My trigger finger got itchy again...another unproven rumor...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I pulled the trigger on a new lathe yesterday......


Do you remember Creeker Steve Clardy's predicament a while back?


Well........I've been shopping for my first bandsaw. I've talked and researched.........Laguna, Mini-max....Agazzani........What was in my price range..........

I just dropped the trigger on an MM-16. Deciding factor.....Mini-max donated one to Steve when his shop got wrecked by heavy snow this past winter.

I've got to get that shop done now....New lathe New B/S....I'm not done yet!:D

[Jim Becker]

Kewel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tony De Masi]

Very Cool Ken. Isn't it amazing how much we agonize, research, ask questions, research, agonize over these decisions?

Tony

[Dennis Peacock]

Some people just don't know when to stop.....but....I'm encouraging you to keep going!!!! Nice choice there Ken and I'm very excited for ya bud. :D

[Steve Clardy]

Hey that's great Ken !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Craig Thompson]

Congrats.... I'm envious.. I've been eying that mm16 for a bit now!!! Anyone want to take the Rikon 18 I have so I can justify joining in with the MM16 group????

[Gary Keedwell]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/evsac/Video/useless.gif

Congratulations....Ahhhhh The peaks and valleys of decision making...it is kinda fun in a masochistic way.:D

Gary K.

[Larry Fox]

Congrats - very nice saw.

[Tom Cowie]

I pulled the trigger on a new lathe yesterday......


Do you remember Creeker Steve Clardy's predicament a while back?


Well........I've been shopping for my first bandsaw. I've talked and researched.........Laguna, Mini-max....Agazzani........What was in my price range..........

I just dropped the trigger on an MM-16. Deciding factor.....Mini-max donated one to Steve when his shop got wrecked by heavy snow this past winter.

I've got to get that shop done now....New lathe New B/S....I'm not done yet!:D


Hi Ken

I have a Laguna BS but Minimax donating a saw to a fellow woodworker in need speaks wonders for their company:) They are first rate in the business. I've been eye-balling that nice slider of Jim Becker's for awhile now . Maybe when I get a bigger shop:D

Tom

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats again buddy. Can't wait to see the completed shop.

[Ernie Nyvall]

That's a good one Ken. Congrats.

[Tyler Howell]

Didn't happen!!!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Didn't happen!!!

You are right Tyler.....It's supposed to ship tomorrow at my request. I don't want it here before next week so I can finish half the shop and move it into it's final place.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Tyler.....It did too happen! I happen to be home for lunch today....the phone rang.....10 minute warning...

We got it into the shop........

MM-16!


Photos to follow........:D

[Jim O'Dell]

Congrats Ken! This thinking about retiring is getting expensive, huh? :D Enjoy the saw. Looking forward to seeing some pictures this evening. Jim.

[Gary Keedwell]

Tyler.....It did too happen! I happen to be home for lunch today....the phone rang.....10 minute warning...

We got it into the shop........

MM-16!


Photos to follow........:D
Ken
What brand lathe did you end up with? I think I missed it:confused:

Gary K.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Gary.....PM 3520B....delivers Wednesday morning.

[Mike Spanbauer]

Dang, 2 droolworthy machines back to back... grats :)

Enjoy them Ken!

That PM is the one I've been eyeing for many months...

mike

[Bill Reed]

Tyler.....It did too happen! I happen to be home for lunch today....the phone rang.....10 minute warning...

We got it into the shop........

MM-16!


Photos to follow........:D

Ken,

Do you intend to run narrow blades on your new MM16? If so, I'd be curious about whether you encounter the same problems with the guides that I have run into. I have been talking with the technical support people at Minimax for the last week and still have no solution for my problem. They have ordered some narrow blades for testing, but they haven't arrived yet.

