Blurring The Edges

CNC (Computerised Numerical Control) milling machine from the USA. The machine is a Tormach® 770MX, a model aimed unashamedly at the high end of the hobbyist market, and certainly attracting the attention of small independent manufacturing ‘start-ups'

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This book records the author's journey of getting to grips with assembling all the components and learning how to operate the machine. It is purposely not an instruction manual – the manufacturer has already seen to that need. It is more a chronological log of all processes from choosing the right machine through to programming it to make parts. Taking the not insignificant leap from manual machining to CNC manufacturing, in the domestic environment, is a steep learning curve and this book is intended to assist, with many top tips gleaned from ‘learning the hard way’, shared throughout.

Paperback 296 pages

Glossy cover

Full colour images throughout

£19.99 RRP

ISBN: 978-1-914933-30-1

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NEW
Tormach BLOG

The people at Tormach in the USA have written this blog about my book...

CNC Machine Tools Blog

I am thrilled to share that my book has received  recommendation from the UK Distributor of Tormach CNC machines CNC Machine Tools. Their expertise in the field and their commitment to providing top-notch CNC solutions to hobbyists and smaller professional metal cutting and manufacturing companies make their endorsement truly appreciated. Knowing that my journey in exploring the world of Tormach machines has been endorsed by those who intimately understand the nuances of CNC technology is a validation of the practical insights and experiences I've endeavoured to share with the reader. This recommendation not only highlights the value of my book but also underscores the shared passion for knowledge-sharing CNC Machine Tools UK provide.

Click HERE to view The Blog Post "Blurring the Edges: A Practical Guide to Mastering CNC Machines: Steve Dunthorne’s Book"

 

Why I wrote this book...

Extracted from my Model Engineer forum post 09/June/2022

When I purchased my Tormach 770MX (it was delivered April 2021) I had absolutely no idea I would, by November that year, be tapping away at my keyboard writing about the experience. Genuinely, I was driven to write down the details of all that I experienced along the journey, when it became apparent to me just how complex it had become, how interesting I had found the process, and wanting to share this for the benefit of others. Trust me when I report to you, writing a technical book with a very narrow target audience is not going to make anyone rich - it is a vanity project if it is nothing more.

Being quite a ‘techy’ sort of chap, once I decided I wanted a CNC machine, I researched the options extensively. As anyone who frequents this forum will realise, buying this sort of machine is not a matter of popping into B&Q (or Home Depot) and so my book ‘starts at the beginning’ as they say. Literally I record the decision-making process for buying the machine and its options, to the last detail.

Choosing Tormach

(extract coninued...)

Now although early on in that process I decided on the Tormach, and hence the options for it are all Tormach choices by default, I would say many of the points raised are generic and may be considered useful discussion items for buying a different make of mill.

The point is I have tried hard to make this a ‘chatty’ and readable path down which you, the reader, and I, the writer, amble together. Hopefully, in this way, this feels like a ‘good read’ rather than a stiff technical instructional tome. In effect, we end up building the machine together as a team, and then learning how to take the first tentative steps to cutting metal on it, side by side. I have been told by a few people who have read the book, they liked this style.

But I am not an author - I am a hobbyist with a fancy machine in the garage who thought he might have a go at writing about it. I am quite pleased with the result and, by the way, I do think the book looks great in paperback; it is a weighty document in the hand, something you lose appreciation for with the ‘kindle effect’, in my humble opinion.

Parts made early in the learning process...

Look at some examples of what the author has made using the Tormach® 770MX as his knowledge progressed

Tool for Socket Wrench
 

The author is an enthusiastic fan of Titan Gilroy in the United States, whose message is unequivocally that the Western world should be training its young people to manufacture the stuff we currently choose to purchase from the East. He hopes his book will encourage more people to ‘learn’ CNC, and bear witness to many more installations of machines, such as the Tormach CNC mills, particularly in educational establishments this side of the Atlantic.

Cribbage Scoring Board

This book records the author's journey of getting to grips with assembling all the components and learning how to operate the machine. It is purposely not an instruction manual – the manufacturer has already seen to that need. It is more a chronological log of all processes from choosing the right machine through to programming it to make parts.

There are other excellent books out there, some mainly theoretical references, some siding with historical interest. The author envisaged a need for something more practical and hands-on. When he began his project, he couldn’t find a book like this.

 

Small Bracket

The author is a somewhat frustrated ‘weekend engineer’ with a small lathe and an old manual milling machine in his garage, whose day job doesn’t reflect his passion for making mechanical things. A chance discussion with a colleague culminated in him ordering a brand-new CNC (Computerised Numerical Control) mill from the USA. The machine is a Tormach® 770MX, a model aimed unashamedly at the high end of the hobbyist market, and certainly attracting the attention of small independent manufacturing ‘start-ups’, particularly in the United States.

starting to make real parts

Published by i2i publishing, Manchester, UK

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