[TravisR100]

I'm new here with my Haas and thought about making a post on what I've spent thus far getting my home shop up and running with the machine. I'm just not sure if that would be appropriate or even interesting for that matter. Any interest in such a post? On the other hand I'd probably have a heart attack if I had to look at what I've spent.

[crabbass]

sure, let's see it. Mill, phaze converter, saw, tooling, etc., everything including miscellaneous costs like shipping-delivery.
this could be helpful to someone considering manufacturing one of their ideas.
I'm curious to see how much those static port covers you have made are worth as of now.
You stated once before that you also have a large "play" budget. Now that you are up and running and have a better understanding what it takes to maintain your equipment, manufacture your particular part, etc. ARE YOU POTENTIALLY PROFITTABLE? Or is this still just a fun side project that could develop some day in the future?

[SlowRiderr]

I would appreciate the info. I priced out a new TL-1 and TM-1 a few months ago but ended up going with some smaller machinery. I hope to purchase a TM-1 and SL10 or comparable units in the next year.

[TravisR100]

First of all, no, there's no way I'm profitable nor did I expect to be. What I expected was to generate some revenue to offset the cost. Profitable is a long ways away. And that's OK.

I guess I should preface this by saying the costs I'm listing here are what I've spent, not necessarily what anyone else might spend. In addition I wasn't starting totally from scratch.

Prior to stepping up to the CNC I had an old Cincinnati manual mill. So a lot of the minor stuff I already had. This would include stuff like gage blocks, surface plates, mics, calipers, indicators, parallels, height gage, cutting tools, hand tools, etc. What I'm listing here is what it took me to get from the manual home shop to the CNC home shop. And obviously this type of stuff is ongoing and never quite complete. Crab, the bandaw I already had.

I'm going to round a bit of this. So here's where I'm at so far:

Haas Super Mini Mill 2
$45,800 delivered.

5 HP piston compressor
$2,100 delivered.

30 HP Rotary Phase Converter
$2,000 delivered.

Electrician to install phase converter and wiring.
$1,400

Install door in shop wall for Haas panel access.
$450

OneCNC
$2,000

Air dryer
$1,100

Coalescer
$700

StorLoc Cabinets
$7,700 delivered

C&M Vibratory Tumbler
$1,325

Tooling
Includes vise, toolholders, pull studs, etc. but no cutting tools.
$2,400

Air Conditioner & installation
$2,300

New sink and installation
$800

Total:
$70,075

These are the major costs. There was a bunch of minor stuff as well. The little things get you. Just as a for instance on minor stuff:
fire extinguisher
respirator
tool tightening fixture
soft jaws
and the list goes on

I figure the miscellaneous stuff has been another $4,000 or so.

So those first 50 static port covers I hope to have complete soon are worth about $1,500 each. I forgot to add the cost of material for them. Make that about $1,512 each. That of course assumes my time is worth nothing.

[TravisR100]

And as crabass will note from my other posts, I've still got to just about double my investment on toolholders before I'm up to having the basics of what I need.

[SlowRiderr]

Great info. My local HFO is great with the service they've given us at the college and I am hoping to be able to purchase a machine from them soon.

[SlowRiderr]

If you ever need help with operation shoot me a line. I have about a year of programming knowledge, and can model in Solidworks and CAM in Mastercam enough to get me in trouble.

[universalfab]

wow man, you must serriously have some dough to blow if you can go out and spend nearly $50,000.00 on a mini mill!! A MINI MILL!! Just my opinion YOUR NUTS... And on top of that all the other things that I'M 100% sure you overpayed on, wow. Please sir take no offense in anything I say, infact I'll be your best freind, we have 2 large shops in the state I'm living in and a HUGE shop in a different state that I plan on moving to in the near fute " big move takes alot of time", but anyway we are loaded with all different kinds of equipment from machining, to welding, to bending shearing, punching all kinds of stuff, I am always looking to make freinds with people that might need things made or repaired and especially people that have loads of cash to blow. We have loads of machinery that we have acquired through the years for good deals I just want to mention, but we are always looking for really good deals and thank God we have found them, but patience always pays off. You seem like the get down to it right now what I want I want type person which is fine, especially for the people selling the stuff to you. If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know, good luck.

[hst]

wow man, you must serriously have some dough to blow if you can go out and spend nearly $50,000.00 on a mini mill!! A MINI MILL!! Just my opinion YOUR NUTS... And on top of that all the other things that I'M 100% sure you overpayed on, wow. Please sir take no offense in anything I say, infact I'll be your best freind, we have 2 large shops in the state I'm living in and a HUGE shop in a different state that I plan on moving to in the near fute " big move takes alot of time", but anyway we are loaded with all different kinds of equipment from machining, to welding, to bending shearing, punching all kinds of stuff, I am always looking to make freinds with people that might need things made or repaired and especially people that have loads of cash to blow. We have loads of machinery that we have acquired through the years for good deals I just want to mention, but we are always looking for really good deals and thank God we have found them, but patience always pays off. You seem like the get down to it right now what I want I want type person which is fine, especially for the people selling the stuff to you. If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know, good luck.

What an incredibly insulting post. I do hope you are feeling adequately superior now.

Glenn

[crabbass]

What an incredibly insulting post. I do hope you are feeling adequately superior now.

Glenn

well said glenn.

universalfab seems to be jealous of your setup travis.
I have said it before and I will say it again, keep up the good work travis.

[TravisR100]

Crabass, thanks. And FWIW, it takes a lot to insult me. In addition I think I got a really good deal on a lot of stuff. I'm curious what anyone thinks I overpaid on.

I too am always scouting for a good deal on stuff but at the same time I've learned to stay away from the junk and always buy stuff that has the highest ratio of quality to price.

As far as the price of the mill itself, I thought it was a pretty good deal. It was 26% off of Haas' listed price. Being as it was the first machine like this I was buying I wanted to buy new to avoid any possible headache I might have with a used machine.

Slow, where do you live? I'm in Houston.

[behindpropeller]

Travis-

We did the same as you, only we bought a TM-2 instead of a SMM2. The learning experience has been fun. It is making me a better mechanical designer too. Hopefully someday we will have a product with more volume so we can get a real manufacturing machine in house.

Now I just need to make a bigger sump and enclosure for the TM-2!

Tim

[mls]

Hi Travis
I think you did a good job setting up ypur shop. Two years ago I got my first machine a one year old vf3 and was very lucky with it a few months ago I got a 2002 mini mill and I also really like it. It is alot smaller but so far it has done everything I have need to do on it.
Keep up the good work Mike

[SlowRiderr]

Slow, where do you live? I'm in Houston.

I'm in NC

[TravisR100]

Behind, why do you need a bigger sump?

[behindpropeller]

Behind, why do you need a bigger sump?

It only has a 15 gallon tank. When the machine is running there is probably 5 gallons sitting on the table and another 3-5 in the coolant catch at the bottom before it goes back into the tank. Plus it looses a lot of coolant just because it splashes out.

Tim

[TravisR100]

So are you not getting enough cooling capacity from it?

[behindpropeller]

So are you not getting enough cooling capacity from it?

Nope.

As soon as I have ran for 5-10 mins the coolant is just a dribble.

[SlowRiderr]

i cant imagine running flood coolant on a non-enclosed machine. behind you should really invest in an enclosure.

[behindpropeller]

i cant imagine running flood coolant on a non-enclosed machine. behind you should really invest in an enclosure.

That is a planned winter project. You can't buy one from HAAS.

Tim