Machine Tools
Benny,
“Well, ok, first and foremost, the only difference between a lathe and a mill is that in a lathe, the work rotates and tool is stationary, while in a mill, the work is stationary and the tool rotates.”
Very broad statement. Find me a milling machine that can produce an Acme threaded shaft of any usable length.
“ The Sherline Mill and Lathe utilize the exact same motor and drive in either unit; the differences are solely is in the base.”
I have the combination machine. My lathe can be converted to a mill utilizing the same motor. It takes about 5 minutes to change between lathe and mill and then 5 minutes back again. I’m sure you waste more time working on modeling projects. That change over time is a weak excuse used by many home shop machinists.
“Me personally, I see a lot more work I could do on a mill versus a lathe.”
That may be true but the first time you want to turn a shaft, thread a part or make a round wheel, what will you use? The mill will be able to produce a nice square wheel ala the BC stone age cartoon. I know that somebody is just going to pop here and tell you can use a rotary mill table to do that. Your right, but the lathe is faster.
“ It may be indeed possible to machine a lathe with the mill, but even then I'd need a second motor and drive unit, so it's a wash in the end.”
You stated that above and I also said that it can be done with one drive unit, did you not?
“I'm quite aware that I cannot cut metal with the laser;”
This statement needs qualification. Lasers can cut metal depending on the type of laser used and then only certain metals can be cut. A CO2 laser is used to cut sheet metal for instance and of course it depends on the wattage output of how thick you can cut, just like a plasma cutter. The ruby YAG laser is weapons grade and will cut almost anything but a mirror.
“The Sherline is a good solid investment, but I'm not sure it would get much use versus the laser cutter. There is wisdom in this reality that the tools that go with the machines are as much if not more than the machines themselves,”
Again a false statement made by those who have no idea about machine tools. The lathe needs tool bits that can be bought very cheaply and I assume you already have a drill set right. What more do you need for a lathe?
“ and then the really good tooling is even more money on top of that.”
What is considered good tooling? Can you give me an example?
“ And finally, the learning curve with this setup is nontrivial, at least when we compare it to the laser cutter.”
That is absolutely true. The laser is easy because all it takes is a cad program and away you go. Anybody can do that. But to run a machine tool takes talent and know how and must be learned over a period of time. I know because I’ve been in the machine tool industry for over 40 years.
“The Laser Cutter then appears to be a more complete "package."
Not really. You can’t cut metal with a table top laser. I don’t think you can cut styrene. Not a very complete package if I say so my self. At least with a mill you can cut brass, steel, wood, plastics of all kinds. And so can the lathe cut the same products. I’m sure they use lathes and mills to make parts for building the laser. And the metal parts my even be stamped out instead of laser cut because it’s faster.
“I've spent enough time with an engraver at work to know these machines function more like a printer than anything else; press play and it prints what you ask it to print.”
Who fixes the engraver when it breaks down electrically? At least with a machine tool you can make a part and they are not that complicated electronically.
“The laser cutter has the distinct advantage that I could indeed make something that very is sale-able very quickly, compared to anything I make out of metal. The likelihood that I could recoup my investment would appear better with the laser cutter versus the mill/lathe - I could perhaps even come back to the lathe/mill after a couple years on the laser - even with the prolific number of cottage industries already in the marketplace. “
Ah so here’s the real want for a laser to make parts to make money. I bet I could make a master part faster with my lathe and mill and make resin castings while you wait to get your laser cutter fixed.
“The 2-10-4 project, for instance, requires two holes be drilled parallel to the chassis, the frame for the fifth driver bearing removed, and the rear section reattached with brass pegs through the pre-drilled pilot holes parallel to the chassis. This will keep the section straight, and by further putting a couple well pockets at either end of the pilot holes, I'll be able to put some solder on the brass rod, thus performing a permanent fix...It's a simple job, with the right tools, but it's a one-time deal”
Send the 2-10-4 to me and I’ll drill the holes for you. It’ll cost you $2700.00 plus shipping and handling. But then I can add a laser to my already full shop of machine tools.
Bernd