Member postings for Lee Jones 6

It sounds like a great deal of Clarke owners are actually happy with the saw, despite its well documented flaws.

Okay, I'm convinced:

It is done!

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to respond. Much appreciated.

The projects I pick up are non-specific and vary widely. I recently had to cut through some fairly thick walled 5" pipe to make a in-ground bike lock for a motorbike. In the next few weeks I'll be cutting a bunch of box section to build a substantial welding table. After that, who knows.

4" would almost certainly work for the majority of the projects I work on, but cutting 4 pieces of box section at once would also be nice for time saving/repeatability purposes.

The ability to cut large round sections might come in handy too, although providing the lengths are short, a proper horizontal (Startrite type) bandsaw is likely to be better.

Happy to listen to any suggestions you guys might have. That's why I asked.

Thanks chaps, that's helpful.

I'd like to avoid using Machine Mart if at all possible.

Their customer service and return policies are generally terrible.

Right, really looking for a 6" machine if at all possible.

Seen a few videos on the Femis and they do look really nice, but they are considerably more expensive than the imports listed.

The £5k budget is only for lathe/mill. This is supplementary to that.

Currently looking for a horizontal metal cutting bandsaw.

Below is the short-list. Not sure how the formatting below will hold up. Hopefully it's legible.

The understanding is that the majority of the machines themselves are mostly identical.

Couple of questions though:

Is the more powerful motor worth the extra £130-170?

I really like the ideal of using it in vertical mode, but I read negative things. Is anyone happy with using the saw in this mode? Could it ever negate the need for a proper/decent vertical bandsaw?

Is there any reason not to just go for the cheapest available import in the category (Clarke in this case)?

Manufacturer Max Cut Power Price Notes
Warco 5" 550W £470.90 Strong Base
Draper 5" 350W £405.00 Horizontal/Vertical
Sealey 6" 375W £342.92 Horizontal/Vertical
Sealey 6" 375W £395.69
Axminster 6" 560W £429.96 Strong Base
Clarke 6" 370W £301.55 Horizontal/Vertical

Any help would be gratefully received.

Oh, such a tease ...

Did you ever finish this Peter?

Thanks for posting Pat. Your work looks outstanding.

Was that directed at me?

You think I am; a previous member, the person speaking to you now AND Tom?

Dude, you really have to let this go!

I genuinely have no idea why you would think I would waste my time creating multiple accounts.

If you don't have anything positive or constructive to say, I suggest you take Neil's advice.

Apologies for the terse, drive-by reply to your post Dave (SillyOldDuffer), I had only just fired up my computer at work and had a few tasks I needed to clear off before really poring over it and giving it the credit that it deserved.

In a nutshell, you have essentially cemented my current view on the 'old vs new' decision. Given my current lack of /knowledge/understanding in the area, I do see buying second hand has a risk. As you rightly say, given my current situation (young family), my time is reasonably limited and machine refurbishment, although a totally valid and highly rewarding hobby it its own right, isn't what I'm aiming for. After a bunch of research over a few months, it was seemingly apparent that Warco machine owners were, in the round, happy with their purchases. I think the only sensible way for me to buy a second-hand machine is with guidance - and I'm sorry to say that I do not have that kind of knowledgable (in person) support network around me just yet.

Thanks also to BW. Budget doesn't have to cover anything outside of; Mill, Lathe and accessories for them. I already have most of the other tooling you mention. As much as I like the idea of superbly made, older, second-hand machines, my knowledge levels and appetite for risk is too low and the draw of a warranty too high. Maybe go new first, then trade-up to a really nice second-hand machine once I've acquired a good fair bit of knowledge?

Not sure if you saw before Mike, but the VMC was (is still I guess) at the top of my list. I'm sure there are people who are unhappy with their Warco machines, but the vast majority of things I've read are very positive. Might make places to go there for a visit on Friday (if they're open to the public on non-event days).

Please don't argue guys - particularly on my account. We've only just managed to get this thread back on track. There is some great information being posted here, which could be helpful for people to read back on in the future. It becomes much less helpful if the discussion is peppered with spats of malice towards each other.

Thanks SillyOldDuffer and BW, those are amazing responses.

Thanks for taking the time to say that Tom. Although I hope that this hasn't perturbed you too much. The forum seems pretty friendly in the main. There certainly seems like there are some great guys on here who are well worth sticking around for.

No worries Mick. Looking for a club might be a little difficult considering my "vague" interests. I will however, continue to keep an eye out for some nice looking machines. If anyone would like to recommend a reputable dealer, I would be sure to check them out.

Unfortunately Jon, I seem to be caught in what I can only describe as a chicken an egg type situation. If I were to describe my hobby I think, like so many others, the hobby is the workshop itself. I like toys, sorry tools! When I bought my first drill I didn't really have a purpose or a project in mind, I just knew that sooner or later I was going to need to put a hole in something. However since then I have literally worn out more drills than I like to admit. Likewise when I bought my welder(s) - I didn't buy them to fix cars or build railings. I bought them because I knew I wanted to make things with metal. Same goes for the lathe and the mill. I wish to continue making things with metal, only now slightly rounder and with more slots.

