Member postings for Roger Vane

I have a VMC mill (1.5hp) with an inverter drive. The belts are set to 1180 rpm and this suffices for most jobs, including tapping under power using the jog and fwd / rev functions. I've probably only needed to change belt positions 4 or 5 times in the last 5 years or so, and that was driving a large shell mill. No cooling issues.

So impressed with the mill that I've also equipped my Myford S7 with an inverter package (1hp motor) - belts set more or less permanently to 1480 rpm with only the very occasional need to just change ranges. Never use back-gear. Again, taps and dies used under power (jog) and no cooling issues.

Costly, yes, but it moves the machines into a different class and is a great time saver (no laborious belt changing - a real pain), as well as giving you the ability to set the 'correct' speed for the operation in hand. If you go for it then I'm sure you won't regret it.

Mine came home on the back seat of a Triumph Herald - that dates both of us.

Hi Robin

When I bought my VMC I wanted a 3 phase / R8 / imperial machine which is not listed by Warco - they made a special order for me which took about 6 months or so to arrive, but well worth the wait. I then fitted an inverter and remote control station from Newton Tesla - a simple process using the wiring diagram supplied by NT.

If you decide to go this route then you will need to specify that the motor must be 240v - tell Warco that you will be fitting an inverter. This route saves you the cost of buying a 3 phase motor and also the job of swapping the motors over..

Regards, Roger

building stand or bench if you intend to build large models, lots of shelving, space for wall charts, compressor, sheet metal rollers / folders (?).

Something that I forgot to mention was the DRO - only 3 axis at the moment, but well worth fitting. As far as the X-axis is concerned, then if you fit a slim scale to the front of the table then you will not lose any Y-axis travel (as you would if the scale is fitted to the back of the table). Losing the table stops? - no problem as you can fit an alternative arrangement in front of the scale (sounds like I'm plugging my articles, but this add-on is written up in MEW 196).

Mike - would appreciate a couple of pictures of your arrangement for the quill DRO if possible as I'm still considering how to fit one

I would go for the VMC every time. If the 'daylight; on the Z-axis is a problem then you can always make and fit a raising block. I made a 4" raising block on a Myford S7 (my articles in MEW 215 on) - needs care but can be done.

If buying new then I would also consider going for R8 and a 3 phase motor / inverter. The R8 is far more 'machine and user' friendly than 3 MT and tooling is readily available. As for the motor, this transforms the machine and avoids constant belt changing - speed variation at the turn of a knob, plus a 'jog' facility. I wanted to buy 3ph (240V), R8 and imperial spec which is non-standard. Warco ordered this for me as a special - delivery took a while but it was well worth the wait. Buying 3ph at the outset will avoid the cost of the motor if you decide to upgrade to VFD in the future.

If you do go this way then I doubt that you'll regret it.

Hi Mark

That should be fine. I've just measured my ceiling / floor dimension as around 25mm more than yours and my drawbar comes out OK, but I have a 100mm raising block fitted, so you should have no problems.

If I remove the drawbar 'vertically' then I have 10mm or so to spare, but as the spindle bore is far greater than the drawbar diameter in practice you can tilt it as you remove it with lots of clearance. My guess is that you could also fit a 100mm raising block and still be able to remove the drawbar.

Hope that this all makes sense, and that you enjoy your new machine.

Good luck, Roger.

Hi Roger

Yes - I've used one of these vices for around 4 years now. They're expensive compared to say, a standard K4 vice, but far more versatile. The max opening between the jaws is very impressive, although on most mills you would probably need to rotate on the base by 90 degrees (from the 'normal' position) to take full advantage. When I bought mine I was very uncertain about having the step at the top of the jaws, but it's surprising how often I use it. As for additional jaws, I have both the V-jaws and the high jaws - both sets are very useful.

As for accuracy, I have no complaints and certainly my example clocks very true. One thing that may have given the vice a bad reputation is that the 'fixed jaw' has quite a lot of clearance for it's M8 holding down bolts and I believe that this is intended. This gives you the ability to carefully nip the workpiece before finally bolting down and will grip very securely if slightly out of parallel. Overall, grip on the workpiece is very good as long as you remember this fact.

