks like a gunshot. After all this, it still produces great work.

[@Threadexpress]

Good to hear! Cheers.

[@BerndFelsche]

Precision is impressive for an open loop system. I wo der how long it'll be before somebody offers e.g. Clearpath closed loop servo stepper replacement kits for Tormach machines. They could have done better with managing the thrust, but not as cheaply. Angular contact bearings are intended for use where there is a combination of significant radial and axial loads: but one finds this arrangement in lots of machinery, where the radial load is tiny compared to the axial (thrust). Indeed with a ballscrew axis drive, one endeavours to have no radial load at all because that would mean a (slight) bending of the screw, accelerating ballnut wear.

[@Threadexpress]

Hi Bernd. Interesting points, thanks.

[@shotgunreloader4964]

May I ask with the final adjustment on the gib do you get that wet look as you showed with travel of z on the flats and dove tail. I get that wet look on the all except on the superior aspect of the right dovetail which is wiped nearly dry with up/down motion and you can see faint discoloration in the grind. (not the inferior aspect that remains wet) any thoughts?

[@Threadexpress]

Hi GG. I apply slideway oil manually on the vertical slides in addition to using the one shot system, as I have found it can get blocked and is not always 100% . That might be your issue? Cheers Cliff.

[@shotgunreloader4964]

The right dovetail seems to get wiped near dry in the above the head in the positive direction but remains wet below the head in the negative direction, so I believe it is not blocked, I theorized perhaps the bolts between head and saddle were not torqued equally twisting the saddle such, I gonna investigate tomorrow time permitting I hope that is the issue because it may point to the worse alternative that the dovetails on the saddle are not parallel- any suggestions?

[@Threadexpress]

Hi GG. It may also be that the upper oil grooves are blocked and the oil is only getting to the lower portion. Try applying oil manually to the top section and traversing the head up and down and see if that wipes it dry. Cheers.

[@shotgunreloader4964]

It does wipe the manually applied oil, which I try to stay on top of until I can figure it out. Thanks for taking time to respond.

[@shotgunreloader4964]

Update-- I untorqued the bolts, the torque to unbolt not reliable but it was definitely a measurable difference between the bolts. I torqued them equally and I was ecstatic to find out it solved the problem.