No, we didn't buy the wrong machine. If I were to explain the entire story of how this whole thing came to be it would be a novel. I typed for 3 hours last night only to realize I was no where near even done. This mill WILL earn us enough to get to the next one. We paid cash too and no it wasn't a measly $37K, it was a well optioned up to do what we need it to do TM2P for $55K. So we have ZERO machine payments. We're starting our small machine shop company in my two car garage and no I could not fit a VF in here, we tried and would have bought the VF if it would have fit, but it was a BIG stretch on cost for us too. Concrete not thick enough and already has big cracks. The TM is sitting on one slab but is surounded by cracks. It's hopefully temporary. Will hopefully build that BIG garage I want and then I'll have room for 10 machines. So we have ZERO space payments either. Also, I'm fighting cancer and almost died on May 5th 2012 from MASSIVE brain swelling caused from a tumor in my brain. It's a hell of a long story I won't totally go into, but I'll give as brief a story about it as possible.
I passed out and hit the deck in the shower getting ready for at Saturday or OT on that Cinco Da Mayo May 5th 2012 morning. Once to the hospital it was found I had a tumor larger then an inch in my brain over my left eye. I transfer to UCLA brain tumor center and with further testing it was also found I had lung cancer. A VERY rare form of lung cancer All the doctors were saw my case and saw the amount of swelling were litterally shocked it had not killed me. My Neurosergeon said directly to me, "You should not be alive with this much brain swelling. At the very least you should have what would be expected to be on the more severe side of some form of brain damage". We can't really explain how you lived through this without seemingly any cognative or physical issues". I have really for the most, zero issues. SOme nerve damage from the surgeries of course, they had to cut through A LOT of nerves. Some minor memory loss, but that could just be my age too, typical getting older stuff. I'm 46. Cancer got me at 44.
I went through 7 1/2 hours of brain surgery. They cut my head open from ear to ear from the top of one ear to the top of the other ear across the top of my head just inside my hair line. They had to peal my forhead skin down past my eyes and entered my skull directly through my forhead into my hairline. About a 2.5 X 2.5 square cut in my skull. Tumor was resected out and the skull plate replaced and screwed in place with Titamium screws. About a month later I had a 3 1/2 hour lung biopsy to check my Lymph Nodes, thank got that were clear, had it spread it would be a death sentence. They went in my throat like a Traciotomy. Two days later I went into what was suposed to be a 3 to 4 hour surgery lung surgery, but turned into a 7 hour lung surgery to remove what we thought was just the leasion.
After I finally came around I was told they had to take 1/3 of my right lung, Not just the 3/4 inch small area that the cancer leasion was. Healing from the biopsy and the lung surgery was by far the wort pain I've ever had to suffer through. And I've had 6 major surgeries in my life starting at age 5 with a hernia and an 8" scar to show for it. Now, after the brain, biopsy, and lung surgeries I have right at 5 feet of scar in just 6 surgeries, and I've had plenty of day surgery our out patient surgery. I went through chemo, and returned to work just 6 months to the day, from the day I almost died. Just 5 1/2 months from the day of brian surgery, and just 4 1/2 months from lung surgery, and ONLY two weeks after completing my infusion chemo treatments, then started on a chemo drug for a full year. I went to work the entire time I was taking the chemo drug and I was sick for the entire year but STILL went to work.
I'm still in the middle of this fight. Right at the moment I'm having more brain swelling issues as I type this. I was put on anti inflamatory steriods to hopefully bring the swelling down, could not tolerate the side effects. Took it for 10 days and by then at rest my heart rate was 150. Was a reck. So I may be heading back for more brain surgery at some point. So my main reason for talking with my buddy about buying a machine is because I can no longer work the OT like I used to. I have nerve damage in my head and side. I can't feel most my right side or the top of my head. We are in finaicial hell. Almost lost our home. Thats the reaon I went back to work so I would not lose my home. MOst following brain surgery alone take 1 to 2 years off. I didn't get to do that. I HAD to go back and try and go to work so I wouldn't lose my home. I managed to keep it. Had to take a 2nd 401K loan just to pay off the first round of hospital bills and get caught back up on our martgage.
So as you can see crap happen. So I though I would give you a little more info on things. I figure even though I make damn good money at my work and have a great career buidling things that get shot out into space, I'm never going to get past these medical bills on even what I make, especially not being able to work the kind of OT I used to be able to do. So this is my opurtunity to try and finally give it a go, and fufill a 21+ year dream of owning a cnc machine. And at trying to machine all kinds off cool bas ass stuff and try and sell what I make. I have a product list a mile long and all the things I've made over the years has always garnered the comments, "Man, you need to start making those and selling this stuff. So, thats exactly what we are doing. I am bound and determined to survive this cancer crap and build my big garage shop and have my shop be successful. And be able to leave my son a shop to run someday. He's 12 and alreadt learning how to set tools using the probe system and how to set stock perameters using the tool probe. We have programming software, and he'll be programming and machining and making custom robot parts for school projects in no time.
And you're damn right I feel Haas SHOULD take care of this. And You are also correct in that I AM someone special. In fact, I AM a living breathing walking miracle. There have been people I've told my story too. Right afterwards, with there eye's wide open, wide eyed, have said to me, "OH MY GOD IT'S A MIRACLE YOU'R STILL ALIVE!!!" You would be honored to know me. I'm the kind of person that will stand up for myself and others. I've risked my life fighting someone with a knife to help total strangers. I had a 6" Buck knife burried to the handle in me and almost died at age 18 because of it. Noone else was seriously hurt, I took the worst of it. Another one of my 6 major surgeries. I was given a 50% chance on making it through the first night. I was stabbed just about 2 inched below my heart. I typed this first post when I made this thread while still detoxing off the steriods, so if I may have been a bit excited, well thats just the way it is. If you ever have to deal with what I'm trying to survive and not die from, and try and survive all the chemical cocktail of heavy heavy drugs I've been on for nearly 2 years now, we'll see how well you do pal.
