Good day gents. I'm about to pull the trigger on a Haas CNC lathe. This lathe will be used primarily for barrel threading, chambering and contouring. We will be using this machine to work towards moderate production.
My questions.
1. TL1 or TL2. Are there any advantages in going with a longer lathe for this application? (30" or 48" Cutting Length)
2. Spindle size. Are there any advantages in going from the standard 2.3" spindle bore, to the 3.5" spindle bore for this application? I feel like the obvious answer is no, but I just want more advice on this.
3. Chuck size. With the larger 3.5" spindle, I have the option to upgrade from the standard 8" chuck to the 10" chuck. So, are there any advantages in going with the 10" chuck?
4. Tool turret. Looking at the 4 station tooling turret, what's your thoughts on spending the money on this feature? I like the idea of it helping speed up production, but my worry is that going this route may limit what I can do on this lathe. Is that a valid concern?
5. Lastly, the Chip conveyor belt. Is this worth the doe? Or is this gimmicky?
I appreciate any advice ya'll can provide. I've always been a buy once, cry once kinda guy. So long as the upgrades are practical and add to the overall value then I'm all for it. There's also the angle of buying a machine that appeals to other markets in the event I have to sell the machine...
Cheers,
My questions.
1. TL1 or TL2. Are there any advantages in going with a longer lathe for this application? (30" or 48" Cutting Length)
2. Spindle size. Are there any advantages in going from the standard 2.3" spindle bore, to the 3.5" spindle bore for this application? I feel like the obvious answer is no, but I just want more advice on this.
3. Chuck size. With the larger 3.5" spindle, I have the option to upgrade from the standard 8" chuck to the 10" chuck. So, are there any advantages in going with the 10" chuck?
4. Tool turret. Looking at the 4 station tooling turret, what's your thoughts on spending the money on this feature? I like the idea of it helping speed up production, but my worry is that going this route may limit what I can do on this lathe. Is that a valid concern?
5. Lastly, the Chip conveyor belt. Is this worth the doe? Or is this gimmicky?
I appreciate any advice ya'll can provide. I've always been a buy once, cry once kinda guy. So long as the upgrades are practical and add to the overall value then I'm all for it. There's also the angle of buying a machine that appeals to other markets in the event I have to sell the machine...
Cheers,