Taig Mill & DRO in KeyShot 6 beta

[Speedster]

Hi all;

I sold my large prototype modelmaking machine shop when we moved to New Mexico last year, trading 30,000 pounds of steel for a 30 pound BOXX workstation.  But now that we're settled in I finally had some time to set up a small shop for instrument repair and modelmaking.  So I just bought a Taig Machine Works desk-top milling machine.  Sweet little critter, high precision, well made very popular machine created in Chandler, Arizona.

Next up is a digital readout by DRO Pro, in California.  So I modeled my new toy in SolidWorks so I could work out the many mounting brackets, etc., and as a platform for a lot of custom tooling I need.

But what good is a CAD model if you don't render it!  My goal here was to fit it exactly into the backplate as a dry run for an upcoming client project.  Martin gave us a great tip!  Duplicate the model and apply any given color or material, THEN apply a 40% opacity map to it.  It becomes partially transparent, and real easy to exactly align the model with existing features in the backplate image. Of course use the Perspective Match tool as well! I use a bright red paint for contrast.  Thanks Martin!

So here's what I came up with, in KeyShot 6 beta.  No special 6 features used except "Interior Lighting" mode, as I hung a plane above it, with Area Diffuse lighting, to emulate the existing fluorescent light.  Interior excels with physical lights!  Also a minor use of Material Graph.

Just to fend off a possible tidal wave tsunami, I've attached the clay shot.  The last shot is my backplate.

Bill G

[TpwUK]

That seems to work pretty darn well from here Bill - Great job done dude

Martin

[Speedster]

Thanks, Martin, and thanks for the tip- you should try it!

Forgot to attach the bracket shot... Plan to do them as an FDM build in GF12 glass-filled nylon.

Bill G

[TpwUK]

looks and sounds as if you will be busy for a few days then Bill

Martin

[Ed]

Really nice model and render Bill.  Blends right in with the backplate.

I have two Taig CNC Mills in my shop, milling titanium.  One I retrofitted with ballscrews on the X axis because I use it so much I kept wearing out the anti-backlash nut.  They are very rugged if you stay within their design envelope, and I'm amazed what you get for the money.

Ed Ferguson

[E.Sirbu]

Very intersting stuff!

[Angelo]

very  nice, is that manual only mill? takes me back when i used to work with emco cnc machines, siemens and heidenhain systems

[Speedster]

is that manual only mill?

Yep, for now.  I may convert to CNC next year.  But I'm a "manual" kind of guy- I like to play with things!  I used to be able to sign my name on the Bridgeport!  And besides, I work on the computer 8-10 hours a day, and sometimes it's just nice to be a craftsman again!

The Taig is a very popular platform for CNC, and there's a lot on-line support for it.  Taig also offers it as CNC Ready, as well as fully implemented.

It's a small but great machine if you can work within the design envelope.  Unfortunately there's no quill, which is a pain for drilling and stuff.  Also, a lot of CNC tooling is becoming available from companies like A2Z CNC, so I wish it had another one inch of vertical Z axis throat.

Bill G

[Angelo]

is that manual only mill?

Yep, for now.  I may convert to CNC next year.  But I'm a "manual" kind of guy- I like to play with things!  I used to be able to sign my name on the Bridgeport!  And besides, I work on the computer 8-10 hours a day, and sometimes it's just nice to be a craftsman again!

The Taig is a very popular platform for CNC, and there's a lot on-line support for it.  Taig also offers it as CNC Ready, as well as fully implemented.

It's a small but great machine if you can work within the design envelope.  Unfortunately there's no quill, which is a pain for drilling and stuff.  Also, a lot of CNC tooling is becoming available from companies like A2Z CNC, so I wish it had another one inch of vertical Z axis throat.

Bill G

damn and i thought G-coding my name manual was difficult, NOW THATS SKILL, MUCH RESPECT! its good to vary i understand the feeling. its all fun

[Josh3D]

Very nice Bill! One of your best yet. You are going to be busy.

[Magnus Skogsfjord]

Niice! Amazingly well blended in with the backplate! Loving it

[Speedster]

Thanks for the great comments, guys!  Made chips yesterday, and have already added a chip shield behind the machine!  Forgot what a mess a mill can make!  Also decided to go with a 3 axis DRO, instead of the 2 axis + digital Z indicator.  It's all so much easier in KeyShot than making real chips!

So, Angelo- tell us about the two images you posted of the machined parts!  They look "real", but nowadays you just can't tell!  Nice photos, but even better if they are renderings!  Share the story...

Bill G

[Angelo]

Thanks for the great comments, guys!  Made chips yesterday, and have already added a chip shield behind the machine!  Forgot what a mess a mill can make!  Also decided to go with a 3 axis DRO, instead of the 2 axis + digital Z indicator.  It's all so much easier in KeyShot than making real chips!

So, Angelo- tell us about the two images you posted of the machined parts!  They look "real", but nowadays you just can't tell!  Nice photos, but even better if they are renderings!  Share the story...

Bill G

haha, they are real i made them as exercise at school 4 years ago, nutcrackers, polished too manual and cnc

[Angelo]

little handle bar thing with threads is manual rest is cnc

[Speedster]

Wanted to show the DRO guys what I'm planning, so I used this toon + to illustrate. The blue parts will 3D printed in GF12 glass-filled nylon. A neat technique for instructional images that I've used before with medical devices.
Bill G