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Member postings for Billy Mills

Here is a list of all the postings Billy Mills has made in our forums. Click on a thread name to jump to the thread.

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Thread: Chinese lathes
16/01/2011 01:32:48
Hi Phil,
Try www.klippfeld.at for lathes and mills from Austria. If I was in your shoes I would put the money for the drill into a good DRO for the mill so that you can do accurate drilling in the mill- vital for gearboxes.
 
The other bits like rotary tables, good milling vices, a T&C grinder, sets of decent drills/mills and all the rest can mount up to the cost of the major machines without trying too hard but then if you are the only guy able to lay down this season's gold on sunglasses then you might make a killing.
Regards,
 
Alan.
15/01/2011 15:38:45
Hi Phil,
Sounds like you are involved with vaccum deposition. Well why not directly import a small lathe and mill  from the UK ?  Spares are easy and you have the very great advantage of being able to talk directly in the native lingo with suppliers.
 
There are good reasons why larger machines are three phase!  Three phase motors are simpler, more reliable, cheaper and don't have the starting issues with single phase.  They are also very much smoother running which translates into far better machining finish- at least an order of magnitude better. Fitting single phase to a larger machine is an act of despiration best avoided by using electronic three phase conversion.
 
Sizing a lathe is one of those life experiences in which you waste hours fretting over how large things might be one day then avoid blowing a year's pay by an act of rational cowardice. Only you know  ( might suggest that 95% of all possible jobs may be good enough in practice) but a small and inexpensive machine makes infinitely more parts than the big dream machine you never purchase.
 
Good luck!
Regards,
Alan.
 
15/01/2011 01:21:26
Phil
Have a look around at the UK suppliers -like ArcEuroTrade, Chester, Warco, Axminster and others- the HK company is not a manufacturer but an agent, some of the machines are very well known Chinese machines by Sieg and others and very easy to get from UK suppliers. The Sieg machines are very well described on web sites the world over.
 
Also consider the invisibles, if you deal with a UK supplier then you have Trading Standards, the Sale of Goods Act and Credit Card on your side. UK suppliers will be aware of adverse publicity and don't want to wreck their trade so try to keep their customers happy. You can always phone them up or call in person to sort out any issues and get any spares quickly and cheaply.
 
You don't say what you want to make! I would suggest that you get a C3 lathe or an old Myford and start making stuff. If you want more then the sale price will be around what you have paid but the education value will be far greater and you will have a much clearer idea of what you need for the future. Machine tools are a bit like religion, people have differing views. You can do worse than go to a few exhibitions, join a ME club,  scan back through the posts on the Forums or enter the portals of  www.lathes.co.uk. Sounds like you might be another convert!
 
regards,
Alan.
 
Thread: Switching between lathe and mill (3 phase)
12/01/2011 17:37:40
Would strongly advise against setting any drive to run at very  low frequencies such as 1-20 Hz. excepting for a few seconds with the motor unloaded. The motor is a system of components which include the windings, magnetic paths and cooling fan designed to work at a nominal voltage,  frequency and output shaft load. 
 
Under the rated conditions the windings will be cooled to be well within the limits of the enamel coating on the windings. Run the motor slow under load and the cooling will be greatly reduced. If the coil temp rises above limits the enamel insulation will soften then char as the winding shorts.Stops any further machining and starts a trip to a rewinder.
 
If you do want to run the motor slow under load then at least make sure that there is sufficient air from an external fan and ducting to keep the windings cool but do be mindful that the poor motor designer did not design an electronic gearbox but a fixed frequency motor.
 
regards,
Alan.
Thread: A bi-metallic balance wheel
10/01/2011 13:23:44
The whole wheel does not expand much at all, the two  C's change in curvature so that the three screws move further or closer to the axle because of the bimetalic construction. The only test of the correction is to measure the rate at different temps, i.e. to look at all of the parts of the system working as intended.
 
The spring material properties are the other major part of the rate tempco, changing the spring material may require moving the screws.
 
Regards,
Alan.
Thread: Drilling Hardened Rivet
09/01/2011 21:04:31
James,
You might be able to grind most of the head off with a cutting disk then drill out the centre with a soild carbide drill but carbide drills at this size don't like any sideways force at all - non starter for a handheld drill. A cheap diamond disc in a Dremmel might be worth a try.
 
