Naerok 350 mill/drill

Hi,this is my first post so hello.I am looking at buying a Naerok 350 has anyboby got one of these and could tell me about them are they any good what are the good and bad points about them?Is there an online manual for them?Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The first and only time I have seen one was when a friend bought one. Sadly he passed away before retiring and never used it. (Naerok is "Korean" spelt backwards) This was over 15 years ago and the machine was a round pillar affair like a glorified drill press.

I had one, very nice machine, bed as solid as a rock and really smooth operation. Only fault I found was that the column wasn't perpendicular to the bed, but some shims under the mounting flange cured that. I only changed it because of the round column, when you move the column you lose alignment of tool and work.

I sold it to a pharmacist up near Grange over Sands somewhere

Thank you very much for replies.Duncan just to verify was your machine identical to the one in the picture and if you moved it up or down with handle it lost alignment?Do you know were I could get more info?

The one pictured, with the handle on the right and fixed in the base, with the rack fixed to the column, should not loose its register when raised/lowered. It requires a hole in the bench underneath it for the column to drop through when it is lowered.  The head is fixed on the column and they move up and down together.

It is those with the handle on the left of the head casting and the rotatable rack that wobble about when the head is moved.   On these the column is fixed and the head rides up and down on the column.

Edited By Robbo on 11/12/2015 09:33:39

I'v got one that looks the same, it a Rexon, mine also comes from Taiwan. Bought mine about 25 years ago, before I took up model engineering, I was wood turning at the time, and wanted a drill press, this machine was about the same price as the then available drill press's, so I bought it. If I was buying now, I would be looking for something other that a round column, but that aside I'v found it quite good for what I use it for.

The head does swing, there is quire a bit of clearance where the rack goes through the gear box. There was a mod in Model Engineer a few years back on remachining the sides of the rack, and making a guide for it, Or you can strap a laser pointer on the head, pointed at the wall, with a line marked up the wall the spot from the laser will indicate if the head swings. I can't find any pointers in retail outlets in Christchurch (NZ) at the moment.

Ian S C

Andy, if you send me a pm I can send a photo (not very good) of the machine I had. I can't make out the model number. I also have a manual which covers the slightly larger models which I can send you a copy of, and a copy of an article I wrote for ME many years ago on fitting power travel. The article makes reference to RD350.

The head desn't move much when you raise and lower, but more than would be acceptable if you wanted to carry on machining something without re-establishing the datums. The laser pointer idea has been around for some time, according to a friend of mine it works well but it not as good as a proper knee type setup. Be aware that when dowfeeding with the quill you need to take up the backlash. I used to just use thumb and finger to keep the quill pushed up as I wound it down. There was an article many years ago about fitting a tensator spring to achieve the same effect, no idea where ot when

I've got one and had it from new. It's a reasonable machine but does lose alignment if the if the head is raised . This I have overcome by fixing a laser pointer on the side of the head targetting a vertical line marked on the wall behind the machine. As far as taking out the quill backlash, I used a sash weight in the hollow column attached by bowden wire via 2 pulleys to the collar on the quill bearing housing. Hope this helps.

Mike R

On my round column Rong Fu 9x20 Taiwan-built mill I added a second column to prevent head rotation during head lift/lower. If anyone is interested I can take some photos.

The second column itself is a piece of 1" drill rod. It is supported by screw-fastened brackets top and bottom with a four way adjuster screw at bottom to set the second column parallel to the main one, behind the motor. A carriage bracket with bronze V block and screw-adjusted bronze follower pad was welded to the upper guard sheetmetal (heavy gauge) to steer the head. The V block and follower ride on the second column. Simple to build and use, not in the way of anything, can be easily dismantled/reassembled should I need to swing the head to some angle for an unusual setup. Construction does not need to be overly heavy as the second column is only an alignment device and does not see cutting loads. I unclamp the head from main column, move it, then re-clamp before cutting. No clamping is done on the second column. For getting it parallel I used a machine tool setup theodolite borrowed from a toolmaking firm I do work for. With care, a scale and plumb bob wire could probably be used to get the second column parallel enough to main column, My second column setup has worked fine for over 15 years, did not cost much to build, and is space-efficient. No dependency on stability of nearby walls, wall markings, battery life and diode life, problems that can happen with laser pointer based systems. JD

I'd like to see a picture Jeff if you get a minute.

