The comparison is as dramatic as a rudimentary cart with rocks for wheels to a luxury, high-tech sedan that is capable of driving itself.
And what is this comparison? We’re talking about the design of LeBlond’s classic Regal metal lathe to our current RKL model.
Modern RKL Design
The Regal was born of an era where motion pictures were just beginning to talk. The RKL is of a modern era where automobiles talk to you. See this post about the history of the two lines, and this one about variable speed being the primary difference between the two metal lathes.
The RKL offers customizable features that give the lathe CNC-like functionality without having to spend the thousands of extra dollars on a computer numerical control machine.
RKL Features Awesome Customization
For example, if you buy a current RKL model (don’t miss our promotion on the 1300 and 1500 Series that ends Tuesday), you can customize your metal lathe with a powered (pneumatic) tailstock and chuck.
A pneumatic tailstock comes in handy if you need to, say, drill repetitive holes in a series of parts. With this powered add-on, you can move the tailstock in and out on an air cylinder, automating the drilling process and reducing grind on the operator.
CNC Functionality Without the Extra Cost
“Customized add-ons such as the powered tailstock for our RKL line, enable lathe operators to load and unload parts,” says LeBlond Ltd. General Manager Aaron Juillerat. “With the design of the RKL featuring pneumatic chuck, tailstock customization and variable speed drive, you have a manual lathe with high production run at a cost lower than CNC machines.”
If you don’t have enough volume to justify a CNC lathe, you can customize your RKL metal lathe with add-ons to give you CNC-style functionality at nearly $10,000 off the price of a new CNC machine.
Don’t miss LeBlond’s promotion until this Tuesday (September 15th) where you can save up to 20% off or as much as $4800 off an RKL 1300 or 1500 Series metal lathe. Prices start at $13,940. Check out the offer here. If you’re interested in larger LeBlond manual lathes, K.O. Lee grinders or need original OEM parts for LeBlond, K.O. Lee, Standard Modern, Johnson Press, Deka Drill and W.F. & John Barnes equipment, fill out a contact form here.