Les Wyatt

This is an amazing book and, unusually perhaps, it is a jolly good read. I left experience of machining at the apprenticeship level many years ago but as a retired engineer I still get a buzz from handling precision made tools and machines. The author has produced a book that is essential reading for anyone contemplating buying a Tormach 770MX and indeed for anyone involved or contemplating CNC machining either this side or the other side of the Atlantic. I would be very surprised if Tormach themselves were not absolutely delighted with the publication. Not only is it a solid endorsement of their machine but dovetails very neatly into their own documentation and video guides. The author has approached the project with the enthusiasm and attention to detail of a consummate professional engineer. Learning the ropes by doing and taking readers along with him with confidence but without being prescriptive. The analysis of the options for CNC machining at the hobbyist/domestic end user level very neatly justifies the title of the book and the choice of a seemingly incompatible American machine with its many options is given with a well reasoned confidence. Product technical specifications can be very dry reading but the short chapter on the Tormach machine essentials is a very good support. The preparations for delivery must be regarded as one of the most important chapters in the book and it does make fascinating reading. Quite rightly, the author emphasises the importance of safety and precision in handling awkward heavy loads and also insists on a clear attention to detail when it comes to electrics. He approaches the safe and reliable electrical installation of the machine in considerable detail which to my mind cannot fail to convince readers that an American import is readily and safely accommodated. Delivery and assembly could be a very stressful exercise bearing in mind the cost and complexity of these machines. The author has tackled the assembly and running of the machine in a very honest and erudite manner clearly identifying where problems might arise and how they were solved. The introduction to using the PathPilot control console and a basic set of G codes is an invaluable primer to getting the machine running. The sections on machining I found fascinating and the author has been quite thorough in summarising the selection and use of cutting tools, options for holding work pieces and an appreciation of dynamics of the milling and cutting processes. Altogether a very interesting journey tackled with humour and humility and an invaluable guide to owning and operating what is a complex and amazing machine. Les Wyatt May 2022