Help with New Machines

[djh82uk]

Hiya

yeh I did look into that, you just have to move gear "A" to reverse the leadscrew.

DJH

[djh82uk]

Hey Guys


Im still struggling with this., the lathe is sorted for now, I bought a Warco 918 from the classifieds on here for £300, needs new halfnuts but otherwise in great shape.  Now for the mill

I am stuck between the weiss mill sthat RDG stock
The Super X3
And the Warco VMC.

My reservations about the Weiss mills is that they are not overly cheap and it's difficult to find that much info on them

My reservations about the X3 is the working area, tho they are on offer for £895 with Arc at the moment.

My reservations with the Warco VMC is the lack of variable speed, but it does look like a nice beefy machine


My other issue is getting in situe, do you guys just use engine cranes?

I quite fancy a used shaper too , hmm

[Jasonb]

I'm not keen on having to reach so far up & over a machine to alter the head height on the weiss

I have a standard X3 and am happy with that, the super only has 5mm less cross travel and 10mm less sideways than the VMC but does have a higher table to spindle distance which is probably more use.

160rpm would be a bit too fast a minimum speed for me and there is not much spindle to table room for such a large machine.

Jason

[CrewCab]

I have a Chester 626 which is their equivalent of the VMC, I waited a while to drop on a second hand one and eventually found one, I was hoping for a 3phase model so I could add an inverter (as I have on the Boxford) as that would give variable speed control, but not to be ........ but, I find it fine, it's not hard to change speeds and it's a beefy machine so I tend to stick it on the middle pulley and alter the depth of cut to suit a lot of the time 

CC

[djh82uk]

Hiya

I have to agree with jason with regards the Z handle location on the weiss, that could be a real pain after a while.

CrewCab, how did you get the machine up on the stand, ive been trying to think how I can situate should I buy one


Thanks

DJH

[CrewCab]

CrewCab, how did you get the machine up on the stand,  

Well I have an engine crane and that was fine for lifting it in and out of the van, but the workshop is small and with limited access ....... the mill strips down easily into a few major components which can all be lifted fairly easily, with the exception of the main body ............ that's pretty heavy, ........ fortunately I have 2 sons that are both 6'-4" tall and built like brick outhouses, so I just stood back and watched  



To be fair two reasonably fit blokes should have no problem lifting it all into place, a chain and scaffold bar would be useful btw.

CC  

[ksouers]

CC,
Where'd you hide the Boxford?

I thought it should be in this picture somewhere...

[CrewCab]

CC,
Where'd you hide the Boxford?

I thought it should be in this picture somewhere...

It's just to the right a little Kevin, the size of my shop it can't be far away 



Just behind the lifting appliances ...........   



Sorry Dan, going off topic ..........    .........   this is the heavy bit, but it could be stripped down quite a lot more fairly easily, we were able to cope with it on this occasion, Oh a pallet truck to get the bits into the workshop also made life much easier.

CC

[djh82uk]

Hiya

Thanks that confirms what I was thinking, So I would need the mill, a Crane lift & possibly a pallet truck, the extra equipment, may come in handy with moving about etc (and moving house in few years), but increases the initial outlay a fair bit.

Whereas I could get  away with no lifting equipment with the Super X 3?

At least I have narrowed it down to 2 machines, but now rather torn


Thanks

DJH