KO Lee Model BA960 T&C grinder
I ran across one of these for sale. What's the value if an air
bearing fixture for grinding end mills, a compound spin fixture (for
grinding cutters), arbors, centers, fingers, wheels.
Looks like it was built in the mid 60s.
TIA

RWL

On Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:48:27 -0500, GeoLane at PTD dot NET GeoLane at
PTD dot NET wrote:


KO Lee Model BA960 T&C grinder
I ran across one of these for sale. What's the value if an air
bearing fixture for grinding end mills, a compound spin fixture (for
grinding cutters), arbors, centers, fingers, wheels.
Looks like it was built in the mid 60s.
TIA

RWL

2 yrs ago..that would have been worth $2500

I got mine for free. Well...$75...one hour worth of my labor rate.

Mighty handy to have if you can get one cheap.

Gunner

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the
means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not
making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of
it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different
countries, that the more public provisions were made for the
poor the less they provided for themselves, and of course became
poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the
more they did for themselves, and became richer." -- Benjamin
Franklin, /The Encouragement of Idleness/, 1766

KO Lee Model BA960 T&C grinder
I ran across one of these for sale. What's the value if an air
bearing fixture for grinding end mills, a compound spin fixture (for
grinding cutters), arbors, centers, fingers, wheels.
Looks like it was built in the mid 60s.
TIA

RWL


2 yrs ago..that would have been worth $2500

I got mine for free. Well...$75...one hour worth of my labor rate.

Mighty handy to have if you can get one cheap.

Gunner

Thanks Gunner. I had quite a bit of difficulty getting an idea of
value on these critters. I eventually also posted over on Practical
Machinist and finally got a few responses there. The consensus was
that many companies were almost giving them away to guys who would
haul them out of the plant, but $500 was a fair price currently for a
private sale. The seller I was going to visit in the Philly area
cancelled the visit when I told him what the other guys were saying. I
was hoping he'd get over the reverse sticker shock and email me back.
He still may.

If I had transportation I ran across a better deal in IL. A guy
closing his grinding shop offered me 3 tooled Cincinnatis and a Gorton
for more reasonable price. Total weight is about 8000 lb. At most I
could tow one Cinci with my Tacoma and it would be a 14 hour round
trip. I'll look into less than load carriers, but my gut tells me
this isn't economically feasible.

Thanks again for the info.

RWL

On Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:43:15 -0500, GeoLane at PTD dot NET GeoLane at
PTD dot NET wrote:



KO Lee Model BA960 T&C grinder
I ran across one of these for sale. What's the value if an air
bearing fixture for grinding end mills, a compound spin fixture (for
grinding cutters), arbors, centers, fingers, wheels.
Looks like it was built in the mid 60s.
TIA

RWL


2 yrs ago..that would have been worth $2500

I got mine for free. Well...$75...one hour worth of my labor rate.

Mighty handy to have if you can get one cheap.

Gunner

Thanks Gunner. I had quite a bit of difficulty getting an idea of
value on these critters. I eventually also posted over on Practical
Machinist and finally got a few responses there. The consensus was
that many companies were almost giving them away to guys who would
haul them out of the plant, but $500 was a fair price currently for a
private sale. The seller I was going to visit in the Philly area
cancelled the visit when I told him what the other guys were saying. I
was hoping he'd get over the reverse sticker shock and email me back.
He still may.

If I had transportation I ran across a better deal in IL. A guy
closing his grinding shop offered me 3 tooled Cincinnatis and a Gorton
for more reasonable price. Total weight is about 8000 lb. At most I
could tow one Cinci with my Tacoma and it would be a 14 hour round
trip. I'll look into less than load carriers, but my gut tells me
this isn't economically feasible.

Thanks again for the info.

RWL

Ya..Id say $500 was fair, based on local and Ebay pricing....but with
tooling and fixturing. Ive never seen one that was "worn out",
but..shrug they do have wear on them when they are 40 yrs old.
Some far more than others.

The very very wide range of carbide inserts in all shapes and types has
largely done away with the need for tool and cutter grinders. So few
are actually used anymore and most shops choose to not keep em running
and fed with consumables..and a guy who is qualified to run one in a
commercial environment. Specials are generally rare..and the few
dedicated cutter and grinder shops do it fast, accurately and
reasonably. Floor space costs money in machine shops..shrug..and having
a machine you dont use costs you money if you are in the business.

Frankly...Ive got a big 6x18 surface grinder and my KO Lee T&C
grinder..and Id never have paid for either one of them once I knew how
little Id actually use them.

Gunner

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the
means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not
making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of
it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different
countries, that the more public provisions were made for the
poor the less they provided for themselves, and of course became
poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the
more they did for themselves, and became richer." -- Benjamin
Franklin, /The Encouragement of Idleness/, 1766