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HAAS TL-1 Recommended Options

Joined
Feb 4, 2011
Location
Bridgewater, MA
Hi everyone: This is my first post on this forum, but I have been lurking here for a while. I am looking at purchasing a new TL-1 for my shop. I am a custom knife maker, and haven't run a lathe since I was in High School, and I did not run it very well as I remember. My thing is CNC milling....

My son is attending a vocational High School here in Mass, studying CAD/CAM, and he is training on the TL-1. He's got some skills, and some interest, which I'd like to help him develop further. He's headed to the Skills USA regional competition in a couple of weeks, which I think is great.
So I'm looking at this machine primarily for him to learn on, but I also see the possibility of making some small parts from 3/8" (and smaller) stock that could go into my knives.

So I could use some guidance from the experts here. He wants a chuck and a tailstock, I'll need collets. I understand there are collet closers that fit the TL-1, and I'm assuming we could change back and forth.(?) I don't know much about chucks, either.

I'm also thinking the 3500 RPM spindle would be useful so I can hit higher SFM's for small diameter parts.

Have been reading posts here on Dorian vs. Aloris toolholders with interest. Haven't seen much on cross-slide gang tooling for the TL-1 but I'd appreciate input on how difficult that is to add later, after he's confident about not crashing single tools.

Thinking about coolant as well-Should I get the HAAS system or make my own?

Anyway, sorry for all the noob questions, but I could sure use your expertise here.

TIA,

RJ Martin
 
I'd go ahead and get the coolant system. It is just plug and play and you can use the M-codes to turn the coolant on and off. Since you are looking at the 3500 rpm spindle option, I think you can only get that with the full enclosure. Much nicer using the coolant on a TL with the full enclosure. Personally I'd get the Dorian Victory toolpost and toolholders to use with the coolant. It is so much easier than always having to move the loc-line around.

There are a couple of options on chucks. You could just get a 5C collet chuck if all you are going to do is small diameter stuff. Or, get a regular or adjust-tru 3-jaw, and get a Kalamazoo or similar 5C collet chuck that you just chuck up in the 3-jaw 1CC, 5C Collet Fixture for Chucks | Kalamazoo Industries. That is what I did for the occasional collet job that I run.

I really like my TL-1, but would also like to run occasional jobs gang-style.

Eric U
 
I would be cautious about getting the 3500 rpm spindle. It comes with all the funky shrouding that will be in your way all the time. I'd probably get a chuck and collet closer (5C like mentioned), rigid tap, coolant, tailstock, blow gun and VQC. There is probably not much else unless you foresee needing things like steady rest's etc.

The VQC is slick on the TL's.
 
I purchased my TL-1 new in 2010 and love it. I did not get coolant because of the mess and expense. Its easy to do yourself. It comes with a trial period for ridged tap, so you can determine if you need it first, as it is expensive and nowhere as useful as on a mill. I have a 10'' six jaw Bison adjust tru that I bought mainly because it had a large diameter center hole and that gives me the few extra inches I needed for making hydraulic cylinders with a steadyrest. I don't know about running at 3500 rpm with anything but a collet. That is fast for this machine and the enclosure sounds like its not worth it for occasional use. For me, tailstock and steadyrest and a good chuck were #1.
Its the little things like the blow gun that drive the price up fast. I didn't get the extended warranty and didn't need it but you take the chance. Mine came stock with VQC. I use an aloris C . I have made my own gang tools, and let me tell you, they need to be RIDGED to hold any accuracy. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask anything
 
Donn,

Would you be willing to discuss your gang tool setup? I am thinking about doing my own as well and although there are some good examples out there I would be interested in seeing more of them.

Charles
 
Donn,

Would you be willing to discuss your gang tool setup? I am thinking about doing my own as well and although there are some good examples out there I would be interested in seeing more of them.

Charles


I'm afraid all I could tell you is what not to do. I only dabbled in it a few times and had mixed results by drilling tooling holes in a block of CR for some small boring bars. What I do know is it helps greatly to put a folded piece of sandpaper under the Aloris to keep it from twisting. Better yet would be to not use the center bolt on the tool post but use a block style holder. I won't even use the Aloris to drill. Only the tailstock for that. It moves it ever so slightly. Also, it works best on small parts because of the limited X travel.
 
Thanks much guys! I realized the requirement for the extra shrouding just after I posted. The additional cost for 3500 RPM is not worth it to me, and I probably don't need it anyway. Thanks for pointing out the VQC-That looks like a good option, moreso for me than for my son. And the insertable collet chuck? Who knew! Genius...

