That is a good thought....I have had it many times. My career was spent purchasing machined and fabricated components for a machinery manufacturer, a "screwdriver shop" as it were, when times were good and machine shops were plentiful. From what I hear that is not the case these days..... Anyway, as long as I have the equipment and the physical ability, I will make my own....
Largest Manufacturing Technology Community on the Web
Stay Connected:
Efficiency Suggestions
- Thread starter Ronno6
- Start date
- Replies 62
- Views 0
richard newman
Titanium
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2006
- Location
- rochester, ny
I use a Hardinge DSM to make small parts for my banjos, mostly brass, usually 20-50 pc at a time. I really enjoy working with it! Devising and doing the setups is like solving a puzzle, and I find running the parts to be almost meditative. Not sure I'd feel the same about making 1000 parts...
It's not necessary to get a DSM, split bed machines and accessories are much less expensive. These machines are so well designed, solid and precise, they are a pleasure to useb - especially for little parts. Higher speeds, easy reversing, good ergonomics, etc.
Of course a small cnc lathe would spit these out easily, but only after clawing your way up the cnc/cad/cam learning curve. Not everyone wants or needs to do that.
Sure, it's not the most economical way to go, but I like making parts in house, having total control and the capability to make whatever I need. The machine cost me about $800 on ebay 15 yrs ago, got most of my tooling the same way. Sounds like the OP is a retired guy and not really in this for the $$, nor am I. I'm "semi-retired" which gives me a lot of latitude.
It's not necessary to get a DSM, split bed machines and accessories are much less expensive. These machines are so well designed, solid and precise, they are a pleasure to useb - especially for little parts. Higher speeds, easy reversing, good ergonomics, etc.
Of course a small cnc lathe would spit these out easily, but only after clawing your way up the cnc/cad/cam learning curve. Not everyone wants or needs to do that.
Sure, it's not the most economical way to go, but I like making parts in house, having total control and the capability to make whatever I need. The machine cost me about $800 on ebay 15 yrs ago, got most of my tooling the same way. Sounds like the OP is a retired guy and not really in this for the $$, nor am I. I'm "semi-retired" which gives me a lot of latitude.
What gave me away ??
jim rozen
Diamond
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2004
- Location
- peekskill, NY
"split bed machines and accessories are much less expensive..."
800 dollars, in my case. I couldn't not buy it for that. The acessories however are 5/8 shank turret tooling which is the big expense getting set up.
800 dollars, in my case. I couldn't not buy it for that. The acessories however are 5/8 shank turret tooling which is the big expense getting set up.
And then go do some more creative work instead of the drudge of making multiples with a less than efficient set up.
Exactly, spend your time developing more parts for pellet guns instead of repetitive handle turning all day.
If I'm in front of machines all day I don't have time to run a business.
BT Fabrication
Stainless
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2019
- Location
- Ontario Canada
thinking the same thing, farm it out, not worth wasting time for such a cheap part. can easily make 500 pcs in 5 hours including setup, then you will have all year to make/design other parts instead of wasting time turning handles.
I am a hobbyist. If I farmed out the manufacture of these parts, I would drive my wife crazy.....
I am also a tinkerer and a gadgeteer.......... So, making my equipment more efficient scratches all of these itches. I purchased machined components for a living.... I gave that up 19 years ago. Should I identify the need to develop other parts, I have plenty of hours in which to make them.
I am also a tinkerer and a gadgeteer.......... So, making my equipment more efficient scratches all of these itches. I purchased machined components for a living.... I gave that up 19 years ago. Should I identify the need to develop other parts, I have plenty of hours in which to make them.
you need to join here instead www.hobby-machinist.com
michiganbuck
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2012
- Location
- Mt Clemens, Michigan 48035
Q: such as a Hardinge DSM-59.
With three height set tool bits to get two washer diameters and the cut off with pushing the slide forward to make the two diameters and then the cut off with the slide pushed forward all to the same stop.to the stop because the tool bits/blade are height set....with having drop-in gauges to go from the slide to bump the headstock. like a manual swiss lathe.
and pull the tube out to a stop for relocation..
And somewhere in the process turret all the end cutting tools.
