Small turn key CNC wanted

cueman

cueman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a customer with no CNC experience that wants a used CNC machine to make one part. He does not need 4 axis he only needs to be able to cut a 1.5" by 4" piece out of 1/8" Delrin over and over for a small cue related item he invented. He will need help with the programming and it ready to go. Any one out there with a small machine that can program normal cue inlays and is looking to upgrade you might can sell your machine to this guy.
 
I am building a new machine right now. I will be putting my current one up for sale when it is done.
 
I need to clarify what I am after. I want a small simple cnc machine with computer and software ready to use. I want to be able to send this person to you and you draw and program his one part for him and teach him how to load and run the program and he pays you cash and takes the machine with him with computer and all that is needed to use it. That is what I mean by "Turn Key".
 
cueman said:
He is not happy with the price quotes he has been getting. He wants control over it.
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I could understand wanting control over it, but there's a little bit of a rub here.

He want's a "turn key" machine including someone to program it for him, but he wants control. I don't think those 2 things really go together.

How many pieces is he expecting to need? Maybe that's the problem. machine shop prices get real high if you're talking about small quantities.

But if he wan'ts to make it himself, then he's going to have to know and understand the machine and programming it. Otherwise, the first time he hits a snag, he's going to expect the machine seller to fix it.

I hope it all works out for him.


Royce
 
Buy best machine and hire someone to operate. You be the boss and sell the parts.
 
RBC said:
I could understand wanting control over it, but there's a little bit of a rub here.

He want's a "turn key" machine including someone to program it for him, but he wants control. I don't think those 2 things really go together.

Royce
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You have a point. But I have done the same thing he is wanting to do. I found that Machine shops here started wanting too much to run the quantities of metal parts I wanted and would make my lathe prices have to go up too much. So I bought a large CNC mill with a 20 tool magazine on it. I have paid someone to come write all the programs for me. It did give me control over the machining prices even though I pay my former and now semi-retired machinist to come write the programs and set up the machine for various jobs. I have a CNC 4 head shaft cutting machine and my son wrote almost all the programs. I now just load the wood pick the program and run it. I do not see why he cannot have the same thing for his single part.

I figured someone with a three axis Taig mill with computer and bob cad installed would come along and want to sell it for a reasonable cost.
 
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cueman said:
You have a point. But I have done the same thing he is wanting to do. I found that Machine shops here started wanting too much to run the quantities of metal parts I wanted and would make my lathe prices have to go up too much. So I bought a large CNC mill with a 20 tool magazine on it. I have paid someone to come write all the programs for me. It did give me control over the machining prices even though I pay my former and now semi-retired machinist to come write the programs and set up the machine for various jobs. I have a CNC 4 head shaft cutting machine and my son wrote almost all the programs. I now just load the wood pick the program and run it. I do not see why he cannot have the same thing for his single part.

I figured someone with a three axis Taig mill with computer and bob cad installed would come along and want to sell it for a reasonable cost.
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Chris

That sounds very reasonable and logical. But that doesn't seem to be the same as what you're looking for here.

If I were to sell your friend a machine and program the particular part that he's looking for, I would get paid accordingly for that. But, it's the support afterwards that would be the issue. What happens when your friend calls me on a Tuesday at 10:30 because his machine isn't doing something right? Do I stop running my business to help him? Do I do that for free?

In your scenario, your support is local to you and you have an agreement that you'll pay him for his services.

I would recommend that your friend do as you did. Buy a quality machine capable of doing the job, and hire some local help as needed to program it and tool it up.

There are just too many things that can cause problems that would be tough to fix over the phone with someone who is completely un-skilled in machining and cnc.


I really hope it all works out for him. I like it when people try to bring ideas to market in the pool world.

Royce
 
RBC said:
Chris

That sounds very reasonable and logical. But that doesn't seem to be the same as what you're looking for here.

If I were to sell your friend a machine and program the particular part that he's looking for, I would get paid accordingly for that. But, it's the support afterwards that would be the issue. What happens when your friend calls me on a Tuesday at 10:30 because his machine isn't doing something right? Do I stop running my business to help him? Do I do that for free?

In your scenario, your support is local to you and you have an agreement that you'll pay him for his services.

I would recommend that your friend do as you did. Buy a quality machine capable of doing the job, and hire some local help as needed to program it and tool it up.

There are just too many things that can cause problems that would be tough to fix over the phone with someone who is completely un-skilled in machining and cnc.


I really hope it all works out for him. I like it when people try to bring ideas to market in the pool world.

Royce
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All good advice - but to Chris also - why not just jump out of the box and contract
with one of the many members of Ask the Cuemaker who have small cnc machines
sitting idle while they are wearing out their keyboards on the forum? :)

If his concern about control is that he doesn't want anyone else to know how to make
a small pool related item out of delrin, that goes out the window 5 minutes after it hits
the market anyway.

Dale
 
Sounds like a headache to deal with. He wants a machine and total tech support.
There are plenty cnc shops needing work. They wouldn't even have to know what the thing is for.
I had my jig made by a trustworthy shop and had zero problems with them.
 
JoeyInCali said:
Sounds like a headache to deal with. He wants a machine and total tech support.
There are plenty cnc shops needing work. They wouldn't even have to know what the thing is for.
I had my jig made by a trustworthy shop and had zero problems with them.
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He has been given extremely high quotes form the Atlanta area machine shops.
 
RBC said:
Chris

How many parts does he need to run?

How often?

What are the materials, and dimension of the raw stock?


Royce
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4" x 1.25" 1/8" Thick Black Delrin.
He has no idea how often he will order.
He got quotes on running 1000 parts.
 
I am not looking for quotes on building the parts at this time. I am getting PMs and phone calls wanting to know what he will pay for a 1000 parts. If in the future I want quotes I will start another thread. If I fail to answer PMs about price quotes please forgive me. But I will try to answer PMs about any machines you want to sell.
 
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