Need some recommendations for tooling

[InFlight]

I would put a lathe way up your list of tools.

For your budget, I would suggest this Lathe with Tool stand. This size lathe could really accomplish any future machining needs you might have.

With a lathe you can quickly make custom drivetrain axles, make spacers, Standoffs, etc.

I would also order additional tooling including:
Typical carbide cutting tools
Cutoff tool
Grooving tool (multi-blade set) for E-clips and C-clips
A Drill and Tap set
If you don't have a micrometer and calipers already, I'd add that to the list as well.

I've ordered tooling from www.use-enco.com in the past, and can recommend them.

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

My advice is to stock up on all your consumables for the next couple years. Tape, zip ties, zip tie mounts, taps, blades, bits, rivets, VexPro parts, electronics like the PDP, RoboRIO, motors, batteries, zip cord, and motor controllers.

I would also recommend a good set of Hertel HSS bright finish screw-machine length drills from Enco.

That $4k is going to disappear in the blink of an eye. If you are going for something big, I'd focus on getting on a good one if that rather than a sucky one of multiple things.

On table saws, SawStop might be a good idea for students. They aren't cheap, but far cheaper than a missing finger.

Or you can forget all this and just prepay your FRC registration. Then if you get another sponsor later on and you have a balance with FIRST, you can get it regranted back to you to spend however you please.

We actually do have access to a Sawstop down in the middle school. It is a very nice tool but I think its overkill for what we are doing.

We actually just did the whole stockup thing with our remaining school budget. (The way our school budget works is that the money disappears once the school year ends) Which is the same reason why we can not use the money for a second regional.

[RoboChair]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

This is very helpful thank you.

Also, do you have any particular recommendation for the arbor press. Not to sure what I am looking at and how to figure out which one is better.

You will need a 4 or 5 ton arbor press to get one with enough working height. You can make a smaller one work, but it's not easy or convenient.

Enco has this one for $550

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PMAKA=805-1045

[Cash4587]

10/10 would highly recommend that you buy an Evolution Power Tools RAGE3. Here is a link to the Amazon page but I am sure you can buy it elsewhere too.

https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Pow...=1&*entries*=0

We have used this saw to cut all of our 2x1,1x1, angle, and almost anything you can think of needed for frc except for sheet (we use a jigsaw). Last year we cut 90% of our robot out with the rage3, and were very, very happy with how it performed. We would not be able to function with out it. It is far cheaper than some of the nice horizontal bandsaws and it makes cuts that are very comparable to them as well. The cuts are very very smooth and will provide a surprisingly flat surface for when you are riveting things together which is important for good joints.

[Cash4587]

Also, I forgot to mention. A CNC router although seems like it will be more useful than a lathe, our team could absolutely not live without a lathe. There are so many things that we do on the lathe that no other tool can substitute for. We have been fortunate enough to have one since our team began, and I can say it has easily become our students favorite tool. We did majority of our plate parts on a drill press with some calipers and a center punch with printouts of the part 1:1 and had very nice results. We use a Porter Cable Jig Saw, and a Cheap Ryobi Belt sander, and Ryobi Vertical Band saw to clean up edges and finish our parts.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

We actually just did the whole stockup thing with our remaining school budget. (The way our school budget works is that the money disappears once the school year ends) Which is the same reason why we can not use the money for a second regional.

You can give the money to FIRST now and have them hold it for next year. You can use the money for a second regional if you really want to.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Cash4587

10/10 would highly recommend that you buy an Evolution Power Tools RAGE3. Here is a link to the Amazon page but I am sure you can buy it elsewhere too.

https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Pow...=1&*entries*=0

We have used this saw to cut all of our 2x1,1x1, angle, and almost anything you can think of needed for frc except for sheet (we use a jigsaw). Last year we cut 90% of our robot out with the rage3, and were very, very happy with how it performed. We would not be able to function with out it. It is far cheaper than some of the nice horizontal bandsaws and it makes cuts that are very comparable to them as well. The cuts are very very smooth and will provide a surprisingly flat surface for when you are riveting things together which is important for good joints.

I own a RAGE2 saw. It's awesome for cutting steel, but terrible for aluminum. The blade clogs. The vise on this model is not the greatest either. I wonder if the RAGE3 is any different. It seems like a nicer saw.

