Rick Finsta
Stainless
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2017
These aren't as exciting as when I had millions of dollars to spend of other peoples' money, but what the hell. I picked up a 1985 Takahashi Microstar TNC-L0 gang lathe for $1500 and it is getting delivered today. It has a 6k RPM spindle and FANUC 0T-B on it, and has a 5C collet chuck.
All I'm doing is cutting off DOM tubing spacers of different lengths, so this is perfect for my needs and will free me up from cutting these on my manual lathe. I can also make all my hardened T-Washer inserts in house which basically pays for the lathe on the first run. Whenever I actually need a more capable turning solution, I'm planning on buying new.
It was in generally good shape (though filthy, of course) and I've got a local guy for whom I do work that has been repairing these older machines for decades, and has a board-level repairman for these controls. Doesn't look like these older machines had macro variables, which is too bad considering all I really change from spacer to spacer is the length and outer diameter, and the number I'm cutting at a time.
I might get fancy and hook up one of those cheap eBay touch setters as a bar end sensor since I'll be feeding it headstock lengths of bar with a puller. We'll see.
I'll post pictures a bit later.
All I'm doing is cutting off DOM tubing spacers of different lengths, so this is perfect for my needs and will free me up from cutting these on my manual lathe. I can also make all my hardened T-Washer inserts in house which basically pays for the lathe on the first run. Whenever I actually need a more capable turning solution, I'm planning on buying new.
It was in generally good shape (though filthy, of course) and I've got a local guy for whom I do work that has been repairing these older machines for decades, and has a board-level repairman for these controls. Doesn't look like these older machines had macro variables, which is too bad considering all I really change from spacer to spacer is the length and outer diameter, and the number I'm cutting at a time.
I might get fancy and hook up one of those cheap eBay touch setters as a bar end sensor since I'll be feeding it headstock lengths of bar with a puller. We'll see.
I'll post pictures a bit later.