Dwayne Elrod

This is what our customers have to say about Elrod Machine's products and support

Peter Fossey E Mail fossea1@hotmail.com

Hi Dwayne Elrod
I am very pleased with your Z axis conversion. It ran excellently from day one with no outstanding issues.

I fitted a rapid powered drive to the knee operated by push button, taking the back ache out when I need the extra distance.

I think complements your CNC Z drive.
 
To summarise your conversion is is a quality product that I would recommend to anyone.
 
 
Regards
Peter 


Ken Son E Mail kenson@gmail.com

HI Dwayne Elrod... thought I'd drop by a progress report photo...

The thing went in like a charm. Only thing I had to do myself was
drill and tap a new hole in the upper mount for that quill feed
selector bracket...
I've never actually had a kit drop in like that before! I honestly
spent more time making the "installation tool" than getting the rest
of it going!

I did have to noodle out that those two small pieces of sheet metal
were the splash guards that went in behind the unit... luckily there
weren't
many free screw holes left by the time I got to them.


Dave Nugent  Nugent Patterns E Mail dave@nugentpatterns.com www.nugentpatterns.com

 

When you buy something from Elrod Machine you are also getting Dwayne Elrod's extremely competent help as part of the deal.

Dwayne Elrod gave me loads of advice over the phone and by email even before I bought anything, helping me to decide if my Bridgeport was in good enough shape to upgrade, then helping me with more expert advice when I was fixing what needed repair, still before I had decided to buy anything.

Then after I got his excellently designed quill feed and upgraded my Centroid control, he helped me to tune everything in for optimum performance. Also gave me tips to cusomize the machine and get the most out of the software. This is the way Grandpa used to say business was conducted in this country back when they did things right. Too bad companies like Elrod Machine are such a rare thing these days!


Gordon Long E Mail gwlong@newton.berkeley.edu

Hi Dwayne Elrod,
Regarding the Centroid M400 retrofit we purchased from you, it has been a big asset for our shop. It's great to have the versatility of a mill that can be a manual machine, 2 axis mill, and a 3 axis mill. We have used it as a CMM by using the digitizing touch probe. This has allowed us to output complex geometries as CAD files that can then be used in Solidworks for analysis and construction of assemblies. Using the Millwrite software has allowed us to do some engraving projects that would have been impossible on our other 2 axis mills. The components of the retrofit are great. The installation went smoothly and the performance has been basically trouble free. When I was first setting up the machine, you were a great support and returned my calls promptly. Your first hand working knowledge of your products is a huge plus. The only thing that I would consider a drawback is that I can't have just any student run the machine. I have to limit access to the students who have spent enough time with me developing basic machining skills. Not many of our students are with us long enough to have the skills to operate the control safely. Our students are typically very smart theoretically but with limited hands on skills. I had one grad student push the wrong button and jog the spindle down suddenly with an edgefinder in the drill chuck. He had been running in 2 axis mode and luckily he didn't clamp the ball nut tight enough when returning to the 3 axis mode. The ball nut came out of the clamp when he ran the edgefinder into the part instead of something else breaking from the impact. This kind of thing doesn't happen very often but does illustrate the need for constant supervision. The students who do have good machining experience are very pleased with the control and I enjoy showing them what it can do. Thanks again for your support and quality of products.
Cheers,
Gordon Long
Student Shop Manager
UC Berkeley Mechanical Engineering


Greg Brott Gregs Machine E mail flyfishr36@verizon.net

Dwayne
 

DWAYNE ELROD, I THINK THE MILL IS AWESOME , COMPARED TO MY OLD ONE THE MOTOR IS SO QUIET AND SMOOTH. EVERY THING WORKS FLAWLESS. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE MILL . I DO SMALL PRODUCTION JOBS FOR A RACE CAR COMPANY AND ROBOT PARTS FOR THE HANFORD NUCLEAR COMPANY AREVA NC. EVERYTHING THAT IS MADE LOOKS GREAT. EVERYONE IS HAPPY WITH THE QUALITY. SO, I AM TO. CANT SAY MY CAD SKILLS ARE TOP OF THE LINE, BUT THATS NOT THE MILLS FAULT. MY FRIEND SAYS GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT. BUT WHAT REALLY MAKES THE MILL EVEN BETTER IS SUPPORT FROM YOU WITH ALL MY LITTLE GLITCHES THAT COME UP EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. I AM 100% HAPPY WITH THE MILL. DO THEY MAKE A LIFT MOTOR FOR THE KNEE THAT IS CONTROLLED BY THE CONSOLE?  THANKS  GREG
 


Mohonasen High School

Builder / Instructor Ken McDermith

E Mail kmcdermith@mohonasen.org

Ken McDermith

Dwayne Elrod,

First of all I want to thank you for the tremendous amount of support that
you have given us.  We surely wouldn't have been able to pull this project
off without you.  I know we took a lot more of your time than a typical
client.  I left you a voice mail the other day telling you that we are off
and running.  We cut a few parts on Weds.  The control package is
exceptional in ease of use and function.  I can't believe how easy it is to
run this machine.  In addition to cutting parts we have also already used
the TT1 and the digital proble.  I know we will enjoy this machine for many
years.
 Please accept my sincere thanks for your
continued support, you are true professional.