Sounds like Bison adjust-tru is the way to go for a chuck.

Really glad I posted!
 
I'm afraid all I could tell you is what not to do. I only dabbled in it a few times and had mixed results by drilling tooling holes in a block of CR for some small boring bars. What I do know is it helps greatly to put a folded piece of sandpaper under the Aloris to keep it from twisting. Better yet would be to not use the center bolt on the tool post but use a block style holder. I won't even use the Aloris to drill. Only the tailstock for that. It moves it ever so slightly. Also, it works best on small parts because of the limited X travel.

I have found that if you grind away the material at the bottom of the Aloris, so that the center portion is not in contact, it will hold its position a lot better.
 
Hi everyone: This is my first post on this forum, but I have been lurking here for a while. I am looking at purchasing a new TL-1 for my shop. I am a custom knife maker, and haven't run a lathe since I was in High School, and I did not run it very well as I remember. My thing is CNC milling....

My son is attending a vocational High School here in Mass, studying CAD/CAM, and he is training on the TL-1. He's got some skills, and some interest, which I'd like to help him develop further. He's headed to the Skills USA regional competition in a couple of weeks, which I think is great.
So I'm looking at this machine primarily for him to learn on, but I also see the possibility of making some small parts from 3/8" (and smaller) stock that could go into my knives.

So I could use some guidance from the experts here. He wants a chuck and a tailstock, I'll need collets. I understand there are collet closers that fit the TL-1, and I'm assuming we could change back and forth.(?) I don't know much about chucks, either.

I'm also thinking the 3500 RPM spindle would be useful so I can hit higher SFM's for small diameter parts.

Have been reading posts here on Dorian vs. Aloris toolholders with interest. Haven't seen much on cross-slide gang tooling for the TL-1 but I'd appreciate input on how difficult that is to add later, after he's confident about not crashing single tools.

Thinking about coolant as well-Should I get the HAAS system or make my own?

Anyway, sorry for all the noob questions, but I could sure use your expertise here.

TIA,

RJ Martin


I would look closely at the options you are buying and find the price difference between the TL-1 and TL-2. Always nice to have some extra room.

For options that you can add yourself or turn on with a code I would not worry about them. Set it up with all of the complex and hard to install items that would take a lot more $$ than the field.

I would not personally buy any CNC machine without a toolchanger (turret).

Tim
 
I think the advice I got when I was looking at a Toolroom lathe was also to get the TL2 instead of the TL1. However it kind of depends on what you want do with the lathe. If you want to run small parts all day long, then maybe a ST10 is a better option.

I have a TL-2 with enclosure and even though I think TL-2 enclsoure is more of an after thought when Haas designed it, outrageously expensive, still leaks after a lot of DIY guards, I will buy it again. Though, most school TL-1s I've seen are without the full enclosure and they are fine with it . . . . so maybe there is a way to use cooland with it splashing all over the place. . .

Once you have enclosure, there's no cost penalty for the 3.5K spindle anymore. I also have an auto-tool turret and a pneumatic 5C collet. You can switch back and forth between the 5C collet chuck and the 3 jaw chuck, but I never switched back because so far, I've only turn aluminum cylinders of 1" or less in diameter. When turning small diamter parts, all the options, the enclsoure, 3.5K spindle, and auto turret, collet closure, and coolant do come in handy.

I went with a TL-2 because I wanted a general purpose machine. But in reality, everything I've done so far can be handled with a ST-10. Also, the cost of a TL2 with the above options plus tailstock is getting close to a ST10, however, if I have to turn something 36" long I'll be happy I got the TL-2 . . . though you do trade torque for the higher spindle speed so maybe I'll reget the 3.5K spindle when I have to turn something big and heavy.

I kind of wonder about getting a ST10, but at the time of the TL-2 purchase, SL10 was being phased out and the fact that TL-2 is more of a general purpose machine sort of gave TL-2 the advantage.
 
I worried early on about using big drills on my TL with the offset toolholder. Why don't the tool-holder makers design a drill holder that is in alignment with the center of the toolpost? Anyway, I have frequent repeat jobs where I use a 3/4" inserted spade drill in aluminum 3" deep. The spindle load meter maxes out at about 140% (maybe reason to get TL-2, as it is 7.5hp instead of 5hp). I've yet to twist my toolpost when running this job. I do tighten the toolpost nut with a very big box end wrench. Very tight! I have knocked my toolpost out of alignment when crashing though...

I don't often rigid-tap with my lathe, but when I need to it is pretty handy.

Eric U
 








 
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