What you are seeing is with the table not bolted to the stand and the stand has been adjusted to make the table level In X and Y. There is no space below the mill base and the stand that would need shimming. I tried inserting a feeler gauge and there is no gap.
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Is hand scraping a bench top mill worth the money?
- Thread starter ArtJ
- Start date
It is not bolted down and using a feeler gauge to check, there is no gap under the base that needs shimming. Shimming to fix this problem would be impossible I believe. Both sides are high toward the front of the table. Could it have been bent during shipment?
Thanks for the comment but when cranking the table away from the column the table rises .0025 thou. which is shown by the Starrett level resting on the way while the table is level in X and Y. The base is not bolted, just sitting on the stand.
Yes opposite sides and yes the level reads the same even turned 180 degrees.
Yes, new purchase. Initial set up not going well because if you don’t use exactly the same position for the table, measurements will differ drastically in tram and nod, also in head and quill movement. I really didn’t think that these machines would be this messed up. There is a possibility it was damaged in shipping I suppose. Could the base have been slightly bent? Is it possible to bend that cast iron base in mishandling? Also possibly a manufacturing defect. However, a return is likely at this point. I might add that all four bolts intended to secure it to the shipping crate were pulled loose. I was able to pull them out without unscrewing them at all.
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- Joined
- Apr 30, 2015
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- 11,354
Oh well then I would send it back- you shouldn't have to do major engineering work on a new machine, that's just silly
Get your CC company involved if you have any trouble with the vendor- they are usually very helpful (they want you to keep using their card, of course)
I'd be interested to know who you bought it from- It wasn't Precision Matthews was it?
Get your CC company involved if you have any trouble with the vendor- they are usually very helpful (they want you to keep using their card, of course)
I'd be interested to know who you bought it from- It wasn't Precision Matthews was it?
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- Jul 15, 2020
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- 421
For close to 25 years I got by with a Taiwan built Enco bench knee mill. The two biggest objections I had to it were the lack of rigidity, and the lack of spindle to table distance (height capacity). If I mounted an R-8 chuck adapter and chuck, there was literally no room left for a drill bit.
I always wanted a Bridgeport, but was stymied by the lack of available space in my garage, which was the only feasible location for it. Also the thought of uncrating and moving a 2,000 lb. piece of machinery was somewhat intimidating. A couple of years ago I figured out a way to squeeze one into a spot on an angle. While it has a bigger footprint than the knee mill, it is mostly in the front to back dimension which the angled position reduces.
I sold my knee mill for 2/3 of what I paid for the Bridgeport. Granted, adding a VFD, power x axis feed, and DRO increased my investment, but I never would have put that kind of money into improvements to my import knee mill.
I used the import knee mill for many years, and the Bridgeport for a couple of years now. In my opinion, there is absolutely no comparison between the two machines. The Bridgeport takes up slightly more floor space than a snow blower, and probably less space than a motorcycle or riding lawnmower. With a VFD, all you need is a 220v outlet for the motor and a 115v outlet for accessories.
I always wanted a Bridgeport, but was stymied by the lack of available space in my garage, which was the only feasible location for it. Also the thought of uncrating and moving a 2,000 lb. piece of machinery was somewhat intimidating. A couple of years ago I figured out a way to squeeze one into a spot on an angle. While it has a bigger footprint than the knee mill, it is mostly in the front to back dimension which the angled position reduces.
I sold my knee mill for 2/3 of what I paid for the Bridgeport. Granted, adding a VFD, power x axis feed, and DRO increased my investment, but I never would have put that kind of money into improvements to my import knee mill.
I used the import knee mill for many years, and the Bridgeport for a couple of years now. In my opinion, there is absolutely no comparison between the two machines. The Bridgeport takes up slightly more floor space than a snow blower, and probably less space than a motorcycle or riding lawnmower. With a VFD, all you need is a 220v outlet for the motor and a 115v outlet for accessories.
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- Joined
- Mar 22, 2013
- Messages
- 498
Art - we went through this in tech a bit. If there is a problem we would certainly take care of it, but what was being described was well within tolerance. The nod being out .0025" over 8" is within spec. But you said ridges are happening in the cut. I have not seen any pics of the ridges or anything, all i've seen is the level bubble pics.
The last email about dimensions, you said that you had loosened the mounting bolts and the table was within .00025 So we thought all was good.
If there is a problem and something is out of spec, we will certainly take care of it. But the measurements that are being gone after are not going to cause the stepped ridges in the cutter of a 5/8" end mill if you are at .0025" out in tram over 8". Divide that up to the 5/8" cutter and its minimal.
And as far as scraping the machine in for $3200, I'd say a big no. Yes if they can perfect a machine and get things within .0001" all over, and you would want to pay for that, then sure. But to me thats kind of like buying a 1/2 ton truck and changing the motor, frame, axles, so it can handle 1 ton. If that description makes sense.
Like I said Friday, I am headed out of town for a week now and you were waiting on some things and would report back. Check that out more and see, but I would double check that tram. The .0025 dimension given is within spec, but it does not hurt to get it as close to .000000 as you can, that just takes some shimming or some adjustment. (be sure to check the X gibs first before shimming anything) The table and that level way difference does not have anything to do with the step over in a 5/8 cutter. It would be the same as putting something in an angle vise and tilting it, and taking a cut on the surface. Its still going to cut flat even though the vise is tilted up.
The last email about dimensions, you said that you had loosened the mounting bolts and the table was within .00025 So we thought all was good.
If there is a problem and something is out of spec, we will certainly take care of it. But the measurements that are being gone after are not going to cause the stepped ridges in the cutter of a 5/8" end mill if you are at .0025" out in tram over 8". Divide that up to the 5/8" cutter and its minimal.
And as far as scraping the machine in for $3200, I'd say a big no. Yes if they can perfect a machine and get things within .0001" all over, and you would want to pay for that, then sure. But to me thats kind of like buying a 1/2 ton truck and changing the motor, frame, axles, so it can handle 1 ton. If that description makes sense.
Like I said Friday, I am headed out of town for a week now and you were waiting on some things and would report back. Check that out more and see, but I would double check that tram. The .0025 dimension given is within spec, but it does not hurt to get it as close to .000000 as you can, that just takes some shimming or some adjustment. (be sure to check the X gibs first before shimming anything) The table and that level way difference does not have anything to do with the step over in a 5/8 cutter. It would be the same as putting something in an angle vise and tilting it, and taking a cut on the surface. Its still going to cut flat even though the vise is tilted up.
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- Mar 22, 2013
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- 498
No cast iron does not bend. It can warp, but nothing there is from a warp. Anything I've seen so far has been within tolerance or very very close to it. Take some suggestions of what I said first because whats being measured and shown and what the issue started from are not direct cause and effect issues.