Once again, current aluminum prices?

[CITIZEN F16]

How, and where do you buy 100lbs at $4/lb.

Sorry for the late reply, it was snagged out of state during a road trip. I actually just went in to see if they had a nice remnant collection and figured I would need that 100# soon so I grabbed it. I happened upon that BMG Metal location just passing by. If I stumble open a place that sells metal I will usually check it out no matter where I am at. I doubt you want to drive to Maryland to buy 6061, even if you bought a lot the time and fuel would probably kill any savings.

 

[DanASM]

Thanks! Do Brownies just have form tools on the tool tree? Is there a single point attachment for threading? How does that front working attachment index, is it hydraulic?

I worked at a place that had Brownies, but they came from another facility not long before I left, so I don't remember anything about them. I actually thought they had sliding headstocks. I worked at places that had cam automatics, I operated them once in a while, and did maintenance on them. I did whatever I could when I was punching clock to work OT, so I tried to learn as many different machines as I could. That served me well, when I got to my final destination, with many of the machinist job titles, the more automatic machines you were qualified to run, the higher your pay grade.

Form tools usually on the front slide and Parting blades on the back. Vertical slides are for parting as well but they arent the greatest. I dont ever use the vert slides.

the turret indexes with a trip dog. once tripped the turret indexes until the pin locks it in on the next spot. They can be double indexed for faster cycle times when needed.

Some have pickoff attachments for slotting and deburring. Can use them in reverse to chuck a part up instead of pick it off as a 2nd op machine.

Cams can be designed to do anything. I have a cutoff cam that pulls back 4 times to break the chips in AL. If I parted it all at once I was getting huge birds nests.

They are pretty simple to understand if you have the time to go through one and are mechanically inclined.

 

[Ox]

Sorry for the late reply, it was snagged out of state during a road trip. I actually just went in to see if they had a nice remnant collection and figured I would need that 100# soon so I grabbed it. I happened upon that BMG Metal location just passing by. If I stumble open a place that sells metal I will usually check it out no matter where I am at. I doubt you want to drive to Maryland to buy 6061, even if you bought a lot the time and fuel would probably kill any savings.

Index made a single spindle fixed headstock (B&S competition) that has a threading box, and will single point.
I watched one run like that once many years ago, and I was amazed!

Now - I have no clue how big of a deal it is to change TPI or your lengths.
Maybe they have a whole gearset tranny like an engine lathe, or maybe you have to tear it apart and completely retool it.
I just don't know.
But none-the-less, it is an amazing chunk of iron to watch run!

That machine (whole shop) was sold off kind'a quickly a few years ago, and I would have loved to have picked that machine up, but I had no-where to put it, andit would have only been a show and tell item anyhow. I'm not likely to go back to single spindle mechanicals anytime soon.


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

 

[EmanuelGoldstein]

Throwing rocks? Not really. It appears China is doing what is best for China. And, as far as the $200K machine goes, China might even get some of the action on that also.

Nice try Pretty obvious when somene throws a big turd into the breakfast cereal, don't bother playing innocent.

About faster, most people here would probably go Makino, not Chinese, but I do know a place making linear motor double column vmc's that look pretty nice and really scoot so if you want one, just yell.

 

[standardparts]

Nice try Pretty obvious when somene throws a big turd into the breakfast cereal, don't bother playing innocent.

About faster, most people here would probably go Makino, not Chinese, but I do know a place making linear motor double column vmc's that look pretty nice and really scoot so if you want one, just yell.

Well, have a nice day anyway.

 

[Ox]

What the world are y'all, Canucks?

What's with all the well wishes, this is the internet!


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

 

[CITIZEN F16]

They are pretty simple to understand if you have the time to go through one and are mechanically inclined.

I don't even remember how long the Brownies were in place before I left the company they were in. Sure wish I paid more attention to them, they appear quite different than any screw machine, rather CNC hybrid, cam auto, or hand screw I have been around. Are there many other makes similar to those or are they pretty unique? When did they stop making them?

 

[DanASM]

I don't even remember how long the Brownies were in place before I left the company they were in. Sure wish I paid more attention to them, they appear quite different than any screw machine, rather CNC hybrid, cam auto, or hand screw I have been around. Are there many other makes similar to those or are they pretty unique? When did they stop making them?

Early 80's. The Ultramatics were the newest ones. I think 1985 was the newest one I have seen. Most mine are from 50's-60's. I have one that was rebuilt in 1954 professionally. I refreshed it 5 years ago myself and brought it back from a 10 year hiatus.

Its probably made me 30-40k since I have been running it again. When they sit for a long time the way oils dry out and clog the lines with sludge, making the slides sticky and not hold tol's. Clean out all the oil lines with needles/pins and get the oil flowing again. Tighten the gibs and make sure any keyways are in tack and tight and not broken.

Like anything with a motor, they love to run. Once running they do not like to stop and will run for years.

