[dino-new]

I'm coming into about 25,000 and I need to find a good CNC milling center. I have little knowledge on CNC's but good abilities with CAD and Verticle Mills.

Can someone point me to a place where I can buy a good one and won't be charged an arm and a leg?

Also pointers on good brand.

Thanks much,

Devin

[Kmed]

Well what are your requirements for the mill? Metal, wood, work area size? There are many good machining centers out there in your price range. I would look for one that has tool holders and other related items with it. Other wise set aside a few thousand aside for these items.

[dino-new]

Thanks, I'm looking to automate my work. I craft alum and copper parts no larger than 6x6x6. I'm hoping for fadal I think.

[Kmed]

Well with that work envelope you can pretty much use about anything. Couple of my recomendations. Get a machine with the highest spindle speed possible. I picked my Bostomatic up for just over $9,000 + shipping. It has a 3 hp low speed spindle 350-7000 rpm (40 taper) and a 2hp 10,000-40,000 rpm (20 taper) spindle. Hydralic drawbar on each head. 20 40 taper tool holders, and 15 20 taper holders with multiple collets. Flood cooling, and mist cooling, 10mb harddrive, dnc capable, High speed mode with 75 line look ahead, custom canned shapes.Table is 48x12 and travels are 18x12x12. It is a boxway machine, with a low pitch ball screw so max traverse is 100 ipm, and max cutting at 100 ipm. When we set it up, the backlash is .0000732 !! It cuts dead acurate. I regularly cut copper, steel, aluminum, I have made a few titanium parts as well. You will have many options. just remember that shippping and rigging will cost and factor that in if you need to ship the unit very far.

[bonz]

Bosto's are great and accurate machines. Is Boston Digital still in business?
I used to run these machines manufacturing can tooling parts. There are very few machines more accurate than a bosto that can repeat within .0002 anywhere on the table on a regular basis...
I don't know if I would prefer a bosto for high speed aluminum machining though. Doesn't it have a nasty torque curve at high RPMs? Also, Bosto's use that weird sized taper on their toolholders (not a standard CAT-40). This will cost you more when you have to replace tooling.
I would definitely look for a machine that moves fast and has high rpm capability, but watch that torque curve. This will determine how hard you can push your tooling at high RPMs.
Good Luck,
Bonz

[CNC Pro]

Hey Devin,
If you've got the time and patients, you should be watching the industrial auction web sites.
2 weeks ago I was at an auction and passed up 2 mid ‘80’s vintage Acroloc vertical mills with 10 or 12 station turret spindles, still wired and running. There was also a third machine for parts thrown in. The bid sat at $10.00 for a couple of minutes; a local used machinery dealer picked them up for $200.00, the whole lot. He’s been calling me to take them off his hands. Any takers?

[Kmed]

I don love the accuracy of the machine. I havent had any problems up to 90ipm cutting. The motor does not have huge amounts of torque, but that just limits me to .5" roughing passes at 40 ipm. When you get into the smaller tools it is a non issue. The 40 taper tool holder is actually a BT holder with a cat pullstud thread. SO I just had custom pull studs made and use BT tool holders. I still have the original ones which are nice as they are black oxide coated and never stick. some of the chaper Universal engineering ones I have have to be cleaned regularly other wise they stick. No this tol holder I know is for the 300 and most likley the 312 series. but any other series I would not know. Bosto was bought out by mirkron, but they still manufacture custom multispindle machines under the Boston Digital name.

I just mentioned the bosto as for his price range he could even get one with a newer control, and 4th axis, and still have money left over. They are also pretty simple machines and definitally last.

In all honesty I am getting a Haas Super mini mill and a 5 axis VF-2 in the near future. But am keeping the bosto, as it is unbelievable how acurate it can cut, and with the High speed spindle and the regular spindle it is very flexible.

[DareBee]

Just got a mailer today.

"MATSUURA Model#MC-600H-45
twin pallet HMC
travels 23x17x19
full 4 axis
Fanuc 11M, 50 ATC, 15HP, 6000RPM"
$24,500 Canadian"

This may be a little low on RPM for aluminum and copper but just the same would have very good throughput.

[ahmed drdeer]

hello
try those and choose the best:www.cncmasters.com
www.microkinetics.com
www.sherline.com
www.datrondynamics.com
www.johnsonmt.com
or you can try serching the web at yahoo under those key words (cnc milling machines)

best wishes

[turmite]

2 weeks ago I was at an auction and passed up 2 mid ‘80’s vintage Acroloc vertical mills with 10 or 12 station turret spindles, still wired and running. There was also a third machine for parts thrown in. Any takers?

When you say 10 or 12 turrent spindles....are you talking about toolchangers? Where are they located and what do you personally think of their condition?
Mike

[Kmed]

There are two bosto 300-1 and a 312 (with tool changer and dual floppy drives) It has dnc. But the 312 with tool changer (looks like it has a precise hs spindle aswell , #,500 starting price.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

[CNC Pro]

Hey Turmite,
No, what I meant to say was that the machines have one turret style head. That turret has 10 or 12 positions or tools on it.
Check the Acroloc2 photo I submitted in the "members gallery"
They are located in central New York. As far as their conditions, they were in operation when the company closed that particular division. In fact they were still wired up with tooling in them. The former operator was at the auction and said 1 had been rebuilt about 8 years ago, and that he might be interested in buying them. Two things kept me from bidding on them:
1) Why did they have a 3rd “Parts” machine?
2) I didn’t really have a need for them!
But the fact that here were 2 operating CNC vertical mills for $200.00? Hell, the Kurt vices that were on them sold for $175.00 apiece! Think about it, the vice was worth almost double what the machine went for!!