Over the past few weeks I've been burning the oil/brain cells trying to narrow down which machines to purchase. The mills were narrowed down to Maatsura or Kitamura. Both are considered to be marquee brand machines at the top of the game. Heavy box ways, advanced controls, etc. Basically ultra precise stuff that far exceeds the needs of all but the most demanding types of manufacturing. These are the caliber of machines you trust your life to when eating peanuts at 35,000 feet.
I decided on Kitamura because I've worked around them in the past. They pack a huge punch and there's a service center in Minneapolis that I already have a relationship with. It just made sense. I went ahead and took the extra effort to have the machine fully calibrated/certified prior to delivery. It's known as a "Bar/Ball test" and it delivers a detailed analysis of a machines ability to move and position itself while also checking things like backlash and spindle runout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g4T5UN2cgQ
The report:
X axis: .00013
Y axis: .00012
Z axis: .00016
Spindle runout: -.00005"
A short video of how the castings are fitted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTru-KEdaR8
Video inspection of the machine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u212a1y4kY
I think that'll do just fine.
She arrived late last Thursday night and the whole family got involved. My son and I burned the night away getting it setup and we walked out of the shop at 2:30am Friday morning with it level, wired, coolant tanks filled, and ready for business. The Haas that we've had since day one apparently got jealous because it crapped out Friday morning 1st thing. The X axis servo motor died on me. We took it in stride and had it back up and running the very next day. While my brother and I sorted out the motor problem, my son worked late into Friday night tearing all the way covers off the machine. He polished them up, replaced the seals, and reassembled it all on his own. Not bad for a kid who six months ago didn't even know what a cnc mill was!
The weekend for me was spent getting acquainted with the Kitamura. Setting parameters in the control, familiarizing myself with the navigation through various pages, and getting the communications setup so that I can talk to it from a PC. Sunday was devoted to writing code for its only purpose:
ACCURIZING RECEIVERS!
You spoke and I listened.
We've been working at a feverish pace the past 6 months with barreled action work. Tuning up receivers, fitting barrels, etc. . . It's caused some late nights in order to stay within the delivery schedules that we've become known for. It's also provided me with the opportunity to revise and streamline the processes so that we can expand the services to a higher level.
This machine not only gives us the horsepower and stamina to stay on track, it does so with even greater precision, speed, and efficiency. With the new proprietary fixturing element, it is an almost fully automated process- to include tramming the receiver bore to the spindle. (no kidding!)
I didn't stop there. Brand new tooling, holders, and collets were ordered along with machine vises and an assortment of gauging. In addition a Hardinge Tool Room Lathe is on the way to handle all the bolt work.
We also have a new recruit. John is my bro and he and his wife just left for Colorado to begin the move up here. He'll be a great asset. (Get to work, your late!)
This is my attempt at raising the bar both in performance and delivery. To celebrate the machine's arrival, we are going to announce a Group Buy on receiver and barrel work. I've been in contact with two major players in the barrel retail game and between the two there are over 1400 barrels on the shelf ready for immediate shipment as of this moment.
The Group buy will be formally announced in the appropriate field once the lathe arrives and I have the programming finalized. Expect it by the middle of March.
A big thanks is owed to The Sniper's Hide Community. This wouldn't have been possible without you.
All the best,
Chad
James
John
I decided on Kitamura because I've worked around them in the past. They pack a huge punch and there's a service center in Minneapolis that I already have a relationship with. It just made sense. I went ahead and took the extra effort to have the machine fully calibrated/certified prior to delivery. It's known as a "Bar/Ball test" and it delivers a detailed analysis of a machines ability to move and position itself while also checking things like backlash and spindle runout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g4T5UN2cgQ
The report:
X axis: .00013
Y axis: .00012
Z axis: .00016
Spindle runout: -.00005"
A short video of how the castings are fitted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTru-KEdaR8
Video inspection of the machine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u212a1y4kY
I think that'll do just fine.
She arrived late last Thursday night and the whole family got involved. My son and I burned the night away getting it setup and we walked out of the shop at 2:30am Friday morning with it level, wired, coolant tanks filled, and ready for business. The Haas that we've had since day one apparently got jealous because it crapped out Friday morning 1st thing. The X axis servo motor died on me. We took it in stride and had it back up and running the very next day. While my brother and I sorted out the motor problem, my son worked late into Friday night tearing all the way covers off the machine. He polished them up, replaced the seals, and reassembled it all on his own. Not bad for a kid who six months ago didn't even know what a cnc mill was!
The weekend for me was spent getting acquainted with the Kitamura. Setting parameters in the control, familiarizing myself with the navigation through various pages, and getting the communications setup so that I can talk to it from a PC. Sunday was devoted to writing code for its only purpose:
ACCURIZING RECEIVERS!
You spoke and I listened.
We've been working at a feverish pace the past 6 months with barreled action work. Tuning up receivers, fitting barrels, etc. . . It's caused some late nights in order to stay within the delivery schedules that we've become known for. It's also provided me with the opportunity to revise and streamline the processes so that we can expand the services to a higher level.
This machine not only gives us the horsepower and stamina to stay on track, it does so with even greater precision, speed, and efficiency. With the new proprietary fixturing element, it is an almost fully automated process- to include tramming the receiver bore to the spindle. (no kidding!)
I didn't stop there. Brand new tooling, holders, and collets were ordered along with machine vises and an assortment of gauging. In addition a Hardinge Tool Room Lathe is on the way to handle all the bolt work.
We also have a new recruit. John is my bro and he and his wife just left for Colorado to begin the move up here. He'll be a great asset. (Get to work, your late!)
This is my attempt at raising the bar both in performance and delivery. To celebrate the machine's arrival, we are going to announce a Group Buy on receiver and barrel work. I've been in contact with two major players in the barrel retail game and between the two there are over 1400 barrels on the shelf ready for immediate shipment as of this moment.
The Group buy will be formally announced in the appropriate field once the lathe arrives and I have the programming finalized. Expect it by the middle of March.
A big thanks is owed to The Sniper's Hide Community. This wouldn't have been possible without you.
All the best,
Chad
James
John
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