Dimensionally, they are slightly taller than the average K4 (around 10mm I believe) and this could add to any capacity issues you might have as I did with my VMC, since overcome by fitting a 4" raising block (I also had clearance problems when using the K4).

I would say that if you have the need for it's capacity and versatility then it's well worth the investment. I certainly wouldn't want to be without mine.

Hope that this helps.

Regards, Roger.

Hi Clogs

When I was buying my Myford new in 1971 I had a look at both the Super 7 and the ML7, and decided that I just had to afford the Super 7. The Super 7 has a much better (higher) speed range with spindle bearings to cope, more powerful motor as standard, a self ejecting tailstock, clutch, longer cross slide, better top slide with full 360 degree rotation, etc, etc. Also power cross feed with the later machines.

For more information about these machines I'd suggest that you have a look at **LINK**.

You will almost certainly pay more for a Super 7 of equivalent age and condition, but I think that you'll find the extra expense is well worth it, If you can find a machine with a gearbox (screw-cutting) then so much the better as it will give you a good range of power feeds as well.

Good luck with your hunt for a machine.

Regards, Roger

Hi Ian

I've spotted this problem from time to time with both TC 6 Pro and TC 20 DL.

Certainly one cause appears to be 'over-exploding', where you actually explode the entity itself into smaller segments. You will probably need to select and explode twice - all too easy to do when you're paying attention to the design itself. Suggest you draw a circle and try it. You can then re-group them back into the single entity.

There may be other causes that I'm not aware of, but the above is certainly one problem.

All the best, Roger

Hi Mark

I'm very pleased with my VMC, which I've been using for the last 5 years or so. I've undertaken various enhancements including fitting an inverter, DROs and a raising block, which have all improved the versatility of the machine.

Totally agree with Vic that the 1.5 HP motor is perfectly adequate, and if you have the 3-phase motor and an inverter you retain high torque levels right down through the rev range. The belts on my VMC are almost permanently set to 1180 rpm - think that I've changed them only a couple of times in the last 5 years. With the inverter you can program a 20% overspeed (effectively 60 cps) at one end of the rev range, while at the other end (jog) it is ideal for tapping under power. The best time to get the 3-phase motor is when you order the machine - I wanted an imperial / 3-phase / R8 machine which although non-standard Warco ordered as a special - this will save you around £200 (replacing a single phase motor) which should almost pay for the inverter. Would also recommend the remote controller with speed control at the turn of a knob - no more tedious and time-consuming belt changing.

The R8 taper is much kinder to the spindle bearings when removing tooling when compared to 3 MT - a gentle tap and it releases and well worth the investment in new tooling. A wide range of tooling is readily available at reasonable cost.

For the work that I do I found that a 4" raising block was essential if I was to gain the maximum from the machine - my article in MEW 215 onwards shows how I tackled the job using a Myford S7. The only thing to be aware of is that with the knee at a new maximum height in relation to the spindle nose it's possible to disengage the Z-axis leadscrew, and it's a real pain to re-engage - you only do it once.

Hope that this helps.

When I made the tanks for my 5" Firefly, I riveted all parts together and then 'painted' Araldite around the joints to be sealed.

Before the Araldite had cured, I heated the tanks with a hot air gun which turned the Araldite into a liquid which flowed like water into all joints, making the seal and enhancing the strength of the joints.

A different approach, but one which worked ok.

Hi Gary

Unless I've misunderstood your method, it sounds as if you are going to draw 125 individual lines. Think that you would find it far, far quicker to draw just one line and then use 'radial copy' to 'draw' all 125 - using 125 as the number of sets which will include your initial line.

Both methods will work, but radial copy is far less laborious for larger numbers.

Regards, Roger

Hi John

Firstly draw the circle that you wish to divide (including the centre point) and then identify a position on the circle itself with, say, a cross.

Click on that cross and then activate 'radial copy'.

Follow the instructions at the bottom LH corner of the screen - firstly, identify the centre of the circle and then the system will ask you to "define the angle step" - enter the number of divisions, 125 in your case, in the box "steps". Hit 'enter' and the job's done.

