- Joined
- Dec 3, 2014
- Messages
- 778
Questions to ask, why asre they selling, who ran it, did that person run it exclusively, what year is it, if tubes have they replaced the C16J s, they last a very long time, mine are over 4o years old, but they cost like stink, and if the tubes are very old or machine will not hit top rpm and stay steady with good stability under load, you either have a misadjusted set up and or more likely old and tired tubes. Not the end of world, but when some rummy says excellent condition and the 3000 rpm machine will only hit 2200 and still be stable you know they are bs ing or don't know their head from their bottom. Does it have original steady, faceplate, follow rest, cumulative cross slide dial, ELS, taper, knock out bar, nose cone for 5c or 2J collets, collet closer. Is it a 3 hp or 5 hp machine, round dial, or square dial, old height or new height, is the tailstock the correct size for machine they get lost and replaced. A machine from the 80s that is dead stock and metric, english with all the goodies could easily go 30K. A round dial machine clapped out with little extras could go for scrap. As an example my half way decent tooled 1956 WiaD 3 hp machine with taper attachment and collet closer, faceplate, 2 chucks, nose piece cost me 5K delivered. If my machine had fewer hours on it and less wear I think it could have brought more. I would not buy a high precision antique with out being able to use it first unless the person was an acknowledged expert on all things ee and I only know a very few of those, most of em hang periodically on the Monarch board at PM, there are a couple others.
I know that some machine shops won't buy an EE, they go Hardinge or Sharp exclusively. At one time Raytheon had nothing but MG EEs for precision, their tech liked the motor generator models, which are now all over 50 years old closer to 60 or more actually. As of 2000 Raytheon was still running them.
I spent 2 years looking at lots of machines, several air flights, long drives, most every machine was misrepresented either intentionally or by lack of knowledge. Its going to be up to you to determine if its a good machine. If I had it to do over I would have kept looking but that said I love my machine and do not regret it, but in 13 years or so, I have been down maybe 4 or 5 months, trying to figure out what 50 year old piece of wire, or contact or resistor had gone intermittent or bad. BTW there are different rpm machines, its all in the pulley size, tach top rpm will tell you what it should do.
cheers
michael
I know that some machine shops won't buy an EE, they go Hardinge or Sharp exclusively. At one time Raytheon had nothing but MG EEs for precision, their tech liked the motor generator models, which are now all over 50 years old closer to 60 or more actually. As of 2000 Raytheon was still running them.
I spent 2 years looking at lots of machines, several air flights, long drives, most every machine was misrepresented either intentionally or by lack of knowledge. Its going to be up to you to determine if its a good machine. If I had it to do over I would have kept looking but that said I love my machine and do not regret it, but in 13 years or so, I have been down maybe 4 or 5 months, trying to figure out what 50 year old piece of wire, or contact or resistor had gone intermittent or bad. BTW there are different rpm machines, its all in the pulley size, tach top rpm will tell you what it should do.
cheers
michael
