This summer, Make Santa Fe received an extraordinary gift from Will Putnam: a Fadal VMC 15XT vertical machining center. This industrial-grade CNC mill represents a huge leap forward for our community’s capacity to prototype, fabricate, and create with precision. Will’s donation is not just a machine—it’s an investment in empowering makers across Santa Fe.
The Gift
The Fadal VMC 15XT is a professional-grade CNC milling machine designed for high-accuracy machining of metals and plastics. Equipped with a tool changer, rigid construction, and advanced spindle options, it’s the kind of machine that bridges the gap between a community workshop and a professional manufacturing environment. Thanks to Will’s generosity, makers in Santa Fe now have access to a tool that would otherwise be far out of reach.
The Setup Journey
Getting a machine of this scale up and running is no small feat. When the VMC arrived, it was in solid condition but required careful attention to prepare it for community use. Here’s a glimpse of the process our team went through:
- Getting It Inside – At nearly 8,000 pounds, moving the VMC was an adventure in itself. We rented a telehandler capable of transporting the machine and, with the skilled support of Stark Raven Fabrication, maneuvered it into the shop and set it in its permanent home. We only had one minor tip over.
- Z-Axis Assembly – To clear our roll-up door, the Z-axis had to be disassembled prior to the move. Once inside, we carefully reassembled the head assembly and aligned the axis to ensure smooth and accurate motion.
- Inspection & Cleaning – Once inside and planted, we began thoroughly inspecting the machine, referencing the official installation and setup manuals. This helped us verify that all major systems—from the waylube pump to the spindle head—were intact and operable.
- Power & Controls – The Fadal required a dedicated electrical setup and careful work on its control systems. Once a three-phase 220v circuit was added we were able to power on the machine. Unfortunately this meant we also discovered some things that needed to be fixed.
- Fixed Up and Ready to Go – After a few replacement parts; some bolts, a new video monitor, a fuse or two, and a new air intake hookup we were able to power on and watch it come to life!
- Calibration & Alignment – Using the machine’s service documentation, we cold-started the axes, established reference positions, and confirmed that the spindle and tool changer operated within specification.
- Modern Integration – We connected the machine to modern CAM workflows, testing toolpath generation in Fusion 360 and learning the nuances of its block processing speeds, tool offsets, and interpolation modes.
- Community Training – Alongside the technical setup, we’ve been building a curriculum so that members can not only access the machine, but also understand how to use it safely and effectively.
What This Means for Make
The addition of the Fadal VMC 15XT elevates our shop into new territory. Members can now produce parts with tolerances and finishes suitable for robotics, engineering prototypes, and even small-scale production runs. More importantly, it creates a bridge between hobbyist making and professional-level manufacturing—a place where experimentation, learning, and entrepreneurship can thrive side by side.
We are profoundly grateful to Will Putnam for entrusting Make Santa Fe with this incredible tool. His gift ensures that our community has access to the kind of equipment that sparks innovation and transforms ideas into reality.
Stay tuned for classes, demos, and member projects as we continue to explore everything this machine can do!
