Newbie- Office-mate owners?

[slideleft]

Hello All,
I am contemplating the purchase of an OM-2A. My primary use will be small part machining of somewhat intricate jewelry in SS, Ti, wax and eventually precious metals. The Officemates seem to be pretty rare, so I'd love help in getting any info from owners on their opinions/ possible issues with these machines- like how many have they actually sold.
And yes, I've read the posts regarding getting a Super-mini. This is still a consideration, though I really like a faster spindle, smaller footprint, more tools.
Regardless, both machines are hard to come by used(at least right now, which is when I want it), so if anyone has any leads, please let me know.
Thanks in advance,
Jeff

[Donkey Hotey]

I don't think I've seen anybody post in here that has either the Office Mill or the Office Lathe.

I don't know how many they've sold but there must be some sales. Haas focuses on mass-market products. With that said: it'll be awhile before you find many used ones. I remember one was being parted out on eBay about a year ago (no clue why). Other than that, you're probably faced with buying new.

If you need the spindle RPM, the Mini and Super Mini don't sound like the right machines for you. I would imagine you need the Office Mill with the little 4th axis unit they sell for it. It's a pretty pricey combination but tailored to your exact needs.

[JohnJW]

Can you use an air spindle to get the high RPM and approach the capability of a OM mill with a Mini or a VF? I think there's an article on the OM mill used in dental molding in the latest Haas magazine.

[ducesrwld]

sometimes the best place to look for users is Haas' CNC Magazine, they just had a write up on the OM-2A.

http://www.haascnc.com/cncmag/explor...lumeNo=12#2008

Look at issue 40 about the dental lab utilizing this machine.