I have decided I should not compete on price\u00a0with low cost machine tool products. The hobbyist machine tool business is already awash with 2nd and 3rd rate machine tools. I read in forums where “saving” $20 on a machine tool is still of highest importance for some first time buyers. So be it. It helps many to get started. But I already know the attractiveness of low price is seldom rewarded with long term joy.<\/p>\n
$2000 – $3000 on a high quality 6\u00a0inch\u00a0to 8 inch lathe may sound\u00a0silly, but that is what quality will cost. Even twice that amount is not unusual. Have\u00a0you priced\u00a0the old fashioned (but great) Myford lathe recently? I can’t even find a published price. (If you have to ask, you can’t afford it…) A high quality 11 inch Emco lathe sells for over $10,000.<\/p>\n
In another perspective, I recently\u00a0paid in the $2500 range\u00a0for a first class cabinet woodworking saw. That kind of quality is clearly evident in its appearance and operation.<\/p>\n
Am I saying this is where the newbie should go to get properly indoctrinated? Heck no! The small size low cost market IS the best place for getting started. And you know something, that machinery can build projects every bit as good and interesting as the large pricey machines.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0have studied other hobbies. There is one common thread that is clearly visible. The semi pros and the otherwise very good hobbyist in any other interest have invested in the best tools and equipment obtainable. Check out any of them.<\/p>\n
Take a look at serious photography. Whoa! Talk about investment. My wife’s quilt making\u00a0— she owns very nice sewing machines. Drag racers – Ha! Don’t even think about the money those bad\u00a0boys and gals invest. Big game hunters –\u00a0not the local boys on first day of dear season –\u00a0more bang for the buck. You get the point, or is that 6 point?<\/p>\n
So I think there can be a leap up out of the dreary\u00a0bottom line hobbyist machine tool business. There are people who want quality or have decided they can afford to pay for quality. Some of them have the room to install the big professional machines and can run the power to operate them. But I think there is another large group who desire the smaller machines but just can’t find the information about the quality they want at whatever the price.<\/p>\n
These high quality machine\u00a0tools exist. But I can find very little written about who owns them or anything published showing how they are being used. The low cost mini-mill & lathe\u00a0folks have done an excellent job of self promotion. Where are the Prazi, Emco and Wabeco owners? These folks are just more private and don’t make an issue about the tools they use.<\/p>\n
One thing I have come to terms with is the metric\/imperial issue. I believe I can use either one without corrupting my American soul. The USA is solidly metric in many ways. I believe some very good small machines are not imported to the US because of the imagined metric purchase barrier. Also for European tools,\u00a0220 volts is a standard. Travelers are aware of this potential issue. (Pun intended)<\/p>\n
Except for Taig and Sherline, all major hobbyist and professional machines are now\u00a0imported. We in the USA could have more variety if we learn to use and understand metric. If you can’t cope, a DRO or CNC conversion doesn’t care about format.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0am looking beyond just price. I may be reporting on and offering some new and reasonable options for the hobbyist machine shop.<\/p>\n
Dan’l<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I have decided I should not compete on price\u00a0with low cost machine tool products. The hobbyist machine tool business is already awash with 2nd and 3rd rate machine tools. I read in forums where “saving” $20 on a machine tool is still of highest importance for some first time buyers. So be it. It helps many to get started. But I already know the attractiveness of low price is seldom rewarded with long term joy....<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musing","category-thmstore"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ramblindan.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}