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I've always wanted to learn to weld, generally to make something life endangering. A bench press, a squat rack, a rock climbing wall, a go cart - something if, should one of my welds have been terrible, I'd get very hurt. I really want to make an electric go kart at the moment. I have all the knowledge but the welding - could I reasonably expect to be able to do this without doing a course? If so, in what time frame and how?
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Dec 11, 2016 10:06
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Thanks for the advice, I'm tossing up between two welders and was after some more guidance: 1st choice: Cheaper, 140 amp welder, ~$150. 2nd option: Only 180 amp welder with a plug that I have in my house, it does MIG, stick and tig apparently: https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/K019E Here in Australia above 140 amps a welder almost always has a 15 amp plug fitted. For some reason the welder above gets to 180 amps and plugs into standard house sockets. It is a fairly big jump in price for me, but I'm ok with it if 140 amps is just too limiting. In 5 weeks I will have access to our school's welders (where I work) which are all probably expensive 3 phase units.
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Dec 13, 2016 15:23
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Ambrose Burnside posted:The budget buzzbox will just give you grief, especially if you're just learning, and cheap multiprocess machines tend to do a bunch of things but do none of them particularly well (and you'll almost certainly never find yourself actually using all the processes). The multiprocess machine can bring 180 amps, sure, but look at the duty cycle, you can barely get any work done like that. TBH I'd buy neither of those and wait to gently caress around on the school machines where the equipment isn't a limiting factor. Thanks, the only issue is when I return to work I won't have time to gently caress around, sort of trying to seize the school holiday opportunity to learn something. Among the other welders I've looked at are 140amp 20% duty cycle stick units, I might be forced into compromising and buying one of those.
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Dec 13, 2016 21:24
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Thanks, they look good, but I'm a bit paranoid about risking anything in my rental property. I'm really leaning towards a 140 amp welder at the moment as I'm really just buying it to learn, and I can't see how I'll be limited in that respect by welding thinner material. Anything extra I spend will be subtracted from the mill I want to purchase, too. 140 amps: $250 160-200 amps: $700.... (including $200-$300 for the power point) What I'll be able to weld: Big difference What I'll learn in 6 weeks: Equal?
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Dec 14, 2016 09:10
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Finally got some welding done with the 120 amp AC unit I picked up for $40. The 2.5mm electrodes seemed to work better than the 3.2mm ones, even though I was running the former at 90 amps and the latter at 120. I actually got the welder 10 days ago but figured my 5 year old mask would be up to the job. It was not. 7 days of weld flash later and I ponied up for a $140 Lincoln helmet and so far so good. Is there a rule of thumb for the width of the beads you lay on a piece of metal? Something like 3 times the width of the electrode? Mudfly fucked around with this message at 15:21 on Dec 30, 2016 |
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Dec 30, 2016 12:00
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I have some 50mm x 5mm flat bar and an abrasive chop saw and I'm having issues cutting it. The bar will cut if you place it vertically in the vice like so: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3kjak2CJF8 But if you place it flat it simply won't cut, you will just make marks on the surface, like so: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_MlcvV4Mmc Why doesn't the second method work? Is it dangerous to attempt? Something to do with the abrasive particles not being evacuated from the cut? edit: Did a bit more research, found a forum recommending to only do it the first way. Mudfly fucked around with this message at 13:21 on Jan 4, 2017 |
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Jan 4, 2017 08:45
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How do you make a long surface (1-3m), such as the top of a bar or beam, or the bits a lathe moves across, really really flat? I have seen people scrape tables and small objects flat, but not long bars. I imagine you could get parts of it flat, but how they get the whole thing level is a mystery to me.