Sincerely,

Ken McDermith
Mohonasen High School.

 



Larry Gutshall Williams Unified School District

E Mail  lgutshall@wusd2.org

Mr. Dwayne Elrod

Elrod Machine

   The Williams High School CTE department purchased a Rt. 66 Taskmaster 3 from you last year. 

The Taskmaster has fulfilled or expectations for my Precision Metals Program.  My students have been able to use this machine to produce many fully machined parts for our engineering projects.  We have found the machine to be accurate and very serviceable.  The technical support from Elrod Machine Tools has been very timely and extremely helpful.

We build and fight remote controlled vehicles for competition in the Arizona Tooling & Manufacturing, Battle bots competition affiliated with the North American Robotics League Educational Experience.   Your machine has helped us meet competencies for CNC and CAM for our Arizona Career and Technical Education Precision Metals Program. 

Thank You

 

Larry Gutshall, Instructor, Precision Metals, Williams High School, Williams Arizona


HRE Fabrication

Jim Harvey

ELROD MACHINE ROUTE 66 TASKMASTER #3 CNC Milling Machine

Dwayne Elrod Builder

Recently, we took the plunge and ordered a CNC mill. This was no small endeavor and certainly not an inexpensive one. We looked at what seemed like thousands of machines over a period of nearly a year. Every machine that we ‘almost’ bought always wound up having some anomaly that wound up ruling it out. They were too big, too small, too powerful, not powerful enough, you get the picture.

Being good friends with a machinery dealer made me think that our quest for a good solid used machine would be a snap. I’ll hold off on the laugh track, but as you might imagine, it was anything but. Fortunately, I had seen a website months earlier that kept sticking in my mind. There was something about the Elrodmachine.com (www.elrodmachine.com) site that intrigued me. Maybe it was the lack of a flashy interface, with all sorts of digital magic. Maybe it was the matter of fact videos that demonstrated the machine with the Centroid control (a control that I had decided we wanted regardless of machine) or maybe it was just that the guy seemed to be a straight shooter. I had spoken to a ton of "snake oil salesmen’ and this guy Elrod wasn’t anything like them. Long story short, after asking every question that I could think of, I put a deposit on one of his Route 66 Taskmaster #3 mills.

Dwayne kept me informed every step of the way and took a lot of time to answer new questions that I would come up with from time to time. In a very short time, the machine was ready for shipment. Dwayne handled that aspect of the transaction as well and if you’ve ever had a machine shipped, you know that is one of the tasks that no one looks forward to. 4 days after it left ELROD MACHINE, it was at my door here in New York. Everything that Dwayne had described to me was 100% accurate and the machine, while twice the size of my Bridgeport, still fit right in and oddly, seemed to actually give us MORE room in the shop than we had before.

The M400S Control is simple to operate and heavy on features

We opted for almost all the add-ins that Centroid offered, based on our discussions with Dwayne and talking about what our needs and expectations were with the machine. Dwayne took the time to explain each of the options, what they did, and what we could expect from them. He was right on the money again. To say that Dwayne was helpful beyond description,would be putting it mildly. He was particularly interested in making sure that I was comfortable with the entire process, while building me the ultimate CNC machine with an M400S CENTROID Control. When the machine arrived, Dwayne took me step by step through the control and gave me the confidence to jump right in and start making parts. The Performance of our M400S has lived up to and surpassed all the things we were told it could to. We couldn’t be happier.

The quality of the Elrod Machine Route 66 Taskmaster is something to behold. Starting with a high quality machine, Elrod adds their special touch and comes up with a machine that will hold its own when put up against anything in its class. Elrod Machine’s customer service is something from the "old school" book. Dwayne Elrod is one of the most knowledgeable guys you’ll ever meet. He knows every inch of the Centroid Control, every inch of the machine itself and he’s available to personally answer any questions that you might have. Anyone can hang controls on a knee mill, but the Route 66 Taskmaster (#3 and #5) are machines that are going to be working far into the future. You can bet that if you have a question, Dwayne Elrod will be there to answer it.

Full color graphics let you proof the job before you make a single cut

You can put your trust in ELROD MACHINE and Dwayne Elrod. This is a company that OVER delivers on its promises and works hard to make sure that the

customer is satisfied. You can spend your money on any machine, or you can invest it in a winning combination from ELROD MACHINE.


