"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote in message
. 3.70...
Ignoramus18788 fired this volley in
:

I sold a very nice Cuttermaster for $750 or so half a year ago...

Cuttermasters are nice, too. Was that a Cuttermaster Pro, or the
"small" version? How new? How many collets? Stand? The E90 I got is
virtually virgin, and everything's in the kit.

Despite PM's post, I have it on authority from a couple of other regular
users that a _skilled_ user of an E90 can make very close to factory-new
edges AND ends on milling cutters. Only, like so many things, it takes
some skill. PM probably hasn't spent the time to learn. I'm retired.
I'll find the time.



Dude...

I've been a machinist for nearly 35 years now, pretty much my entire working
life...

14 years of that time was at Boeing, where I spent quite a bit of time
grinding tools and parts of all sorts and I've been supporting my family by
running my own shop ever since ~1997 when I quit Boeing and beings as I've
actually been using my own Darex E90 for about 16 years now, I'm here to
tell you that there's simply no way in hell that you are EVER going to get
the thing to produce edges that are anyrthing near to "factory new"....

Sorry, but it just ain't gonna happen no way no how....

Yhe machine is seriously lacking in mass for one thing, and you are NEVER
going to get the wheel head to run even close to balanced and even if you
did, the residual vibration is still going to give you a crappy
micro-finish...you *might do a little better if you ditch that flimsy little
bedframe steel stand and set it onto a sturdy cabinet or a granite plate
but...

At this point, I'm pretty well convinced that your "couple of regular users"
are either pulling your leg, have never used better equipment, and/or seldom
purchase new endmills or more likely some combination of the above.

That said, they are what they are, mine has probably saved me nearly 100
grand over the years, but there are a handful of jobs that I run here where
I really do need a high quality grind, and those tools I send out, mostly
because I do not have the floor space for another grinder.


So... Ok... I ruin a dozen junked bits that are useless anyway. I'm an
apt student. Bet I either figure out how to make it work to snuff, or
figure out why it can't -- and fix it! G

These things are not complicated, but they are expensive in terms of time
to build from scratch. Even a ready-made machine that doesn't work
_quite_ right would be easier to fix than making one myself, and I can
guarantee that the $1400 I paid was less expensive than the cost of the
'normal' fully-equipped jig Plus a Cincy #2.

I just signed a new, large 8-month contract for machines Friday. I need
time and sharp bits. I don't need to make the machine to sharpen them.


LLoyd