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Jan 26, 2017 04:11
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Motronic posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOJrhrne80s Thanks, I think I see how - instead of a 'surface flat' table I've seen people use to mark and make small pieces flat, you use a giant straight edge and mark the beam you want flat with it. The other option then is how other people have shown in the thread - get a bigger, very accurate machine, to take off the top layers so your beam is flat. I'm interested in this because I'd like to see how accurate I can make a cnc machine out of old metal or cheap metal pieces. I've made a few 3D printers for less than $60 now and I'd like to extend the idea to machining. Pick up some old building I-Beams or the like and see what I can do. Mudfly fucked around with this message at 14:18 on Jan 28, 2017 |
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Jan 28, 2017 14:11
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I'm looking at buying a milling machine and torn betweeen 3 choices, hoping you folks could help me out. My projects for the near future are, in order: * Parts for my home built 3D printer, more accurately made, so I get nicer prints. These are 10cm by 8cm by 4cm deep (at the largest). * Parts for a home built cnc machine that can do aluminium parts. Like an X-Carve but a bit sturdier. * Other robotics/tech stuff that takes my fancy. My choices * Dirt cheap $700 Sieg X2 http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sieg-X2-...ckAAOxyVaBStM0B * More expensive, larger Optimum BF20L $1600 cash (very similar to Grizzly G0704) http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/M650 * A strange clone of a Rong FU 45 off ebay for $1400, which seems very very cheap. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Geared-H...e60oQxgB5qMxnZg * Hafco milling machines available in Aus. I've heard bad things however about their build quality. At some stage in the future I'd like to pick up an old Bridgeport from auction here in Aus and fix it up. But I lack the knowledge at the moment, and I think it would just become a very heavy door stop. What I'd like most of all is accuracy. I've heard the Optimums can be out by 2 thou on the bed. If the Sieg is out by the same amount I won't be as bothered due to the price. I think the Sieg will do almost everything I want at the moment, but a friend told me when buying things 'always buy the next one up'. Thanks.
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Mar 7, 2017 14:14
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Yooper posted:Normally I'd say hold out for a Bridgeport/Bridgeport Clone. But seeing as you're in AU, that changes things. I don't know the used machinery market there so I'm assuming your best options are a Chinese machines. Thanks. Although we do get Bridgeports popping up at auctions in Aus (e.g. http://www.lloydsonline.com.au/LotDetails.aspx?kw=bridgeport&smode=0&lid=994587) , I just realised our downstairs ceiling is probably too short (under 200cm). The downside of the Sieg is a 390x92mm work table, whereas the Grizzly equivalent (BF20L) is 480x175mm. The first is a true mini mill at ~70kg, the second is ~165kg. The Sieg has 0.02mm graduations, the BF20 0.05mm, not sure if this is indicative of better quality. The Sieg also has several upgrades available, but once you choose then you start running to over a grand, and at that stage I feel like I may as well go for the BF20 which seems to come with a good motor and other parts as standard. Other reviews comparing the far more expensive Sieg X3 to the BF20 have said the BF20 is better, leaning me towards it more. Agh.
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Mar 7, 2017 22:31
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^^ Thanks, I was starting to get into the 'if I spend another $400 I get this' loop when looking at models, and a friend recommended I go up one model from the one I think will work, because it probably won't do quite what it says it can.Yooper posted:Can you get your hands on either of them? Seeing it in person might do a lot to assuage your concerns. There's a lot to be said for moving the spindle, the ways, peeking under the slides, etc. Sure can, but I don't really know what I'm doing. The salesman showed me around the BF20 and it 'looked' quite nice.... Super quiet motor.... I might do some 'mill inspection' research. For the BF20, I have seen some video reviews that are basically positive but also say don't expect perfection. One guy's table was out by 2 thou across its length, which doesn't seem like a huge amount to me. I don't know of any competitors that offer better in the same size class.
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Mar 8, 2017 04:43
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Yooper posted:You'll need something you can clamp onto the spindle and sweep the table. Clamp it onto the spindle, bring it onto the table, and then sweep it across. That'll show you if it's banana shaped, warped, etc. Do side to side, front to back, corner to corner, etc. Don't worry about the measurement itself, just the variation from point to point. Now if the head isn't square to the table it'll skew the measurements. Thanks, looks like I need a dial indicator as priority no. 1 then? I am looking at buying a fairly cheap model (internet says not a big difference), and taking it to the shop tomorrow just to measure the difference from end to end on the x and y axis. As for dial indicator holders, do you really need a very expensive one for simple tasks? The price difference is $40 vs $250. Do I need a test indicator as well? The Optimum Germany website boasts "Tapered roller bearing · Excellent concentricity ≤ 0.015 mm measured at the sleeve spindle". Looks... uh... good?
