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

ARM,


Hi...

Tell me the ideal size and speed specifications for the lathe you would like to get. Sounds like 12x24". Give me some clues about what kind of work you do on it. Also tell me if you want ultra high precision or if you want what I will call "standard and reasonable" precision.

Let me do some research for you. Also, the differences in price are all due to economic factors such as exchange rates and primarily, cost of shipping and import taxes/duties.


Ray
 
george wilson said:
Yes,copies of the Hardinge HLVH are made in Taiwan. They are also very expensive. You get what you pay for in the end. Even at the high prices the HLVH clones sell for,I doubt you'd hear a professional machinist say they are really the equal of a USA HLVH. After all,the HLVH was selling for about $65,000.00 when they quit making them.
Click to expand...
Hi George
Yup. We've heard about them clones.
If we had the bucks we would get us a refurbished rebuilt BABIN MACHINE TOOL with the whole tooty-fruity, DRO and the works.
Now that would be some buy !!!
aRM
 
samthedog said:
Splash lubrication is sufficient even for higher speed machines. My Colchester Chipmaster has a top speed of 3000 rpm and has a splash lubricated headstock. The headstock oil I use is Shell Morlina S2 BL 10 (which is the recommended oil). This oil has a viscosity of 10 and is pretty much like water.

At these speeds, the quality of your lubricant, size of your spindle bearings and stability of the machine is put to the test. This also means that the chucks you use need to be rated for these speeds and then you start talking higher level equipment. Both my 3 and 4 jaw chucks are rated to 3000 rpm and would likely cost the price of a cheap hobby lathe on their own so it's not simply a case of increasing the speed of a machine.

You really need to invest in good oil and keep a very strict maintenance routine when you start talking higher speeds. Regular checks are necessary at each day and checking that chucks and work are secure become critical. A 4 kilogram chuck spinning at 3000 rpm becomes an unstoppable missile.

I don't think it would be a problem to increase the speed to 2500 rpm, provided the mass of the work you turn is not too high or unbalanced as this would put a lot more strain on the bearings.

Paul.
Click to expand...
Hello PAUL
Good to hear from U. Much appreciate the important advices from a crucially different perspective.
Have noted the Quality of Lubricating Oil U specify.
We had recently been offered an EMCO MAXIMAT V10P in excellent condition which we rejected for that very same reason U stated. We were fearful of that THREADED CHUCK turning loose and also whilst running in reverse. ( We hear the growl from the older machinists ) It's just that we would never have been happy with that set up. We have therefor specifically looked for a CAMLOCK SPINDLE MOUNT and shied away from any threaded ones.
We hope the Manufacturer's can aptly cope with the increase in speed. Our application would be for quite light turnings, even COLLET mounted, and we also have some reservations on the ability of the spindle bearings lasting the distance.
Need to sass out the maker on this.
Thanks again
aRM
 
If that Babin machine guy is the same as the well known Ali Babin,you might be well advised to steer completely clear of him. Ali Babin seems to be a well known shyster.

I have heard that you must NEVER leave the Babin machinery place without EVERY little piece that you paid for. He never honors his promise to find missing things and send them to you. I don't want anything a guy like that has rebuilt,either,IF he is the same person as Ali Babin. I have heard many bad stories about Ali Babin.

P.S. I just found out FOR SURE that The machinery rebuilder in MASSACHUSETTS is PAUL BABIN. He is not related two ALI BABIN,the infamous other guy. Ali lives in Texas.
 
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George,

Indirectly, you read my mind... Not only am I trying to find a machine suitable for ARM, I want to find a machine that's handled by a distributor that will actually deliver it to him.... When you deal with overseas shipments like this, things get lost sometimes -and sometimes, they are never delivered in the first place. You need to see Bill of Ladings up-front and you need to base your insurance coverage after you see the BoL.


Ray


george wilson said:
If that Babin machine guy is the same as the well known Ali Babin,you might be well advised to steer completely clear of him. Ali Babin seems to be a well known shyster.
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Ray C said:
ARM,


Hi...

Tell me the ideal size and speed specifications for the lathe you would like to get. Sounds like 12x24". Give me some clues about what kind of work you do on it. Also tell me if you want ultra high precision or if you want what I will call "standard and reasonable" precision.

Let me do some research for you. Also, the differences in price are all due to economic factors such as exchange rates and primarily, cost of shipping and import taxes/duties.


Ray
Click to expand...

