Member postings for mechman48

Skimmed up my drill vice & milled a rebate in the jaws (8 x 2.25mm) to take thin material...

George

' I was attracted to this system in the first place as it is hands free whilst cordless hand sets(the ones I know of anyway) are not.'

Won't you still have to activate a transmit / recieve switch... 'hands free' ...?, look at the questions page on the item in your link..you still have to press a button somewhere & is susceptable to electrical interference

I use a Panasonic 3 handset system which has intercom facility, & hands free speaker system on ea. handset..but you still have to press at least one button to use any of it... so unless you have a voice activated system...?

George

ps. pic 4 ... must get that gib key sorted... it is what it looks like... s**t !

G.

Info'

Whether you have a WM180/250/280 I would double check the bolts holding the top slide to the crosslide as I have had to do repairs to my 250 V-F just recently. I was checking my compound slide alignment as I wasn't sure how good / accurate the fiducal line on the crosslide was in relation to the zero on the compound slide scale, so setting up a test bar & DTI I wound the compound to one end of its travel, zeroed the DTI & wound the compound back to the other end of its travel. Needless to say it didn't register 'zero'.>>

After a couple of tries I got everything lined up to the test bar '0 - 0' along the compound slide travel,lightly nipped the clamping bolts to hold in place & checked the zero on the scale...no it didn't line up with the fiducal line on the saddle..well it is Chinese & their QC is s**t at the best of times. 'you gets what you pay for' blah, blah! it transpires that the fiducal line is not at 90* to the front edge of the saddle & correspondingly the zero (now set) does not match... am I too pendantic to ask for proper zero setting reference from manufacturers?

So now I nips up the clamping bolts using the supplied open ended spanner... & you know when something doesn't feel right! ...just didn't feel like they were tightening as they should... off come the nuts (now having upset my zero setting!  lo & behold... threads fxxx***... .oops, stripped... again typical example of Chinese crap metal, I would be loathe to class them in the basic EN1 class... mmmmm! I wonder if they could be EN1B (leaded?) which would make them 'softer' for easier machining..I diversify! I have ended up making BMS T nuts & using 8.8 bolts with a light skim off the head to allow the compound slide to rotate freely, reset the zero again & snugged the new bolts up... much better all round! will still have to centralise the fiducal line on the saddle.....

Honest! ... only ever snuged them up with the spanner supplied in the kit, on the rare times I've moved the topslide.

T Nut Machined...(drilled & cut into 2 later)

Neat sliding fit...

Bolt head skimmed ...

All snugged up...

Zero set to test bar... fiducal line awry...

Difficult to see but the zero & fiducal line don't match, (toduit list !)

So guys 'n' gals after my diatribe just a point to check on your machine/s, wouldn't like to think of the compound slide coming loose & moving when there's a cut going on due to some crappy bolts, maybe you've had this issue & resolved it? all the better, but for newbies & those upgrading or buying this type of lathe...

Cheers

George

Edited By mechman48 on 19/07/2013 19:58:11

Edited By mechman48 on 19/07/2013 19:58:36

As with Billy Mills I have worked in Russia, (Sakhalin Island) & walked around in -32* in winter & 48* + in summer but as Billy says it's dry cold & heat so it doesn't get through to your bones like it does here in the UK, mind you you can still freeze very quickly. Have also worked in the middle east & the temp there regularly gets above 50*+(they don't tell you that though) in the summer, but again dry heat unless you are near the coast where the humidity often gets over 90% so not only hot but wet to boot..so enjoy it while you can!

George

Yesterday outside temp..32* ; in the garage / workshop 22* guess where I pottered for a while so my insulation seems to be successfull.

George

Another rare hot summers day; 32*C outside..opened up the garage/workshop....! cooooool.. 22*C

I guess I done well with the insulation...insulated, boarded walls & roof ... warm in winter too,stays above freezing! .

George

Rik

Re your backplate machining..do you mean .023"..or .002" or do you have a digi /analogue clock that will read tenths of a thou'?

Check out their website; if they are still showing mobile #''s... ?

George.

Had the same problem; Win 8 IE10, clicked on 'tools' menu (on web page) - check compatibility box & untick, same applies to 'Enter 'button prob' seems to have worked for me.

George.