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Mar 10, 2017 15:20
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Yooper posted:You'll find a ton of use for a good indicator. That particular model is designed to clamp onto the spindle of a milling machine. You may get more versatility out of a magnetic base model. A holder shouldn't vary too much. One place I see a big difference is in the magnetic base style. Some of them can be really lovely, mostly the magnetic engagement switch goes to hell. Sometimes it's a package deal with an indicator and a holder. Other times you get one or the other. For most generic tasks we use a .0005 inch graduation model. We have some .0001 inch ruby tipped model for special cases. Thanks, I picked up a Moore and Wright indicator for $60 with a stand. I have already almost dropped it so I'm quite happy I didn't get a Mitutoyo just yet. The cosine thing is interesting and makes total sense when you think about orientating the dial gauge indicator as horizontally as possible and taking a reading, it would be way off. Good tip. I have spoken to the sales guy again and his words were "let us know your tolerances and we'll ensure your particular machine in the warehouse matches those". I'm not sure what tolerances to specify though without sounding unrealistic and ridiculous. I intend to make machine parts for robots and 3D-printers with my mill, so I'd like as accurate as possible, but then again I'm paying a hobby mill price. The dimensions of the mill I like (BF20, similar to Grizzly) are 480x175x280mm in x,y,z travel. He told me one of his larger Chinese units was off 0.2mm over the entire 72" bed.
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Mar 11, 2017 05:47
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Yooper posted:Our rule is everytime the decimal point on the tolerance shifts right, the price adds another digit to the left. Thanks, in absence of any other specs to ask for I'll just ask that I can "work to 0.005" on the parts I'm making. I think I'd like to ask for 0.001" though on parts the width of the table (7"). Another person I asked said to ensure the table is at most +/- 0.003 and spindle runout under 0.002" - i.e. this is what to expect. Possibly buying tomorrow or the next day.... very excited... I've also discovered "Old Tony's" channel on youtube which is amazing to watch for a beginner such as myself - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw7Mwd6ey6g. He also makes a DIY aluminium / wood router, which is one project I'd really like to do with the assistance of my new machine. edit: Discovered my local supplier sells what looks to be like a Rong Fu 45 clone - http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/M123 - promising? Mudfly fucked around with this message at 15:16 on Mar 18, 2017 |
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Mar 16, 2017 20:53
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In my nerve wracking buying a mill experience I've read one of the mills I'm looking at can only go up to 1600rpm. Could this be an issue milling aluminium? Smaller model/robot/3dprinter parts and the like? Makes deciding easier if true... Unless of course there's no way to speed it up, which there probably is.
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Mar 20, 2017 11:37
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Thanks, I studied the formulas on chip load and stuff and I think I get it. I have to feed it slowly if I'm limited to 1600rpm, and the feed rate goes up linearly with max rpm. I'd be more worried if I HAD to feed it really quickly for fine work. I can't imagine doing really intricate stuff too often, so I don't think it will bother me. I might just go after the 1600rpm mill now as it's 300kg compared to the other 200kg unit, and mass is a major determining factor in rigidity. I'll email the place tomorrow to see if they can match 0.0015" end to end and 0.0002" front to back on the bed for tolerances, then hand over my cash..... And find a friend with a ute and a crane. edit, to above post: Not sure on tooling but the for smaller 3d printer parts I intend to make initially they're under 5" square so I doubt going slow will bother me. The larger parts I have in mind will mainly involve surface finishes and accurate drilling. Another mill I'm looking at is 2500rpm max, but brushed motor, 200kg, german design chinese made (Optimum) and +$300. 1600rpm unit is 300kg, Chinese RF45 clone. Mudfly fucked around with this message at 14:25 on Mar 20, 2017 |
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Mar 20, 2017 14:18
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Couple more milling questions... Should I be concerned that when I inspected the model I was interested in the gibbs came out the top of the machine when I wound it up to its top point? It was a demo model. Also, on the other machine it has a fairly short x-axis (430mm). If I want to mill the top of a longer part (say 700mm) flat could I do it with two vices, and reposition the vices as I mill the length? I am guessing simply repositioning it on the bed might introduce twist since you're regripping it. Is there a good way to mill the top of a part flat that's longer than your bed?
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Mar 22, 2017 12:04
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One gib was completely flush, the other gib was poking out. There was a lot of resistance moving the machine to the top part of its travel and in fact we didn't try getting it to there.
