Virtual Layout Feature Preview

In the last post I showed some of the updates coming to the next version of TouchDRO. The new version will include a lot of tweaks, UI changes and improvements aimed to make the DRO even more flexible and efficient to use. As is, TouchDRO can already do much more than and old-school DRO, but next version is getting a number features that will push the limits of what you can do with a non-CNC mill or lathe. One of those features is the ability to set a background image in layout view and use the mill or the lathe to trace the contour.

Sneak Peek of the New TouchDRO Version

It's been awhile since the last major TouchDRO version release and I'm getting an increasing number of emails asking if I'm still developing the app. The answer is "definitely yes", and the new version is getting very close to be ready for beta testing. It has a number of new features and countless quality-of-life changes. I've been testing it in my shop for some time now and most of the functionality is pretty stable so it's a good time to post a quick preview of some of those changes and new features.

SIEG X2 Mini Mill CNC Build - Component Selection

In the last post I outlined my plan for building a CNC mini mill from a set of SIEG X2 castings. As the first step I wanted to order the parts for the mill itself, ignoring the steppers, controllers, etc. and make sure that I can get it up to snuff. There is no set budget for this project, so the choice of the parts is mostly based on availability (and common sense). The two areas I wanted to concentrate on are spindle accuracy and overall repeatability. With that in mind, in this post I will explain what parts I chose to buy and why.

SIEG X2 Mini Mill CNC Build - Introduction

Some of you might remember that several years ago I used to own a Harbor Freight Mini Mill, AKA SIEG X2. At one point I upgraded the X-Y table to the LMS large table assembly and the old small table has been collecting dust under my workbench. I couldn't force myself to throw it away but couldn't find a use for it either. Until a few weeks ago, that is, until I stumbled across a series of three videos by Stefan Gotteswinter in which he rebuilds a Chinese angle plate. In the introduction to the first video he explains that he bought it as a "set of castings" and proceeds to completely re-machine the whole thing. This gave me an idea...