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Post by smokeyone on Mar 31, 2008 15:43:29 GMT
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Post by mutley on Mar 31, 2008 16:10:49 GMT
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Post by smokeyone on Mar 31, 2008 17:32:12 GMT
Looks nice, have you got one..............
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Post by mutley on Mar 31, 2008 21:37:43 GMT
No, however Warco are a company known for customer service and quality products. Go to the shows and buy one and you may even save the VAT.
My next machine will be a Warco VMC. ;D
No connection with the company other than as a satisfied customer.
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Smifffy
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Post by Smifffy on Mar 31, 2008 22:18:04 GMT
I've got one and I love it.
I've fitted a couple of digital verniers (X and Z axes) and binned the crappy vice that came with it. I'm consistently impressed with what I can turn out with this.
Happy Smifffy
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Post by smokeyone on Apr 1, 2008 6:10:21 GMT
Warco it is then...but possibily wait for a show to do a deal!
When's the next show please...
Have now found a list on the Warco site...
Assume you will all say go for the metric version rather than imperial....but what is imp R8 please....
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Smifffy
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Post by Smifffy on Apr 1, 2008 7:11:44 GMT
..I will certainly say go for the metric, but that's 'cos i'm young and was brought up that way. This English nonsense is far to complicated ! I think Harrogate is the next show, but there are many more informed people on here. Wikipedia (font of all knowledge) gives a good explanation on tapers: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_taper |
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Noddy
Statesman
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Post by Noddy on Apr 1, 2008 7:50:48 GMT
Not wanting to muddy the waters of your decision, but there are some much more rigid second hand mills going for no more money. I just spotted these over at lathes.co.uk www.lathes.co.uk/advertphoto/071114centec/www.lathes.co.uk/advertphoto/080223linley/not long ago, the asking price for the centec one wouldn't have bought you its vertical head! I've no connection to the mills or sellers, but the centec in particular does look tasty... Keith |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2008 8:27:28 GMT
Morning all. R8 is the spindle taper size, it is the same shape as is used in the Bridgeport milling machine, different to the morse taper.
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brozier
Part of the e-furniture
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Post by brozier on Apr 1, 2008 9:17:58 GMT
May as well throw my two pennys worth in...
The Centec 1 has a very small small table which may be a issue depending on what size work you do, the Linley machine looks like it has a pretty small table too. I really appreciate the large table on my Dore-Westbury it does mean you can have the vice permanently attached at one end and still have space at the other for more awkward jobs.
The good thing about these older machines is that they are rigid. The reason for this is massive cast iron castings which can make things diffcult to move without lifting equipment.
The Centec is probably at the limit of what two people could lift, I've recently sold one and we stripped it down to just the column to move it.
You also have to face up to the fact that an old machine may be worn out, for a beginner that may be difficult to spot.
The advantage of the R8 spindle is that it doesn't lock itself to the quill like the Morse tapers do so ejecting a tool is simple rather than the comic violence of persuading out morse tooling using ever bigger hammers on the draw bolt....
Cheers
Bryan
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Post by metalmickey on Apr 1, 2008 11:07:10 GMT
I have another company who I have a lot of faith in for customer services, and they are Axminster tools. Their website milling machine link is www.axminster.co.uk/category-Milling-Machines-208257.htmI have one of their RF25's which is the same machine as Warco/Clarke etc. As I understand it they are all made in the far East and painted/badged for suppliers. I wouldn't be without mine it was great value for money. I fitted DRO's to the three axis and would certainly recommend you doing that. I bought my DRO's from Hong Kong and they were much cheaper thanUK suppliers, they are advertised on eBay all they time. Having said all that when I upgrade I will go for a second hand older UK made machine rather than a newer Chinese one as there is certainly a difference in quality from my new Chinese variable speed lathe and my Myford. Having said that I couldn't afford the UK equivelent so its the old chestnut that you get what you paid for! |
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Post by Laurie_B on Apr 1, 2008 11:30:12 GMT
Having just refurbished a Centec 2B (or not 2B!) milling machine I can vouch for the quality of these mills.The 2B has a bigger table than the previous machines (i.e.,the Centec 1/2/2A) which is more useful. The disadvantages are that: a)they don't come up for sale all that often, b)they are very heavy to move around as they were initially intended for industrial use, c)the accessory tray is very large so the machine might not fit in a small workshop space. d) they usually have 3 ph electrics which usually means buying a converter. The advantages are that: a) they are very well made and accurate machines, b) they can be used as a vertical or horizontal machine if the vertical head is still with the machine. Just for interest, here is a photo of my machine during refurbishment. |
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Noddy
Statesman
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Post by Noddy on Apr 1, 2008 14:12:31 GMT
Laurie B,
Ive probably said it before, but that is a gorgeous little machine.
