Newbie- Who has the Knowledge? First machine

[ccmizer6]

Okay here is my dilemma. And i know someone out there has the know how and info. I am experienced in cad, and most cad programs, the machining side i dont know much. So this is my first machine purchase. I mean there is so many options out there from torchmate to tormach to roland to bridgeport, i need some direction. Here is what im looking for:
1. Ability to add a forth axis
2. Ability to work with many materials from wood, foam, and hard metals
3. Ability to 3d map objects.
4. Under 10k
5. Create anything from small pieces of Jewelry to medium sized molds to large brackets.
6. Due to some small parts need accuracy.

[LUCKY13]

AT that price range I would guess either the IH (Indistrial HObbies) or the Tormach.


Both have section in this forum to research and find which one fits your needs best.



Jess

[ataxy]

at under 10k is this with tooling

[ccmizer6]

Yes, I would like to get something with tooling. So if its possible to get it all then defiantly. What about Syil, I know they seem to have some affordable packages that come with a forth axis.

[ataxy]

yes well thats why i asked because at under 10k with 4th axis and some tooling like vise, endmill set, some measuring tool you dont have alot of choice aside from syil a tormach with all the above would set you closer to 13k-15k

edit: what for you is a medium size mold size wise, this will have a big effect on the size of the machine you need or should get

[ccmizer6]

about two feet tall, 8 inches deep. Do you recommend any of those machines? What would you say has an easier learning curve, like i said ive been mostly on the design aspect, no machining, my pieces were just made for me.

[ataxy]

at under 10k i dont see any machine able to do part in the 24 inchs range in x, y or z even 8 inchs deep is pretty impossible ounce you add the lenght of the tool needed to that deep of a work your best bet would be to go for a cnc knee mill like a bridgeport but again this will cost you more then 10k

[Stepper Monkey]

If you are willing to dive into a simple CNC conversion of a knee mill yourself you could still pull it off under your budget.
I am amazed at the number of rich yuppie shmucks with barely used or unused little manual Bridgeport and Jet knee mills for sale on Craigslist. Now that they are trying to sell off all of thier toys to pay the mortgages there are some great deals to be found coming out of the gated communities right now. A lot of good small businesses going under now too unfortunately. Either way a lot on the market, in this area anyway, but I'm sure it's the same all over.

[ccmizer6]

i could probably go smaller, i just want the ability to be flexible with jobs. Any ideas

[Harryman]

You might want to narrow your search based on the size range of parts you want to make. While a larger mill can certainly mill small parts like jewelry, it's not the best choice for several reasons. Small mills tend to be better for small parts, larger mills for larger parts. If you aren't sure what your customers needs are going to be, I'd bet most will want parts on the larger side of the scale, not too many will want tiny stuff.

[sansbury]

Originally Posted by Stepper Monkey If you are willing to dive into a simple CNC conversion of a knee mill yourself you could still pull it off under your budget. I am amazed at the number of rich yuppie shmucks with barely used or unused little manual Bridgeport and Jet knee mills for sale on Craigslist. Now that they are trying to sell off all of thier toys to pay the mortgages there are some great deals to be found coming out of the gated communities right now.

A knee mill conversion could be a pretty harsh introduction for someone with very little machining experience.

On CL around here (Boston) I see knee mills already converted for under 10k, sometimes closer to 5k. If you have someone who knows what they're doing help you, it might work. But even this is chancy because anytime something breaks you have a choice between outrageously-priced New Old Stock replacements and scrounging for a working spare. Often there's a good reason these old machines seem so cheap to the inexperienced.

24"x8" also seems to me like a pretty large mold. A piece of aluminum 24x8x8 would weigh 150 pounds by itself. Steel closer to 500#. I know they make molds a *lot* bigger still but that seems like a serious piece of work for a small/home shop. Are these molds for yourself or for other people?