- Thread starter Lippyp
- Start date
The scales and readouts are all made in the same place but with different names.
Have the cheap scales on the small Clark miller/driller, coolant knackers them up, bought them some years ago when they were £130 for X axis. Got some spare.
Had the 3 axis scales, covers and budget readout from http://www.machine-dro.co.uk/index.php?target=categories&category_id=25 when on offer October last year.
Pain to fit on Z and Y axis. Didnt want X axis on rear as i need every inch but too troublesome with other stuff overhanging the front plus carriage trips for power feed, stops and bed locks etc. All would need mounting outboard at least 2" to inside edge.
Z was the worst, needed good access to depth stop. Suitable length scales would interfere with gear changes if mounted on the front. Mounted off the left side but it does house a coolant feed 1/4" BSP fitting.
Retains zeros after powering off for days, exactly what i need to pick up centre on rotary table after vice work on other end.
Readout is the budget one but does more than i will ever use and £100 cheaper than the Sino and easier to operate.
Lost about 1 3/4" due to fitting the power feed which did me a favour with X axis scale, worst case it could go on the lathe.
In all a complete 3 axis, covers, readout and delivery £460 for near on half the price of just a Newall readout alone. Working ok so far no blemishes etc.
Yep seen them on ebay for a few years, covers are extra. Scales are glass, is it worth the risk plus about £100 cheaper, but get clobbered with import duty, vat and customs release it will be more!
Have the cheap scales on the small Clark miller/driller, coolant knackers them up, bought them some years ago when they were £130 for X axis. Got some spare.
Had the 3 axis scales, covers and budget readout from http://www.machine-dro.co.uk/index.php?target=categories&category_id=25 when on offer October last year.
Pain to fit on Z and Y axis. Didnt want X axis on rear as i need every inch but too troublesome with other stuff overhanging the front plus carriage trips for power feed, stops and bed locks etc. All would need mounting outboard at least 2" to inside edge.
Z was the worst, needed good access to depth stop. Suitable length scales would interfere with gear changes if mounted on the front. Mounted off the left side but it does house a coolant feed 1/4" BSP fitting.
Retains zeros after powering off for days, exactly what i need to pick up centre on rotary table after vice work on other end.
Readout is the budget one but does more than i will ever use and £100 cheaper than the Sino and easier to operate.
Lost about 1 3/4" due to fitting the power feed which did me a favour with X axis scale, worst case it could go on the lathe.
In all a complete 3 axis, covers, readout and delivery £460 for near on half the price of just a Newall readout alone. Working ok so far no blemishes etc.
Yep seen them on ebay for a few years, covers are extra. Scales are glass, is it worth the risk plus about £100 cheaper, but get clobbered with import duty, vat and customs release it will be more!
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I bought 2 miesters, 3 axis, and 2 axis Straight from Singapore, A few years back, the mill is running an all singing dancing box, but TBH is far more complex than I ever needed Tho, I find hole templates and rad calculations handy, I run Y on the quill, just because I actually spend more time running blind holes into work than traditional type mill work..
My small colchester has the simple box which is little more than a readout with base settings, but as you say these boxes are just fine, I keep thinking about getting a couple more sets, for the other couple of lathes.....
Service was excellent from Singapore all the gear, covers, 5 pieces of glass was around the £800 mark with delivery, As you say compared with a newall, Its a bargain...., they arrived in under 5 days, which I was astounded by....with emails from the dealer all the way....
My small colchester has the simple box which is little more than a readout with base settings, but as you say these boxes are just fine, I keep thinking about getting a couple more sets, for the other couple of lathes.....
Service was excellent from Singapore all the gear, covers, 5 pieces of glass was around the £800 mark with delivery, As you say compared with a newall, Its a bargain...., they arrived in under 5 days, which I was astounded by....with emails from the dealer all the way....
Sounds like you do similar sorts of things to me, blind holes and depths on daily basis.
Had a glimpse through the manual and it does a lot more than i need. Will have to read through again for tooling zero points, cutter diameters etc.
Absolutely superb if you are in to high quality or intricate work, the next best thing is CNC but you have to programme them things for every operation.
Cant see the point in cutting an arc with the readout, it would take forever and pointless.
I wasnt sure whether the Y would go on the lathe cross slide, didnt want to lose travelling steady fixing going in front or behind and losing bed lock and ean extended reach for the tail stock. Only way is to the side over the swarf with V supports.
As above seen 3 axis, three scales and covers for about £360. The chances of getting copped for import duty, vat and customs release etc would be fairly high approx £100. Add to that the scales are glass in a cardboard box, didnt think it was worth the risk.
Happy, i would buy exactly the same again for lathe this time about £330 with covers.
