Spec me: Hobby metalwork Lathe and Mill

[coltus]

I've been after these tools for a while and finally have the cash. I figured i would get the opinions of the

GD masses before i buy as they are not cheap.

Budget £1200 for both.

Mill Usage: Wood, Plastic (such as Delrin), Aluminium.

Lathe Usage: Wood, Plastic (such as Delrin), Aluminium and possibly steel.

Will be using them for making components/adapters for cameras/telescopes/mounts. Possibly some rc stuff as well.


The ones i am looking at are:

Lathe £634.94: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-sieg-sc2-300mm-mini-lathe-prod809904/

Mill £666.95: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-sieg-sx2-mini-mill-prod809899/

Axminster do those 2 in a bundle for £150 off.

Bundle £1149: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminste...d-sieg-sx2-mini-mill-Package-deal-prod885357/

I was also looking at a lathe from Warco but they never seem to be in.

Lathe £499: http://www.warco.co.uk/metal-lathes-metalworking-lathe-machine/302922-mini--hobby-lathe.html

Also some from Amdeal but the site seems a bit broken. When i go to checkout to see postage costs it always

hangs.

Lathe £420: http://www.amadeal.co.uk/acatalog/Mini-Lathe.html

Mill £470: http://www.amadeal.co.uk/acatalog/XJ12-300.html


I also have about £100 - £150 separate for tools and materials.

I will probably get plastics from: http://www.plasticstockist.com/Default.aspx

And aluminium from: http://www.aluminiumwarehouse.co.uk/

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Hamzter]

I couldn't comment on lathes but the sieg x2's seem quite popular so you're more likely to get help with any issues that crop up. I think the x2's used to have issues with the drive gears stripping teeth but they've replaced the gearbox with an electronic variable 500w motor instead so that should no longer be a problem.

I'm in the market for a mill too (probably a Sieg X3 but saving my pennies for a few more months yet), one thing I noticed was tooling etc costs more than you'd expect, you'll need these at very least (mill only, don't have a clue about lathes!):

Vice
Parallels
T Slot Clamps
Collets
Cutters
Dial gage (for setting up) + some way of holding (e.g. Magnetic block)
Calipers
Edge finder

You'll probably also get fed up of losing your place when using the indexing dials on the hand wheels, expect to upgrade to Digital Read Outs pretty quickly.

Just a note on machining wood, I've never tried it on a metal mill/lathe but I've heard you have to be careful to keep you machine oiled, the wood shavings tend to soak it all up and seize you machine up, you then have to strip it down to clean it all out. Out of interest, what will you be making with them?

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Building Candy]

I have an Axminster C2a very similar to the one your looking at, I also have an X1.

I was fourtunate to get the lathe with DRO's at only £299, but that was about 4 years ago now.

The mill is excellent I have used it for hundreds of hours and I love it. In terms of other stuff to get I have a range of cutters, rotary table and a couple of good vices. a 2 inch 3 way which was about £100 and the same for a vertex 4 inch.

The lathe is good if not quite so accurate, I had to spend a lot more time trimming everything up and getting rid of slop. It works ok, you get used to it, I had to spend a bit on cutters, tool posts, live center etc but overall im happy with it.

Ive milled wood on the mill, that went ok, but 98% of the time I work with aluminium, just remeber to buy decent stuff like 6082, harder the ally the easier it is to work, it chips off rather than the cheap stuff that cloggs your tools up.

 

[coltus]

@Hamzter. To start with i will be making adapters and components for my camera and telescopes as well as the

telescope mount. As i get a feel for the machine i will try more challenging projects.

If i use wood i will use a small vacuum cleaner hose to catch the shavings.

@Building Candy. Thanks for putting your pictures up its good to see the machines in a normal setting rather

than the product pictures on the Axminster site.


The more i look at different sites the harder it gets to decide.

http://www.chesteruk.net/ has some interesting machines at reasonable prices but i'll need to look into them more.

Anyway thanks for the input.

 

[joegib]

Another supplier worth looking at is Arc Euro — site here:

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/default.aspx

Site includes useful PDFs on readying the machines for operation and copies of various reviews/articles from the model engineering press.

