Mega-tool gloat!: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Dec. 10, 2011 10:14 a.m. motomoron HalfDork

It was a small miracle that I managed to keep the deal together 'til the checks were handed over and the riggers got going with the forklift, but somehow it got done.

I got the entire contents of a fully-equipped prototype shop from a small instrument manufacturer that's closing shop. Lathe, mill, horizontal and vertical band saws, drill press, belt/disc sander, grinder, buffer, 4 benches and tables, and 4 pallets full of bins and boxes of tooling, cutters, tools, and materials. It filled 1-1/2 40' flatbeds leaving room for the forklift and crane. Literally every single thing to open a fully equipped shop, all for about (round number) spec Miata money.

I'll have essentially my entire old shop to sell fairly shortly.
Dec. 10, 2011 10:16 a.m. EastCoastMojo SuperDork

Impressive.
Dec. 10, 2011 10:28 a.m. SVreX SuperDork

What's your old shop consist of?

I might be interested. Mostly looking for a complete shop like the one you found, but I'll look at anything.
Dec. 10, 2011 10:29 a.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

Awesome.

What sort of mill will be leaving your old shop with a bunch of tooling for ChumpCar money?
Dec. 10, 2011 11:01 a.m. motomoron HalfDork
I'll be selling a 2004 Smithy Granite 1324. It's been a great machine and until my day gig simply required the much larger work envelope, power and rigidity afforded by full size machines, it was more than sufficient for everything I needed to make.

It's been improved consistently over the time I've had it.
- The whole machine was disassembled and everything cleaned, deburred and fitted on reassembly.
- While the lathe headstock was apart the casting was run through the dishwasher twice, baked dry and the inside sprayed with 3 coats of red Glyptal to seal any sand-casting debris in place.
- The lathe spindle bearings were replaced with genuine US made Timken precision taper roller bearings. It cuts beautifully now and the bearings have stayed in perfect adjustement fior years since they were run-in.
- The mill head mounting flange has been scraped in to improve the tram of the head - ie. it cuts much closer to square relative to the table than any factory Smithy.
Features, tooling and accessories:
- Shooting Star digital readouts on all 3 axis. .0005" resolution, excellent repeatability, easy to use. If there's any one feature which elevates an average machine to one capable of producing professional quality work - quickly - it's digital readouts.
- 6" 3-jaw chuck
- 2 Morse taper collet set w/ drawbar and adapter
- Live and dead centers
- Tailstock drill chuck + Morse taper extensions and adapters.
- Phase II quick change toolpost with numerous tool holders
- Lathe cutting tools, boring bars, cut-off blades
- 4" milling vise, 3" tilt vise
- Full set of R8 collets and end mill holders
- Micrometer adjust boring head
- Flycutters
- Etc, etc, etc - there's just loads of additional spares, small tooling, accessories.
- All factory books and paperwork
Also leaving will be a Jet 4x6 horizontal band saw, possibly a Jet 14" metal/wood vertical bandsaw, an Enco bench grinder, and untold loads of machinist type tooling and hand tools. I'll just have to assemble a huge spreadsheet and take lots of pictures.
Dec. 10, 2011 1:01 p.m. Ranger50 Dork

Man, I ain't livin right....

Nice score!
Dec. 10, 2011 1:21 p.m. motomoron HalfDork

For about a year I relentlessly searched all craigslist for 500 miles using searchtempest.com, HGR surplus, Dovebid, US gov surplus auctions, used machinery dealers, eBay, various machinist forum classified and various other places.

The harder I look, and the more ready I am to pursue and complete a deal when it pops up, the luckier I am...