Regards,
Alan.
Thread: Sharpening HSS advice needed please!!
09/01/2011 20:44:14
The disadvantage of the belt sander is that the edge of the belt is ill defined- it can be all over the place- so it is then very difficult to create some tool shapes. The edge of a grinding wheel can be maintained with a a diamond dressing tool and can be far more precise. The cost of an entry level grinder  is less than the belt sander mentioned.
 
A  diamond  dust card is also very useful for touching up the cutting edges between sharpenings.A handy intro is " Tool and Cutter Sharpening" by Harrold Hall number 38 in the Workshop Practice series.
 
I do have several belt sanders as well as bench grinders and a T & C machine, never use   the belt sanders for tool sharpening but they are very useful for all kinds of shaping jobs.
 
Regards,
Alan.
Thread: Adding illustrations to an article
31/12/2010 19:21:36
Richard
Google produced 241-A65 images on www.martynbane.co.uk, have you asked Martyn for permission to use his pictures? Presumably the Swiss have refused your request or have you asked them?
Perhaps someone else reading this thread has some images of the train?
 
Regards and HNY to all.
Alan. 
Thread: bandsaws and vices
31/12/2010 01:15:52
The H/V model is the most useful which is why it's the most popular! The horizontal mode vice is good enough for most jobs where you want to cut short lengths from long stock. The vertical mode is a useful bonus for finer work, it is very easy to fit a larger table when needed. The vertical mode can be very handy for roughing out complex shapes quickly and is well worth the extra pounds.

There are a few good articles on the web on adding extra features which are quick and easy to do. Whatever bandsaw you get do buy decent bimetal blades, they are a vast improvement on cheap blades.
 
Regards
Alan.
Thread: Comments on the Exhibition
18/12/2010 18:08:33
Enjoyed the exhibition but two weeks from Christmas is a bit late in the year. For me the best reason for the trip was the SMEE stand where you can always learn something new.  If you had not been to the show before it was easy to miss the models upstairs, perhaps I failed to see the signs?
 
Regards,
Alan.
 
Thread: Digital Rev-counter
06/12/2010 16:07:41
Owen
Check that your pulse input is on p6 not p1 and that pin 1 is not connected ( holding reset would cause the 0000 state to be held). Check that the 470nF IS 470nF not 470pF. Fast test would be to short the 470nF with the spindle turning and check the count.
 
 Regards
Alan.
Thread: Band saw conversion
03/12/2010 16:07:22
Blades are quite a big subject! For cutting steel the bimetals are a bit more expensive but  last around 10 times as long, same as the equivalent hacksaw blades. The H/V metal bandsaw is a very good value tool, although not a thing of beauty it will not complain when you carve through 4" x2" ms bar or 3" round or 100 lengths of iron tube. It just does it. A new one in the UK is around £200 new.
 
It is also good with ali or steel sections. In the vertical mode it benifits from an additional table to enlarge the supplied job. It is then very useful for cutting out complex shapes, you can get the blade to act as a very narrow filling machine to nibble out waste. 
 
One of my favorite tricks is to mount a small drilling vise on a mdf block which is held in the bandsaw jaws for cutting small diameter stock or parts.
 
Another trick-If you grab a  block of mdf then screw a 2"x1" batten to the right side then clamp it in the vice, you can then saw cut part way through the batten. Place the stock against the batten then clamp it in place. The cut line shows exactly where the blade will cut so you can chop up short or long sections quickly. A stop block at the back ( or a g clamp) allows for mass production!
02/12/2010 12:25:35
Agree with Chris, Metal cutting bandsaws are different animals to wood machines. To do the conversion would involve fitting a lay shaft in place of the motor then fitting external pulleys and a belt to reduce the speed. But that does not sort the blade guides, tension, workholding and the tyres.
 
If you want to cut much metal then a second hand imported metal cutting bandsaw with a bimetal blade could be a nice set up.  The imported bandsaws -for around £200 new- do have a few minor issues with build quality that are well known but once sorted they will cut  steel and ali without blinking. Would not be without mine.
 
There is some useful info on metal cutting bandsaws on www.starrett.com with a very good speed/ materials chart.
 
Regards,
Alan
Thread: Which New Lathe; choices, choices...
28/11/2010 15:41:20
PekkaNF
You have left out the third UK group, the Colchester/Harrison owners, we just enjoy our great British machines that are industrial grade products not hobby machines.
Regards,
Alan.
Thread: Tormach
27/11/2010 15:08:04
There might be an alternative more local, www.klippfeld.at/index-en.html as the F-12CNC.
Klippfeld have a range of mills from euro 1380 for F10 upwards and a range of lathes- all made in Austria. Would be very interesting hearing from an owner.
Regards,
Alan.
Thread: issue 171
24/11/2010 17:05:44
Me too!
Great issue, just stuff up my street. I happen to be lucky enough to have an Aciera F3 with the original manual and test chart so the article on the referb was of direct interest. But why call it an Aciera 23? 2 isn't even close to F on the keyboard.  The new owner was very unlucky to have had a previously greased machine. Aciera specifically state NOT to grease the 24 nipples but to use machine oil. Anyway it's one of the finest mills available IMHO.
 
