what I hate about my vf2

[fourperf]

banging my head on the top sheet metal when I reach into the machine.

In all seriousness this is an amazing machine which far surpasses my expectations

mark

[Donkey Hotey]

Hmmm...you must be a lot taller than me then. I'm 5'11" and I've never bumped my head there.

FWIW: be glad that you didn't get a TM-1. I got a chance to play around with a TM-2 for about 5 hours yesterday.

Compared to the VF-2, I really don't like the ergonomics of the TM. It was awkward working around the tool carousel. The chips and coolant were flinging all over the place. The tool changes were so slow that I kept checking the rapid-override wondering if we were in 25% mode.

We were using a 3/8" drill in a fairly long chuck & mandrel holder (the only tooling available). With that long bit in the chuck, it looked pretty close getting that bit up and over a standard 6" vise and 1" tall part.

The TMs are nice machines for the money but you got a much nicer machine. Better learn to duck when you reach into that machine.

Oh yeah, something I hate about my VF-2: they came out with the VF-2YT about 6 months after I bought mine. I wish I had that extra 4" of Y travel.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by fourperf banging my head on the top sheet metal when I reach into the machine. In all seriousness this is an amazing machine which far surpasses my expectations mark

That is not too bad, but don't do what I did; opened the side window and leaned in....I have the 1-1/2" to 2" long scar on the top of my head to remind me in the future to avoid any tools sticking down from the toolchanger.

[fourperf]

I have the 1-1/2" to 2" long scar on the top of my head to remind me in the future to avoid any tools sticking down from the toolchanger.

that must have bled like crazy.


I cant thank you enough greg. I too wish I had more Y travel although I could not have thrown more money at it. I am still trying to work out getting a tl1. As well as selling my fadal I also sold my bridgeport series 1. I hope I dont regret that although I havnt used it since I got my VF2

Mark

[Geof]

Originally Posted by fourperf ........ I also sold my bridgeport series 1. I hope I dont regret that although I havnt used it since I got my VF2 Mark

I have a Bridgeport clone that I only use when all the CNCs are occupied. I find the Haas control so handy I run the machine in Handle Jog and use it almost like a manual machine.

[fourperf]

yep. I think I wont miss it

[Donkey Hotey]

I'm using my knee mill less and less. We seem to have this discussion every couple of days at work.

Two years ago, our early 1990s Acra started to fall apart (the tilt/angle knuckle casting, behind the head, was literally crumbling back into sand).

They got 'emergency authorization' to buy a new mill. They bought a brand-new, Bridgeport Series 1 with a genuine Servo X-axis and a two-axis Accurite DRO. When it was totaled, the credit card was hit for about $14K. You just know that I was pushing for another $10K so we could get a TM-1 instead. It didn't happen.

The argument is that you need a knee-mill for that one-off, weird setup. In all truth, we have used it.

Just a couple of months ago, we had 4 big c-clamp frames that needed to be bored for threads. The saddle was in the way of putting the clamp around the table. It was too tall to do on top of the machine. We rotated the turret 45 degrees, slid the head out all the way and did the job over the right hand side of the table (where the frame was able to wrap under the table).

Other things might include off-angle boring/drilling (tilt the head), drilling a few precision holes, shaving one surface and other simple jobs. They're not worth breaking down a production setup so the machine is handy to have.

Or maybe pre-setup operations (drilling fixture holes to hold parts before they go into the CNC.

I'll admit that I'm generally in favor of losing the knee-mill but my buddy at work has proven me wrong on a couple of occasions. Of course, they eventually found a replacement knuckle for the Acra so we we now have two manual knee mills and no CNC. We blew our 'once in a lifetime' new machine budget on a manual machine.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by Donkey Hotey .....Just a couple of months ago, we had 4 big c-clamp frames that needed to be bored for threads. The saddle was in the way of putting the clamp around the table. It was too tall to do on top of the machine. We rotated the turret 45 degrees, slid the head out all the way and did the job over the right hand side of the table (where the frame was able to wrap under the table).......

There you have hit it right on the head. That is why it is worth have this 'obsolete junk' hanging around; sometimes it can pull your a**s out of the fire.

[Dr Honda]

easy solution... buy an F3

[pit202]

VF3 isn`t so tall also , I can see the top of the doors and covers

[Donkey Hotey]

Originally Posted by Geof That is why it is worth have this 'obsolete junk' hanging around;

Well lemme' tell ya' about my Atlas shaper...

[ltmquik]

VF-3SSYT... No scars or crashed tools due to the Side Mount TC. Just be sure to label large and heavy tools as such.

We love our HAAS machines over our other manufactures machines.