milling machines suggestions to buy

[mrsbruce]

There is currently a Dore Westbury Mk 1 model mill listed on the www.gandmtools.co.uk website.

I saw that one yesterday, and it looked tempting. Does anyone have any experience of this model?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

There is currently a Dore Westbury Mk 1 model mill listed on the www.gandmtools.co.uk website.

Direct link http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/shop/dore-westbury-vertical-bench-mill-1ph-80210109/

EDIT: I assume @Arc Tourist edited his post as I was typing, first link didn't work.

 

[Seadog]

There is currently a Dore Westbury Mk 1 model mill listed on the www.gandmtools.co.uk website.

There's also one on Lathes, £275 - http://www.lathes.co.uk/advertphoto/190812-dore-westbury/

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I saw that one yesterday, and it looked tempting. Does anyone have any experience of this model?

My pal in the West has a DW - he's had it for decades and it does all he wants/needs [also everything I wanted or needed before I got the Amolco]. His is a floor-standing, but he added the column himself.

Very capable machines, and certainly better than mine [and I suspect, some new ones of comparable size].

 

[slimjim]

I like my Chester 626,

It’s not a huge mill, but it has all the stuff you would want, quill, knee, and it’s not too big, or too small for that matter

It works great as a drill,


The column can be extended with a little effort, and it’s better running a 3 phase inverter drive

Sure there are better, and bigger, and it’s not the quality of machines made in Europe,

But it’s a big step up from the bench top mills.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Direct link http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/shop/dore-westbury-vertical-bench-mill-1ph-80210109/

EDIT: I assume @Arc Tourist edited his post as I was typing, first link didn't work.

Yeah, was concentrating more on my coffee than typing. Guess I'm no longer multifunction talented at my age.

 

[DennisCA]

My Deckel has a nice footprint, I think it's smaller than a Bridgeport and more capable at the same time.

Though avoid buying an example like mine....

 

[Keith 66]

Putting a machine like a mill on a pallet for safe transport is a fair bit of work. Mills & lathes have sticky out bits that can easily get bent by forktruck drivers that dont care. Last machine i sent on a pallet was to Ireland, It was a bridgeport, Double size pallet machine bolted to it, knee lowered right down, head swiveled over, ends of table & front protected with old sofa cushions, carpet & car tyres, then tarped up tight. It was half a days work to prepare it so the buggers might not bend it. It got there ok.

 

[mrsbruce]

Putting a machine like a mill on a pallet for safe transport is a fair bit of work. Mills & lathes have sticky out bits that can easily get bent by forktruck drivers that dont care. Last machine i sent on a pallet was to Ireland, It was a bridgeport, Double size pallet machine bolted to it, knee lowered right down, head swiveled over, ends of table & front protected with old sofa cushions, carpet & car tyres, then tarped up tight. It was half a days work to prepare it so the ******* might not bend it. It got there ok.

The downside of palleting stuff, I suppose is the folk, unlike you, who have no idea how to do it (I probably fall into the category of thinking I know how to do it, but would fail miserably).

 

[Carl Wilson]

I echo the sentiments of slim boy and mrsbruce Re palletising and shifting mills etc to get them long distances.

I bought my Harrison Mill from a chap in Derby. Had it not been for the incredibly kind and supremely competent assistance of fizzy, from this very forum, I could not have transported the machine from the seller to my home near the Moray Firth.

You've probably all read that sorry tale of woe, the machine fell over in the lorry almost killing myself and the delivery driver in the process. No irrepairable damage to the mill though...

The Landy Lifts guy wanted more than my machine cost to transport it to me. So it's a huge thanks to fizzy.

 

[optima21]

Like I bought, but on a stand with its own motor and a small milling table, so it sits on the bench. I only have it thanks to the HUGE assist I received from a number of Members on here with collecting, making a crate and transporting it to the far North. Small mills aren't easy to come by up here, ask @mrsbruce .

It won't do what the big ones do, but for my needs [meantime], it's perfect.

the guy who made this 1/20 scale excavator did it on an amolco milling head on a myford ml10 lathe.

his workshop was either upstairs in his house or in his attic.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

the guy who made this 1/20 scale excavator did it on an amolco milling head on a myford ml10 lathe.

his workshop was either upstairs in his house or in his attic.

Wow!! That's waaaay above my level of incompetence.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

the guy who made this 1/20 scale excavator did it on an amolco milling head on a myford ml10 lathe.

his workshop was either upstairs in his house or in his attic.

A build similar to that was the reason I bought a lathe and mill.

One day I might put serious thought into the project

 

[fizzy]

Condition is one of the most important factors.
You can get lucky - or you can get a lemon.

I love my Marlow milling machine - not had it long then bought a Bridgeport. I should be selling it but if I need to downsize to a home workshop in future the Bridgeport would be too big.

The Marlow will fit nicely in a garage.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/marlowmiller/

It is very rigid and smooth - mint condition.
Only drawback is the lack of a quill but that doesn't really matter. Also it needs a power feed and DRO but again easily added.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

You can get lucky - or you can get a lemon.

This, I've been very happy with my ML7 Tri-Leva!!

 

[Carl Wilson]

never heard of Marlow milling machines before but that looks very impressive.

 

[Ton-up]

If I had a few more pound notes stuffed under the bed, an Aciera F2 or F3 (with associated tooling) would be my choice.

 

[fizzy]

never heard of Marlow milling machines before but that looks very impressive.

They are a real bargain - usually go for less than the bench top mills - more capable but will still fit in most home workshops.
Mine is 3 phase but a VFD is dirt cheap these days.

 

[ronan]

Trouble is and its something i soon discovered when i was looking for a mill, the big stuff you can get for nothing, but due to the amount of people looking for smaller machines, they go for more. Tom Seniors are good little mills, but can have a serious lack of z-axis travel if you use the knuckle head. On mine i bought a bridgeport head off someone here and grafted it on the overarm. It gives a machine with a smallish foot print and decent ability.


http://www.gandmtools.co.uk/shop/tom-senior-horizontalvertical-mill-for-restoration/

 

[gaz1]

theres a sharp milling machine ive seen 3 being sold on ebay but they seem rare compared to the dore westbury machines

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Milling-...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

http://www.lathes.co.uk/sharpmiller/