Enco 8x30 knee mill vs round column

[MikeInOr]

Quick question, I have a round column 8x29 enco mill. I have a chance to by an 8x30 Enco knee mill, basically a copy of the Clausing 8520. Is that a worthy upgrade?
Pros or cons?

I have a "Husky", Clausing 8520 clone and it is a MUCH nicer and MUCH more ridged than the round column mills I have used!

 

[woodchucker]

I miss Enco too. Decent pricing, good sales.

 

[matthewsx]

I bought a 3/4 size knee mill and sold the RF30 clone. Wouldn't ever go back.

 

[Investigator]

I know almost all of you have felt this way before, so excited about a new tool and then......calm reflection takes over.

I was messaging back and forth with a seller on line. I found the Enco baby knee mill and thought that would be a good upgrade for me. We messaged back and forth. He was close, not more than 20 miles away from home, almost centered between work and home. And then he quit responding to my messages.
Ahhh! panic.....were did he go...don't let this deal get away....I need this....I.NEED.THIS.MACHINE

Time passed today. And I ashamedly realized I have a B'port clone mill undergoing rebuild at home. the degree to which the Enco was an improvement over my round column, was at least if not more the degree of improvement of the full size over the Enco.

Deep breath....hold it...hold it...exhale.

Sometimes missing a 'deal' is a good thing.

 

[matthewsx]

I know almost all of you have felt this way before, so excited about a new tool and then......calm reflection takes over.

I was messaging back and forth with a seller on line. I found the Enco baby knee mill and thought that would be a good upgrade for me. We messaged back and forth. He was close, not more than 20 miles away from home, almost centered between work and home. And then he quit responding to my messages.
Ahhh! panic.....were did he go...don't let this deal get away....I need this....I.NEED.THIS.MACHINE

Time passed today. And I ashamedly realized I have a B'port clone mill undergoing rebuild at home. the degree to which the Enco was an improvement over my round column, was at least if not more the degree of improvement of the full size over the Enco.

Deep breath....hold it...hold it...exhale.

Sometimes missing a 'deal' is a good thing.

Well, hurry up and finish that rebuild. If I had the space for a full size Bridgeport I wouldn't have the baby one, the only advantage is of course fitting into a smaller space.

Hope somebody on here got the deal.

John

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Well, hurry up and finish that rebuild. If I had the space for a full size Bridgeport I wouldn't have the baby one, the only advantage is of course fitting into a smaller space.

Hope somebody on here got the deal.

John

Nicest small knee mill I ever saw was a Burke Millright with a modern Bridgeport head on it.

Looked a little bobbleheaded, but a 3/4th size with a full function BP J head?

Yes please!

 

[matthewsx]

That's the plan with this one if the original head wears out and I don't feel like rebuilding it. Step pulley head with VFD, should just bolt right up.

Samson Vertical Knee Mill

Picked up this mill yesterday and got it moved into my shop. Yes, I already had a Hardinge BB5 and an RF30 clone but when this thing came up on Craigslist I really wanted it bad. Not only is it the biggest mill I could possibly fit in my space, but it's badged Samson like my 12x36 lathe. Now...

www.hobby-machinist.com

John

 

[pontiac428]

Sometimes missing a 'deal' is a good thing.

I was wondering what happened to the full-size mill you were working on. I imagine you got distracted with the shop build and life stuff. Hopefully this is the motivation to get back on it. Paint and reassembly goes a lot faster than scrubbing the grease off, it should go quickly once you get the fire under you to do it.

 

[Investigator]

I was wondering what happened to the full-size mill you were working on. I imagine you got distracted with the shop build and life stuff. Hopefully this is the motivation to get back on it. Paint and reassembly goes a lot faster than scrubbing the grease off, it should go quickly once you get the fire under you to do it.

Yes I got sidetracked. And then sideswiped by my wife with 'her' new projects. I'm not really sure what is wrong with that woman....none of my projects require her to do anything, but all of her projects require me to do stuff. Weird how that works.

I'm planning to retire in March. If I haven't got back to the mill by then, it will be high on the list of things to work on.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Yes I got sidetracked. And then sideswiped by my wife with 'her' new projects. I'm not really sure what is wrong with that woman....none of my projects require her to do anything, but all of her projects require me to do stuff. Weird how that works.

I'm planning to retire in March. If I haven't got back to the mill by then, it will be high on the list of things to work on.

Ain’t that some ****?

Then I get “How come you never finish anything?”, well it’s because you never stop asking for the “Next thing” to be done.