Let's see some machine work

[RatVonDude]

weird, fortunately I'll never need to buy one. 

[mklotz70]

[captaingamez]

I hear you. These machines are total pieces of shit. On the mill the slots taper .030 from one end to the other and they are .015 from being square to the edges of the table.

The chinese build complete garbage. We bought one chinese machine, a water jet, and we will never buy one again.

 

The pump self destructed internally, that cost us $5000 in parts shipped from china and when they shipped them they threw them in a big box of saran wrap with bubble wrap on top of them. We are talking about a hydraulic pump rebuild kit, it weighs 150+ pounds and has like 10 heavy ass parts in it. They shipped it in a box barely strong enough for clothing and of course because they didnt pack it worth shit, all the parts hit eachother and destroyed more than half of them.

 

We called the chinese (Yongda Machinery) and they said "oh it will be fine, our waterjets are designed to run with the parts like that"

 

I swear to god that is what they told us. The pump housings had a 1/2 inch dent in each of them and the walls of the cylinders were totally scored and ruined and we couldnt even thread the cylinders into the housing the threads were so bad. Theres $5000 in parts down the drain. We finally got the water jet working but now we want it gone because we never want to deal with the chinese again.

 

 

Its really funny how people in aerospace call HAAS "throw away machines" when the chinese exist out there in the realm of machinery. I machine within +/- .0005 on a 20 year old haas vf-2 which has only had a few small parts replaced in its life. Throw away machines? well 20 years in on our VF-2 and 17 years in on our HMCs with no sign of them letting up says quite a bit otherwise. Our Yongda POS water jet is not even 10 years old and the quality is appalling.

[mklotz70]

I follow a trade magazine or two......things seem to be shifting back to machine work being done in the US because of the chinese quality you're talking about.  I'm dealing with a few issues on my new hobby cnc mill that are a "chinese quality" issue.  It's probably a good thing that a lot of their stuff sucks......if they put out top quality....I think we'd go under pretty quickly :(

[Mattndew76]

If you want a decent hobby mill for under $20,000 get a Fadal VMC-10 or 15.

 

Runs on single or dual phase 220, and usually has all the bells n whistles. I got mine for $9000

 

For the $$ you can't beat it and they are once again manufactured in the USA.

[q-tip]

The latest thing to happen with the Chinese crap is the draw bar system fell off if the back of the spindle....fucking fell off!!! The bolts all backed out and its slowly worked it way off of the spindle. Its been doing this since we got it because the tool length had not been repeating all the time. Stuff is total crap, I would rather run my 30 year old Czechoslovakian POS I at least have control of that one

[mklotz70]

Matt.....is that new or used?  I wanted new so that I didn't have to work on it, but that hasn't been the case :(

[Mattndew76]

I have seen Fadal's that have less than 800 hours used go for $15,000

 

Mine is a 1994 and have had only one axis control card blink out on me. Issues are nil. It has 4th axis hookup and ready should I ever fix my index.

 

CNC88HS controls also come capable for trickle feed without buying a $4000 option like Haas and other machine manufactures ask.

[captaingamez]

I have looked at Fadals recently and I agree with you, thats a fairly solid machine. Haas is a little ridiculous with their options I also agree.

 

How much production do you do on your Fadal? How many years have you had it?

[Mattndew76]

I bought my machine in 2005 and I use it 40+ hours a week.

 

I love this machine. Mind that I have other favorites but they are way beyond my pay grade for now. I will recommend Fadal to anyone who wants to take the step toward independence.

[captaingamez]

I have seriously been doing some thinking towards this lately. Did you finance yours? How were the payments?

[Mattndew76]

I saved a couple tax returns and sold a few things I didn't need so I could pay cash.

 

I must say that financing is not for me. I can't stand the stress. Try your best to save and sell what you can to buy it outright. That way if things are tight it makes you $$ vs cost you money.

[q-tip]

Its a fact that you can't run your own a machine shop......if you don't already work at one.

[captaingamez]

haha I am thinking of producing some parts. Maybe even some wheels. Its very tempting. I am nervous to buy a used machine though because you never know what the last owner did with it.

[Mattndew76]

 

Kinda blurry :(

[q-tip]

Its still purdy though

[captaingamez]

Thats a nice op-1.How are you holding it in op-2? Did you make fitted pie jaws?

 

 

be sure to post a pic of the completed product, looks badass.

[Mattndew76]

Here is a 98% done crank pulley.

 

 

[mklotz70]

crank pulley?  I would have guessed cam. 

Any vid from the machining?

[Mattndew76]

I don't have a good camera for production films.

[mklotz70]

:(

[]2eDeYe]

Production films? How about a quick vid with your phone?  :D

[Mattndew76]

I will do a phone video when I start the pump puller. Hows that?

 

I would like to do a cross over with the KlotZ ;)

 

I will be investing in a gopro cam for starting a CNC channel on the youtube. 

[mklotz70]

Cross over?

[Mattndew76]

Yeah like a comic book. This machinist visits your shop.