Articles

Life After the Breakup

Lloyd Graff, Rex Magagnotti, Noah Graff with INDEX MS32C

I bought out my brother Jim’s interest in Graff-Pinkert six months ago. I promised him that I would not write about the breakup, but I want to take a few lines to describe how the post breakup is going for me.

The day after our deal closed I was vacationing with my wife, my sister and brother-in-law at the Chautauqua Institution near Jamestown, New York. (We had planned this trip a while before with my sister. That the breakup with Jim culminated at the same time was an odd coincidence.) The four of us were having lunch on the grounds when my iPhone rang and Jim’s name came up. I gulped, walked outside and took the call.

Jim quickly got to the point. There was a deal available with Wickmans and Hydromats. He had already looked at it. He wanted to know if I was interested in buying it. My head spun. Was this déjà vu? Was it 2012 or 2011? We had just broken up a 40-year relationship and now he was calling me to work on a deal?

“Well, uh, yes,” I stammered back. “Sure.” It was a pretty short conversation. This was not exactly how I expected my first day of solo ownership of the family business to go.

Screw Machine Plant Liquidation!

Multi-spindle screw machine plant closed in company consolidiation. Many machines with .001 end toolslide to stem readings! 1" to 4" capacity. 6- and 8-spindles. Well maintained, nicely tooled, priced to sell quickly!

Call Us About a Machine and Get a $50 Gift Certificate!

Call Graff-Pinkert with a legitimate inquiry about a machine you want to buy or sell and get a $50 gift certificate to Cheese Cake Factory or Outback Steakhouse.

An email inquiry does not qualify for this opportunity. Graff-Pinkert must have a genuine phone conversation with you to recieve a gift certificate. The topic of conversation must center around a CNC turning center, CNC Swiss, Multi-spindle, or Rotary Transfer Machine that you would like to buy or sell. Even if no deal takes place we still give you a gift certificate--as long as we get to have a quality conversation.

Why are we doing this? We want to talk to potential customers on the phone, even if we have to pay them to do it.

Only the first 25 callers will receive gift certificates, Promotion ends Friday Dec. 14.

Give us a call today and ask for Lloyd, Rex or Noah

Call: 708-535-2200

Which Multi-Spindle Is Right For You?

Slides on a 1-3/8" 6-spindle Wickman (Notice the steel on steel end-tool slide to stem)

In addition to CNC lathes, Hydromats and newer European multi-spindles such as Schutte, INDEX, and Euroturn, Graff-Pinkert historically has specialized in mechanical multi-spindles such as Wickmans, Acmes, and New Britains. The following is a basic guide to help you choose the best mechanical multi-spindle for you. The first question to ask when deciding which machine to buy is who is going to run the machine. If the operator is an Acme-man or a New Britain veteran who has only run those machines for decades, it's usually best to stick to the equipment which that operator knows best. However, if an operator is open to using any multi-spindle and they can run the job on a 6-spindle machine, Graff-Pinkert generally recommends using a Wickman. The main reason Graff-Pinkert recommends Wickmans is that it's a much lower cost to tool the machines. There aren’t any cams to change on Wickmans, just lever ratios. You loosen up some bolts, you slide it into the throw that you want and your done. Setting up an Acme or New Britain requires. ...

Wickman 1-3/4" Multi-spindle Operation Basics

Graff-Pinkert's Wickman mechanic Greg Buenrostro demonstrates some basic principles for running a Wickman 1-3/4" 6-spindle.

Rotary Transfer Machine Information

The following is some basic information for people interested in Hydromats or other rotary transfer machines:

Rotary transfer machines are ideal for even larger quantities and more complicated parts than those produced on multi-spindles. Rotary transfer machines are used to produce turned parts which require many operations such as cross drilling, cross tapping, milling, and extensive back-working. The machines normally are used to produce volumes in the millions annually. Some of the most popular rotary transfer machines worldwide include Hydromat, Eubama, Micron, and Buffoli.

Your Next Machine

The dilemma of the lonely machine tool dealer is the common denominator of most businesses and occupations. The clients want to buy something tailored to their needs. The seller wants to sell them what they have, at a premium price. The tug of war today is over the cost of the tailoring.

Helping You Find a Supplier After Hurricane

We know that many manufacturers in the turned-parts community have been devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Graff-Pinkert is offering its knowledge of America's supplier base to match up companies who are hobbled by the storm with shops who have extra capacity. Call us and ask for Lloyd if you are down from the disaster. He's a good matchmaker and the fee is gratis.

Trouble with Deflection on CNC Swiss

Shop Doc by Dan Murphy

We are trying to run a variety of very small parts on a 20 mm gang tool CNC Swiss and are having trouble with deflection when cross drilling and milling. Is there a way to get the live tools closer to the guide bushing?

Please No Screws

Lloyd Graff recently purchased Jim Graff’s interest in Graff Pinkert & Co., and he felt it was time for a redo of the company’s Website and logo. Today’s Machining World, our Web magazine about the precision machining industry, also changed its logo five years ago and redesigned its Website last year. Its important to stay current in business, and periodically refreshing marketing and advertising is a way to do it. I was in charge of coming up with the logo and it was a tough gig because we really had no idea what we wanted.

Graff-Pinkert - Screw Machines, Hydromats, CNCs