Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines
Builds, Repairs, Show Your Machines! => Technical Tips, Builds, and Help => Topic started by: Scorpion2nz on July 28, 2020, 12:53:28 am
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This tooling for lathes and Mills is a killer and never ending .
Good luck with your new toy and have fun .
Once i got mine trammed i never shifted it.
Cheers
Dennis
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Hi Dennis, just a little update to my questions earlier...
I settled for the SIEG SX2 "Super" or "Plus" all depending on retailer.
Since i have ample access to larger mills, and on top got a nice discount on the machine, i figured it will assist me nicely, with the minor tasks i intend to use it for.
Have a little 7x12 China-lathe here, but somehow forgot how costly it was to equip that when it arrived...just got reminded :o
As far as that stupid tiltable column goes, you´re experience matches mine completely...
Mine here was way off as well, and eventhough i swiftly managed to tune it in side to side, the forward/backward tilt will have to be shimmed, to hit that sweet spot.
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No idea what brand but I assume chine made
https://toolsnz.com/product/vice-mill-with-swivel-base-3x1-38x2-58/
What I like about it is it has blocks underneath that fit in the table slots
So easy to unbolt and slide along and move back and reclamp and still set square .
Cheers
Dennis
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Dennis:
What brand of vise did you buy for your mill?
I am looking for recommendations for one that I recently acquired (the EMCO that @parallelmotion listed in the For Sale Section).
https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/classifieds-for-sale/emco-maier-mini-milling-machine-for-sale/
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Thanks for your feedback Dennis, much appreciated!
I´ve been tilting a bit for and against when it comes to these mini-mills, but as is a small footprint is necessary, to fit one in my small shop inside the main house.
Since i usually bring larger objects to work for machining after hours, it will mainly be quite small non-ferro pieces it´ll see on the table.
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I found the X2 great at first but as time went on it was to small . So more power would be good
Gears versus belt. Well if more power then-belt would be better .
I never stripped gears but killed the electronics twice .
As for a different brand with a bigger table i would suggest go for it many a time I found Y axis to small on mine which is why i grew up,
The tilting column i never used but i did have to shim the column from to back to get it squared to the table
The X2 was great for repairing tin toys but once i got into cast engines etc it shrunk
Hope this helps
Cheers
Dennis
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Neat upgrades there Dennis :)
Love that DRO, looks very readable from a distance, compared to others i´ve seen.
Just looking at the Sieg X2 "Super" (500W DC motor and beltdrive, instead of the standard 350W/sprocketdrive) myself, and would love to hear your true opinion, since you´ve just had one yourself.
Also looking at a "Bernardo", which is completely identical to the X2, but has a slightly larger X/Y axis of 300/130mm. Is 80/30mm travel added worth $250NZD extra in your opinion?
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Continuing the upgrade to the mill
A 3 inch wide by 2 5/8 throat swivel vice
And a optimum DRO with magnetic readers
Dro can be set to,2 or 3 decimal points metric or that new fangled American imperial,
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
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That sure is a nice upgrade Dennis, congrats!
A great boon that your present tooling fits, since feeding the needs for those, tends to be the expensive part in the end :)
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Time to start making swarf methinks. ;)
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Still waiting for time to use it .
Very frustrating With no shed time .
Cheers
Dennis
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How are you finding this Dennis, have you had a chance to use it properly yet?
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Very nice; I'm considering a similar upgrade from my "mini-mill". Almost all of these mills from China are made by one of two companies there with slightly different specs for different retailers. I've used a friend's Grizzly and like it very much, especially the vertical/quill DRO which is built into the machine. Some models now come with extremely quiet brushless DC motors with belt drive. Unfortunately US prices are now a few hundred higher because of new tariffs on machine tools from China.
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What's the overall build quality like compared to the mini mill Dennis? Does it feel like it will easily tackle bigger work?
Are you going to get a better quality machinist vice (if you don't already own one)?
Build quality?/
Well like most things it is made in China But to German specs And feels very superior
Very smooth travel with table and main pillar .
Fine feed locking is a lot easier than the sieg . On the sieg you had to slide the lever wheel across into a castalated nut . On the new one it is just a wheel to screw in .
Sieg like most others has a parallel gib and 4 or 5 gib screws and lock nuts .
