Which milling machine model?

Discussion in 'General foundry chat' started by Zapins, Jan 31, 2021.

  1. Petee716

    Petee716 Gold Banner Member

    My Clausing 8520 takes MT2 collets and I use a 3/8" rod with a nut pinned on the top to draw the collet up as well to strike it to remove the tool. I have to tighten the drawbar pretty tightly to keep the tool from slipping during use and sometimes have to rap it pretty firmly to remove it. I'm not very comfortable whacking that thing as I'm not sure what effect it's having on the quill, bearings, etc. but it's what I have to do to to get the tool out. It's not difficult or inconvenient, it just seems a little sketchy.

    Pete
     
  2. Jason

    Jason Gold

    I know one thing, if you ever snap that pin at the bottom that locates an R8 collet, you might be royally screwed! :eek:
    I just replaced mine as a matter of course. I can't even imagine what a nightmare getting something stuck or broke off inside could turn into.
    This might be one reason I'm content turning a wrench handle at this point. Besides I have a calibrated elbow.;)
     
  3. Peedee

    Peedee Silver

    I've not had tool 'walk' out of a collet yet (I now know what is going to happen on Monday....!) I don't tend to murder them tight but I am fussy about keeping the collets and tool shanks clean.

    That said one of the guys walked away from a surface grinder (thinking it was set depth) and completely destoyed a mag vice, and the wall, everyone was on the floor ducking the debris, I would have love to have been there!
     
    Jason likes this.
  4. Jason

    Jason Gold

    OMG Peedee that's funny!...
    That reminds me, I need to tighten up the lever that holds my quill. I caught it creeping down last week.
     
  5. Peedee

    Peedee Silver

    He took a week off sick after that incident so I'm told.

    Got a friend who runs a machining company, usually rare engines. His co-partner set up a CNC cut on a very rare porshe head and didn't zero out the tool, a half inch deep cut through the head doesn't make for an easy explanation to the client! I'll have to ask him how he resolved that one but no doubt it was expensive.
     
  6. Peedee

    Peedee Silver

    I don't know if you ever got Condor as a branded machine over there, they are a little unusual and a bit of an over-grown bridgeport clone. Dirt cheap to buy aged models over here but I'm not sure on the spares situation.

    Our power feed is no more, the oiler for the ways is only good for hanging your coat on but the DRO is still working well :)
     
    Jason likes this.
  7. Petee716

    Petee716 Gold Banner Member

  8. dennis

    dennis Silver

    I originally trained on a mill like that one, in 1987-8.

    The Sunkist (machining) portion is gone, now...
     
  9. Jason

    Jason Gold

    I like how they conveniently dont provide photos of ways or a close up on the table.:rolleyes: Ya gotta be real careful buying sight unseen. Hell the last guy couldnt be bothered to take his end mill out!o_O

    I got tangled up 2weeks ago on a broken bronze lamp in an auction. That auction house had a 28% buyers premium!:eek: I bailed long before it reached its estimate. Ya gotta watch these thieves closely. The real bitch was even after paying NY state tax, I had to pay some external company to go retrieve it and ship it!
     
  10. Petee716

    Petee716 Gold Banner Member

    Agreed. Just passing it along. However there's more than one related item in the auction so if one was sufficiently motivated a fella could take some action in his own interest and go look at it. Of course it would only be a daytrip for me.

    Pete
     
  11. Auctioneers simply don't give a rat's arse, my mill came from a training college that closed the machine shop and gave the building over to child care and hairdressing. The auction for the lathes had all the four jaw chucks as one lot, the three jaw chucks as another lot, the toolposts and taper attachments and steadies all heaped on a pallet as another lot. The bidders should have put their heads together before the auction and shared the lots amongst themselves instead of having a bidding frenzy. The auctioneer would have made more cash by having a lot of accessories to match each of the 12 identical lathes.
     
    Jason likes this.
  12. Petee716

    Petee716 Gold Banner Member

  13. Jason

    Jason Gold

    That's not really out of line with the market these days.
     
  14. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Is that good or bad for the machine?
     
  15. crazybillybob

    crazybillybob Silver Banner Member

    Depends.
    That Jet looked like it was in Good Shape. Light use not beat or clapped out. So it's a fair price for it.
    The problem is some folks see that and think their 1956 Bridgeport that was used 19 hrs a day on a manufacturing line for 40 years before they bought it is worth the same. It was clapped out when they bought it and they haven't done anything to fix it other than $10 worth of dollar store paint they slapped on in the dark with their eyes closed.
    Condition and extras are the important cost driver on these.
    If you can find an old guy clearing out the shop you'll get the mill at a fair price and they will throw in more tooling than the mill's worth!
    Tooling is what costs $$$$
     
    Petee716, Mark's castings and Jason like this.
  16. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Makes sense. I might just save up 5 to 7k and try get a cnc machine.

    What collet or holder is needed for bits that have 1-1/4" diameter shanks? I have a couple boxes of big bits and I'd love to use them. Also what horse power to use larger ones?
     
  17. Jason

    Jason Gold

    3grand for that machine was no deal to write home about. It was just an average price from what I've seen. I'd rather find a little old man getting out of the business that's ready
    to pass on his toys to a good home.

    Keep in mind, you still have to POWER big stuff. You might have to go phase converter.
    My neighbor just bought a 2008 Haas VF2B and he paid 5500bucks! That thing is 40hp! I think he's going to drop a sea can in his back yard and stick it in that. He will be building a big converter.
    For 5grand, I would expect a nearly perfect bridgeport with a boatload of tooling.
     
  18. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Or a cnc mill for 5 gs.

    I've seen some mind rescraped bridgeports with tooling for 5 to 7 g. I would love a cnc mill with large table.

    Any pointers on which machine can use the 1.25" dia bits?
     
  19. dennis

    dennis Silver

    You'll not fit that size of shank in an R8 collet!

    You will need some horsepower to turn it, too - and that means heavy iron.
     
  20. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Would a series 2, 4 hp bp mill be able to? Or would I need to go bigger?
     

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