20 replies to this topic

[Spider]

I have a few machines and now, I doubt I'd be able to function without them.

 

While you may have small ambitions presently, I guarantee once you start with something like this, any limitations will be quickly found and be quite frustration.

 

The machine aside, even half decent tooling to go with it will cost a bit too.

 

My advice here is get the biggest and heaviest machine you can afford both on terms of money and space. The machine will not only work better, and with improved repeatability but will also last much longer. I'd suggest something around the 750 kg mark as a starting point.

 

I'll add that small light machines like the one you are contemplating are frankly a waste of money.

 

If you can afford a half decent machine, then seriously, buy a decent drill press (floor mount) and then any machining work you need to have done get done 'outside'.

[Icey]

I bought a little Axminster mill earlier this year. Second hand, granted but it had a backstory to it.
 
It's the slightly older version of the X2.7 (I can't remember what it's model number is now) so looks a bit like this one:
 
https://www.axminste...ll-drill-101598

 

I bought it through a local guy that mainly deals with Myford kit (http://www.myford-lathes.com/). The story was that the original owner went back-and-forth with Axminster as every one they shipped him wasn't up to the accuracy they promised, the one he ended up with (the one I have now) was from their demonstration room because it was the only one he was happy with. Pinch of salt etc.. but it's a good little machine. Not had the chance to do much with it yet.

 

As Moke says above, you can only buy what fits your space and budget but you do find the limits very quickly.  While I haven't done much I can already tell that it won't do everything I'd like it to but I can't get anything bigger until I have more space. I also have a tiny micro-lathe (that has a story too) which is great for really small jobs and can be put away when not in use but it's really....really limited!

 

 

Edit:

Forgot to say, my machine has the 2MT taper with a draw-bar (came with imperial, replaced for metric, M10).

Edited by Icey, 19 August 2019 - 09:48 PM.

[OzOAP]

Can't beat a Bridgeport

[rally1380]

 

 

If you can afford a half decent machine, then seriously, buy a decent drill press (floor mount) and then any machining work you need to have done get done 'outside'.

 

I think you are right.....the more I have looked into these smaller machines, the more I just see it as a waste of money really considering I can get a really good and solid, floor mounted drill press for pretty much nothing thanks to the place I work wanting to clear some space.  There have been a few drill/mills that have come up for sale on ebay recently that I have had a close look at and they're all the Morse Taper variety and I suppose are just glorified drills.....and not particularly good ones compared to the drill I can have from work.....so that kind of answers my original question really.  I'll keep my eye out for a good one though as you never know what will come up for sale.

 

Plus, anything larger and therefore more worthwhile having (like the above Bridgeport) just takes up far too much room in my garage for how much i'll actually use it.  If the space I have was used for one car and only one car I could justify loosing one side of the room to machinery but I have more than one project on the go, plus a plethora of other stuff meaning space is at a premium really.

[DeadSquare]

Can't beat a Bridgeport

 

Looks as though yours is manual with digital read out ? or is it converted to CNC.

 

I bought from ebay, a ?th hand, factory closure, Bridgeport for £450, so I didn't expect a lot.

 

Advertised as converted to digital read out, but what was eventually delivered it's a hardly used series 1 CNC, something that I would have dearly loved to have had years ago in the precision workshop, but not much use to someone who only keeps a dumb phone in the car for emergencies.

[Tupers]

Get yourself on Bidspotter and look out for equipment auctions and business clearance sales.

You should be able to find something that suits your needs. It’s just getting it moved that can be a pain.