 

[standardparts]

What the world are y'all, Canucks?

What's with all the well wishes, this is the internet!


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Word on the street is the moderator of this particular forum is a real bad-ass-mo-fo and it's a "my way or the highway" sort of thing.....LOL

Time to make some money...--vol to 10

I Fought the Law - YouTube

 

[standardparts]

Early 80's. The Ultramatics were the newest ones. I think 1985 was the newest one I have seen. Most mine are from 50's-60's. I have one that was rebuilt in 1954 professionally. I refreshed it 5 years ago myself and brought it back from a 10 year hiatus.

Its probably made me 30-40k since I have been running it again. When they sit for a long time the way oils dry out and clog the lines with sludge, making the slides sticky and not hold tol's. Clean out all the oil lines with needles/pins and get the oil flowing again. Tighten the gibs and make sure any keyways are in tack and tight and not broken.

Like anything with a motor, they love to run. Once running they do not like to stop and will run for years.

If you can,,,next youtube vid...step back with the camera a bit to show machine and bar feeder. And how 'bout a walk thru the shop.

...Thanx!

 

[DanASM]

Just bought some AL today. This is cold drawn 2024.

350Lbs @ 6.50 LB.

 

[CITIZEN F16]

Just bought some AL today. This is cold drawn 2024.

350Lbs @ 6.50 LB.

View attachment 344817View attachment 344818
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Since your Brownies don't have guide bushings can't you get away with less precise material than a Swiss screw machine needs?

 

[CITIZEN F16]

Early 80's. The Ultramatics were the newest ones. I think 1985 was the newest one I have seen. Most mine are from 50's-60's. I have one that was rebuilt in 1954 professionally. I refreshed it 5 years ago myself and brought it back from a 10 year hiatus.

Its probably made me 30-40k since I have been running it again. When they sit for a long time the way oils dry out and clog the lines with sludge, making the slides sticky and not hold tol's. Clean out all the oil lines with needles/pins and get the oil flowing again. Tighten the gibs and make sure any keyways are in tack and tight and not broken.

Like anything with a motor, they love to run. Once running they do not like to stop and will run for years.

Do you have some that you cannibalize for parts? The last place I worked for others they had an area in a large building they called the bone yard. They had a lot of similar machines, machines would finally get sent there to get their carcasses picked. There were a lot of cam auto Swiss and old Acroloc machining centers.

 

[DanASM]

Do you have some that you cannibalize for parts? The last place I worked for others they had an area in a large building they called the bone yard. They had a lot of similar machines, machines would finally get sent there to get their carcasses picked. There were a lot of cam auto Swiss and old Acroloc machining centers.

I absolutely do have a graveyard for pickers. The downside is, I havent needed anything in so long that these machines cost me money to keep around. I want to get rid of some more of them to free up space.

I can always strip down the machines and categorize the parts to put on the shelf, instead of the "floor"

The swiss guys tell me that they can run "Screw Machine Quality" material that isnt ground to size. It is just "straighter" and that will run fine through the guide bushing. Ground stock is for jobs that need to hold .0002" on many dimensions.

I just buy cold drawn bar stock. Drawn then annealed, mostly in the softest machinable state it can be in.

 

[david n]

5100 lbs of 6061 today.....................$3.40/lb.........................and 2160 lbs of 7075.................$14k.....................

 

[DanASM]

5100 lbs of 6061 today.....................$3.40/lb.........................and 2160 lbs of 7075.................$14k.....................

One of my customers out here make collars and clamps. They are having a hard time getting bigger diameters. They told me recently that they use 6" Solid bar and cut a 4" puck out of the middle. They use the 6" ring for the 6" clamps and the 4" puck for a 4" collar/clamp.

Pretty cool to do, but sucks that it has to be done.

I have seen way more 2024 than I do 6061 or 70xx

 

[CITIZEN F16]

5100 lbs of 6061 today.....................$3.40/lb.........................and 2160 lbs of 7075.................$14k.....................

When I got what was for me large amounts of 7075, 300-500# at the local yard it was always from Russia, I only buy small amounts now off the internet and it is domestic. I assume Russia has a big slice of the 7075 market .

 

[david n]

5100 lbs of 6061 today.....................$3.40/lb.........................and 2160 lbs of 7075.................$14k.....................

↑↑↑↑Two months ago...............................

April I paid $3.70/lb ........................

Just ordered 6k lbs yesterday.................................$3.44/lb......................

 

[IninefingersI]

↑↑↑↑Two months ago...............................

April I paid $3.70/lb ........................

Just ordered 6k lbs yesterday.................................$3.44/lb......................

Just unloaded 2,500lbs of 2024 off the truck an hour ago. $6.83/lb.*

* This customer has their own spec the material has to be certified to, which tends to drive the price up.

 

[Vcmt]

I bought 500lbs 6061 yesterday 4.68 a pound.