Axminster Engineer Series SU1 Universal Mill

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-engineer-series-su1-universal-mill

I am clockmaker but not exclusively and I often have to make tools to build various things so need a small solid machine that can take reasonable cuts.

This Chinese machine seems to fit the bill but only one supplier in the UK at the moment anybody got one or seen it close to.

Edited By Stephen Benson on 03/06/2015 13:57:36

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I think Ketan looked at this in depth as a possible stock item.

I also think he gave his reasons on this forum for why he decided not to do so. - Perhaps he will be along and refresh our memories.

nick

Hi Stephen,

There was a review of it in the ME recently...but dont know which issue. Someone here may be able to tell you.

It didnt go down too well in the US in its original U2 form with brushed motor. There was some concern over throat, sprindle to table height, mounting arrangement of motor, availability or lack of, of the cutters for the horizontal attachment, 'fitting issues' with the horizontal attachment. At the time, we made some suggestions to the factory about putting on a brushless motor, along with some other mechanical corrections/modifications.

The brushless aspect SU1 turned up on the Axminster site a while back as you see. I dont know what modifications SIEG have made. I havn't asked as ARC is not interested in selling this machine at present. Thats all that I know.

Ketan at ARC

Thanks for the info Ketan most helpful yes I spotted the review in ME but the reviewer had not used the machine to make anything as far as I could tell just taking a cut using a side and face.

I have used full sized horizontal machines in college and on the shop floor; I found them to be very versatile, accurate and robust this one is so small and compact it would take up very little room but would be great for metal removal and wheel cutting.

I could pick up a Centec for about the same money but they are much larger and I doubt a 60 year machine would still be accurate without a full rebuild then parts could be issue.

Stephen - every 6 months or so, I look at this mill because I think that it would make a really nice little "CNC Chucker" lathe.

There is an older review of the U1 at **LINK**

From looking at the Sieg website this past weekend, the differences between the U1 and SU1 are in the motor, as Ketan suggests.

I'm actually quite familiar with a Centec 2B, with quill-vertical head, and I don't think that there would be any comparison, but I might be surprised. (smile) Over here on my side of the Atlantic, the Grizzly G0727 is possibly available in a show room about 10 hours drive away; a bit far to go to twiddle dials; and it'd be in inch anyway. (not an issue with CNC, of course)

I also seem to remember someone building a column extension block - sorry, don't know where I saw it, but google the Grizzly name/number, and you never know what may pop up.

Just wondering if you could drop a 3HP 3 phase motor and inverter on it - uumm that's a thought.

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Having had a nosey and a play with one of these in the local Axminster branch I would say the 30 - 40 pounds in weight of such a motor would crush it back into its original iron ore elements. So I would dread to think what would happen if said motor was powered up.

Nick

Edit :- On a serious note. If you can find a Centec 2B in nice condition like you mention IMHO it would yield far better results and for a far longer period. 

Edited By Nick_G on 03/06/2015 22:33:43

Right but thinking about it I do have a spare 1000w brushless off an experimental KC6 CNC lathe that had a 2HP + VFD transplant, not a lot of weight difference here.

Convert it to CNC, throw three 10mm ballscrews on it, stick a 4th axis on and it would make a nice tool for rotary engraving.