To be frank, I'll probably just end up making more tools and accessories for the machines themselves.

Surely I can't be the only one? Everyone else knew they wanted to build planes, trains and automobiles?

Ah, that reminds me. I forgot to thank Chris for his kind offer to pop round and see his setup. I was actually driving near you (Manchester => Bristol) on Sunday, but I had the wife and baby daughter with me, so had to give it a miss unfortunately. Thank you anyway, that's very kind of you to offer.

Currently located in Bristol.

Thanks for that Paul, very informative. I would certainly like to enjoy a nice old British (or similar build construction) machine. However with my current level of knowledge (low) and naivety (high - I do not even know what I do not yet know) I am highly concerned about buying a "dog" and regretting the whole ordeal.

Rebuilding or regrinding these machines myself is certainly not in my current skill-set.

Jason, my naivety showing though again I think. When I said larger, I was alluding to larger than what I perceive model making to require. Certainly not Abom74 large in any case. From what I have seen when watching my favourite hobby machinists at work, a Colchester Student and a Bridgeport would be wonderful. However, I remember reading somewhere (this forum perhaps?) that for a beginner such as myself it would be better to go for a new import from a reputable dealer/importer than to roll the dice on a second hand machine from the 1960s for example.

The trouble is; I don't know anyone who either owns a machine like this or knows anything about them. Thus any knowledge I acquire has to come from online resources and books. Nougats like "... if buying a Colchester is hear it running, bearings and headstock guts are expensive ..." are invaluable to myself and people in my position.

I guess any interested parties should decide that for themselves.

Interesting that it should be you who replied though.

Wowsers. Looks like I stepped on a bear trap with this one.

Firstly I'd like to say to you guys who have been overly negative in this post; you must understand that when someone comes in off-the-street (so to speak) they are not going to be aware of the customs and nuances of your particular community. If there are hot topics or previous annoyances which your new and unsuspecting member trips up on, you really should handle such scenarios with calmness and decorum. There are tried and tested methods (FAQs, stickies, links to previous posts, etc) which are used almost ubiquitously on other forums and online communities exactly for this purpose. Taking wider issues out on the new guy is usually considered bad form. And to those who think I am an old member trying to intentionally irritate or inflame; honestly? Who has the time for that?

So before I knew there was a problem with people asking for advice on purchasing workshop items, my initial intention was genuinely to find out what you guys bought initially and what you would/have changed if you were to do it all again. The idea being to avoid any newbie purchasing pit falls, which tends to happen when starting a new hobby (I know this has happened to me in the past). I thought this would be more fun for you guys than a simple, "pick my machine for me" thread. I guess it backfired - apologies for that.

As limited as my knowledge is, I do understand that the capabilities of the machines available vary in some way, meaning that some are more applicable for certain tasks than others. However, it's difficult for me to pin a lot of these down since I can't say for sure whether I will be; "making model warships" or "boring out motorcycle cylinders", etc. I'm looking for a mill and a lathe to expand my workshop, thus expanding the possible projects I may undertake. Ideally I'd like them both to be a general purpose as possible (if there is such a thing!).

Perhaps it would help if I provided you with the machines currently as the top of my list (I should add at this point that, as much as I don't want to go reinvigorate any 'new vs old' flame wars, I would be happy to take suggestions for either): Lathe wise my two top choices are either a second hand Colchester Student, if I can find one from a source that I can trust or a Warco WM250 (£1625.00). On the milling machine side I've been hovering around the Warco VMC (£1932.00), which would leave me with nearly £2k for accessories.

Unreasonable? Way off the mark? What have I missed?

Finally to clear up a few previous questions:

• Not sure why you guys think I need to build a shed with that budget
• Workshop is a double garage with a re-enforced concrete floor and insulated tiled roof
• Budget will not need to extend to other tools - I already have pillar drills, grinders, etc

How did I know this question would be answered with several further questions.

There were a couple of reasons to enforce ambiguity here. Firstly, I didn't want to sway any replies with my current research results or preferences. Secondly, and most importantly, I don't yet have a niche area of interest. I just enjoy making things. Mills and lathes are kind of a next step in my foray into metal working. Firstly it was welding (Tig, Stick, MIG - in that order). Now I would like to start working on some projects (nothing in particular) requiring more precision.

One thing I can tell you that should help with your query; I do not plan on being a model engineer. The larger stuff takes my fancy, so the model series mills and lathes won't cut it (so to speak).

So the more in-depth questions are; would you go new or old? What accessories/attachments would you consider must haves, and which brands do you consider going for at this early stage?

Budget might stretch a little but not much.

Purchases ought to cover; Lathe, Milling Machine and Accessories for both.