Bill

[Brian Weick]

Way To Go ken- Did you get the E series or the MM-16? are there major difference in relation to the price?
Nice gloat Ken but ,,,,,,WHERES THE PICTURES--YOU KNOW THE RULES:D
Brian:)

[Gary Keedwell]

Ken...I checked out your lathe ....man that is real nice....Congratulations:D

Gary K.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Ken,
Tyler is implying "no pics, no joy". So, congrats and all! When are we gonna SEE something?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brian.....I got an MM-16........4.8 hp


Mike, Gary and Brian.....Thanks!

I am going to retire in 2 years at age 60. The opportunity for early retirement last month held a very slim chance I'd get it. The company was offering 500 positions and my number was 5048......5047 in front of me....less than a 1 in 10 chance.....I didn't even submit the paperwork. The LOML and I talked about it. There were 3 (actually 4) large tools I want in my shop. I asked my wife ....so when and how do you propose I get those tools. She suggested I take out a 2 year loan...In 2 years at age 60 when I retire...the tools are paid off and I've used them for 2 years. I've been invested in a 401K for over 30 years. I have the capability of borrowing against that and paying the interest to myself. So.....We looked at the payments we could afford without making us "tool" poor...if you can do that and be a turner..:D And I borrowed the money from myself....

I'm not wealthy by anyone's standards but I've been saving for over 30 years. You can say I should save the money first and then buy.....Well my FIL, the most avid outdoorsman/fisherman I know was frugile! He bought his first pickup and fishing boat at age 82......at age 84 he sold the boat as he couldn't get it in and out of the water solo. At age 86 he died.....
A friend of a co-worker retired last fall at age 57.....In March of this year he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.....They buried him in June......I want to buy 1 bandsaw....1 lathe (my Mini was a gift of the inmates here) and one DC.......and let my two sons argue about ownership in the future!:D So though I'm only a hobbiest, I want quality...one time......

Bill,

I'm sorry you are having problems running narrow blades. I suspect I might have difficulties too, then.....It will be a couple of weeks before I can set up and try to use my new tools. I fly out this weekend for 4 days.....The weekend after I return..30 coworkers are coming in for a day of jetboating on the Snake River into Hell's Canyon followed by a cookout at our home. I doubt I'll get much done that weekend. I'll find out then if I'll have any difficulties. I want you to know I saw your thread about this and I called the guy who sold me my MM-16. He started working with me in March and I didn't buy until 10 days ago. He's since been promoted to GM of Mini-max. He was already aware of your thread here and he said he's traveling to Italy next month IIRC and he'll take the problem and resolution to the folks there asking for modifications to eliminate the problem. I'll let you know what problems I run into and what the resolutions might be.

[Don Bullock]

Ken, you're a smart man. Getting your tools and shop set up now is a great idea. No time is better than the present to do what you really want to do to enjoy life.

I'm in a similar situation and the LOML has been very supportative as I plan for my retirement at the end of this school year at the age of 61. Fortunately my retirement check will be close enough to my current check that we'll be able to get by. Like you, I'm having a blast buying my shop tools. I still have to wait on getting an actual shop to put them in because we're planning to move after she retires in another year.

I'm watching your progress closely because I think you're doing it right. I wish you the best and many happy years cutting wood.;) :D

[Jim Becker]

I'm not close to retirement (nor do I know if I will ever be able to do so now that kids are in the picture...:rolleyes:) but I made the decision a number of years ago to invest in my shop while I did have the ability to do what I wanted to do. I believe that someday it will pay off for me. And I applaud Ken for really looking at things from all the angles and making his decisions base on what he really wanted to accomplish long term. When life gives you an opportunity...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Okay......Finally...here's the photos...it's still crated and setting on 2 pallets. I went to a rental place today.....They don't have an engine hoist that will lift high enough to get this thing off the pallet. I'll have to do some more checking tomorrow.


BTW Nancy.....You'll notice the walls and ceiling on about 60% of the shop are now a satin white....finished coated no less....My oldest son is coming over tomorrow morning when he gets off duty to help me install a couple of the light fixtures.

