That's the harsh reality. Unfortunately, the market for such machines is pretty much non-existent, yet the home shop types often would readily buy it. Industry has no need for them, no more than it does for shapers. They have, for the most part, been replaced by CNC equipment.10KPete wrote:It's just a shame to see good machines left to rot like that. I could have been easily saved.
Pete
I've always coveted a nice K&T horizontal, but reality dictates that it most likely wouldn't be a great choice for the home shop. Much the same as a centerless grinder. Cutters for horizontal mills tend to be very expensive, and are beyond the typical home shop's ability to sharpen.
However, if you've ever seen one of these beasts operate, the amount of metal they can move is horrifying. They're a great value when used for production.
I didn't mean to go on and on about rusted machines, but some folks here, as well as elsewhere, struggle when trying to accomplish close work, when a great deal of their trouble is related to their inability to measure correctly, as well as trying to coax acceptable performance from a machine that simply isn't capable. That's a sure recipe for discouragement, so I try to cast a little light on the subject, like suggesting that calipers (of any stripe) are not well suited to precision work. Some don't like the message, but the day of reckoning comes to them sooner or later.
Harold