Fragoso Inc

Jesus Chuy Fragoso

Dwayne Elrod, 

 
This is way overdue, but nonetheless, Thank You for your help in converting my Bridgeport into the machine that it is today. The CNC retrofit could not have gone any smoother! The quality of your hardware/mounting kits are first class.
 
I was searching for a CNC upgrade option for my mill but others REQUIRED that the kit be installed by a certified installer. The fact that I was able to do the install myself was extremely gratifying and even more importantly saved me some serious money. The success of the installation would not have been possible without the support that you gave me over the phone. The fact that you provided me with your mobile phone # and not just an office # speaks highly of your superb customer service. 

The combination of the Centroid package and your kit have been a pleasure to work with. I can now honestly say "How did I live without a CNC mill". It sounds cliche but it is so true, it has  been a huge time saver. Not only are parts machined faster but I can also be productive (on another task) while the part is being machined! One more thing that I must mention for all those out there that have never operated a CNC machine before, I knew nothing about programming on a CNC before this. 
 
Thanks again Dwayne,

Jesus Chuy Fragoso
Fragoso, Inc.

 

 

 

Back in December 2015 I was in the market to convert my conventional Bridgeport “2J” variable speed milling machine to full CNC capabilities.  As a recently retired (32 years) electrical engineer and research technologist I expect to do some extensive prototype work in my retirement and you just can’t beat the flexibility of the basic Bridgeport design.  However I was looking to broaden & extend the machines capabilities as well as my own.  That said, I did some extensive competitive benchmarking of CNC mill upgrade kits. I was looking for a well-made and well-engineered product using the latest technology with a proven track record. A key feature of Elrod Machine’s solution is the ability to turn your existing mill into a 2 axis CNC machine as well as a 3 axis CNC machine and back to full manual mode with DRO.  The ability to easily switch into three different modes is just one of the things I was initially drawn to.  But being one to look under the hood at the quality of the component of the system I quickly saw why the Elrod product was superior.  It uses heavy heat treated tenzaloy castings for the Glentec servo motor mounts for the X & Y axis. Elrod Machine’s original & patented designs of the Smart Z and Smart Stop as well as the Space Saver mounts were all well thought out and worked well for my shop.  Also the weight and rigidity of Elrod’s yoke which holds the X & Y ball is superior to the competition. This translates to less vibration transferred to the machine and to parts being machined.

Another aspect of why I went with Elrod’s solutions was the partnership with Centroid for the main controller.  This controller has a rich feature set and a proven track record.  When you add up all the pluses from a technology, construction & partners stand point this is a quality product.  The attention paid to these engineering details differentiates Elrod Machine kits from other vendors.  One thing I have learned in 32 years in engineering is you get what you pay for!  The Elrod Machine mill upgrade kits are a quality product and really deliver what they say and are worth the investment for the long haul!

I wish I could say this is the end of the review but one other rather amazing aspect of dealing with Elrod Machine is that you work directly with Dwayne Elrod.  This includes initial technical questions, the sale itself and what is really impressive is the service and consulting after the sale.  Dwayne wants to be sure you are successful and handles all technical questions and any issues you have during assembly and full system debug.  Having not converted a mill before I had a number of issues that came up.  Dwayne’s use of Team Builder Software (remote control of my Centroid controller from Flagstaff, AZ – Elrod’s home base) and a speaker on my cell phone was like having him standing next to me when I was doing the final system debug.  Dwayne also worked with me thru the backlash measurements optimizations for each of the three axes and final set up!  A huge time saver for a first timer like me!

In my case, I also upgraded the main spindle drive to a new 3HP Baldor Super E motor driven by a Yaskawa V1000 VFD.  I had a number of questions on the tapered pulleys (minimizing wobble) and the required pulley alignment as well as making sure I understood how to remove the existing Reeves Variable Speed pulley assembly.  Dwayne helped me work thru all these questions as well helping me optimize the VFD settings. 

Another facet of working with Dwayne was I learned a bit about his history as a machinist and tool and die maker for years before he founded Elrod Machine. So when you deal with Dwayne you are talking to someone who has a wide range of general machining knowledge as well as a deep understanding of every aspect of the CNC kit and how it should work. When you talk to Dwayne you are not talking to some sales or tech person who has never even cut a chip of metal but you are taking to the guy who designed and patented the entire kit and builds these for a living right here in the USA!

On a personal note, I found that Dwayne is a skilled communicator, always patient and he fully addressed any and all questions.  As an engineer I seem to always have a lot of questions and having an expert to consult with was an unexpected bonus!  Where do you get service and product commitment like that these days? I could not imagine better customer support! 

In conclusion, superior design, patented technology, technical excellent in components & materials, great partners (Centroid), rich software feature set and outstanding customer service add up to an amazing customer buying experience! I can say that you will not be disappointed with an Elrod Machine Product.

Bill Hannaway bhannawa@rochester.rr.com

8-10-2016

Engineer / Owner: Hannaway Metalwork’s Webster, NY