New to me toys

[landroversforever]

I'd add to that and say that in the 6+ years I spent in the machine shop the only time the pillar drill was used was by those not allowed to use the mill. Otherwise I'd pick the mill for drilling every time. I'd certainly pick a mill over a pillar drill for the workshop if you're tight on space. 

 

[Ed Poore]

This was the wee mill I picked up - heavy old beast (Gaston Dufour) 3 phase but only a single motor so can be converted relatively easily unlike most Bridgeports. Powered feed on all axis (including the knee), horizontal and vertical milling setup, table rotates as well. Head rotates too to mill at an angle.

Not bad for £400, but does take a wee bit of shifting. Luckily my mate's lorry was at the yard so the 45tm crane took care of it at that end end the neighbours tractor + JCB took care of it at my end. The tractor struggled but starter had died on the JCB so waiting for a new one and wanted the mill off the trailer.

[FridgeFreezer]

Yeah I'm very much after something that isn't weighed in tonnes - more along the WM16/WM18 sort of line;

https://www.warco.co.uk/milling-machines/32-wm-16-variable-speed-milling-machine.html

But thanks for the tips fellas!

[Ed Poore]

Ah tiddly one rather than Bridgeport scale... You should have said.

I thought you had one?

[mickeyw]

20 minutes ago, FridgeFreezer said:

Yeah I'm very much after something that isn't weighed in tonnes - more along the WM16/WM18 sort of line;

https://www.warco.co.uk/milling-machines/32-wm-16-variable-speed-milling-machine.html

But thanks for the tips fellas!

Fridge I have one of https://www.warco.co.uk/milling-machines/37-major-gh-milling-machine.html that I intend to part with once my Bridgeport is installed.

[Anderzander]

I’ve been thinking of getting one of those… 🤔

Can’t decide which I’d use more - a lathe, or a mill.

[Ed Poore]

You can do milling operations on a lathe (albeit limited) but you struggle to do turning operations on a mill.

I've got all (two mills, the smaller being a Bridgeport) and a small lathe (Myford ML7), I could lose the mills (in fact they've not been setup properly as I haven't had the time) but I wouldn't be without the lathe despite being rather small.

[Anderzander]

Thanks Ed - that’s helpful 

[FridgeFreezer]

41 minutes ago, Ed Poore said:

I thought you had one?

I have a Proxxon MF70, which has a total bed travel of ~100mm and was previously used for CNC cutting keys... it isn't really up to whittling brackets or anything much involving steel in the workshop.

@mickeyw I'd be VERY interested, yes, give me a shout when the time comes

[Stellaghost]

20 minutes ago, Ed Poore said:

You can do milling operations on a lathe (albeit limited) 

Limited is defined purely by your imagination and how desperate you are to get the job done.....

Also things like magnetic chucks, 4 jaw chucks and backplates allow more to be achieved, tool post mods will allow you to cut internal gears etc regards Stephen

Edited January 22, 2022 by Stellaghost
Predictive pain

[Stellaghost]

4 hours ago, Anderzander said:

 

😂😂🤣

I love the bead roller ! 

At some point I will be fabricobbling ( as @Bowie69 would say ) a motorised drive for it, make it easier to handle panels with regards Stephen

[Stellaghost]

3 hours ago, simonr said:

https://gandmtools.co.

 

Every time I look at this I see grandma's tools........

Must be an age thing..... Regards Stephen

[Ed Poore]

22 minutes ago, Stellaghost said:

Limited is defined purely by your imagination and how desperate you are to get the job done.....

Also things like magnetic chucks, 4 jaw chucks and backplates allow more to be achieved, tool post mods will allow you to cut internal gears etc regards Stephen

I cannot agree more wholeheartedly.

Shortly after buying the 2CX a two pairs of pallet forks became available on mig-welding. @Jon W kindly picked them up for me and then in-between lock-downs we met up in Builth Wells to transfer them. That evening I got back home and proceeded to fabri-cobble a headstock for the 2CX out of some 20mm plate, some 4x2" box section and some 10mm flat bar. My plasma was technically rated for 24mm on mild steel - was it hell... I didn't have a big enough drill bit for the 45mm pins so a combination of gouging using the plasma and trying to fettle with the grinder it got the job done. MIG ran out of gas, couldn't be bothered with the TIG so ended up doing my first significant attempt at stick. Finished at 3am because lorry was due to deliver the missing items of a 3t order of steel the following morning (including one full-size sheet of 10mm - weighing in at 280kg).

Quick check in the morning, successfully lifts a wet bulk bag of sand with no cracks or creaks. Lorry didn't show up until 4 days later...

[FridgeFreezer]

1 hour ago, Ed Poore said:

You can do milling operations on a lathe (albeit limited)

I've just been doing that this afternoon but it's a right chore, especially as decent vertical slides are £££, so the "cheap" one I've got has a very limp grip and likes to move around , also it tends to require angling your head to see what's going on rather than just looking down at the milling table.

I've also done it by just clamping the part in the tool holder and setting the height but it's fairly limited unless you get very creative.

