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Westec Cruising 2009

To All:

Went to Westec today. I grabbed a Haas bag when I entered, but wasn't planning on putting more than a couple of brochures in it - BUT I came away with about 5 lbs of literature.

Saw a 5 axis milling machine - With a work envelop something like 6" X

3". It was the cutest little thing - with a miniature trunnion.
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Mitee-Bite was showing a Versagrip Vise Jaw System. It can hold large round parts on the top of your vise jaws - as well as unusual shaped parts.
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Jergens was showing their Ball-Lock sub-plate system. The guy changed from a Kurt vise to a fixture plate while I was talking to another guy in the booth - probably took ~2 minutes.
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Now this appeared to be a cool vise. The Gerardi vise has a 15 degree angle on the back of their vise jaws with serrations on the vise body AND the Jaws so they can move vertically (for a downward force when clamping) but can't move sideways. The vise was ground all over and looked really nice - and when I asked the price and he said $599, I though I had misunderstood him, but no it was $599. So I said "These puppies must be made in China, eh? He said no, they are made in Italy.
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While walking by the OneCNC booth I saw a video playing on a monitor that was showing a pocketing routine doing what looked like a trochoidal toolpath motion. I thought that was cool for a bargain basement CAM system.

So there was this 3 foot long metal sculpture of a dragon. I'm a touchy/feely type person (and probably left my fingerprints on every exhibit I was interested in), anyway I was feeling the dragon's tail that was a flexible cable, then I was touching the feet that had trailer hitch balls on top, then the head had a whole row of upper and lower fangs - so I was in the process of seeing if I could push on the fangs to see if the jaw would open - when all of a sudden the nose spits water on me and steam comes out. I let out a Yip and jumped back, saw the booth guys laughing and said "Yeah, Ya GOT me" and started laughing myself. They probably had a button operating the spitting/steam operation. I must have made someone's day. Pretty cool.

This was the smallest Westec I've ever been to. Everything was in the one room (no downstairs job-shop booths). Plus they had an antique truck, and another truck towing a boat roped off on the side of the exhibit hall (I assume to just take up the empty space.

Reply to
BottleBob
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Ill be there probably tommorow morning. Anyone sees a gimp with an OmniTurn t-shirt..its me. Hit slow..Im still healing.

Gunner

Reply to
Gunner Asch

I went Monday. I like going opening day. If you are interested in anything you get the most enthusiasm from the vendors those first 4 hours. It was a relative ghost town. I was in and out with everything I needed to see and do in about 4 hours. I always start on one side and work my way up and down every aisle stopping to do business or bullshit or both when seeing familiar booths. The parking was the easiest I've ever experienced. 50 feet from the entrance. Small show, I hope everyone get a return on their investment. Those antique vehicles belong to one of the Dunkle Brothers (local machinery mover). They have a building in Anaheim. He has quite an extensive collection. It used to be on display for customers. I don't know if it still is since they moved. The guy is a Porsche nut. He has a helicopter built by Porsche. He has some vintage bikes too, old Harleys that look like bicycles. Very cool stuff.

Reply to
Bill

Sorry I won't be around.

When I was the engineering manager at Mitsubishi I went because a few MITS booths were there (not related to the company in over 50 years) - and wanted info - samples. MITS is 3 diamonds. Generally the color shows alignment between. Electric division aligned in group level with autos and the Carbide and Silicon in Materials....

Rats, just samples and data. No real good inserts or other goodies.

I did get to see the big iron there - monster mills and lathes.

Mart> >

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Sorry I not see ya!

Maybe I can pick you up something?

Gunner

Reply to
Gunner Asch

Does he have any Porsche tanks?

Reply to
Kurgan. presented by Gringioni

Thanks for the offer -

I suppose wait around the loading dock after the show for free machines :-)

Wonder - I suppose everyone can afford to take them home or deliver locally as planned - demo models sold lower.

Guess not. Sample surface grinder wheel ...;-)

Mart> >

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Surface grinder wheels? What you need?

Send me an address.

Gunner

Reply to
Gunner Asch

Cruising around just now, I saw the following site with a Chinese vise that looks remarkably like the Italian Gerardi that I saw at Westec.

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The specifications say it's parallel within .005/100mm (.00019"/3.9") and square within .005mm (.00019). It appears to have the same closing mechanism and the same 15 degree angle on the back of the jaws as well.

It makes me wonder whether Gerardi has the vise made in China for them, or if it's just a Chinese Knock Off.

Reply to
BottleBob

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