Hi Dennis

Welcome

I tend to cut dry & only use WD40 on aluminium, I don't do a lot of machining at the moment..well not yet any way, & then only been small stuff & then only generally use my tangential tool for 90% of any turning,the other 10% I use insert tip tools, so applying neat cutting oil with a brush tends to suffice for my needs.

George.

Rik

Thanks for the write up & pics; same as you I have the ER25 set, again left over from earlier times.

How did you remove the leadscrew cover..did you have to unwind it leaving the brackets on, or take it off all in one with the brackets as well ?

G.

I use WD 40 for aluminium, & for the small size MS bits I have cut it's either been dry or a dab of neat cutting oil

George

The type 2 has machined slots on the sides to clamp to use clamping dogs on your table, apart from the two smallest, the type 1 has holes for the same method, have a look at your link for Arc Euro.

G

Hi Scott

I have the 4" radial milling vice from Arc Euro & find it fits most of my needs at the moment, & is slightly cheaper to boot. If I were to go for another vice my preference would be the 4" precision vice type 2 from Arc Euro, but at the moment the vice I have is quite adequate.

George

Spent some time 'pottering ' last week, decided to make saddle stop for lathe, nothing specific in mind nor plans to hand, just a block of ally' 6mm SHCS, 6mm Hex bolt, & made up a brass knurled lock nut, set to with measuring,marking,drilling, milling & ended up with the following:

Milling ally block.

marked out ready for chain drilling.

Initial trial fit after cleaning up sides on mill, distance from inside of block to rack is only 5mm,not much for underneath grip,so go for side grip?

Ended up with this.. have since changed the ally lock nut to a larger brass knurled nut, the side fastening was decided on as the distance from the block to the saddle traverse rack only left me with 5mm which seemed a bit skimpy to grip with..so went for side locking with 6mm SHCS,after all it is only a simple stop for machining up to a shoulder so not looking for anything fancy..yet! no doubt some of you have made better, possibly better clamping arrangement..would be nice to see & maybe use to improve mine. My motto..KISS.. Keep It Simple Stupid. Have drawing if anyone interested as a basis.

George

Edited By mechman48 on 15/07/2013 22:31:42

Rik

Was contemplating getting the same for mine; let's know how you get on, with write up & pics.

For info; All Warco's BT tel. lines are down, had to get in touch via their website which have mobile phone #'s for contact at the mo'

Re.duff Z axis integral DRO; my machine is just still in warranty.. explained fault etc. to after sales / spares dept.. replacement DRO on it's way as I write... result ..

George

Rik

My DRO's are magnetic strips with remote linked readouts via cable, purchased from another supplier but very similar to Warco's. They come supplied with fixing brackets, the read head bracket can be modified to suit the machine but I made a new bracket to suit, not difficult to fit.

George

ps. just remember to keep the bar level

Edited By mechman48 on 12/07/2013 11:21:14

HI All,

Help.... My WM16 vertical digital (Z axis) scale has just gone haywire; whatever amount I put on e.g..020" or .5mm doesn't register correctly comes up with something stupid like 6.250" , even 150.25mm. I have put new battery in, checked all fastenings are tight, zero'd everything but it's just throwing readings up of all description & reading flickers between stupid numbers even when I have managed to set a d.o.c. ...sounds like the electronics have given up the ghost.

I think it's still just in warranty, will check paperwork & contact Warco for replacement if so, but if not (or Warco's want to play silly buggers?) any owners have a solution ?

George

Well said that man.... you lost me after....'The Earth’s magnetic field (according to Wikipedia) varies between 25 and 65 micro Teslas depending where it is measured'...

Never was into electrickery, when I served my apprenticeship I was only allowed to pull the main breaker to 'off' & then padlock it off. If any other work was required then I had to send for the 'sparky' even to change the direction of motor rotation or pull the fuse (although being able to change leads myself & pull the fuse) otherwise there would have been a 'everyone out' scenario.. 'the good old days'... don't get me wrong I understand & can work with 'Ohms law etc & can change sockets/switches/lights etc but anything further has always been 'get the sparky, even more so these days,what with legislation & Part P requirements, more so with house insurance requirements per se.

George

ps.. pic' of my cutter after machining CI with a .5mm cut  IIRC

I reset the set up after I had given the machine a good clean down after machining as forgetting to take pic for record purposes.

George

Edited By mechman48 on 08/07/2013 20:03:41