Pictures of my lathe and me machining some parts

[Rhyen Skytracker]

Several people here have asked about lathes and what kind to get. Here is a medium size lathe with some pictures of some of the tooling I use with it. One of the most important tools for the lathe for turning down parts is the Live Center. It allows you to turn down parts with out leaving any tool marks. (You don't have to turn down part of the part and then turn it over to turn down the part that was in the chuck.) Here are some pictures of the lathe I use and how the Live Center can be used to turn down parts.

http://s416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/wadeh13/Machining%20pictures/


Thanks.

[Gin Malinko]

wow looks alot like the one i used to work with in highschool. man if i had that sucker alot of my saber building problems would be gone. :)

[Rhyen Skytracker]

It's not a CNC but it will work until I can get one. It is a Enco 13 x 40 with 1 1/2 HP.

[DJMoonbass]

That's the one I'm going to buy this summer. With 1,700 dollars help from selling my dirtbike. Hey wade did your enco come with a digital read out? Also how's threading workin for yA? Have you tried t yet?

[Rhyen Skytracker]

You can order them with a DRO. It makes it alot easier to have a DRO.

[DJMoonbass]

way easier. i love DROs especial the one we have on our huge mill at the college machine shop. its an X Y and Z to. i love the Z. and it has auto travel on the x axis its awsome!! if only i had 35.000 dollars. hmmm
:(

[Rhyen Skytracker]

I have ran a CNC mill before at my Dad's shop. I want a CNC lathe with at least 4 axis and a turret on at least 2 of the axis.

[DJMoonbass]

cha ching! that will be expensive. those HAAS at the college that im workin on are like 60 - 100K

[xl97]

did your lathe come WITh the DRO? or was it extra? how much was the DRO add-on then?

[Rhyen Skytracker]

The DRO and Cabinet stand can come as a package. Here is the link to the one I got. When I got it, it was half price of what it is now. I got it on sale. http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=542&PMCTLG=00

Here is a smaller one on sale: http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMKANO=208&PMPAGE=22&PARTPG=INLMPA&PMCTLG=01

[DJMoonbass]

did you buy your lathe new? I don't want to spend more than 4500 this summer. But I do want it fairly large with a foot brake and all. Possibly 3 hp

[xl97]

his is only 1.5 HP and coming at at roughly 4k!

[acerocket]

Just bite the bullet and get one of these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4U31B7yu2w

I hear they are only about 200 grand.

[Rhyen Skytracker]

To go with a 3 HP, you will probally have to go with a 3 phase motor. I got a 1 1/2 HP because it was about the largest without haveing to go 3 phase. It has plenty enough horse power (literally) to make sabers and many other parts. I have taken wide cuts on parts and it barely strained the motor.

[xl97]

Just bite the bullet and get one of these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4U31B7yu2w

I hear they are only about 200 grand.


just one? ;)

[DJMoonbass]

I would love some HAAS automation mills and lathes. *whistles*

[acerocket]

Haas is over-rated in my opinion. Sure, they are made in the USA but they have been getting a bad rap over the quality of their lathes lately. My mentor has several older Haas mills and lathes and swears by them. He just won't buy any of the new lathes. I hear Hurco has some darn nice machines. I have a Femco Durga (older model) but I love the 23 station dual turret - I can keep pretty much all my tools in the lathe at all times.

Speaking of Haas being a US company, have you ever seen their manufacturing facility? I did some work over there when I was still working for my dad's company. I made several hundred feet of guardrail for the balcony and made a gate with their company logo on it for the employee entrance. I will have to dig out the picture I have and post it up for you.

[Rhyen Skytracker]

I am looking at some used turret lathes now. They are not CNC, but they will still save some time.

[Arm on Fire]

Haas is over-rated in my opinion. Sure, they are made in the USA but they have been getting a bad rap over the quality of their lathes lately. My mentor has several older Haas mills and lathes and swears by them. He just won't buy any of the new lathes. I hear Hurco has some darn nice machines. I have a Femco Durga (older model) but I love the 23 station dual turret - I can keep pretty much all my tools in the lathe at all times.

Speaking of Haas being a US company, have you ever seen their manufacturing facility? I did some work over there when I was still working for my dad's company. I made several hundred feet of guardrail for the balcony and made a gate with their company logo on it for the employee entrance. I will have to dig out the picture I have and post it up for you.

Have to disagree with you on this one Ace, there are 2 Haas lathes and a mill in my shop, a SL20, TL-2 and the mill is a TM-1 They have been run all day, every day since we got them about 5 years ago, only 1 service call in 5 years. Even then they came the next day after I called.

I love them as a company, their service is great and I think they got their act together from a marketing stand point, not to many machine tool company's put the price of thier machines on the website, they all want to send salesmen or want you to go through distributors.

Ive seen pics of their facility, its amazing to see. :)

[acerocket]

The 5 year old machines would be in the safe zone. From what I have heard, the lathe quality has really fallen off in the last two years. When I looked at getting my lathe 2 years ago, I was looking at a used SL20 or a new TL-1. Everyone I spoke to said if the SL20 was a pre 2005 it would be a great machine - nobody would give me an opinion on the TL-1. I went to the Haas distributor and ran both machines in house. I decided on the SL20 but the used one was gone before I pulled the trigger. Funny thing is no one I know really complains about the mills.

I too like the fact they have all their pricing 'up-front'. Besides, if I had the money, there would be a new Hass mill and lathe in my shop. I prefer to be able to get parts from the US instead of paying through the nose to get the wrong part overnighted from Taiwan. Just too bad Gene got greedy and is taking a vacation in one of the federal resorts.

I have been to Haas Automation in Oxnard. It's a very huge building. Very cool to visit and I got a quick tour even though I was supposed to be working.

[Rhyen Skytracker]

What would be a good starter CNC lathe with milling functions that has a reasonable price?

[Strydur]

There are plenty of forums out there dedicated to cnc etc.. I know this is the misc section but it would just make more sense to have this conversation on a forum dedicated to such things.