There’s always the occasional, “I need to be trained on the cold saw or evo saw”. I’d like to make it so it’s easier to get trained on, rather than having to be at the wait of other volunteers to teach it. It’s something that I don’t want there to become a backlog. As a Committee I feel that we need to use our volunteers time as efficiently as possible. That’s kinda what I’m trying to get at.
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anything that can be streamlined is a boon for the committee.
Cold saw demand will be falling off sharply with the new fee rule.
Should help the backlog considerably.
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I’ll still be using it, but getting my own blade since you never know what the person in front of you did. Just gonna have to swap it on and off each time which is a nuisance.
In the end I don’t think too many people will stop using it. Will some, absolutely, but in the end I think it will be like the chop saw going away. A few people really notice / care but the vast majority won’t.
People can’t seem to use ablative blades properly, and the diamond blades last about three days before they get bent. People did awfully stupid things with that saw, and at least on things like the cold cut half of the human element is gone since the machine does most of the work as long as you clamp it properly and watch it.
There really hasn’t been a case to bring one back, as everyone just migrated to learning how to use the cold cut.
We were going to have to start charging for those wheels as well anyway, or people bring their own regardless.
We were losing them rapidly, upwards of three a day. Even then they don’t offer much benefit and are even harder to clean up after.
And again, it’s for the vast majority of users and the feedback the shop has received.
In all, most users were uncomfortable with the way it was being used, it was constantly being damaged, and it wasn’t being cleaned up properly (partly due to the dust being kicked everywhere rather than some chips to brush aside).
If you want to bring your own chop saw that’s fine, and we still have grinders to put ablative disks on (though I have been informed that two of them need some work I need to look at them next time I am in).
Has @Team_Machine_Shop considered a small nominal per usage fee instead to cover blade replacement cost instead of stick one user with the cost blades break due to usage. One could set it up correctly and it still break. How about 1 dollar for 5 or 10 minutes of use?
Hi Josh, yes as part of the larger discussion we talked about usage fee. That is the one item everyone wanted to stay away from. I know it’s a real cash cow for Laser but there is no real way to track usage on our machines. Charging for breakage is nothing new in the machine shop. If someone breaks a haimer tip for instance, there is a $50 replacement charge. Has been for years. And despite that there are other users before the one that breaks it, no one complains. They just say ‘shit’ and pay the $50. Those that are actively using the saw were present in the meeting and voted in favor of it. And since the committee wants it that way, that’s the way it is. I just get to catch the shit for it. No biggie, not the first time.
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Generally, DMS doesn’t charge for using the machines. Machine Shop gets a monthly allowance for consumables which would cover the normal wear on the blades.
Because the Cold Cut Saw is basically an automated cut, unless the clamping set-up is incorrect or the wall thickness/material is incorrect the blade basically gets dull. It snaps/breaks when it binds when cutting due to clamp set-up. If they don’t break they usually last 3-4 months before needing resharpening or replacement - they do occasionally loose teeth, but unless they lose a number of teeth next to each other, they can be resharpened but teeth aren’t replaceable. Breakage is a different matter. Dullness won’t cause it to break, the cutting becomes very slow.
Machine Shop doesn’t charge for band saw blades (round $70 a blade and they last about a week before being ruined), these are just ruined but don’t break (they should be lasting much much longer than they do). Drills and cutters are generally provided as well as taps. But these can be quickly ruined when hardened material is use or improper techniques. Basically excessive pressure against the blade - not letting the blade cut the material. We are experiencing what appears to be excessive breakage and isn’t sustainable.
Boring bars get dull, bent is abuse. We had two bent at once, clearly they didn’t know what they were doing and didn’t report it.
Charges for using the machines, like laser does, was based on the consumption of the laser tubes since they were life limited. However, since the original prices were set tube life has grown and tube prices have come down - which is how laser’s income has become so high. The billing rate has not been adjusted to reflect current costs. Laser does not get a monthly consumables allotment as they are covering all the costs.
Metal Shop bills for the MIG to cover the cost of wire spools and gas. It currently does not charge for the gas on TIG and it provides basic welding filler rod. Metal Shop also gets a monthly allotment for consumables. Some other consumables are covered like nozzle parts, grinding wheels, blasting media, etc. These are paid out of the monthly allotment, although many persons, such as myself, buy their own to ensure we have a good set on hand for our work.
Other committees also charge for consumables, such as sandpaper. Some of the smaller drills and cutters have high breakage rates - again due to abusive machining. Things become dull through normal usage is expected - but snapping them or burning them isn’t. Machine Shop at this time doesn’t want to get into charging for the machines: dues pay for those. The consumables: cutters, blades, drills, inserts, taps, boring bars, etc. are being looked at, and the ones that has high consumption due to what is deemed abuse, members may have to provide themselves except for specific sizes.
It is amazing how long a $2-$3 jobber drill lasts when it’s yours verses a drawer stocked with them are free. The Cold Cut Saw breakage was just getting excessive.
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How many have we broken in the past year?
Two in past several months. Before that a about year year - and that was a clamping issue. Three has gotten dull and switched out. One with larger teeth had lost several teeth but didn’t break. 220+ tooth blades generally don’t lose teeth as they are very short.
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I don’t think metal shop gets a monthly allowance. I’ve never seen a statement showing so. I will stand corrected if it is the case.
Nick usage fee is not a cash cow for laser it allows purchase of things to maintain and repair our very expensive machines and not place the burden on one maker or user. Machine shop can run their committee as they see fit. However a stance of you break it you replace is difficult for some makers on tight budgets I was just trying to share a different perspective.
Best wishes
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I think @Photomancer said it quite well. Prices of tubes has come way down but laser usage prices have not. Having an excess $40k kinda says it is a cash cow doesn’t it?
Metal shop does not get a monthly allocation, machine shop gets a monthly allocation of $500.
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Are you suggesting making users pay ahead of time for a potential for a breakage as part of a training fee? Is this sarcasm?
I think he was suggesting the training needs to mention the $75 if you break the blade, not charging $75 for each training.
Ok, thanks.