Hi Ray
Man 'tis real cool on Your part to try and resolve our dilemma.
Here goes................
Bed Size definitely 12x24", No bed gap no problemo. All Dials Leadscrew etc in Metric. Speed to 2500/2800 RPM - even better with VARIABLE SPEED CONTROLLED INVERTER. Spindle Bore 40mm (1-9/16"), Spindle MT5 Taper, Must have 5C DRAW BAR TUBE, don't trust LEVER COLLET CLOSER - too many moving parts and expensive. With MT5 Spindle taper numerous Adaptors easily available for DRAW TUBE. Spindle Mounting D1-4 CAMLOCK - (easy to get good Chuck etc Tooling) Tailstock MT3, Prefer 3 HP motor in 380V 3 Phase. FOOT BRAKE - COMPULSORY !!! Machine must "weigh-IN at over 500 Kgs, thats about Your 1100 lbs. U know, the heavier the better. Include most ACCESSORIES, plus DRO - if not too expensive.

Presently, mostly Hobby Turning. Turned some 20/30 mm Cartridges and liked that. Working in S/S and Titanium, so need good Coolant system. Man, does Ti need a flint !!! Need to do Threading both internal and external in Metric mostly for Knife Hilts etc.

We cannot afford "ultra high precision" - Standard and reasonable will be good enough for us, for now. So long as "precision" is built into the machine to some degree, it will suffice.

All Prices are generally Quoted from the East in US Dollars. We only deal that way. To make things even easier, we will organise our own Shipping so long as the machine is from TAIWAN specifically. U gotta let us know if otherwise so's we can confirm accordingly. Import Duty and local VAT is all for our Account.

Trust this will give U a fair indication. Let me know if there's something omitted.
LORD BLESS
aRM

- - - Updated - - -

george wilson said:
If that Babin machine guy is the same as the well known Ali Babin,you might be well advised to steer completely clear of him. Ali Babin seems to be a well known shyster.

I have heard that you must NEVER leave the Babin machinery place without EVERY little piece that you paid for. He never honors his promise to find missing things and send them to you. I don't want anything a guy like that has rebuilt,either,IF he is the same person as Ali Babin. I have heard many bad stories about Ali Babin.
Click to expand...

Hey George, U Guys should know these dudes better than us.
We talking from eyeballing his window-dressing
Oh well, another bad deal bites the dust.
Sad to hear really.
aRM
 
RAY
Hi
Just a teeny-weeny reminder.
Do keep us posted on any progress
Will PM U
Thanks
aRM
 
ARM,

I'm sorry for the late reply. I spent a couple days looking and I cannot find a machine that suits you -and then I just plain forgot to reply :)

You want a cross between a high precision HLV-type machine and a traditional lathe. These days, any new production machine with a 24" length immediately makes the rest of the requirements impossible to find.

The lathe you were looking at (or one like it) is about as close of a match as I can find...


Ray




ARM said:
RAY
Hi
Just a teeny-weeny reminder.
Do keep us posted on any progress
Will PM U
Thanks
aRM
Click to expand...
 
If money was "Just growing on trees for me" I would buy the guys in the model engineering society I go to a new lathe & milling machine + other goodies For myself, I would keep everything in my small shop, it is nice, However now for my shopping basket -- Things to play with, Nothing carried out to make money , that would be too boring I would build myself a nice purpose built heavy machine shop
Into this I would move my Holbrook & my vertical slotting machine
Out would go my milling machine
In would come (If one was available) a nice good condition old Cincinnati & a Milwaukie ( Kearney & Trecker) + a Bridgeport, & a nice Alexander die miller
a nice Colchester Major, & a Student lathe , a big Lang lathe, a Hendey tool room lathe (cone drive flat belt model --dead smooth!) + a Boxford lathe

A nice Cincinnati, a Hendey, & a British Butler shaping machine All three ( cannot have too many shapers!) + a big Butler travelling head shaping machine
a good big camel back drilling machine & a nice two foot radial drilling machine
A nice old American Dill slotting machine --Very hard to find) + a bigger Butler or an Ormerod slotting machine
Double column planing machine about six foot stroke
H.W. Ward 2a capstan lathe + similar Warner & Swasey
Small horizontal boring mill & a two foot vertical boring mill
Tool & cutter grinder, marking out table &loads of tooling

A side bay with a nice little iron & brass foundry & heat treatment oven & forge & anvil

O I almost forgot tea & coffee making equipment & place to lie back (horizontally if too tired to be bothered!) good heating , bridge crane & burglar alarm

Well guys I really am too old to be bothered , but it is nice to dream
 
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