Member postings for Jason Copland

That's good advice, thanks Pete

Hello Robin, yes I did see that, it looks very like the one available from Warco and I suspect they originate in the same Chinese factory. Although they both come well equipped with attachments from what I've gleaned from reading and watching other peoples' reviews the attachments aren't up to much but as a basic D bit style machine they are very good.

Many thanks to all for your contributions. In the meantime I've decided not to jump and buy something without first giving the matter proper consideration (I had my eye on a Clarkson MK2 but I'm not going to rush into it)

I'll give the matter a few more coats of thinking about it and then decide.

Thanks again, much appreciated

Thanks Baz - good to have your view on the radius attachment and happy to learn that I could make the tooling; I'm looking into Quorn as well.

Thanks Pete, that's the issue I was concerned about, getting a machine that's good at only one particular task where the Clarkson is more versatile and potentially far more useful long term.

(Do you make the broken carbide end mills yourself ? I acquired that skill as well)

EDIT: I've been looking at a listing for a MKII, I noticed it seems to have a MKI universal head rather than the MKII. IS this something I should be concerned about? According to Tony's Lathes site, the MKII head is described as "more robust" - am I to infer that the MKI head is inferior?

Edited By Jason Copland on 12/09/2023 22:21:21

Thanks Alan. I believe you are correct in that it's my understanding the Deckel was indeed originally designed to grind engraver points - I think that's where the name "D Bit Grinder" comes from - one of the things I will need to grind is points for a Taylor Hobson model D I recently bought. In addition to that I think such a machine could take the place of my trusty pedestal grinder for HSS lathe tools and perhaps be used for milling cutters too. I've seen Stefan Gotteswinter's video on the Deckel clones but I'm still not sure. Personally I'm more drawn to the Clarkson but I think the accessories could be a problem, most of the ads I've seen for these machines seem to be a bit light on the accessories. Thanks again

Edited By Jason Copland on 12/09/2023 21:17:18

Evening All, I'm hoping for some guidance and advice here. I'm looking at buying a universal tool cutter grinder and narrowed the selection to two candidates. Please let me have your thoughts on each option and your preferences - I'd be particularly interested in the reasons as well. My two candidates are a Deckel clone such as the Warco model currently offered or alternatively a Clarkson Mark II.

I hear that the Warco machine is decent but that the accessories are a bit rubbish. I hear good things about the Clarkson but that accessories can be hard to find.

Both come out at roughly the same price so that's not really a consideration. Thanks in advance for your help.

Cheers,

Jason

Edited By Jason Copland on 12/09/2023 20:14:35

@Jez, I managed to get the wiring all sorted out and powered up the machine for the first time yesterday, the work lamp shone brightly, the DRO glowed warmly but that was all she wrote. It was getting later in the evening and decided to sleep on it.

Woke up this morning with the idea in my head that the problem must be in the power supply to the control box (motor, table, pump control) That control box has a nice big green button and red e-off switch - push for off but twist to release and reset. I had already checked that but I had a suspicion that the e-off wasn't releasing properly. A quick squirt of contact cleaner and a bit of a wipe and now it works as it should, everything powers up and works as it should. I bought the machine knowing at had a "noisy head" - the guy wasn't kidding, it rattles and clanks like a ghost train. So my next job will be to strip and rebuild the head. You mentioned in your earlier posts that parts for SEMCO (Long Chang clones) are not all compatible with genuine BPs, did you source replacement parts from SEMCO direct? (I bought the operators manual and wiring diagram from them, I also bought the Guide to Renovating the Bridgeport 2J, an excellent book).

Cheers,

Jason

Thanks Jez and no worries, I'll get it sorted - the Artful Bodger has been before me and I'm trying to decipher what was done and correct it as I go - I have a wiring diagram but it's not the finest example I've ever seen

Edited By Jason Copland on 24/06/2023 13:03:51

Thanks Dave.

I had heard of tolerances varying slightly. I had a 2b Universal which I've now sold but retained the vertical head.

I had heard tell of the Centec made adapter but I suspect I have next to zero chance of finding one and I'm not bothering to look much - did a quick search around on various places but nothing hence my intention to make one. Apart from the retaining blocks it looks to be a fairly straight-forward operation. The Automil is a far beefier machine than the 2b but seems to be rather rare nowadays. I've never seen another.

Good Morning All,

resurrecting an older thread here with a long shot question - has anyone made an adapter riser block to enable a MKIII vertical head to be mounted onto an Automil MKII?

(I'm after plans if anyone has anything, long shot I know but if not then I'll have to make it from scratch)

Cheers

Jason

Thanks Paul, Thanks Howard.

I'm in West Sussex, near to Arundel.

I'm still working on the workshop, nearly done now so hopefully it will finished before the usual rubbish weather sets in - then I'll be able to while away the time setting up everything just how I want it in the workshop before it gets filled up with other people's stuff - that's the reason for the extension

Now of course, having bought the Automil, I'll need to lay yet another concrete pad for it to sit on (workshop has a wooden floor, it's pretty substantial but for the heavier machines I want a more solid base).

Hello Everyone,

I'm a brand new member just joined and wanting to say hello.

I'm very much a beginner to the world of machining but I'm setting out on this road to make myself motorcycle parts. At present my equipment consists of a Smart & Brown M type MK1 lathe which needs a little bit of tlc (mechanically still very good but covered in oil and gunk and in need of paint); a Centec 2b complete with Type III head; a common or garden type 16mm chuck pillar drill - not a great machine but good enough for my needs at present.

I've just bought a Centec Automil MKII which I'm waiting to arrive - quite excited about that. Sadly it doesn't come with the adapter plate for the Vertical Head so that will likely be my first machining job. I will likely then sell the 2b as a horizontal mill since the automil will take care of any horizontal milling needs and I will hang on to the Vertical Head.

At the moment I'm finishing off the extension build of my workshop, just painted the floor, still need to add in the power sockets and lighting and make up some storage shelving and cupboards - too many projects and never enough time!