[panaceabea]

Yesterday marked the 3 week point of my new RW15 mill from milltronics being under power , 240 hours and I am very pleased overall.


My only complaints at this point are probably fairly minor, there is a pretty constant flow of coolant running across the floor when the machine is in use, about 3 gals lost every 8 hour shift , makes for a very slippery and unsafe work space around the machine. I cant find the leak, it doesnt appear to be plumbing related.

The only other issue is a part fell out of the head onto the table yesterday that looks like one half of a 5/8" ball bearing , will post a pic later today.

Update as of dec 11th

No one at milltronics can identify the mystery part in the pic below, Time will tell if its a critical part .
Although I am very happy with the size , accuracy and performance of the RW15 , the table is very soft and is unhardened. Its much softer than any cast iron I have encountered . Based on this I dont believe I would purchase this machine again . I am planning to add another similarly sized machine in January and was hoping/planning to purchase an identical unit but this extremly soft table is just not acceptable for a work surface on a machine tool in my opinion . 4 other members here have contacted me with the exact same complaint

[panaceabea]

here is the mystery part that was laying on the table yesterday, was covered in the same thick yellowish brown grease as most of the machine. Unsure what it is or where it goes

[single phase]

LOL, that can't be good! Seriously though, you know I am only teasing, my VM15 has never laid any eggs like that. I am sorry but it just strikes me as funny (I am sure you are not laughing). :devious:

This reminds me of what happened to me last week. I was drilling some titanium and the bit locked into the stock. The head went up and left the tool holder, pull stud and bit sticking in the stock. That would not have been so bad but before I could hit stop, the head came back down and smashed the pull stud into the BB retaining device up in the head. (nuts) It did not damage anything as far as I can tell but I felt pretty stupid and I half expect to be seeing parts falling out of my VM-15's head soon!

I hope you find out that the part is nothing important.

The RW15 looks like a great machine for the money. I would love to have one.

The only thing I can think of to try to find the leak is to pull out the tank and spray inside the machine with a hose while looking under neath.


Cheers
SF

[bob1112]

guys, I just recently became familiar with these machines. Are they worth having for light production work? What do they cost? Where can I get real work info on them on how they perform? We need one very soon and about to pull the trigger on an older machine but saw these and they "look" nice. Can someone please call me if time permits to talk about them. Thanks

Brandon
316-992-6984

[panaceabea]

One thing I am noticing on this machine is the table casting is extremly soft, I have owned a variety of US made and imported machine tool for about 25 years and this is by far the softest cast iron surface I have ever encountered.
Maybe this table just missed the hardening stage on the line .
I am very careful about cleaning the table , all clamps fixtures etc and using sheet pvc under clamps or pretty much anything that comes in contact with the table other than big surface area items like the vice. I do lay the vice handle over on the table occasionaly when running short operations of a minute or less . I dont drop the handle but gently place it on the table , but this morning I noticed 100+- little indentations where the ball on the vice handle has made contact with the table, no dropping, just gently placing the handle on the table, a drop of no more than 1/4" from my hand to the table.
I can also see clear evidence where the tnuts are sinking into the bottom of the tslot when I tighten a clamp. I also noticed a dent in the table from a single small aluminum chip that got caught under the edge of the vice
I dont know where this is much of an issue or not but it is bothersome to me that the table on a machining center intended for thousands of hours of use wouldnt be any harder than a cast iron bull wieght

[single phase]

I do not have a hardness tester or I would test my VM-15 table that was made in 1998. It's table is not soft and has stood up very well over the last 10 years. I am careful with it but I never put any plastic on it to protect it. The t-nuts do not mark the inside of the slots either.

I bet your machine is really accurate. What does it have in the backlash parameters?

Are you happy with it's size? What kind of parts do you make?


Cheers
SF

[panaceabea]

I just dropped the vice handle on my bridgeport table from 6 " and not a single visible mark , I have to drop the handle from 14+ inches onto the cast iron table of my chinese table saw to get a dent like the ones on the milltronics table created by letting the handle gently roll out of my hand. The table on my import mill is drasticly harder also , I do not believe the milltronics table to have been hardened at all, doing the drop test on a dead soft large chinese cast iron angle plate with the same handle they seem about the same hardness, dings with 1/4-1/2" drop, I can live with the coolant leaks but this soft table issue really bothers me, just never had a work surface on any machine tool this soft

The machine is very accurate and I am very happy with the size and work area, I mostly make conversion parts for the little sieg benchtop mills , power drawbars for bridgeport clones and gun related parts. Here are a few pics of some of the parts

[single phase]

Nice parts! Those look like rails for a rifle.