With the Far eastern stuff, Some people have a nasty habit of selling you exactly what you asked for and not what you actually want.
I suppose (if we're not too busy saving quality european and US gear from the scrapyard crusher) it is upto us to support the importers who sort out the higher quality goods and who give good service and support.
People who've dealt with them seem to say Warco are good, and touches like having US made circuitry on their mini lathe etc, point to them taking care of known shortcomings before the goods get to us.
Hopefully I'll get some more work done tonight on my latest attempt to save a quality european machine. A G. Dufours (Forty something inch table...) universal mill which I was given rather than it being crushed to make Chinese 3 in 1s and other un-mentionable crap.
Keith
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Post by circlip on Apr 1, 2008 14:43:49 GMT
Oh for heavens sakes Laurie_b, you've just given Noddy an organism, pictures of proper ironwork, is it an April the 1st prank or have you really refurbed a Centec. Best regards Ian.
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Post by smokeyone on Apr 1, 2008 15:42:16 GMT
Basically then for 2/3 the money I should be able to find a nice used one. Unlike the Sarah Beeney house owners I am happy to take advice.
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Post by houstonceng on Apr 1, 2008 17:16:14 GMT
Smokeyone
The R8 taper (in common with ISO/INT 30, 40, 50, etc) was designed for milling. The Morse (M series) tapers were designed as self-locking tapers for drills. Consequently, they are not optimum for milling. Sometimes, the rension required on the draw-bilt to prevent them loosening under milling stresses v]can make it near impossuble to release them.
The only reasons that they are, usually, offered on a Milling Machine - especially in "our sizes" - is -
1. So that taper tooling for one's lathe (eg the tailstock chuck) can be used on the mill.
2. Cheapness
I had the choice of MT3 or R8 in my Warco A1-S (Myford VME look-alike) andf took the R8. I've never regretted it.
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Post by smokeyone on Apr 2, 2008 5:25:06 GMT
Thanks for the explanation
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Post by dickdastardly40 on Apr 2, 2008 7:00:23 GMT
Basically then for 2/3 the money I should be able to find a nice used one. The difficulty then is knowing which used machines are the nice ones and which have spent a metaphorical lifetime at the face of a siberian saltmine. Good Luck, if you see an on-line listing lots of folk here to assist in the decision making process, but the money is yours. A few other considerations: What do you see yourself making? How much room do you have? Do you have extra budget for buying tooling if the machine you buy is sparsely equipped? Al |
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Noddy
Statesman
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Post by Noddy on Apr 2, 2008 8:01:09 GMT
Seeing Al's post has reminded me;
THE SHAPER!
Very little money, tooling is dead simple, it's just like a lathe tool, and can do most things a mill can do and some a mill can't, it's just not as fast (in a production setting) but compared to a little bench mill, an 8 or 10 inch shaper would probably way out pace it.
At least with a shaper, you don't need worry about ruining good cutters on inclusions in a casting, and it will tear through the black oxide or rust on plate.
Sorry, I'm muddying the water still further
Keith
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Post by dickdastardly40 on Apr 2, 2008 8:53:38 GMT
Fantastic for pinging searing hot chips of metal where you least want them. Not to be operated in the summer due to the possiblilty of wearing shorts. Ensure your workshop is isolated or sound proofed to preclude neighbours asking what the whumping noise is. |
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