Thread: Kid in a toystore

Thank you for putting those photos up. That's one big piece of steel in the lathe chuck.

Nice pictures... The machines look clean... What I did see was no CNC though...

R.C. That's right! THat's what made it like a 'toyshop' for me.... No CNC machines - everything done manually. He has another section to the factory (which was dark over the weekend) where he and his son manufacture plastic injection moldings themselves - in there everything is fully automated with robots nad CNC control.... not very interesting to look at for metalworkers.....
He outsorces anyhting that needs CNC machining to a factory down the road.....
So he roughs out the dies and strippers that need complex 3D shapes to high tolerances and get them to run the finishing passes on some things. THis factory is a 2-man plus his wife buisness. I aksed uestions about the business and it's competitive in the specilised stuff they do. But in the past there were 8 people employed - now its just a family business. But they still make 3 good incomes and amortise the investment. He's been in business for 35 years there, owns the factory and all the machines. He has sold a few old machines in the past few years though. The injection molding machines and the robots are still amortising. He thinks he'll be OK for another 5 years or so as a family business....

Methinks Joe might have his patient eye on some soon to be available machines that don't require quite so much restoration.....

Yes, very interesting to see these machines. I am not into metal work so this thread has given me a look inside a machinist shop.

Thanks for the pictures Joe, looks like a great place to work. I see a couple of nice looking Arboga drill presses... I like that little vertical bandsaw... any details?

Ray

Sorry Ray, I didn;t take much notice of the bandsaw.... too much other stuff to look at But I will be seeing him again and ask some questions. I also didn't take any good photos of the two massive manual copy mills behind the T & C grinder. They are really interesting pieces of equipment I would like to see in action one day. One of them has the plastic cover on it and the other one has 'its back' against the T&C grinder - the huge green machine.

Thanks for the pics Joe.

I really like that Colchester

Jayson.

Originally Posted by jhovel

One of them has the plastic cover on it and the other one has 'its back' against the T&C grinder - the huge green machine.

I was going to ask what the green one was. I figured thats what was hiding under the plastic, you can just see one of the tables.
Thanks for taking the time to take and post the pics.

Ew