Got a 3 axis readout from Warco that knocked me £175 about 7 years ago, just plug the 3 cheap scales in another £210. These have come down a lot recently about £110 now plus readout. Batteries dont last long, buy in bulk 20 at a time might last 8 months on 3 axis! Must keep these away from liquids full stop, dried out twice, third time scrap. Out of 8 scale units i have, 2 @ 24", 2 @ 16", 2 @ 8", 6" & an 18" cut down, only one i can rely on that hasnt packed up, so false economy.
Had a glimpse through the manual and it does a lot more than i need. Will have to read through again for tooling zero points, cutter diameters etc.
Absolutely superb if you are in to high quality or intricate work, the next best thing is CNC but you have to programme them things for every operation.
Cant see the point in cutting an arc with the readout, it would take forever and pointless.
I wasnt sure whether the Y would go on the lathe cross slide, didnt want to lose travelling steady fixing going in front or behind and losing bed lock and ean extended reach for the tail stock. Only way is to the side over the swarf with V supports.
As above seen 3 axis, three scales and covers for about £360. The chances of getting copped for import duty, vat and customs release etc would be fairly high approx £100. Add to that the scales are glass in a cardboard box, didnt think it was worth the risk.
Happy, i would buy exactly the same again for lathe this time about £330 with covers.
Got a 3 axis readout from Warco that knocked me £175 about 7 years ago, just plug the 3 cheap scales in another £210. These have come down a lot recently about £110 now plus readout. Batteries dont last long, buy in bulk 20 at a time might last 8 months on 3 axis! Must keep these away from liquids full stop, dried out twice, third time scrap. Out of 8 scale units i have, 2 @ 24", 2 @ 16", 2 @ 8", 6" & an 18" cut down, only one i can rely on that hasnt packed up, so false economy.
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I was lucky, and wasn't clobered for import duty on my sets, The stuff was very well packaged and unlikely by even the most careless carrier to have broken the scales...
I have set arcs up a couple of times, but TBH as you say painfully slow,I'm currently learning Autocad properly so complex shapes can go up and either be CNC, or 2D water jet cut, saving lots of time.. The accuracy on the sets is fantastic and I can easily now turn work out within 0.001", and go down another decimal if needed, but I always claim to be an agricultural eng/jack of all, rather than a precision engineer so a thou is plenty..
Overall have been very pleased with how they've proformed for the money... after 3 years of use
I have set arcs up a couple of times, but TBH as you say painfully slow,I'm currently learning Autocad properly so complex shapes can go up and either be CNC, or 2D water jet cut, saving lots of time.. The accuracy on the sets is fantastic and I can easily now turn work out within 0.001", and go down another decimal if needed, but I always claim to be an agricultural eng/jack of all, rather than a precision engineer so a thou is plenty..
Overall have been very pleased with how they've proformed for the money... after 3 years of use
My let down that Snowy, i am useless at CAD but used to be brilliant the old fashioned way with a pencil.
Most of what i do here is one off and not exactly precision, same at work but can file within 0.001" over 8" quite easilly, then fit precisely.
Water jet should have many advantages over other methods by not generating heat and subsequently hardening the steel to be worked. Engineers dont see it that way as its far quicker to plasma or laser cut.
Most of what i do here is one off and not exactly precision, same at work but can file within 0.001" over 8" quite easilly, then fit precisely.
Water jet should have many advantages over other methods by not generating heat and subsequently hardening the steel to be worked. Engineers dont see it that way as its far quicker to plasma or laser cut.
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and of course the massive variety of materials that can be cut, the one thats local has a shape thats been cut in leather, plastic and 2" plate, as a demonstration in its office.
Ohh the CADs a pain full process, a freind of mine tutors in it, so he's been spending a few hours each weekend teaching me.....In return he seams to have found me lots of little pieces of work he wants turned up or welded
.....Its one of those things tho, thats almost impossible to learn without someone teaching you, so much to learn to even get the basics......
Woody.v8
Blue gluer
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Yea just made it fer me dad
Wish I had a workshop as big as that! And why so many welders?! Do you do a substantial amount of fab work?
Woody.v8
Blue gluer
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Dont worry about it ssall good fun.
dstealth
Citroen Restorer
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I manage fine with two - a Cebora 130 MIG and a Cebora 100 TIG (which is now running on a midi sized bottle of argon from Energas
)
dstealth
Citroen Restorer
- Messages
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I went there last thursday and took out a rental on a bottle of argon from them and got a refill of some migweld universal. I arrived there just before they shut but they managed to sort everything out and I reurned home with my two bottles of gas.
Very good service.
Chris.
dstealth
Citroen Restorer
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I just happen to have an agent 500 yards from me
Lucky you. Everywhere's a journey for me because I live in the sticks
Does your agent sell welders/consumables/accessories etc in-store or is it like mine where there is a separate bloke selling all of that stuff?
However my BOC agent is like an Aladdin's cave for welders etc. I buy my TIG rods and consumables from there.
Chris.
