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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers

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Midwest redneck

11-27-2005 14:23:16




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In about 6 weeks or so I will be going to work for a buddy of mine who builds special machines and fixtures. My question is...I want to buy a new milling machine I have enough to buy a Clausing Atlas, 2HP, 3phase, R8 spindle. I believe that the quality of milling machines are as follows: Low Quality...Jet, Wilton, Birmingham, Clark Medium Quality...Clausing Atlas, Bridgeport, Acer. High Quality...Clausing Kondia, Lagun, Hurco. Am I right in my line of thinking. I have only used Bridgeport mills. Bridgeport used to be high quality and now they are medium because of castings made in the orient. Has anybody here used a Clausing Atlas or an Acer? I may be leaving a few off the list.

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Buzz

11-30-2005 17:25:08




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to Midwest redneck, 11-27-2005 14:23:16  
Midwest Redneck:

We use Lagun ---got 4 of them. Seem to work real nice. Digital readouts on them also. I'll echo everyone else on this post that there is a lot of used machinery out there for sale....enjoy shopping.

Buzz



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Davis In SC

11-29-2005 09:24:01




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to Midwest redneck, 11-27-2005 14:23:16  
It would be worth going to a few auctions, to look for a mill, as well as tooling... 10 Grand can go a long way at the right auction... There are lots of Plant Closing /Relocation Auctions these days ...



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kidbob

11-28-2005 20:45:59




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to Midwest redneck, 11-27-2005 14:23:16  
I don't do enough to consider a new mill but the one that looks good to me is the Hass tool room mill. It is a full CNC, or manual with DRO. If you run it manual it will remember what you did and repeat it. Also has stored standard programs, and all you have to do is answer deminsion questions.



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rc_ct

11-28-2005 08:40:40




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to Midwest redneck, 11-27-2005 14:23:16  
I'd look around for a used machine with ball screws on the x&y axis,variable speed head. From that you could with minimal investment turn it into a CNC. We use to do it on old line-o-mills or whatever the optical tracing machines were called. I'd save some $$ for tooling buying used is a good way to do that. Good luck



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Jet9N

11-27-2005 18:21:20




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to Midwest redneck, 11-27-2005 14:23:16  
I worked on an Acer for about 12 years and loved it. Far as I'm concerned it can't be beat for the money.

JMHO

Jet



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Davis In SC

11-27-2005 15:17:55




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to Midwest redneck, 11-27-2005 14:23:16  
A good friend of mine has 2 Acers, & swears he would not trade them for new Bridgeports... He is from Eastern Europe, & has been here 15 or so years... He is one of the best machinists I ever saw. He can have a part made before I can get the set up & math figured, LOL... He does some very close work on those Acers. I have never run them, but the table & quill movements, I have checked & they feel smoother than my Bridgeport... As a side note, several years after he bought them, one developed a slight noise in the head... He mentioned it to the distributor, at a Tool Show... A few weeks later, a crate with a new head was delivered to his shop...

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midwest redneck

11-27-2005 15:32:25




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to Davis In SC, 11-27-2005 15:17:55  
I think the Acer is made in Taiwan, Am I correct? The new bridgeports look nice but at $11,700 that is pretty steep of a price. For $11,700 I can get a older Bridgeport and a 6" Kurt Vise, readout, rotary table, collets and tooling.



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Arthur

11-28-2005 06:35:40




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to midwest redneck, 11-27-2005 15:32:25  
For that kind of money, you should be looking into a used machine w/ a Prototrak MX2 controler on it...Sweet combo....( Prototrak is made by Southwestern Industries, and turns your manual miller into an easy to program CNC, that will work w/ almost any CAD/CAM program...Even the cheap ones , like BOBCAD) Good luck...I have a protrtrak on a Lagun in my garage



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Midwest redneck

11-28-2005 07:17:36




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to Arthur, 11-28-2005 06:35:40  
Do you like the Lagun? What did you pay for the CNC prototrak? The SW industries with CNC proto is $28,500 new. A good used mill with a CNC package is $12,000 or so.



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Arthur

11-28-2005 08:33:47




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to Midwest redneck, 11-28-2005 07:17:36  
The Lagun is a quality machine... the ptototrak is an older model than the MX2...therefore will not take rs232 port info....I paid $8000 for them both....You can get a prototrak w/ bridgeport for 12 large around here....



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Davis In SC

11-27-2005 18:04:44




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to midwest redneck, 11-27-2005 15:32:25  
Last I knew, the Acer was from Taiwan, but it would be worth asking, could be from China , now. That is not a bad price on the Bridgeport, in 1993, I gave $13,362.00 for one, with short table, DRO, X-axis power feed, Chrome ways... I have not seen or used one of the new Hardinge-built ones... So I cannot give any input on them.. You mentioned the Kondia & Lagun, they seem to be good machines, but I always found them to be "Clunky", not very Ergonomic... seemed the controls were just awkward...

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Easy

11-27-2005 17:19:58




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 Re: Calling all machinists, toolmakers, moldmakers in reply to midwest redneck, 11-27-2005 15:32:25  
I would shop around before I spent that 11,700. I sold a Bridgeport 2 years ago for $1300. It had a vise, collects and a digital readout. A J head, not a varible speed head, but nice shape. I bought it for 800. Look around, there are a lot of shops going out of business. BTW, get your business in order before you commit a lot of money. I have used, Bridgeport, Index, Tree, but not Acer or the others. Good luck.

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