New Haas SL-30: Looking for Tool holders

[HaasStudent]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone has any advice to give concerning the proprietary Haas lathe turret that came with our '00 SL-30T.

Finding Holders for inserts is no problem, however, it seems that nobody except Haas makes the tool holder-holders (and by that I mean the indexed cylindrical steel holders that pass through the turret and are locked in with a threaded ring). I'm not opposed to buying the holders from Haas, except that they want almost $400 per holder, which seems absolutely ridiculous.

We have also explored replacing the whole turret, but we estimated that to be around $2000, which seems excessive also.

Any suggestions on which directions we can go, or places that we might find used or aftermarket tool holders?

Thank you!

[txcncman]

@HaasStudent - Please tell more about your situation/operation. Is this machine to be used in an educational environment (the basis of the Student in the nickname)? Is this a garage machine shop? A full blow production shop? A hobby shop?

I am always curious when people classify themselves as machinist and then seem to have no clue as to tool/machine costs. $400 per tool holder seems a reasonable price to me. If this price is not doable for you, what would the cost be for you to machine your own tool holders?

A new machine should have come with a fairly good selection of tool holders. A used machine is usually sold "as is" and it is up to the buyer to take care of anything that is missing or needed in addition to what is there. You probably got a "good deal" because things were missing.

[HaasStudent]

Upon the creation of this account, I was a student. It still applies, and always will, because one never stops learning. I do not come from a production machine shop background, my experience comes from prototyping and running extremely small batches of parts in a free-for-all University shop environment. So you will have to pardon the communication barrier that I am presented with.

I am currently working for a manufacturer of racing brake parts. We are working on bringing all manufacturing in house. However, we are not large and therefore $4800 is completely unrealistic just so that we can then purchase the inserts and insert holders to put in those. Seems a bit ridiculous.

The reason that $400 seems horribly unrealistic to me is that the holders are nothing more than a simple lathe part with minimal secondary milling operations performed to it. I have considered making them in house, but we only have one lathe, and it currently has zero tools in it.

Also, if the only place selling these is getting $400 a pop for them, and they are so incredibly simple, why then does another company not make them and sell them for less?

Does that give you a better understanding of where I am coming from?

[WallyL7]

Do what txcncman suggests. That's what I did with my old HL-2. We had a few from haas, then when we were a little slow, we made a bunch of our own.

As far as price, they are higher than standard VDI holders - those are the fun little things about Haas that always add up

[txcncman]

@HaasStudent - Thanks. Welcome to my world. As long as you have other machines available, you can make most of the parts you need for this one. As you note, this is a fairly simple part. If a customer came to you with a blueprint for this part, wouldn't you quote it? And if that customer placed an order, wouldn't you machine it? What would your quote be? $125.00? $275.00? Did you remember to include the material and any special tooling and outside processes? The point is, if it is a machined part and you work in a machine shop with the needed equipment, you should be able to make this thing. The question is, will it be cost effective to make it yourself or to buy it for $400.00?

[Geof]

....Also, if the only place selling these is getting $400 a pop for them, and they are so incredibly simple, why then does another company not make them and sell them for less?.....

Probably because the demand is close to zero.

Why don't you put up a request for quote here:

RFQ (Request for Quote). - CNCzone.com-The Largest Machinist Community on the net!

If a correctly equipped machine shop cannot make them for less than $400 they are not very competent.

[txcncman]

I do not even have any CNC machines right now, and I bet I could make them for under $250 each on manual machines, including the material and outside heat treat to case harden. (This is not an actual bid - just a WAG - I would want actual prints and specs to work off of before submitting a legitimate bid.)

[double a-ron]

I love how the post title says "New" haas sl30... but the machine is almost 12 years old, and they don't even make the sl series anymore. Not trying to be a dick, just thought it was kinda funny.

[txcncman]

I love how the post title says "New" haas sl30... but the machine is almost 12 years old, and they don't even make the sl series anymore. Not trying to be a dick, just thought it was kinda funny.

Agreed. But that is the same as when someone buys a used car, it is "new" to them.