gleas
02-21-2009, 01:22 PM
Hello All!
First, some personal background before the question. This personal stuff might seem odd but I think it may help to shorten the thread overall.
My name is Greg and I just sold my “Mom and Pop” machining business of over 27 years. I’m almost 60 years old and in a wheelchair due to poor health. Have been in the machining industry for over 40 years, made a lot of money, wasted a lot of money, gone through 3 or 4 recessions and watched my business and the U.S. manufacturing industry slowly decline over the past decades. Now that it’s over, and the smoke has cleared a little, My wife and I are left with a lot of great memories and very little money from the sale. While my body is a mess, my mind refuses to quit. We need to supplement our income or end up on the street. I have a few small aluminum and plastic product ideas that have accumulated on the back burner while in the business. We live in a mobile home park and have a small 8x12 shed out back, plus a small spare bedroom in the house.
Have been researching bench top lathes and mills and it seems there are many options and trade offs to consider. I’m looking for a benchtop cnc mill $5,000.00 that will accommodate some short production runs 5-30 parts on aluminum with good repeatability and able to hold at least +- .005. Will need to be able to drill, mill holes 1” dia. by 2” deep max without major hemorrhaging.
The lathe doesn’t need to be CNC but would like it to be kit retrofitable at a later date maybe. My budget is about $1,000.00 - $1,500 for the Lathe.
I don’t like what I am seeing in the spindle speed department on any of the machines, lathe or mill, Sieg, Syil etc. so I am looking for possible work around ideas anyone might have.
I have been reading threads all over this great forum for many years and would like to thank all of you in advance for your input. Maybe now, I can be more of a contributor and less a reader.
Thanks
First, some personal background before the question. This personal stuff might seem odd but I think it may help to shorten the thread overall.
My name is Greg and I just sold my “Mom and Pop” machining business of over 27 years. I’m almost 60 years old and in a wheelchair due to poor health. Have been in the machining industry for over 40 years, made a lot of money, wasted a lot of money, gone through 3 or 4 recessions and watched my business and the U.S. manufacturing industry slowly decline over the past decades. Now that it’s over, and the smoke has cleared a little, My wife and I are left with a lot of great memories and very little money from the sale. While my body is a mess, my mind refuses to quit. We need to supplement our income or end up on the street. I have a few small aluminum and plastic product ideas that have accumulated on the back burner while in the business. We live in a mobile home park and have a small 8x12 shed out back, plus a small spare bedroom in the house.
Have been researching bench top lathes and mills and it seems there are many options and trade offs to consider. I’m looking for a benchtop cnc mill $5,000.00 that will accommodate some short production runs 5-30 parts on aluminum with good repeatability and able to hold at least +- .005. Will need to be able to drill, mill holes 1” dia. by 2” deep max without major hemorrhaging.
The lathe doesn’t need to be CNC but would like it to be kit retrofitable at a later date maybe. My budget is about $1,000.00 - $1,500 for the Lathe.
I don’t like what I am seeing in the spindle speed department on any of the machines, lathe or mill, Sieg, Syil etc. so I am looking for possible work around ideas anyone might have.
I have been reading threads all over this great forum for many years and would like to thank all of you in advance for your input. Maybe now, I can be more of a contributor and less a reader.
Thanks