2 weeks by cncdivi

Special Promotion: If you buy a rack before the conclusion of 2018 and inform SCE that you were referred by CNCCookbook, they will provide you with complimentary shipping.

This is a follow-up review of Santa Cruz Electronics TTS Tool holder Racking System.  SCE is one of a select few Tormach distributors, and they happen to be right in my home town of Santa Cruz.  I’ve been having weekly lunches with owner John Bower for some time.  John came to be a Distributor because he was a very happy customer.  He’s an avid CNC’er who does a lot of work for the large contingent of Luthiers around town.  There are some very famous guitar brands made here at the high end, and John works with many of them.

The Rack (as I like to call it) came about when I brought John a crude napkin sketch at a lunch for an idea I had.  I wanted a toolholder storage system that would hang on my Tormach’s Enclosure.  The idea was to get the tooling off the benchtops and drawers and into a convenient easy-to-access location near the mill.  As I say, the original sketch was crude but John put together a very snazzy product in a relatively short time.  And he’s been making it better and better ever since.

His page where you can see the full selection is located on his SCE web site here.

John has racks for every Tormach mill, including the new “M” series mills.

Here is my original SCE rack hanging on my Tormach PCNC 1100 mill:

Ignore the paper towel dispenser and the little parts tray, they’re just magnetic add-ons for the enclosure.  The Rack attaches via the existing bolts that hold the enclosure together.  Just remove a few, drop The Rack into place, and reinstall and you’re done.  Construction is very sturdy, which is nice.  Here’s a detail of an acrylic shelf:

The shelves are thick laser-cut acrylic and they look awesome.  In fact, the whole unit looks great on your mill enclosure.

Latest Version: More TTS than ever + BT30!

Here’s John’s latest version for the 1100M:

The M dimensions are different and accomodate even more tools.  One rack holds 54 TTS holders!  

Color now matches the Tormach, something a number of early customers requested.

I love the right hand rack for monitor, keyboard, and jogger too.  Here’s one on a 770M, but they’re also available for older machines and all the different sizes (440, 770, and 1100):

You can order a number of accessories for the rack system too:

  • Dead Blow Hammer hanger.
  • Vise Handle hanger
  • Collet Wrench hanger

And more.  This setup really organizes the tooling right with your machine, Kaizen-style.  There’s even benchtop racks:

Benchtop Rack

Benchtop Rack

Don’t have an enclosure yet or want to hang a Rack on the wall?  No worries!

Any of the enclosure mounted racks are easy to hang on the wall.

What do I like about the SCE TTS Racking System?

Well, I’ve already mentioned its good looks.

But, the part that you quickly get used to and couldn’t live without is the organization it brings to your tooling.  Specifically, I number the holes in The Rack and use them in conjunction with the Tool Table in the Path Pilot controller for the Tormach.  As soon as I put a tool in a holder, I measure its length with the surface plate and height gage, select a spot for it in The Rack, and enter the data into the Tool Table.  Now every time I use the Tool, I make sure it winds up back in the same slot.  This just gives me peace of mind that I’ve got the right tool lengths associated with the right holders at all times.  It works out really nice, and as I say, you get so used to it you wouldn’t want to be without The Rack ever again.

I recommend it highly to any Tormach owner!

How Can I Get One (Pssst: Special Deal for CNCCookbook Readers!)

You can get your own Rack from Santa Cruz Electronics just by calling them.  Their number is (831) 479-5444.  They’re good people to talk to, and they’re a full stocking Tormach dealer, so if you have other Tormach needs, they’re a good source.

Now here’s the thing: I talked to John and got CNCCookbook readers a special deal:

When you call to order your Rack, just tell them you want the CNCCookbook deal.  They’ll give you free shipping if you’re in the continental 48 states ($20 shipping credit otherwise).

That’s a great deal on an accessory you will absolutely love using.  Give Santa Cruz Electronics a call today at:

(831) 479-5444

The CNCCookbook special offer expires at the end of 2018, so don’t miss it!

 

 

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