AXMINSTER CNC TECHNOLOGY IKX1 MILL

Hi and I am just throwing this out there in case anybody has any knowledge about or experience with the above CNC mill. This is something I am interested in getting into.

Due to the cost of importing a torchmach mill I would be interested to find out if there is any major differences or quality issues worth knowing about.

A note of thanks to Bob Rodgerson who kindly spent an evening with me a short while ago demonstrating his Tormach mill.

Many thanks

Dave

Hi Dave,

I did look at these when I was looking for a CNC Mill but decided against it. I am not sure but I think they are more or less the same as the seig mill. If they are you might just as well go for one of ARC Euro models.

Or you might look at a Denford, but would have to be second hand.

Thanks very much for the advice.

Food for thought.

Dave - random comments:

0) congratulations on making the plunge, not all will. And, planning on making the plunge, and asking questions.

1) Would have loved a Tormach PCNC 770, but did not have the vertical height to get one on its' supplied base.

2) Do have a KX1, running LinuxCNC (as does Tormach now, abeit with their own interface), and it is a great little machine. Both of my LinuxCNC machines are incredibly reliable. (the KX1 came without the electronics controller that the Arc Eurotrade one does, and I think you are stuck with Windows and Mach3 on the Arc one, which if true, would not interest me, but that is just *my* thoughts and I'm sure the Arc offering is well thought out)

3) do have a larger CNC conversion (G0704-style) but better would have been the Tormach 770... (sigh) (should have raised the house or lowered the basement floor...)

4) tool changer - not of interest to me. Maybe on a lathe, but on a mill, I just change tools, and re-set the Z (sometimes with a touch plate, which makes it almost automatic)

5) I do wish for an enclosure, and coolant. (I do use compressed air to clear away the chips, but many of these do end up on the floor, despite the chip tray)

6) You can use the Tormach Tooling System, if you do want something more like an ATC, but without the cost, the speed, or...

Just random comments. Whatever you do purchase, learn to use it, and you'll be ahead of the game.

John.