Hello Andy, I have RDM350 and have carried out all the mods which George Turner described in ME years ago and a few others as well. Mine was preowned but never actually used, had it more than 20 years and satisfied with it. 5 or 6 years ago I fitted a second hand inverter to the machine together with a 3 phase motor, that made a lot of difference with the finish. Prior to that I had made a flywheel which fits under the spindle pulley, looking for a better finish. Whilst on with the inverter job I made a digital read out from an article in MEW 3 or 4 years ago. About 18 years ago I made power traverse using an up/down window motor, together with speed control. Never ending but its been a good machine, with a few faults which in life you learn how to over come. 60 years ago in my wildest dream would never have thought one day I might own and have use of a milling machine. if you would like copies of George Turners mods I will copy them and pop them in the post to you. I will your address so please send me a PM.John

John,

I've searched for the George Turner articles but can't find them. Can you give a reference to which issues they were in please?

Phil

I've already copied the article for Andy, they were published in 20th January 1989 and 21st December 1990. The castings are rough on the RDM 350 but I think the important parts are alright. I must have had the machine for about 30 years. Prior to fitting an inverter with speed control, there was another article in MEW or ME which I carried out. The slowest speed was too fast and so I fitted an extra pulley from a front loader washing machine. Basically it was a modified drum drive shaft stub, with a 25mm thick disc fitted on the no pulley end. That disc dropped with a tight fit into the centre/ middle pulley of the mill. I drilled through the disc and into the centre pulley, the centre pulley was threaded and the disc drilled for clearance. Now the new adapter could be attached to the centre pulley of the mill and by use of linked belt to the motor a very slow speed was available. since fitting an inverter the adapter is redundant. If possible I would like a copy of Jeff's idea.John

Hi Vic, here's a few photos of my second column, Top photo should be last but I can't figure out how to move the photos in the post. Oh well, you can get the gist.... JD

Thanks John, I've found them now.

Duncan, I have a RDM350, and have shimmed the rack to eliminate column radial movement, and upgraded the depth stop arrangement. I have searched unsuccessfully for a manual. The bearings are becoming a little noisy and a copy of the manual, would I am sure be useful to help me dismantle the quill etc. Any chance of a copy? and any other info which would be useful. Thanks Lynne J.

John,

The method of providing a low speed which you describe is probably from an article in MEW no 103, Dec 2004/Jan 2005.

In that Brian Warner fitted a washing machine pulley to the intermediate pulleys driven by an extra pulley on the motor spindle.

This was fitted to a Warco VMC and gave a range of slow speeds of 82 down to 26 rpm.

Phil

Lynne send me a pm with your email address, I can't work out how to add attachments to forum e-mails. I'll then send you te manual, but it is for bigger version.

Edited By duncan webster on 14/12/2015 01:28:33

A massive thank you to all who replied and sent emails with loads of information, it is very encouraging for a beginner like me.John Fletcher I replied to your emails the last one I sent was this morning is there a chance that my replies are going automatically into the junk folder.I should probably post this question as a separate thread but does anyone know were I could buy stainless steel tube 5mm external diameter.

At the risk of coming in too late, my Mill/Drill is a round column RF25. Because of the loss of alignment after raising or lowering the head, I made up a bracket , and fixed it to the head of the machine. The bracket carries a piece of steel machined (Slotted) to be a snug fit on the base of a cheap Laser Pointer (bought from a UK DIY store).

The Laser projects a line onto the far end of the shop I(about 10 feet/3 metres away) on which I have drawn a pencil line. After adjusting the height, and resetting to the pencil line, I can usually drop a reamer back into the hole that it has just made, so errors over this distance appear to be pretty small.

Have yet to need a new battery after a few years, (It is only switched on for a minute or two at a time).

DON'T look at the Laser!.

The disadvantage? I keep hitting my head on the ****** bracket that sticks out!

Howard