With three height set tool bits to get two washer diameters and the cut off with pushing the slide forward to make the two diameters and then the cut off with the slide pushed forward all to the same stop.to the stop because the tool bits/blade are height set....with having drop-in gauges to go from the slide to bump the headstock. like a manual swiss lathe.
and pull the tube out to a stop for relocation..
And somewhere in the process turret all the end cutting tools.
FredC
Titanium
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2010
- Location
- Dewees Texas
One trick I do on our single spindle screw machines and turret lathe is to not cut off the last part on the bar end (just touch the cut off blade to the part). Put it in a drawer with the tooling for that job. It makes it a lot easier to set up the same job in the future. Put the bar end in the collet and set to the tools on the almost finished part.
Larry mentioned the floating v-block style drill holders in the turret. They make it very easy to get your tools almost the same length using screw machine length drills. My little import turret lathe came with some drill chucks but I never used them. It is not hard to line up the floating drill holders with a little practice.
Larry mentioned the floating v-block style drill holders in the turret. They make it very easy to get your tools almost the same length using screw machine length drills. My little import turret lathe came with some drill chucks but I never used them. It is not hard to line up the floating drill holders with a little practice.
MikeBurgess
Plastic
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2020
Sounds like the main reason to get a new lathe or a turret is really to drill and bore with the turret, why not just do it with the carriage, either get drill chucks for the QC tool post or make split holders for the drills and hold them in regular tool holders. For the low production he is describing he could speed up his current production a bunch for very little investment
pan60
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2013
- Location
- Arkansas USA
guys he is NOT wanting to farm these out or join some hobby forum, just good advice to help him make the parts efficiently. no matter what machine he is on.
WTF?
WTF?
I'm looking into that.
Sounds reasonable....
I need to shorten the shank on my counterbore and get some stubbier drills.
If I could eliminate the need to slide my TS back for every tool change things
would go more quickly.
GreyhawkUSA30340
Plastic
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2022
In Tom Lipton's book, "Metalworking: Doing it Better," on page 150, figures (photos) 5-104 and 5-106 show a hinged "flip down" drill chuck mounted to the far side of the carriage, straddling the cross-slide. When not in use, you just flip it to the back and it is out of the way; when you want to use it you fold it to the front, it has a foot that supports it right on center, and a lock-down latch mechanism. Tom notes " It allows you to have more than one centerline tool set up at once like a drill and a tap."
Sounds interesting.....I will research that!
Thanks...
Toolmaker51
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2009
- Location
- Central West Missouri
High-lit in bold my impressions to increase productivity. Turning long sections and parting those is hard to increase, purely that less time spent on non-chip efforts. The bit changes are worse yet because there is no chip effort at all.
An economical test is purchase of a tail stock turret. Recognize you'll need tool bushings, easy engine lathe work. Once tooled, they are surprisingly efficient for manual processes. Even adding a little turret lathe later on, where engine lathe returns to 'normal' fashion, set it up with center and stub drills, taps etc.
Bet is, most people here agree with 2 precepts 1] specialized tooling is what makes machines hum on your parts, 2] tooling in general, gains usefulness with familiarity of use, compared to speculation.
There are tailstock turrets floating around. I'll bet ENCO tagged units outnumber all others combined. No matter reputation of ENCO overall, some products they imported remain totally acceptable. Keeping my #1 and #2 certainly.
A third turret, complete anomaly is a #4, so heavy it's outrageous. Unmarked and different mechanism, unsure manufacturer or country of origin. Got it for 16" Pacemaker, decades ago. A gamble, it just seemed 'cool'. Not used often but, loaded as described above, tailstock crank and quill for feeding, made short work out of prior non chip time spent.
That cemented my appreciation of tailstock turrets.
I'd guess your parts will do the same. A simple time study is worthwhile.
BT Fabrication
Stainless
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2019
- Location
- Ontario Canada
ok then, the other option is to spend about $100,000 on a new lathe to do the job....... or find a good used one in the 50K range.
see farming it out to someone for $1000 is cheaper and more efficient if that is what he is really looking for is efficiency.
GreyhawkUSA30340
Plastic
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2022
I believe it (the hinged "flip down" drill chuck thing) is a shop-made device, fwiw