For aluminum, I prefer a Dewalt DW716 12" miter saw with a Freud Diablo 80T blade for box tube, and a horizontal bandsaw for bar stock. If you don't have a good 12" miter saw with a nice Freud Diablo blade, I'd recommend getting one.

[frcguy]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

If you don't have a good 12" miter saw with a nice Freud Diablo blade, I'd recommend getting one.

A very strong +1 from me. We have the same setup, albeit a 10" saw and blade, and it is fantastic.

[Sperkowsky]

Hi so, I started making the list. It needs to be finished tonight.

For the CNC Router I have chosen the Shapeoko Xl kit with the Dewalt router.
I also put down about $140 worth of ball cutters and flat cutters from carbide 3d

For the lathe I have taken everyone's suggestion and went for a better lathe. I still feel like we wont use it too much but I am willing to believe the people with experience are right (it hasn't failed me yet). So I put the Grizzly G0768 lathe on the list.

I put down the original table saw on the list which is just a Dewalt compact job site table saw

The unexpected purchase of the day was the rage3 miter saw. I watched some videos and I am sold. We have a chop saw made for steel and a crappy miter saw made for wood but I think investing in something this nice is worth it.

I also just decided to go with a cheap belt/disc sander combo from Harbor Freight.

The only thing left is tooling for our mill and lathe. I am not sure what to buy and I am not sure if Robochair's links are still applicable so if anyone could please help linking me to everything we need I would be very thankful. We want some DROs for both. Along with some measuring stuff. All we really have is a pair of digital calipers and a pair of manual calipers.

The only thing I have put on the list so far is this http://littlemachineshop.com/product...ProductID=3969

So, that leaves us at about $3,545 including shipping on the Carbide and Grizzly stuff.

After tooling we are just going to buy a smaller arbor press. (I think giving up broaching is going to have to happen).

Thanks for all your help!

[NickE]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

You can give the money to FIRST now and have them hold it for next year. You can use the money for a second regional if you really want to.

You should do this instead of rushing into a purchase for budget machinery that hasn't been thoroughly researched and may be a huge compromise on what you actually need it to do. FIRST can hold money for you, has no fiscal year rollover limits, and will re-grant it back to your team upon request so that you can buy machinery on your own timetable.

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by NickE

You should do this instead of rushing into a purchase for budget machinery that hasn't been thoroughly researched and may be a huge compromise on what you actually need it to do. FIRST can hold money for you, has no fiscal year rollover limits, and will re-grant it back to your team upon request so that you can buy machinery on your own timetable.

As much as I would like to do this it probably won't make our school very happy as we already told them we were going to buy tools. It is our money and in all technicality we can do what we want but we have a very good relationship with our school and do not want to hinder it. (They have given us $7,000 this year alone on top of the $7,500 they always give us).

We do realize they are budget tools but right now its probably all we can afford/will be able to afford for a little while. We also have no machining mentors currently and the way I see it id rather start off with a cheaper tool.

Although, I totally see your point.

[Lireal]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

After tooling we are just going to buy a smaller arbor press. (I think giving up broaching is going to have to happen).

I don't have any experience with it myself, but you might want to consider rotary broaching with your mill. With a quick search I found this:
http://www.polygonsolutions.com/rota...h-tool-holder/
http://www.polygonsolutions.com/rota...rotary-broach/

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Lireal

I don't have any experience with it myself, but you might want to consider rotary broaching with your mill. With a quick search I found this:
http://www.polygonsolutions.com/rota...h-tool-holder/
http://www.polygonsolutions.com/rota...rotary-broach/

Has anyone successfully used a rotary broach on a round column mill? They just are not very rigid, even for milling.

[RoboChair]

Same tooling and scales should do you fine. PM me if you have more questions and I can give you my phone number and talk directly if you would like, I don't sleep.

BTW you can broach with a smaller arbor press (3 ton) if you drill a hole in the arbor, but you should have a team with a big lathe do it for you so it's nice and straight.

[RoboChair]

Like so. There is an entire 1.75 inches of the broach up in the arbor of this thing. I'd be happy to do it for you, but shipping the arbor would cost more than finding a local team.