Walk in my shoes for a day and you will understand. I know what it's like to have to basically explain to my son I could very well die during brain surgery. And that I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, and that I didn't like all our friends telling him everything would be of. Then if I died, he would be hit with a BOMB! and be shattered asking why! And but you said! I could not have my son go through that. So I wanted to he honest with him. I told him my mom that I wanted to tell him the facts, she said if you feel you need to do this then thats fine. They all stepped away for a moment, I told my boy I was THE luckiest father in the world to have a son like him. I told him I didn't want him to be hit with this bomb IF I didn't make it. I told him I loved him more then life itself. We were sobbing by them. He said he was glad I was honest to him. I prepared him for the fact I may die.
I basically said "Goodbuy" so my son that day, and prepared for the possibility I could very easily die that day. I survived to see my son and family another day thank god. So this shop will HOPEFULLY keep me from losing everything. If I have to go out for more brain surgery we WILL lose everything. So I'm just trying to make something with this asap before I'm donw for the count again. This is the ONLY way I know how to get out from under ALL these medical bills. I'd bet I'm at a million dollars between all the surgeries and MRI and PET scans and medication. My chemo meds for one year totaled $134K for only 60 tablets a month for 12 months. A 60 pills bottle for one months ran insurance over $11K a month. Our medication co-pay was $200 a month.
Oh, and by the way, We had only moved into our house just two years before I got cancer. When we moved in, the time we were suposed to have had got eaten up by the tital company slowing closing and puching it out almost the entire two weeks were were going to actually be moving. So when we DID finally get to move, instead of me getting to organize my tool bozes and shop equipment like I wanted it in my new garage, I had to pack it in and close the door for the last two years! So, while off with cancer and recovering from ALL three surgeries, and AFTER starting the iffucion chemo, I said to myself, "I'm NOT going to bee off all this time and survive this crap, only to show nothing for it around the house.
So, while loosing weight like crazy, losing almot 20 lbs, AND being sick as a dog, AND not being able to eat because of being so sick, I managed to empty my entire 2 car garage just about and re-organize it like I wanted, during the summer of 12' in 100 degree weather, I rebuild my entire 2 car garage, AND bought two 20' shipping container's for storage, helped drop them in their spots AND filled them with all my parts and supplies from my garage to clean it up to make it more of a machine shop. I did ALL that while feeling like death from the chemo and had only been out from brain surgery for THREE months, only out from biopsy surgery and lung surgery for a little over TWO weeks. I was pushing my crew cab frame and cab sitting on four carpet dollies with stitches still in my lung, the incision on my right rib cage and 60= stapled across the top of my head. When you can do and survive all that I have then you can say whay you want.
And lastly, No, this is NOT my fault ultimately. And no the sales guy actually didn't try and sell us on it's capability. He even said it's NOT a production machine. It's as the title says a tool room mill, and works very well for prototyping. We could have went cheaper and bought a TM1 but wanted at minimum a 40" travel on X. I'll settle for less power for more bed capacity any day of the week. You can ALWAYS run a little slower or cut a little less depth of cut, but you can't run a long part on a short bed without stepping the part over IF you can at all.
So yeah, maybe I was a little hot under the colar or the roids had me ramped up and agitated at the time I posted this. SO be it. In the end I still have a mill with a tank that seems to not be working like it should be. I feel I certainly have the right to be a little bothered about this, and YES I want this fixed. You sounded a little condescending in your reply. Maybe this additional info may or maynot make you realize everything is not as it seems. You can't get everything out of what people type in and on chat forums. This turned out long enough to type after three try's to make it as short as possible. The total story is INSANE and VERY VERY long. You welcome for me NOT explaining it all.
You bought the wrong machine. You can't blame Haas for that. Luckily, Haas has great resale. Sell it and get a VF2 or something. You seem to think that they should treat you like something special since you bought one $37000 dollar machine.
Acting like a big deal repeat customer after such a small purchase isn't helping your case here...
I know you are venting and all...but why is he an asshat for quoting you list price? What if the other customers bought 10 machines each? Why don't you just call your salesguy and have him get in the mix? Usually they will (even for a measly 37000 dollar machine sale). He will probably get you it for less...of course, he may not. My $90000 dollar VF3SS (that I paid cash outright) had a board replaced and my salesguy couldn't care less that I paid full list of like 800 bucks
As far as running it nearly out of coolant though...it can happen a lot
on any haas with only the auger system as the little screen will just get covered with chips and then the bed of the machine fills with coolant...
So take a step back, breathe...call your original salesguy and let him figure out how to help you. He is the one that is going to want to sell you another machine...the parts guys couldn't care less. Most of all, this is your mistake ultimately. Don't blame Haas for this one. The TM is a crap machine that is simply an automated bridgport. You really should have gotten a real mill if you were planning on running it like one...and yes, I do feel your pain if you were told a load of garbage by the salesguy about the TM's capability. Machine salesguys are normally about as honest and smart as used car salesguys.
Get nasty? Come on man. Haas will squash you like a bug. Legal action? You are better off taking my first line of advise. Sell it and use that legal action money to get a real mill like the VF2 or something. I know you are frustrated but getting nasty and irate won't help you solve your problems here.
