Thread: Thinking about milling machines

Pretty sure the one I'm looking at now is 40 taper.
And it's 3KW / 4HP.

Hi Dave J....You need to clear your stored private messages

Originally Posted by phaser

Hi Dave J....You need to clear your stored private messages

I've cleaned it up

Originally Posted by Dave J

I've cleaned it up

Ok. still getting that error so I'll try again later.

The cost for moving it say 6 Klms isn't as bad as I thought.
Still not cheap at around $400 but it's reasonable considering the trouble they have to go to.
That's with a local crane mob.

Up in your neck of the woods finding a decent mill probably isn't that easy, I'd get on it and move it. I have moved machines about 6 times this year it gets easier and cheaper each time.

But also I'm a bad influence and a bit tipsy in a bar, don't listen to that advice.

Originally Posted by caskwarrior

Up in your neck of the woods finding a decent mill probably isn't that easy, I'd get on it and move it. I have moved machines about 6 times this year it gets easier and cheaper each time.

That's correct and therefore is a major motivator.

One other thing I'm a bit worried about, is, making sure all the parts are there. In other words, is there any special spanners, gears, or any sort of parts that the machine needs that if they're missing would stop full use of the machine ?

Find out if anyone is close to you that could come and have a look to help you make sure that everything is there.
Kryn

When I bought my mill (bridgeport clone) I had no real way of knowing if all the parts were present. The The variable speed head was disassembled and in a million bits in a box. I made a judgement as best I could as to what may be missing and took a calculated guess that I would be able to make or source any missing parts. I had never owned a mill like this before so it was all foreign to me. But for $1200 I got the mill, a sony DRO, 8" spacer block and a universal dividing head so I figured I would at least get my money back if I made a bad decision.

In the end I think I got lucky. The parts that were missing were few and easy to make but it was obvious from the minute I saw it that it was not going to be a take home and instantly use type machine. Much work was needed but it was work I was willing and able to do.

If the price is right and the mill looks "OK" then gather as much info as possible. If it still looks like a good deal, then grab it. If it has parts like gears etc. missing then they can be made if need be.

Kryn makes a good suggestion too.

Simon

Spanners can be made, change gears are unusual for a milling machine, that's more lathes. It will be more like what tooling comes with it and does everything run. As I said in pm with it's few problems, go in with a low offer he can only go up.

Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

Find out if anyone is close to you that could come and have a look to help you make sure that everything is there.
Kryn

Yep, Yesterday I found a guy on Facebook I used to know and he worked in the same factory I was at years ago.
He's a machinist, so I will be contacting him to see if he'll have a look at it for me.

Originally Posted by Dave J

Spanners can be made, change gears are unusual for a milling machine, that's more lathes. It will be more like what tooling comes with it and does everything run. As I said in pm with it's few problems, go in with a low offer he can only go up.

Yeah, maybe. Try that with me and I'd just say no. Make a really low offer on a working machine and I most likely wouldn't even respond to you at all if I'd priced it to sell reasonably quickly already. Gumtree is generally the refuge of bottom feeders which is fine, but there are limits.

PDW

Same with me if I get low balled on a set price, but evidently speaking though PM's no price is in place and it has some problems.

Originally Posted by PDW

Yeah, maybe. Try that with me and I'd just say no. Make a really low offer on a working machine and I most likely wouldn't even respond to you at all if I'd priced it to sell reasonably quickly already. Gumtree is generally the refuge of bottom feeders which is fine, but there are limits.

PDW