Reply with QuoteGreat story-
Hope this doesn't start a big argument, but under the current administration, I think we are going to see a lot more stories like this in all sorts of industries.
Re: Well I did it.
Congrats Steve and welcome to the other club. It's okay to keep the Tormach if you had rudder.
I kept the Novakon Pulsar mill as well when I bought the Haas Mini Mill and it is getting setup to create another product for us that is also in high demand.
Look forward to seeing the new machines and space.
I think I have seen you mention that you have used a Haas before. If so, then most things will be very similar to the older interfaces or so I have heard.
Lee
Re: Well I did it.
Great story-
Hope this doesn't start a big argument, but under the current administration, I think we are going to see a lot more stories like this in all sorts of industries.
I was forced into retirement in 2007 by a major health issue.Originally Posted by keen
My original plan was to work till I turned 70 and then decide what I wanted to do, but I checked into the hospital for what I thought was going to be an angiogram and maybe a couple of stents and ended up with 5 bypasses and a new aortic valve.
After that my wife did something she had never done before. She gave me an ultimatum. My surgery was mid October 2007 and she told me I had until January 1st to make up my mind. I could have her or I could have my shop. I put the shop up for sale mid December and by January 15th it was gone.
I’ve said before, if I had it to do over again I would have taken some of the money I got got my FADAL, paid off my Haas and brought it home.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my Tormach, but the Haas was a WAY better machine.
My Haas was the TM1 Tool Room Mill. It had a 7.5 horsepower spindle, 200 IPM rapids, a 10 Station CAT 40 tool changer, rigid tapping and a 5C 4th axis.
The biggest reason I went back to Haas is the way I was treated when I sent my machine back. I owed a little over $14,000 on it. When they took it back they sold it for $22,000.00 from which they took $2000.00, paid off my $14000.00 loan and sent me almost $6,000.00. They didn’t even send me a check, they did a direct deposit.
I tuffed it out for almost 4 years after that before I bought my PCNC1100 in July 2011.
When I first got my machine, I took what ever kind of work I could get as long as it wasn’t over 25 pieces. My business card says 1 to 10 pieces is our specialty.
I did work for a fiber optic company here in town, and my brother has a wire EDM shop in which he cuts a lot of Inconel 718. I don’t know if any of you have experience with Inconel 718, but it can be some really nasty stuff to cut if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Re: Well I did it.
Jolly good show Steve. Hope you'll continue to share some of your experience and wisdom with us. Many of us, myself included, aren't real machinists, and truly appreciate your insight and suggestions. Though I've not yet needed a bypass I did have an AVR twelve years ago and at 79 come January, I continue to do well. My valve came from a pig. The surgeon had planned on one from a cow but ultimately went with one from a pig. (That's a real hoot because both he and myself are observant Jews
Anyway, best wishes to in your endeavors and also wishing you and your's a very Merry Christmas and a most Happy New Year.
My valve is a pig valve as well and now my wife tells me I can’t eat bacon any more because that would make me a cannibal.Jolly good show Steve. Hope you'll continue to share some of your experience and wisdom with us. Many of us, myself included, aren't real machinists, and truly appreciate your insight and suggestions. Though I've not yet needed a bypass I did have an AVR twelve years ago and at 79 come January, I continue to do well. My valve came from a pig. The surgeon had planned on one from a cow but ultimately went with one from a pig. (That's a real hoot because both he and myself are observant Jews
Anyway, best wishes to in your endeavors and also wishing you and your's a very Merry Christmas and a most Happy New Year.
Yes, I will continue to share my knowledge here. I rather enjoy helping people learn how to run these machines. I am however, kind of a dinasaur in that I don’t know Path Pilot. I’m still using Mach III. I understand the FANUC style programming.
I told Andy once if they’d like me to use Path Pilot, send me a control computer and if I like it I’ll pay for it. If I don’t like it I’ll send it back. He said he’d look into it and I’ve never heard another word about it.
You can buy GOOD PARTS or you can buy CHEAP PARTS, but you can't buy GOOD CHEAP PARTS.