I've a British lathe and a German mill so I've no direct experience of these Chinese machines. But I have seen oodles of discussion about them in the model engineering press/web sites over the years. Early opinion was severely critical of their production quality/accuracy/finish. The concensus has changed in recent years such that their main machine elements — casting quality, accuracy and finish of slides — are seen as sound but there are a few reservations still. Quality of fixings — screws holding the machine together — remains doubtful but that is easily remedied by substituting western equivalents. A more serious question mark hangs over the electrics. The motors are electronically-controlled DC types and I've seen a multitude of reports of these going phut leading to expensive repair. But, you only hear about the machines that fail, not the thousands that continue to operate satisfactory, so it's hard to make a fair assessment.

A few random thoughts about the machines you've linked:

1. To my eyes the Axminster offerings look rather pricey.

2. As regards the lathe, the Warco machine looks to be the best — it has a beefy tailstock with a superior locking mechanism. Not much good if they can't supply it but it might be worth waiting for.

3. Stating the obvious perhaps but when comparing prices check closely what ancillary equipment is provided with each offering. The cheapest may be just for a bare machine whereas the costs of adding all the bits and bobs — 4-jaw chuck, collets, steadies, drill chucks, drilling and milling bits, machine vice etc — will quickly mount up.

4. As regards digital readouts, don't pay a premium for the ready-fixed type that come with some versions of thes machines. They work on cruder, different principles from industrial DROs and from what I've read, aren't reliable for serious work.

5. You've had some good advice from earlier posters here. If you want to canvas opinion from a wider range of people with direct experience of these machines, it might be worth posting a query on one of the main model engineering forums such as here:

http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/

Explain the kind of work you intend doing in some detail and you should get decent feedback on whether these machines are suitable.

Finally, if you want to see the machines in the flesh, there are a few model engineering exhibitions coming up in the next few months:

Midlands ME Exhibition — 17th-21st October at Leamington Spa: http://www.meridienneexhibitions.co.uk/our-events-detail.php?id=0000000007

Sandown Park Exhibition — 2nd-4th November 2012 at Sandown Park, London: http://www.modelengineershow.co.uk/

London ME Exhibition — 18th -20th January 2013 at Ally Pally, London: http://www.meridienneexhibitions.co.uk/our-events-detail.php?id=0000000002

Warco and Chester will be at the Midlands and London (Ally Pally) shows but not the Sandown one. Of course, whether this is useful depends on where you are.

Joe

 

[coltus]

A bit of a late reply.

I think i will leave off getting a mill for the time being and focus on getting the lathe as this will free up more funds.

@joegib, i was looking at the Arc Euro site earlier in the week and liked the look of the Super C3 Mini Lathe but was out of stock for metric versions. However today they seem to be back in stock.

I think i will probably go with that model. If the Warco was in stock i would have went with that. But i want to get it before the Christmas rush and bad weather and they have no eta.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[PhillyDee]

Give Warco a ring, they might give an ETA, their phone lines are pretty bad though! I got mine from them,

I bought this one
http://www.warco.co.uk/metal-lathes-metalworking-lathe-machine/302920-wm-240b-warco-lathe.html

And in its home -

It came with 3 and 4 jaw chucks and a faceplate, fixed and travelling steady, I also got a quick change tool block and a few extra holders to go with it. Yes, it was pricey, but it is nice and powerful.

I would not go for anything smaller personally, and I am also looking out for a milling machine. However, I may just get an ex industrial one like a bridgeport.

Like said, equipment is pricey. I work in engineering, so already have my own measuing equipment, including digital mics and digi verniers, also have bore gauges etc. I tend to buy better equipment, since I am used to working with quality stuff!

Don't forget, if you already have a lathe, you can technically mill on it!

 

[coltus]

I probably should have given Warco a ring but i've already put my order in. I will only be using it for light use so i think it will be alright. I noticed there is a milling attachment for the super c3 that i will look into further at a later date.

If i had the space and money i would love a bigger machine, however i think the super c3 will fill my needs for the time being.

Thanks for the advice.