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Mar 22, 2017 20:45
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Yep, I was wrong, there is only one gib. The protrusion is apparently a design feature, the exact reasons which I cannot recall but they seemed sound when the sales guy explained it. I pulled the trigger and ordered the RF-45 clone, on condition they match 0.0002" spindle runout, 1.5 thou deviation across x-axis (max) and 2 tenths of a thou deviation across y-axis (max). Not sure how ridiculous this is, I may just receive an angry reply email. The x by y table size is 28.7" by 8.3".
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Mar 23, 2017 08:06
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Assuming he comes back with "that's too hard to meet, but we have this" what should I accept then? edit: I need to do very accurate work, such as this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyerD4jHu9A (I just wanted to share this link) Mudfly fucked around with this message at 08:49 on Mar 24, 2017 |
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Mar 23, 2017 09:00
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Well I thought I'd do a little trip report after installing my first mill. Before I do, to anyone reading this and thinking of moving it themselves - 700lbs is really, really heavy. Here I am at the shop with the mill onboard a friend's ute:  We ran out of metal beams to keep it against the left side of the car (and stop it flying off the right side and killing a family) so we put a jack in there clamped 'securely' against a piece of steel I found. Miraculously after travelling below the speed limit for the most nerve wracking 30 minute ride of my life we got it home in tact.:  Getting it off the ute was really difficult as our engine crane was 10 years old and prone to dropping things suddenly. We built a ramp, but after trying to drag the mill 10 cm towards our hastily improvised death slide we realised how heavy 700lbs / 300+kg was and decided to go with the crane. The crane worked without a problem. After this it was on the footpath. The cheap dolly I bought, rated to 800lbs, broke immediately. We tried to slide it but the friction of wood on concrete was unreal. 1 hour of fooling around later we tried to do it the way the Egyptians did, by rolling the pallet on cylindrical barbells. This worked really well. 4 hours later I had it in the room it was to be in (30 metres away).  After 3 days of work I've made a dodgy stand and managed to get the mill up on it where it's going to reside:  Thanks to people who helped advise me on the mill and answer questions. The x-axis is within 0.01mm height across its 475 length of travel, the Y is 0.03mm (needs shimming?) Overall lots learnt and I wish I'd just bought a professional stand and hired professionals to move it myself. Now are there any good 'making your first chips' guides? I've found a lot of good info for advanced / intermediates online but no 'so you've just bought a mill' guides.
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Apr 5, 2017 14:11
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So I was trying to mill some aluminium today using a 2 flute 10mm endmill doing a peripheral cut, and it just wouldn't work. The chips were sticking to the side of the piece. I was doing a 2mm cut width (20% of cutter diameter), 2.5mm cut depth (25% cutter diam), 540rpm, 150mm/min feed rate. The surface finish was awful with chips stuck to the side of the cut face. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Maybe my aluminium is anodized? Imperial: 0.0054 chip load, 5.8 feed, roughly 3/8 endmill I tried a slot cut too at a shallow depth (0.25 - 0.5mm) and this seemed to work a lot better. I also noticed my mill has quite a bit of 'nod' without having any sort of possibility for adjusting this except shimming. 0.20mm difference in height across ~180mm or so, the sweep of the dial indicator. Bad? (edit, changed to 0.1mm with z-locks engaged).. (edit2: I researched this and you have to tram column to spindle (how do you correct errors??) and then column to table, what a can of worms!) Mudfly fucked around with this message at 14:58 on Apr 9, 2017 |
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Apr 9, 2017 11:45
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That's pretty cool, since there's no way I know of to add cast iron selectively to a base. I stopped by some other forums recently and got reading about epoxy granite DIY cncs - it's amazing what people are doing with new compounds. By the way, what would be some common feed & cut parameters for a benchtop mill with a 3/8 cutter and a max speed of 1500rpm, going into aluminium? I'm having vibration issues as soon as I go above 0.5mm depth of cut. What's vibration usually a sign to do? Increasing the feed does not help, but decreasing the amount I'm taking off does. Mudfly fucked around with this message at 12:12 on Apr 13, 2017 |
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Apr 13, 2017 11:43
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Volkerball posted:How stable is your fixture? That's not very much tool pressure so either the machine is really, really light, in which case you're poo poo out of luck, or your method for clamping the workpiece isn't doing the job. If you're using a vice try clamping it a bit tighter. Can't hurt to verify that the tool is tight in the collet as well. As far as feeds, .005 - .008 should be fine. Are you using a 3/8 end mill or an actual cutter like a Woodruff? I had a small aluminium TIG wire piece in the vice on the back jaw as I'd seen in a video on the net when squaring up a block. I had the piece _very_ tight in the vice, but I did notice one parallel fall over like a domino after I was done. I remembered afterwards I saw the video guy lightly hammer the piece in the vice down onto the parallel. Maybe clamping is my issue. My machine is a benchtop Rong Fu 45 type clone (Tormachs are 12k-30k in Aus), and about 300kgs / 660lbs. It's not bolted down currently, I didn't figure that would be a problem but perhaps it is. I'm using a 2 flute 10mm end mill.
