[Tormachmaster]

Ok so I dont think I can wait for tormach to make a lathe cleared out my old lathe to huge and heavy taking up to much room in my shop my problem is finding a small cnc lathe to match the tormach? Any help please?

[Steve Seebold]

Budget?

Have you looked at the Haas Toolroom lathe?

The TL1 is a 16 X 30 machine with a 2 inch spindle hole.

I have one that I picked up at a divorce sale about 3 years ago. I got it for $9,000.00 and it had less than 40 hours on it.

[Dolphin USA]

The TL1 is certainly worth looking at. Good call Steve.

[Tormachmaster]

I have not seen one anywhere near that price but will keep looking. I think a conversion lathe would do fine for what I am doing and would not mind being able to use it manually ontop of cnc but they want so much for them.

[TXFred]

I've used a TL-3, the bigger version of the TL-1. I can tell you that the manual handwheels are completely useless.

To use them, you have to be operating handwheels with no index marks on them, watching the part on your left, and also watching the DRO on your right. It's not a good setup.

And then there's the second flaw, which is that the lathe has no compound slide. That's fine for CNC work, but for manual work, a compound slide is pretty important.

There's the occasional job where you can use the handwheels, such as turning a cylinder to diameter, or facing off a piece of stock. But why would you? The jog controls are actually easier to reach, and when you're jogging, you will get a more consistent chip load and surface finish.

That said, the TL-3 was a pretty stout lathe, and I made some nice pieces on it. The TL-1 sounds like a good choice. Just don't get too excited about those (useless) handwheels.

Frederic

[Steve Seebold]

First thing I did with my TL1 was to remove the knobs from the hand wheels.

With GibbsCam, it's just too easy to sit down and make a program to do what I want to do. Or if I just want to face off a piece, I'll use the jog wheel. Sometimes, it's just as easy to use MDI.

For one part, it usually takes longer to bore the soft jaws than it does to make the part.

When I got the machine, I removed the QCTP and built a gang tool block. The machine has 8 inches of travel in the X axis so I'm able to get a lot of tools in the block. I also made the block quick change so I can change blocks in about 10 seconds. I can run up to about 24 tools that way so I can do some pretty intricate jobs.

I don't take jobs that are more than 25 pieces. I get bored after that.

[Tormachmaster]

I think I am more in need of a cheaper lathe that has steppers for anything with a shape. I need to do alot of simple part off and face off parts and in my shop I am in need of manual as well as cnc. I have looked into something like a conversion setup just think that the ones I have seen have a price way to large for what you actually get.

[anglin]

When I got the machine, I removed the QCTP and built a gang tool block. ... I also made the block quick change so I can change blocks in about 10 seconds.

Steve, do you have this setup documented anywhere in pictures or video (if only to eyeball)? I've been contemplating something like this for my Tormach vertical lathe conversion.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

Thanks.

[TXFred]

Steve, do you have this setup documented anywhere in pictures or video (if only to eyeball)? I've been contemplating something like this for my Tormach vertical lathe conversion.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

I hope I'm not stepping on any toes here. Since you're talking about Tormach vertical lathes, I think it's safe for me to point out that I sell a gang tool setup for the Tormach. You can find it on my website.

And now, since this is not my thread, I'm going to shut up.

Frederic

P.S. If the original poster doesn't want this post here, PM me and I'll delete it.

[Steve Seebold]

Since this is a Tormach site, I shouldn't have said anything about any Haas products.

[Tormachmaster]

Would not mind some ideas on what lathes are any good that are checp as to simple prototye home shop work? Checked out PM they looked ok a little larger then what I need. Need something that would go good with the Tormach. Anyone ever use a microkinetics?

[nitewatchman]

I replaced a MicroKinetics ExpressMill with my Tormach PCN 1100. The difference is remarkable in performance, capability, engineering and customer support. I used the MK for about 5 years and suffered with step loss from the first day. Additionally it is the same base price as the Tormach although Tormach accessories - base, computer, toolholder, 4th-axis can raise the Tormach price quickly.

We produce a group of nylon parts for Amtrak. The cycle time went from over 4 minutes on the MK to just over two minutes on the Tormach with better accuracy and performance. Interloplated circles are truely round and sizes are what they are programed to be. This is very difficult for a quill type z-axis to do as the quill wears in the housing bore and deflects as the x and y axis change direction.

I would not consider MK for another machine.

BTW - Anyone interested in buying a MicroKinetics ExpressMill che--- inexpensively?

[Tormachmaster]

Yeah I am looking for a lather but hear what you and others are saying for sure. maybe cnc masters?