Hope this helps you.

Regards, Roger

I paid an initial deposit of £55 on my Adams Gas 9L/137 bar oxygen cylinder, plus £36 for the gas. Lasts for ages unless doing a big boiler job, and with pre-heating from a propane torch it is still an economical option - about a third of the way silver soldering a 5" A4 boiler and used just one fill so far.

Just had an exchange from the local agent for £36. That's it - no handling charge, delivery charge or annual rental, and when I've finished with the cylinder they give me my £55 back.

Better than the huge sums of money that I was paying Air Products for annual rental of a half cylinder. Very happy with this option.

Various gases and mixes available - http://www.adamsgas.co.uk/hobby-gas-welding

Hi Gerry

Worth looking on eBay - just searched for 'e clips' and 0.8mm listed by GWR Fasteners - various pack sizes and sizes - third item listed on my search. There are probably other suppliers listed.

Good luck.

Hi Mike

Congratulations on your purchase of the 626 - sound like an ideal specification.

As for the 4" raising block - I certainly mentioned it in my reply to your original post. My experience with the VMC was that I needed a raising block - mainly due to the type of jobs that I undertake and the tooling that I use. Would advise that the best approach for you is to live with the machine for a while and then decide if there would be any benefit in adding a raising block.

As for supply, I doubt if Chester can supply - Warco certainly don't. I believe that I've seen a comment by John Stevenson that he makes them, so you may wish to make contact with him. Alternatively, you could always make your own - as it happens, I produced an article for MEW which has just started publication in MEW 215. If you look at the preview for this issue you will see a photo on the front cover.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Roger

I have also converted my garage into use as a workshop - the original up-and-over door has been replaced by outward-opening half glazed French doors - taking Colin's point it makes access easier for heavy machines. As the French doors are less wide than the steel door that they replaced I have also fitted a wooden side panel (insulated). When doing the conversion I took the opportunity to specify a 'wheelchair' threshold for the doors - meaning that there is effectively no threshold to trip me up, and moving machinery is far easier. The other thing that I did was to fit a high security (anti-everything) lock to the door - recommend CISA Astral S. Expensive, but far superior to the cheap lock supplied with the doors.

I also removed and bricked-up the existing window - improved security and somewhere for more shelving.

Something else that you might want to consider while you have an empty garage is insulation - I have 18mm thick plywood on the floor, covered with hardboard and painted, plus 25mm insulation with 12mm plywood sheets on the walls. The ceiling is insulated with 50mm insulation above 6mm plywood - the roof space has also been ventilated. Result - no cold surfaces to sweat and no condensation. There is no background heating or dehumidifier in use. However, I am located in the south-east where the climate is probably somewhat warmer that Cumbria.

Hope this helps.

Hi Mike

I've owned a Warco VMC for around 4 years now and I've been very pleased with it's performance so far. Why did I choose Warco? Probably because I have other Warco equipment which has been fine - but also that they offer a wide drip tray which is very useful. I would echo the above comment regarding R8 as it's far easier to use than Morse tapers and tooling is readily (and cheaply) available.

Something else that you may wish to consider is a 3 phase motor and inverter drive. This has transformed the machine with speed variation quick and easy, so much so that I have probably only changed the belts a couple of times since I've owned the machine. It also has jog and reverse functions which I use for tapping under power down to around M3. When I purchased my machine I wanted imperial / R8 / 3 phase which is not in the catalogue, but Warco offered to supply as a special order from the factory - it saved me the cost of buying a new motor. This took around 6 months, but was well worth the wait. Add in 3-axis DRO (brilliant) and it's a very handy machine.

On the downside the distance between the spindle nose and table could be greater as long drills and a tall workpiece can clash - this probably also applies to the 626 . I suffered this for around 3 years before deciding to make a 4" raising block - problem solved!

Hope this helps you.

Regards, Roger

Hi Brian

Live Steam Models list 4 3/4" diameter in 10g - you will need to contact them for a price. Contact details tel 01332 830811, email [email protected] website www.livesteammodels.co.uk

Hope this helps you.

Regards, Roger