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Apr 13, 2017 14:06
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Volkerball posted:Yeah, you definitely want to tap the part down with a rubber mallet. Before you start the spindle up, reach down inside the vice and give the parallels a little push. They don't need to be rock solid, but you do want them to both be snug before you run it. I'd bet that will fix your issue. Cheers I tried this, but the parallels just wouldn't stay put. I went ahead and milled anyway, after leaning like a gorilla on the vice. This weird metal 'parting like the red sea' effect occurred when I tried to mill a slot with a 12mm (1/2" bit):  I'll try shimming the vice tomorrow to stop the jaws kind of angling up which I guess is whats causing the parallels to slip around underneath no matter how much I hammer the piece down. Given that they're slipping around, I can't see how it's not secure as any downward movement would lock them in place. FWIW, my previous 10mm bit from those other passes is now completely blunt around the tip. I'm either doing something very wrong or have very difficult to machine aluminium.
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Apr 14, 2017 08:41
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Jesus christ I had the mill running in reverse.  Flipped the switch and everything is working great.At least I didn't start taking into consideration the curvature of the earth? Or try and return the aluminium?
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Apr 14, 2017 10:14
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Thanks, I will try this. Question: How can you cut thick steel pieces - say, 6" by 4" cross section - without a bandsaw, on the cheap? I have seen metal cutting blades for reciprocating saws, I figured these might work. I know my abrasive cut off saw doesn't like thick pieces. Would an angle grinder do it?
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Apr 14, 2017 16:06
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Are second hand measuring tools not a bit of a risky buy? I would think they're the one thing you'd buy new, to avoid the chance they've been dropped etc.
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Apr 20, 2017 23:49
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I have some 3mm plate, about 200x200mm square, that I would like to try and make completely flat. Would putting it on the mill and taking to it with a face cutter be a bad idea? A friend said it should be ok, take light cuts and secure it at the ends with 4 clamps. Then cut off the pieces obscured by the clamps, or move them to mill that area. I'd like to place something between the mill bed and the piece though, as someone who damaged their mill base was once told "now you know why you eat on a plate rather than the polished mahogany wood while you are cutting up a steak". For this purpose what would work? I am thinking I'd need to mill a second thicker piece of plate first into a roughly flat large 'parallel' - this would be my dinner plate.
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Apr 29, 2017 22:44
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If it works like inventor you could also do a giant extruded cut to remove each body one at a time and then 'save as stl'. Project geometry to get the outline of the dovetail joint.
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May 3, 2017 21:55
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While milling machines fetch a bit of coin in Australia, I've seen large lathes go somewhat cheaply. I'd bet this 3 metre lathe sells for under $2k - https://www.lloydsonline.com.au/LotDetails.aspx?kw=lathe&smode=0&lid=1056160 - are these things cans of worms you don't want to open though? I saw a newer large on go for $3k a month or so ago. New it was $25k.
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May 15, 2017 13:00
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I need to increase the size of a 17mm pulley ID to 19mm to mount on a motor. Can I just put the cylindrical pulley in my regular vice and drill/bore it out with the mill? I don't have any special fixtures for grabbing circular parts but I figure the forces if I go slow will be small. I was thinking of buying a chuck and rotary table - something like this - https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/R0065 - then I could do gears and my own GT2 pulleys as a bonus (?). All the rotary table options are confusing.
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Jun 13, 2017 12:43
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OK, thanks. I will go with the avoiding bad stuff option. To locate the centre of the hole, since it's not a high precision operation, can I just use a 17mm drill bit or piece of stock in the chuck? Then raise the quill, put in the 19mm bit, and drill away... (or 18, then bore it out to 19mm)
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Jun 13, 2017 14:03
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Is a combined lead and feed screw that much of a big deal on a lathe? I'm looking at 3 lathes: https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/L141 https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/L682 https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/L689 The first looks good and has a decent reputation in Aus but I've been warned off and told to shell out an extra $1k for the 2nd, notably because of the separation of lead screw and other drives. I'd jump at the second if I had a lot of cash but I don't.