The Optimum has a taper gib with one screw at the end to slide it in
I have yet to use it but already made a part for it .
I had to make a new Draw bolt as supplied was 1/2 inch by 12 tpi and my collet chuck is a metric 12 mm
The most surprising thing was the price
A new Sieg X2 is NZ$1115.00 -plus shipping Like i have replaced
A Sieg X3 similar size to Optimum is NZ$2900.00
Optimum was NZ$ 2200.00 plus NZ$110.00 shipping to my front door
My vice for the mill ? Well I sat it on the table and it look lost And I suppose the rotary table will be the same
Cheers
Dennis
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Have the elves had proper training? ;)
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What's the overall build quality like compared to the mini mill Dennis? Does it feel like it will easily tackle bigger work?
Are you going to get a better quality machinist vice (if you don't already own one)?
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Good upgrade Dennis, lots more room to setup and get larger things done.
It looks and has specs that are almost identical to my Grizzly G0704, which I consider to be at the transition point between a very large hobby machine and a minimum level shop machine.
Is yours gear driven or belt?
Yes, adding a DRO to mine has made life much easier, and the machining work I do is hopefully now a bit more precise as well.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MILL-MILLING-LATHE-MACHINE-LINEAR-SCALE-ENCOLDE-AND-3-AXIS-DIGITAL-READOUT-DRO/252023511263?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
I put something like this one on it, and although the install was a bit of a PITA it was well worth it. Been on almost three years now with not a glitch. One thing to pay strict attention to, is be sure you get the correct length for each of the linear scales, and also do realize that spindle movement is not included on the DRO readout. But the mill itself has a digital readout for the spindle already, so that isn't too much of an issue.
My only real complaint against my G0704 mill is the short spindle range of only 2 inches or 50mm. I would have much preferred at least 3 inches, and 4 would have been even better. Other than that little whine ... I love my little mill !!!
Gear drive 2 speed gear box and vari speed motor
I did look at the next size up which is belt drive But the top speed is a lot slower .
When I get the DRO i will order them from Machinery house and the order will be for all parts needed for my mill so hopefully fitting will be straight forward .
2 inch quill travel is not a lot but I can live with it as there is 280 mm vertical travel In the head .
Cheers
Dennis
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You can see the 'upgrade' with the table size.
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Good upgrade Dennis, lots more room to setup and get larger things done.
It looks and has specs that are almost identical to my Grizzly G0704, which I consider to be at the transition point between a very large hobby machine and a minimum level shop machine.
Is yours gear driven or belt?
Yes, adding a DRO to mine has made life much easier, and the machining work I do is hopefully now a bit more precise as well.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MILL-MILLING-LATHE-MACHINE-LINEAR-SCALE-ENCOLDE-AND-3-AXIS-DIGITAL-READOUT-DRO/252023511263?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
I put something like this one on it, and although the install was a bit of a PITA it was well worth it. Been on almost three years now with not a glitch. One thing to pay strict attention to, is be sure you get the correct length for each of the linear scales, and also do realize that spindle movement is not included on the DRO readout. But the mill itself has a digital readout for the spindle already, so that isn't too much of an issue.
My only real complaint against my G0704 mill is the short spindle range of only 2 inches or 50mm. I would have much preferred at least 3 inches, and 4 would have been even better. Other than that little whine ... I love my little mill !!!
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Nice addition dennis, and i can tell you from experiance , the DRO is an upgrade you will never regret. I wish I had it on my lathes as well!
crazydoug
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Hi Dennis, This is a great addition to your machine tool inventory...!!!
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nice piece of kit, I'm sure you'll do it proud .
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Hi Dennis,
That looks like a useful size upgrade, always nice to have new/more tools :D
Ade
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Well i have outgrown my Siegmachine X2 mill and due to the controls causeing issues i have saved some pennies and sold a couple of engines .
I now own a Optimum BF20LV mill
A little bit of a upgrade for me
Sieg X2 BF 20 LV
Table size 390 mm X 92 mm. 700 mm x 180 mm
X axis. 270 mm. 480 mm
Y axis. 100 mm. 175 mm
Weight. 65 kg. 162 kg
Both spindle MT3 and table 12 mm slots so all existing tooling fits
Thinking of getting DRO to make life easier