dore westbury mill

hello everyone ,I have just purchased a dore westbury mk 1 mill in need of some work but it is all there and generaly sound my question is,can anyone tell me if this machine had a build series at all in mod eng and what years it might have spanned...many thanks ..kevin

I have a mk 2 version but mainly use it for drilling and tapping as I use a larger mill with a DRO for main milling work.

Not sure about a build series in ME sure someone else will know, think I may have the drawings etc for mine some where if they have not gone awol in the recent house move.

see **LINK** for information

Hi Kevin,

if you havn't already found the Dore Westbury group on Yahoo, it may give you some info on your "new" milling machine. Look in the Files section.

Peter Foyle had some articles in 1997 about building the Mk II version, volume 179 starting at issue 4054.

Thor

Edited By Thor on 18/04/2014 13:13:04

I built a Mark 1 about 1980 and still use it even though I have a Tom Senior mill as well. The kit of parts came with a very thorough set of instructions and full size drawings.

I don't believe it was ever serialised in Model Engineer. I have taken ME since the late 1960s and it has definitely not been in since then.

Andrew M

Hello Kevin,

I still have the build information that came with my Mk2 when I built it nearly 25 years ago

If you are unable to find what you need elsewhere, send me a PM if you need specific information, I don't have a scanner capable of copying the drawings but you maybe don't need those.

I've also added a few mods to mine [not published] which you might find useful.

Regards Brian

Kevin,

It may be worth looking for ME articles written by Artificer

MichaelG.

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Correction:  Search here  for  ... Westbury light vertical milling

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 18/04/2014 17:15:22

Thor has the right idea about joining the Yahoo group.

There is an absolute wealth of information in their files section.

All the drawings, all the built notes, notes on the power feed and also notes on the vise.

very many thanks to everyone for your replies,,it has given me lots of info to look up

Kevin,

There was no build series for the Dore-Westbury, as it was a commercial venture, but it was based on Edgar Westbury's design for a small mill which was serialised in ME, Vol 130, I think in 1964. It was called a "Light Vertical Milling Machine"

As JS says, everything is on the Yahoo Group, but if you need a full-size copy of the drawings then drop me a PM.

I have a Mk2, but also have all the paperwork for the Mk1 (and probably the Westbury as well)

Phil

To my eyes the meat in the castings around the various shafts looks thinner than it should be compared with the original Alan. My MK1 has 3/8 in minimum.

On the other hand it's easy to forget that people can produce cast iron castings at home if they wish. Not really a good idea unless they can be stress relieved. It's often best to fabricate. It might have a base off a heavy duty drill machine. All sorts of things are possible. I've not had the table off mine.

It's fairly normal to find variations. My table has 2 slots at the edge and no centre slot. Sounds odd but a Dore dividing head fits nicely and a decent sized milling vice can be fitted across the table if needed. I often use a small rather well known Record drill vice for small work. That just fits the usual way in one of the front slots. There is also a plate that can be fastened in the outer slots. It was fitted with one of those small tiltable milling vices but these are too flimsy in my view.

John

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Edited By John W1 on 05/06/2015 14:36:44

Edited By John W1 on 05/06/2015 14:37:31

My references for the Dore Westbury mill show the following:

Building the DW mk 2, ME 1997/98, Nos 4054, thru to 4072.

Modifications to a DW Mk 1, ME Nos 4015/17&19

'My milling machine, building the DW Mk 2, ME 1989 Nos 3851, thru to 3865.

Colin

Mt DW Mk1 has a 4 step pulley. I have a feeing that is what the drawings show as well. I would have to ask my "filling assistant" where the #### they have been put to check.

It also has the "back gear" but I feel that the need for that may be a little back dated now. There would be a need to get into similar arguments some watchmakers have about the relative actual sharpness that can be achieved on gravers made of different materials. Even worse if old tool steels from various sources that were made in witches cauldrons are considered. These days steels have standards. Different brands once ruled and no one really knows what methods were used to produce them.

John

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