Doesn't CNC stand for Completely No Control?


Close, but no cigar!!! Computerized Numerical Control doesn't mean that you have no control; it means that if you can't set it up perfectly, then you better have a real set of stones, because when you pull the pin and hit "Cycle Start", it all comes down this rule; "Cowardice is The Only Part of Valor".
The three vertical mills I'm bouncing around (load one, get it started; load the next, get it started....) all have AT LEAST 25~30 HP spindles (and having gearboxes, their torque #'s are closer to small block V8 territory than go kart's), the CNC vertical lathe I'm supposed to be training on (aren't you supposed to actually be working on a machine to be trained on it?) has a 50 HP motor for the spindle.
This is where the cowardice part kicks in; by the time an operator hears a problem, it's probably to late. For practical purposes, the "E-Stop" button on the dash board is just there as psychological support for the operator; by the time you actually reach that particular button, the show is probably already over.....

Pat