Originally Posted by Chevy-SS  Heya Guys,
I've been into RC (radio control) for a long time and I want to make some custom parts as needed. Nothing too big; I want to work with plastic, aluminum and light metal.
I was looking at Harbor Freight and they have this 3-in-1 Central Machinery unit for $599.99, item 46199: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=46199
It almost seems like a no-brainer for my situation, but I'd love an opinion or two.
Plus, a new Harbor Freight store is opening in Rhode Island, just about 20 miles from me, so I could buy parts and bits there, as well as the machine itself.
Many thanks for any feedback,
Dave in RI |
Dave,
I think to answer your first question you should ask other hobbists what they use. After that..
~The following are opinions only, take them for what they are woth, also noting I do not own nor have used a 3 in 1 machine.~
-I think that unless you are a gunsmith 3 in 1 machines are more bother then they are woth.
-That particular machine I have seen at my local HF store and it appears to be "clunky" and neither easy to use nor all that well made. The only advantage I can see is you can swing more then you can cut for what ever thats worth.
-If I were to buy a hobby lathe/mill combo I would buy the grizzly g0516, but i would not because the mill tends to be in the way alot, although the lathe is excellent and the mill(x2) is also seperate.
-I would buy the x2 series mill, which harbor freight carries, and a 7x10 or 8x14 lathe which they also carry.
-I would also investigate taig, I own a lathe and it came well equiped from an ebay auction for $275.
~Not opinions here~
-HF does not carry every thing in the catalog, there choices seem odd at best as to what they carry, in my expierence its always the same stuff at other stores.
-HF does not carry much in the way of tooling, so you cannot just pop in and buy something, nor do they carry any replacement parts in the stores. I would call before you go and look, they often run out of things and will sell the floor models untill replacements arrive. They will not order things out of the catalog into the stores I have tried at multiple locations and always recieved a no. Be warned that although I have never had problem getting something replaced(at least anythign worth bother) they can take a while to get parts as most of them come from china.
-with lathes esp. tooling is everything, I would buy a lathe that you can outfit easily, the 7x10's are perfect for this, so are taigs. Google carter tools once and look at his web site. Otherwise enco is a good mailorder place to buy cheap tooling.
-The HF store prices are not always what the catalog prices are, they will match them, but not always honor coupons in store-this seems to very.
-My first trip I took a credit card with me to HF, unless you are independantly wealthy go to the store unarmed, its sorta like going to a strip club with a pocket of singles. My wife said I am not allowed to go there with more then $100 at any time now.-she just never said I could not come back more then once.
chris