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Jun 16, 2017 15:00
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Why do you say that? I see the 'reverse tumblr' but an ex-fitter/turner explained to me (salesman) that on these lathes if you use it to cut threads it wont always work really easily. When you reach the end of the thread and wish to reverse with the tumblr, you may get lucky and the gears will mesh - often though you need to move the chuck slightly while turning it so the gears stop overlapping and will change. If this happens you've just lost your sync between lead screw and the main drive. He also told me all lathes will cut threads just fine, though the last at 150rpm would be trickier at higher pitches (obvious why). And yes, I do want to cut threads. Edit: No tumblr means I can't do left hand threads though? Pressure on the lathe tool while in reverse could unscrew the chuck? Mudfly fucked around with this message at 19:44 on Jun 16, 2017 |
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Jun 16, 2017 19:36
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OK, I think I get it now. NOob here - I assumed the speed change on the first one was a gearbox allowing me to set the pitch of threads I want to cut as well. But you need a gearbox to set your spindle speed, then another gearbox (like the 2nd) to set the speed of the feed in relation to the spindle. So lathe 2 will do two different threads with a few flicks of its other levers, lathe 1 requires gear changing. edit: this also means changing gears for different longitudinal feed rates for normal turning, right? Is this a pain? Mudfly fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Jun 16, 2017 |
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Jun 16, 2017 22:33
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Is buying a lathe far larger than you need because it's cheap a dumb idea? Room 'to grow'? I do work for a school and have access to larger lathes but it's inconvenient and they're probably beaten up. Still, I have access. I initially just wanted a lathe for hobby work and to compliment my 300kg bench mill. The Grizzly G4000 9x19 equivalent we have in Australia is nicely priced at $1400 (just trust me, over here that's cheap for a lathe). I really like metalwork and making things though I've just gotten into it, perhaps room to grow and a great big lathe is a good idea? I asked the internet for advice and most of it was 'double your budget for a decent lathe'. I'm now looking at a lathe for $4k, 14x40, that is Taiwanese made, comes from a TAFE, and retails here for $9000. I'm just finding it hard to justify the purchase as I lose the convenience of a small lathe and it's less things I can buy for about 8 months. The other thing I have to consider is old CNC lathes retail here for about 4k sometimes. Having the money to pick up one of those looks like a far more interesting experience - and that's just one idea.
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Jun 17, 2017 23:01
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I inspected some lathes at an auction today. 2012 - 2013 models, Taiwanese made. As the were at a TAFE (in US they're called trade colleges?) , they had a fair bit of wear and tear. One had a really low oil level - is this a concern? Another was tippable - if you pushed it, it tipped a small amount. The bolt wasn't pushing into the ground enough - possible damage to the bed? I can imagine a lot of TAFE students rocking it for fun.... One had very tight quick change gear knobs, I ruled this one out - not sure if I was too harsh. Another had a good 1/2 turn of slack and quite a bit of cross slide movement - too used I thought. The rest all had far less, and new they have barely any. Still not sure if I want one of these giant 14x40 machines, the 10x22 new ones look pretty good for a hobby guy like myself, and won't have any surprises new. One more day to inspect them - should I take along a dial indicator and measure the inside of the spindle's runout? Mudfly fucked around with this message at 09:10 on Jun 19, 2017 |
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Jun 19, 2017 08:33
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They looked in various stages of use. Some had more slack in the cross slide than others. I think I'll pull the trigger on one but I still have one question.... Would an $1800 550x250 Optimum lathe be more accurate for smaller parts? These things I'm looking at are 700kg monsters, the Optimums are 160kg and have a decent rep for good build quality. I'm well aware the bigger lathes have obvious advantages (can make bigger things, and they're stiffer) but are decent smaller machines better for precision on smaller parts?
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Jun 19, 2017 15:35
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A lathe I'm looking at has a cross slide travel of 110mm but a swing of 250mm. SHouldn't the cross slide travel be half the swing, at least? Is this an issue? http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/L689 I've checked it in person.
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Jun 21, 2017 07:43
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