Machinists: Need opinion

Thanks everyone for the input, sounds like I should stay away from the older machines, I can see where circuit board components could be a problem in sourcing on old designs as I deal with that everyday in my day job.
I checked with a local machinist and he suggested retrofitting my existing machine so I'm going to get a quote from here:
http://www.centroidcnc.com/bridgeportkneemill.htm
The system allows for manual operation when I want to use it and also switches over to CNC as needed. The versatility in doing that would lend well for what I do. Hopefully it's in my price range. I'm selling one of my other Bridgeports to help offset the cost.

 

I have made an effort to learn and run the machine via the MDI for simple stuff that would take longer to CAD and CAM than it would to just tell the machine where to go manually. The lathe I have access to is manual only so I do get to spend time turning the wheels.

 

I run my BigOne ( 1984 Matsuura 760v) in MDI.. It is like a bigass manual mill .. Just way more precise.. & more travel... Also less forgiving if you fk up.

 

I think that's the best way to do it for home use. In a production environment, not so much, but I bet you'll want the ability to do some quick manual machining every now and then so it'll be nice to have that option too. That's exactly what our EM techs did with the mill we have at work. It only gets used for random things a few times a week at best by some of our techs and maintenance guys, so having the ability to machine manually still comes in handy, and having it retrofitted with a CNC controller for the X and Y axes (don't think they did the Z, but I could be wrong) was nice for all those times when they just have to mill a shit load of material and you don't want to be constantly standing there doing stuff.

 

Thought I'd follow up on this as it went down a path I didn't anticipate when I first posted the question
After looking at used machines, new machines like the Tormach I ended up ordering a Haas TM1P. It's got a 7.5 hp 6k Cat40 spindle, 10 tool changer, 30"x12"x16" travel, 400 ipm rapids, runs on single phase. I added a couple options like the chip auger, rigid tapping and high flow coolant pump. The machine includes VPS which is their conversational type programming for basic functions like thread milling, pocket milling, engraving etc. I added a Kurt 3600v vise which fits perfect with Z axis and door clearance.
I've been studying up G code programming for a while and took a 2 day class at the Haas factory outlet in Rochester back in January. Still learning Fusion 360 but it's coming along.
Thanks for the help from a few members here to flatten the learning curve (Rob Linders, Drop, CB186, Dan Dubeau, and Venom51)

 

That's awesome. Congrats. You're better tooled up than some shops I've (briefly) worked in lol.

 

Thanks
I took your and Drop's advice on getting toolholders plus got a few more. I have alot of endmills already but recently picked up some more ball endmills and a range of threadmills.
My daughter and I engraved up a nameplate for one of her teachers last night. She's 11 and took to the control pretty quickly

 

That's cool. I'm going to print this out and show it to some guys I work with that say CNC is too hard lol. Haas controls are some of the easiest to use I've ever seen.

 

Bad ass...

 

Oh man, that's a beautiful machine. Even for an "economy" CNC you'll be amazed at what it can do and how accurate / repeatable it is.

I know that machine doesn't have a ton of table space so at some point you might need more stations, consider 4" dual station vises.

If you want a good source for decent quality inexpensive carbide tooling check out www.onlinecarbide.com (it's not Iscar but it's decent enough).

When you're starting out if you need help with F&S you might consider the CNCCookBook / G-Wizard.

 

Thanks for the info
I did pick up a copy of G Wizard and bought a Machinist Calc Pro 2 to have right at the machine, going to run some conservative numbers for a while until I get used to the it.
I have another small Kurt D30 vise to put on the machine but haven't done it yet, it's a 48" table so there's plenty of room to add it. Just made a couple 3/8-16" vise keys to mount it on the table. I have a couple old Bridgeport vises but I think the hex will hit the door at Y0.
I picked up the threadmills from Lakeshore Carbide, the NYCCNC guy plugs them alot and their prices seem pretty good. I'll check out online carbide too. Most of the toolholders are from Maritool which are really nice plus made in the US.

 

Awesome.

Someday, I will have a macining center in my shop and I will enjoy making parts again.

 

Make sure you put some effort into gaining a solid understanding of what chipload, and Surface feet per minute actually are. Unlike manual machining where you have feeling, sight and sound to gauge things by, with CNC and flood coolant you're flying by the instruments (you do have sound, but it's usually past tense.....). I've seen a lot of people rely too much on numbers spit out of calculators with no thought to how they are derived. When cutter's go snap, and parts get scrapped they shrug their shoulders and don't understand why. The way I've explained it to new guys is to relate it to shoveling snow (if you've never shoveled snow, screw you lol). Chipload is how MUCH snow you can move with your shovel, and SFM is how fast you can do it. Take to much too fast and you snap a shovel (or your back), too little and the shovel just glides across the top (rubbing a cutter to death).

IMO the speed and feed calculators are a great way for people to make money selling calculators (don't get me wrong, they do work)..... But Machinists have been calculating speeds and feed long before the internet and "apps". There is a lot of info out there in material data sheets, on SFM as well as the Machinerys handbook. And tooling companies are a great source of information on cutting parameters. Just take what they say and back it off about %30. They are in the business of selling cutters afterall....

 

Great point about learning and understanding what the chipload is and the cutter is doing, I think that tends to come with time and experience somewhat. Over time you come up with your own F&S library.

That said, on the cutting parameters I've actually found most companies to be very conservative with their recommendations. I always assumed because they don't want someone to complain that the cutter didn't last or was breaking them.

 

So what'd that thing set you back in the end?

 

An entry level 4 door sedan.

 

Funny, I was going to say a new truck once the tax, shipping, rigging and tooling costs were included

 

A truck that can pay for itself within a year though.....

 

I don't care if mine ever manages to pay for itself. It's just something I wanted to learn how to do. If it makes a few bucks here and there that's just a bonus. I wish I had the space for the same mill he just bought. I'm already to the point of wanting a machine that's a little more accurate and a little more reliable than what I have.

 

Dang, nice setup for a home shop.