This indicator stalk clamp was done on the lathe;

 

As were my difflock actuator clamps;

 

 

I imagine with a good solid vertical slide it would be OK, but they cost a significant chunk of what a 2nd hand mill of similar or greater capacity goes for.

[Ed Poore]

I've got one from RDG Tools (just checked and about £100) and it's fairly decent for what I've wanted, there are clones on eBay for £32.

This one: https://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/RDG-VERTICAL-SLIDE-DOUBLE-SWIVEL-FOR-MYFORD-LATHE-SUPER-7-ML7-IMPERIAL-76348.html

[De Ranged]

30 minutes ago, Ed Poore said:

I cannot agree more wholeheartedly.

Shortly after buying the 2CX a two pairs of pallet forks became available on mig-welding. @Jon W kindly picked them up for me and then in-between lock-downs we met up in Builth Wells to transfer them. That evening I got back home and proceeded to fabri-cobble a headstock for the 2CX out of some 20mm plate, some 4x2" box section and some 10mm flat bar. My plasma was technically rated for 24mm on mild steel - was it hell... I didn't have a big enough drill bit for the 45mm pins so a combination of gouging using the plasma and trying to fettle with the grinder it got the job done. MIG ran out of gas, couldn't be bothered with the TIG so ended up doing my first significant attempt at stick. Finished at 3am because lorry was due to deliver the missing items of a 3t order of steel the following morning (including one full-size sheet of 10mm - weighing in at 280kg).

Quick check in the morning, successfully lifts a wet bulk bag of sand with no cracks or creaks. Lorry didn't show up until 4 days later...

I love that sort of stuff, that was my job in Australia.... its amazing what you can achieve with a gas axe a grinder and welder.... I made entire pieces of plant out of the scrap piles at wind farms 

[simonr]

3 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

Yeah I'm very much after something that isn't weighed in tonnes - more along the WM16/WM18 sort of line;

https://www.warco.co.uk/milling-machines/32-wm-16-variable-speed-milling-machine.html

But thanks for the tips fellas!

I've used a couple of Warco machines - and for the money, they've been pretty good.  I went straight from the Centec (even smaller than the Warco one, easy 2 man lift) to a Bridgeport - but to be honest, rarely used it to it's full capability.  Now I've gone back to a little mill (an EMCO PCMill 100, converted to Mach 4).  The bed is about the same size as the Centec & it's been fine.

I used to have a vertical slide on my Myford Super 7 (before I bought the Centec) and even that was very usable.  You can pick them up on eBay for under £100.

[simonr]

2 hours ago, Anderzander said:

I’ve been thinking of getting one of those… 🤔

Can’t decide which I’d use more - a lathe, or a mill.

Lathe first - I find I use it much more often than the mill.

I had actually been thinking about getting rid of my mill, I use it that little.  I have a CNC Plasma table too - and these days, most of the things I might have milled, I can design differently & plasma cut instead.  Combined with a folder / welder - it's very versatile.

[Anderzander]

That’s helpful too - I must learn CAD …. For getting things cut, machined or justifying a plasma table and a 3-d printer it seems the way ahead.

[Ed Poore]

1 hour ago, De Ranged said:

I love that sort of stuff, that was my job in Australia.... its amazing what you can achieve with a gas axe a grinder and welder.... I made entire pieces of plant out of the scrap piles at wind farms 

That reminds me - I need to go and visit a friend's scrap pile. Supposedly there might be a few hundred tonnes there - would be worthwhile stocking up my scrap pile from his (he wants to reduce it).

[Stellaghost]

17 minutes ago, Anderzander said:

 or justifying a plasma table

That would be some justification..........

They're just expensive full stop and just like all nice to have tools you need to weigh up use over cost...

Then the big one, where to bloody put it !!!

Regards Stephen

[Anderzander]

I think they might be like 3D printers - and significantly come down in cost over the next x years. 

[FridgeFreezer]

Biggest problem for me is garage space, not that my garage is tiny but I've got a decent bench, a lathe, MIG and TIG, drill press, and a bay of pallet racking plus some other shelves and it all adds up - I'd happily DIY a CNC plasma table but the only time I have 6' square of free floor space is if I park the truck outside. Same with mills, folders, etc. I just can't house any of the stuff that takes up floor or bench space.

[Ed Poore]

Fold up CNC plasma table. He may not be to everyone's taste but Colin Furze has built a fold up plasma table (not CNC but you could add that with some thought). He also had a nice inset folder on the edge of the workbench that folds down out of the way when not in use and is immediately usable.

I know a mate in Surrey had an idea for a pull-out CNC plasma so might be an option for under the bench.

[simonr]

2 hours ago, Stellaghost said:

They're just expensive full stop and just like all nice to have tools you need to weigh up use over cost...

Then the big one, where to bloody put it !!!

Can't help with where to put it - but, expensive - no.

If you cast your minds back to this thread:

Which eventually turned into this: https://www.instructables.com/CNC-Plasma-Table/

The original one I built had a 700x700 cut area but was small enough to fit in the back of my RRS.

I've since built another one which is 700x1400 as I needed to cut some bigger stuff.  It works pretty well.