Enjoyed all the other articles especially Andrew's importation story, very surprised at how low importation costs were. I have bought US machines via UK agents for double money before now, have learnt the lesson!
Regards,
Alan.
Thread: Chinese lathes
22/11/2010 17:29:43
It seems to be common knowlege that many  Chinese lathes and mills contain sand and swarf when puchased and are so unfit for use - as supplied-  because that use could result in self destruction.
 
However every warrenty I have seen has a "do not dismantle or modify " clause. If you open the box and take it apart then  put it back together - without a real workshop manual- then how can the supplier then be held liable?
 
So you might think that there is a Catch 22 , how do you know it is safe to use your new machine without taking it apart and invalidating the warrenty?
 
The way out is for the UK distributors to insist that the machines they buy  are fit for use from the packing as that is the legal need  within the UK. If they want to continue to sell products that may be defective as supplied then they need to inspect and re-work to get the machines to the required UK standard. Arc seem to be the only supplier who do admit to the sand issue and describe what needs to be done. Come on Suppliers, it is not fair to supply nice people who may be on a last time purchase with machines that may be self destructive. It also happens to be illegal.
 
Regards
Alan.
 
 

Thread: How to determine the pressure angle of gears
21/11/2010 01:27:48
Why not try rebuilding the missing/damaged teeth instead of making the whole gear. There are a few articles on the web from dovetailing in a new block of metal to inserting pins and then weld metal. A form tool to fit whatever the gap profile is- which you would need anyway- then cut the gaps you need.
Regards,
Alan.
Thread: Proxxon
08/11/2010 20:11:36
Graeme,
On second thought would suggest that the Arc Euro XL1 would be much better for a CNC conversion than the MF70. Much bigger table, much bigger X Y Z range and cheap spare parts readily available. It would also be better for a 4th axis. Same kind of price.
 
Regards,
Alan.
08/11/2010 19:47:34
Hi Graeme,
Have a Bandsaw MBS/E - DB250 wood lathe- DH40 Planer thicknesser- two MT300 shaper/router table-KS115 mini circular saw -DS115 Scroll saw  and the FKS/E table saw.
Use most of these on a daily basis. Proxxon tools are unlike any others, they are basically good quality hobby tools on a miniature scale.
 
Some are quite unique- such as the DH40 thicknesser which is solid alloy casting under the plastic covers. This is a very good tool for wood and plastic thicknessing but is very expensive against a full size maketa machine. But would not be without it.
 
The bandsaw is a very small  machine, it works ok on thin materials, it is a light duty machine. The blade guides need re-work. Again unique small machine of table top size.
 
The table saw FKS/E is a total gem, when fitted with the solid carbide blade or carbide tipped blades and a few modifications this machine is capable of sawing and slitting wood,plastic and ali within 0.1mm consistantly, would not be without this machine. The lighter and smaller KS115 has fixed blade height but finds a role as a thin parts instant saw.
 
The router  table MT300 is a scaled down router & table very useful for wood & plastic moulding. Again a unique tool.
 
Wood lathe DB250 is small and light but there are too many  errors, plastic collets are very poor, the tailstock slips!!! and the whole thing is a disapointment.
 
DS115 scroll saw works ok but blade mounting is poorly thought out. It is again a light table top machine for miniature work.
 
The MF70 micro mill is an odd machine. It has some of the attributes of a good miniature mill, variable speed to 20,000 rpm - as is vital at this scale- and 1mm/ turn feedrate on X,Y and Z axis and is rigid in the Z axis but the table is ali and plastic !!!!!!
For very light milling it works well although this is the milling equivalent of the dead flesh keyboards of years ago. If the table had been a little more conventional then this could be a great tool.
 
I have no direct experience of the Proxxon metal working lathes. But would comment that they are very expensive in the UK. Proxxon do seem to re-badge far eastern machines, some machines are available from other brands just like Seig machines.
A unique range of micro tools for light duty that you can pick up with one hand and put in a cupboard but do take a good look at each one before buying.
Regards,
Alan.

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