T
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i was up in that hood a few weeks back, apparently they moved and never told me...last time i was there was probably 10 years ago
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just sorry
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just sorry
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2012
- Messages
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A bit off subject, but about 10 years ago I was asked to go and inspect some worn Gleason 726 Gear machines in a joint venture of GM, German Vokswagon and the Chinese Government at a plant called SAIC in Shanghai China. As I flew into Shanghai, I could not believe how new and expansive the airport was, Granite floors, huge and better then any airport I had been in. I was picked in a new Volkswagon van and as we drove down the 8 lane like new interstate. As we drove we were passed by a brand new Buick LeSabre and I said "Wow someone brought one over here" and my guide said "no they make them here, everything" That was a real surprise as I had worked in GM Plant in Michigan where they were made 10 years prior to that. ... The skyline was a mass of construction cranes, it looked like a forest of cranes, was scary.
We drove to the plant where they were making the gears, it had a guarded gate and as we drove through I was told that the compound had everything, a company store, hospital, apartments and the factory, the workers lived there as they had everything. There were 10,000 people working there I suspected dirty floors, bad lighting, unskilled workers. What a shock I had, The workers were highly skilled, wore white work clothes, the factory looked brand new and better and cleaner then any gear shop I have been at here in the USA. The Gleason was newer then many machines I see here in the USA.
I believe China has a law that machines sold in China can't be more then 30 years old. Unlike several companies here in the states, we have machines still running that were made in the 60's. They had a marvelous QC department, the gears I saw look as good as any I have seen here. So there are many companies in China that make tip top products made on European and USA made machines. There is a factory in China that copied Gleason machines, but I was told they are not accurate to make the gears in that factory. I would suspect that face-plate was made on a Chinese made machine.
Many tool wholesalers here in the states are big warehouses who buy from the cheapest vendors. I have no clue where Shars buys those parts or if they make or buy them. I see on their website they have a picture of their Chinese plant. They have been in business for several years and I am sure have many wonderful machines and tools, because a company with the volume they have, selling bad products would have closed their doors several years. So most of their tools sold must be good or good enough quality.
I asked my Chinese guide how much the factory worker or machine operator how much he was paid. After we did the math, it figured out to be $40.00 a week. I would bet it is more now, but it's hard to compete anywhere when the price of labor is that low. Just some things to think about. I was lucky to have taken my 16 year old son with me...another story sometime.... Rich.
We drove to the plant where they were making the gears, it had a guarded gate and as we drove through I was told that the compound had everything, a company store, hospital, apartments and the factory, the workers lived there as they had everything. There were 10,000 people working there I suspected dirty floors, bad lighting, unskilled workers. What a shock I had, The workers were highly skilled, wore white work clothes, the factory looked brand new and better and cleaner then any gear shop I have been at here in the USA. The Gleason was newer then many machines I see here in the USA.
I believe China has a law that machines sold in China can't be more then 30 years old. Unlike several companies here in the states, we have machines still running that were made in the 60's. They had a marvelous QC department, the gears I saw look as good as any I have seen here. So there are many companies in China that make tip top products made on European and USA made machines. There is a factory in China that copied Gleason machines, but I was told they are not accurate to make the gears in that factory. I would suspect that face-plate was made on a Chinese made machine.
Many tool wholesalers here in the states are big warehouses who buy from the cheapest vendors. I have no clue where Shars buys those parts or if they make or buy them. I see on their website they have a picture of their Chinese plant. They have been in business for several years and I am sure have many wonderful machines and tools, because a company with the volume they have, selling bad products would have closed their doors several years. So most of their tools sold must be good or good enough quality.
I asked my Chinese guide how much the factory worker or machine operator how much he was paid. After we did the math, it figured out to be $40.00 a week. I would bet it is more now, but it's hard to compete anywhere when the price of labor is that low. Just some things to think about. I was lucky to have taken my 16 year old son with me...another story sometime.... Rich.
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- Joined
- Nov 16, 2012
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Likewise, I get a lot of stuff from Shars and haven't had any problems. I wish I could afford the high-end, name-brand stuff but, I can't so this is the next best thing. I'd say that Shars is my go-to place for most all the accessories...
Ray
Ray
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- Nov 21, 2010
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And then sometimes things have to be repurposed. I had the need on one of our lathes for a 20" or plus faceplate. Problem is, the headstock is
around 4.5 inch diameter, and the cost for maybe a one time use, is out. So I robbed a 22" round table from a drill press & chucked it up. Dialed it
and was so close hardly any runout but it got clean shave. Then for kicks I rechucked it, still right on. Very expensive big Rohm chuck does make a difference.
around 4.5 inch diameter, and the cost for maybe a one time use, is out. So I robbed a 22" round table from a drill press & chucked it up. Dialed it
and was so close hardly any runout but it got clean shave. Then for kicks I rechucked it, still right on. Very expensive big Rohm chuck does make a difference.
T
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got the new plate..fit was nice as it should be this time...as for centering ...
..I faced it and got it down to .0015 out off center..
ok for what it is...
also cut an o-ring groove just outside the bore diameter on the plate to keep crap out of the space between chuck and plate
..I faced it and got it down to .0015 out off center..ok for what it is...
also cut an o-ring groove just outside the bore diameter on the plate to keep crap out of the space between chuck and plate
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- Jul 26, 2011
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After machining the back plate IN PLACE,you could only get it down to .0015" concentricity? Are you using a mini lathe? I'd expect zero runout after machining in situ.
T
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the backplate is only half of the machines...you still have the chuck to depend on...when it is not so hot out there i'll grind the jaws to 0.000.......0015 is fine as long as it doesn't change as you are working a part..this plate stays where it belongs at least..another plate i had on there was a 4" it would be all over the place. it was a shars too..but it was cut way oversize.(threads).(also returned)
i didn't mess with the registration diameter since it was a nice fit
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2012
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I just purchased a 3 jaw shars chuck for my heavy 10, the back plate looked just like yours. It threaded on smoothly so I am not too concerned with it. It was not flat on the mounting face as I suspected, so I gave it a clean up cut to get it running true with the spindle. I just touched the cutter and made a pass, that only cut less than half, I repeated this 2 more times for a total of about .010" ish until contact was made all the way around. I have not had the chance to test for runout as I dont have a known true shaft to test with. The outside of the body when mounted to the face plate is about .010" out, or the needle moves that much when rotated. For a 3 jaw I guess this will be fine, what do you expect for $150 bucks anyway. If I really need something to run true right from the get go I will use my 4 jaw independent and indicate it in. I do know my spindle was less than .0005" when I assembled it. The rest of the machining of the parts looks pretty good, like I said for $150 you will have to do some work to make it right. jmo.