If money was no problem, what would you get??

samthedog

Token Aussie
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So you have won the lottery, now what machines would you buy? You can be as ambitious as you like.

For me I think I would buy a Schaublin 150 lathe:

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And a Schaublin 22 milling machine:

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So what about you folks? Let your imaginations run wild!!!

Paul.

scha10.jpg img_0012.jpg
 
I have already had this daydream. :)

As I am quite happy with my little SB, I'd probably get the SB1037F 16x40 lathe and the SB1027F mill. Those would be big enough to allow me to do long gun building. And then I'd need everything else to go along with it: surface grinder, media blaster, buffer room, welder, etc.

sb1037f.jpg
sb1027f.jpg

sb1037f.jpg

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I think the machines would come second. First thing would be to get me a couple of acres, build me a nice home with a fancy kitchen to keep my wife entertained and then a whooping awesome detached building with at least 1500 SQFT to hold my shop.

OK, now for tools. I think I would get the Grizzly catalog and look for some of the most expensive tools they offer. On the other hand, I already have a CNC mill (a tormach PCNC1100) and I just love all the stuff I can do with it, so I guess a CNC lathe would also come in handy. Tormach has been venting the idea of a CNC lathe for a few years and have been making an excellent job of drooling us to death with videos and such. When it will be available and how much will it cost is kind of an unknown, but with a few millions I guess I could enhance my chances of getting one of the first units.

The millions are quite hard to come by, though... Ahhh! Day dreaming! the wonders you make on our puny brains...
 
All I can think of is money was no problem, I'd buy a new butt because mine has a crack in it and the way it's been dragging lately I'm pretty sure I've worn a hole in it. (okay, just kidding as it was in humor, albeit poor humor)

Actually if money were no problem, I'd start a non profit organization that took "at risk" people and teach them to be machinist, welders, electricians, carpenters, etc. etc. and take jobs on for cost. I'd have a large tract of land that would have a large central classroom/shop with housing for singles and families and make it mandatory that all persons attend multiple classes on varying disciplines including home economics, managing a budget, math and other technical lessons in order to become self sufficient and productive in society. They would receive a small wage and room and board, of course drug and alcohol testing would be mandatory as well as attending certain social functions. The only caveat would be once a person becomes self sufficient, I'd ask that they help teach others for a period of time and pay it forward!

Now if only I could win a few hundred million from the lottery, because I see no other way I would become that wealthy honestly!
 
If money were not a concern. I would probably expand my shop considerably and make it tall enough to lift a vehicle in and get a full size frame building jig/plate. I might upgrade my machinery to something a bit more current and a tad larger. My big investment would be in tooling and making the stuff available to friends and acquaintances. I kind of see it as the go to place when you need a part made or to get a piece to repair whatever youre working on like a hay bailer, root rake, hydraulic cylinders and controls, Boats, cars, whatever ya need to get going. The rest of us could sit on the screened in front patio in the shade and drink iced tea and bench race till somebody finally wins...Of course it would have adequate air, water, plumbing for a bathroom and shower, heat and A/C, 110 and 220 drops everywhere and an EPA compliant waste collection system to protect the environment. The welders would have fume extractors and an adequate down draft table for fabbing up whatever you want.......And then I woke up, and I was still disabled and my shop was still 20X20.

Bob
 
Haas mini mill with chip conveyor and automatic tool changer, and a brand spanking new Monarch 10EE with metric/english gearbox. Perhaps a new house to go with the new shop as well ;)
 
Would love my own EDM, a JONES & SHIPMAN Surface Grinder, a DEKEL Milling machine, another Schaublin Mill and a SCHAUBLIN 150 LATHE as well.
Add a WEILER MATADOR VS2 and a LEINEN Lathe and a DEKEL PANTOGRAPH while we are at it.
Oh, and before we forget, cap it all of with an ACIERA DRILL PRESS.
Now that's all worth a Dream.
aRM
 
A few of the Mazak or Haas 9 axis CNC machining centers would be in my new 5000 SqFt climate controlled shop on my 10000 acre piece of land in central Texas. And a lifetime supply of inserts and endmills.
 
Actually if money were no problem, I'd start a non profit organization that took "at risk" people and teach them to be machinist, welders, electricians, carpenters, etc. etc. and take jobs on for cost. I'd have a large tract of land that would have a large central classroom/shop with housing for singles and families and make it mandatory that all persons attend multiple classes on varying disciplines including home economics, managing a budget, math and other technical lessons in order to become self sufficient and productive in society. They would receive a small wage and room and board, of course drug and alcohol testing would be mandatory as well as attending certain social functions. The only caveat would be once a person becomes self sufficient, I'd ask that they help teach others for a period of time and pay it forward!

This is slightly off topic but this is what the education system should be teaching people already. As an ex-school teacher, I explained to my students that the subject I taught may never be needed again. The skills to research, construct and deliver the projects on the other hand would give them experience managing their time, finding key information, constructing logical arguments and working to a deadline.

One of the first things I teach my students is how to set objectives, that are

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely

Then memory techniques and then the MURDER study technique. The idea is that they should be learning skills, not a subject. Teaching people about things, is not the same as teaching people how to do things. This was one of the reasons I left the education system and develop training programs for private enterprise. Less babysitting and more actual teaching, coaching and training.

Paul.
 
Thats it Paul, that is what I have been trying to say. Remembering writing stupid book reports on Coloumbus course I got a "F" I was more
interested in the boat than him. Even then my thoughts were, Coloumbus never did and never will pay my bills. But my 'twist' was, say
a book report on Marconi or Telsa that was straight "A's". Talk about being ridiculed, I was the only boy in high school who took sewing as
an elective subject. And as of now, I possess a industrial Singer 220 3 ph machine. I was prohibited for shop class by my parants, they
called it dumb bell school, and every one of those dumpbells now are successful business owners and just about all of "the most likely to
succeed", ended up in Macdonalds or some box stores.

Back to the post, I'm easy, I want a 36" Cincy shaper and a plasma cutter .
 
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