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[Mike Null]

Congrats! Beautiful equipment. Enjoy!

[Jim Dunn]

Great looking addition to your shop Ken. Now get that spinny thing going as well.

[Tyler Howell]

Congrats my friend. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
And to think it all started with a small bomb blast.:rolleyes: :D
Well done;)

[David Duke]

Congratulations Ken, looks like your getting your shop fixed up right!!!! From everything I've read about you and seen in your posts couldn't be happening to a nicer guy. I sure wish that I could of gotten out to see you when you were in Houston, I'd of been willing to take the chance of the vortex's power being transferred by osmosis but I had other commitments that couldn't be altered.

[Jim Becker]

Ken, if you can get even one more person to help, you can just walk the MM16 off the pallet...

[Mike Spanbauer]

As Jim suggested Ken, the MM16 isn't too hard to man-handle if you can get another back to assist. I actually laid mine down (had to clear the leveling bolt threads as they had painted inside them and couldn't accomplish from above) and picked it back up by itself. with the motor located so low, it's got a very, very low center of gravity. Makes it much easier to negotiate.

Something to consider is that many, many people love the zambus casters underneath the MM's, and although I do not own them myself I've considered it to simply do away w/ the wheel bar.

Grats again on the new toys and enjoy them!

mike

[Brian Weick]

Nice Ken, very nice:D you look like your starting to crowd that new shop of yours, why don't I help alleviate that problem , I'll come over and start by removing that thing in the crate and getting it out of your way- I'm only trying to help out here :D
WTG-K
Brian

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nice Ken, very nice:D you look like your starting to crowd that new shop of yours, why don't I help alleviate that problem , I'll come over and start by moving that thing in the crate and getting it out of your way- I'm only trying to help out here :D
WTG-K
Brian

I could sure use some help moving it Brian! Your so generous with you offers......

I'm waiting for the PM 3520B to be delivered any moment......I'm like a kid on Christmas morning!!!!!!!!!!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I haven't figured out what's worse......waiting for the "Bomb" to fall and not knowing what was coming.........or this time knowing what's coming...???????????:confused: :D

[Dennis Peacock]

I haven't figured out what's worse......waiting for the "Bomb" to fall and not knowing what was coming.........or this time knowing what's coming...???????????:confused: :D

What??!!!!! Nothings showed up yet!!?????? I want news and pics of new tools. :D :p

[Glenn Clabo]

Doesn't matter...even if you know it's a boy or girl...the birth is still scary.

[Bruce Page]

Ken, when mine was delivered the trucker & I had to lay it down to get it into the gar…shop. Once in the shop I removed all of the crating and my son & I stood it back up.

Congrats, you’re gonna love it!

[Steve Clardy]

Oh Ken. Looks like your MM is sitting in your shop all nice and snug ;)


I had a little different problem when mine came.
Fed-X semi with liftgate. :D

Now that was cool :cool:

But.................................
Due to the snow and ice that was still on the ground, the driver didn't want to risk unloading at the rear of my shop. Read. Might get stuck :eek:

So, I went to the end of the driveway, where he stopped. It was slick and thats as far as he could get up the front drive.
I had to remove my camper top, and the driver helped, no complaints from him. ;)
I backed up to the truck, and he rolled the MM into my pickup with a pallet jack.
I backed into my shop then. Closed the door, and was all snug and warm again. :D

I got my engine hoist out and proceeded to unload it.
Oops!! Not much of a place to hook it, and with the MM sitting in the bed of the truck, my hoist won't reach the top of it. Hmmm
I had to remove that darn heavy table, and hooked the hoist on the frame under where the table mounted.
I had a helper in the shop that day, and he balanced, steadied the MM while I rolled the hoist back and let it down on the floor. ;)
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I'm sure you will enjoy your saw Ken. I sure enjoy mine.

Oh. And thats the way mine came.
One pallet, one banding strap.
I'm not sure how it survived the trip from texas :confused: without a major mishap, but it did ;) :D