[bob1112]

I am thinking I should run away from the Milltronics line. I really thought they were MUCH cheaper than others but after shopping, they are in line and I would rather pay 5K more and get a Haas. I like a few features but was really thinking they were like in the 20Ks brand new or something. Yeah right. I guess it is Christmas time! I guess if one shows up on my door step, I will accept it with love and open arms.

[Numeric Concept]

Panaceabea,


I thought I was the only one. We have to say something about this to Milltronics. I've had my RW20 for less than 8 months, and can't believe the small dents in the table. It is surly soft. Please contact me.I sent a PM to you. I really need to talk to you about this. Milltronics should warranty this problem.

[panaceabea]

I sent you a pm, the guy from Milltronics is looking into and going to contact me Monday.

The top pic is of scope rails for the receivers in the lower pic. The rec in the lower pic are for the FN PS90 rifle (the gun in the stargate show)

[rickyt]

Let's see some pics of the machine or a video would be sweet.

[fcycles]

I heard something about milltronics being sold to another company a few months back , can't remember which company bought them but I wonder if that wouldn't have something to do with your table not being hardened? Cutting production costs? Sure hope not.

[msomerville]

From what I have heard Milltronics was bought out by some company who would like to use Milltronics controls on their paper machines or something of that nature.

[panaceabea]

received my response frm Milltronics today , the table is as cast , un-hardned . Something had I known in advance that would have very well steered me towards the Haas for just a few more bucks. Leaves me to wonder what other corners have been cut for that few thousands bucks price diff

[msomerville]

I wonder if this is something that is a standard for the new machines. I have four milltronics from '96-'99 and haven't noticed it being too soft. This is somthing that should be addressed that is not a place to cut corners. Although I don't like any corners being cut.

[Farmers Machine]

Have you ever owned or operated a Haas? They have the best advertising in the industry. Fortunate for me I got to run a VF7 for 4 years at someone eles's repair cost.
The Haas guy drove over a hundred miles to fix this overated peice of hit to the point we became beer drinkin buddys on a bi weekly basis. When I went to the tool show in Houston a couple of years ago, an older honest gentleman at the Haas booth wanted to sell a new mill and his first question was what do you have now? Milltronics RH 30 with 5 axis tilting rotary set up. His response was " sir I'm sorry but we just don't have anything we can offer you in that category of machine tools." I'm sorry to here of your dissatifaction with Milltronics but from my personal experence with both sides you are way better off with what you have. By the way what do you program with? the aluminum parts you showed looked nice and could be easily done at the control in conversational, but if you had a Haas you would have to have $10,000.00 Gibbs or Master Cam software. I used to eat sleep and drink G and M code one line at a time. and they can have it!!!

[panaceabea]

I am not saying HAAS is the only company I would consider , Hurco and a number of other machines will be considered over the next few months.

Also understand I am not dis-satisfied with Milltronics, just very unhappy with the dead soft table on the new RW15 I purchased and very dis-satisfied with the very poor customer service I received from their Florida rep. Overall I am very happy with the machine but had I known the table was as soft as chinese patio furniture I would have lokked at other machines.

Yes I have operated a HAAS, no comments good or bad but I do know the table wasnt this soft.

The haas service guy is 180 miles away , milltronics service is 400 miles away and the three trips they have made up here have all been 7 days or more after they have been called , not exactly snappy service but I imagine since I am remote none of the companies would get here instantly.
I do most of my cad work in either autocad or Solidworks . I generate all my g-code files in either desk for the basic stuff or mastercam for the more complex parts so the conversational programming is of no concern to me.

[chipsinpan]

I think you will find that that 1/2 ball is a part of your vise .
The Kurt/ kurt clones have that part as part of the assembly that exerts downward pressure to the moveable jaw . Check to see if your vise has excessive freeplay in & out .

[rickyt]

Just wandering if the RW15 is still going strong or have you had any issues?