My previous machine used TTS tooling. My new machine uses BT30. I could not find any specific info on the Tormach website addressing any special preparation for using these tool holders. I have read the following:
Lubricate lightly: Apply a thin coat of spindle/taper lubricant or anti-seize if recommended (avoid excess) to the taper section.
lightly lubricate the pull stud (retention knob) if recommended by the manufacturer. Usually, a very thin coat of spindle/taper lubricant is enough—do not over-lubricate, as excess oil can affect tool retention and accuracy.
Are there specific guidelines from Tormach? What lubricants are best and what have others been doing?
Lastly, I typically clean my ER20 Collets with 100 Isopropyl and put a drop of way oil on the threads only. Any thoughts on this?
I spray isopropyl into the bore and then wipe and then a puff of silicon lubricant in the bore and wipe. Since the pull stud doesn’t get wiped some of the silicon lube stays up there. I’m assuming that’s enough lubricant for the studs since I’ve never had a pull stud problem.
You just want the bore clean, the less oil the cleaner it will stay but not so dry that the metal rubs. Honestly the bore / tool holder is pretty low maintenance.
I don’t even worry about the holders just a wipe before puting it in the machine.
HAAS suggests cleaning tapers with a lightly oiled cloth to prevent rust. I don’t think you’d want to oil them any more as the taper does a lot of work.
If using through-spindle coolant, expect the coolant to wash away everything everywhere. That being said, I have had no issues just relying on the cleaning and lubrication of the coolant in the machine. I’m using QualiChem Xtreme Cut 251C, which dries to a light oil finish. I notice sometimes that tools left in the spindle or even some in the ATC will have coolant run out of them days or maybe weeks after being used. This seems to cause no issues at least with this coolant, as every inch of the machine is spotless.
A perhaps bigger issue to consider is chips. Depending on machine use, chips can get stuck to the taper and interfere with the spindle mating. Aluminum chips usually get flattened thoroughly, but harder materials could be an issue. At best, you will get some unexpected runout for your tools, and at worst, a damaged spindle taper. Regularly cleaning the spindle taper as well as the toolholder tapers in the ATC makes sense to me.
I give my holders a wipe with a rag and some 3 in 1 oil. This was a recommendation from a friend who’s been in the CNC game for a long time. No issues so I’m either doing it right, or at least not doing it wrong.
@DANIEL_DEGUS Just FYI, the power draw bar does not blow air through the spindle, at least for the 1100 and smaller machines. With an ATC there is an air blast that happens during tool changes but that’s mounted in the carousel and only really deals with chips on the tool holders. Some air may make it’s way up into the spindle taper, but not enough to have any significant effect. You definitely don’t want to rely on that to keep the spindle bore clean and oiled. The 1500 with through spindle might be different, I can’t speak to that.
Just got a 1100mx few months ago. Bigger machines at work do so I assumed sounds like it does. GOOD INFORMATION. I'm Thinking of FUSION 360 CAD/CAM any thoughts.