Search Results for 'arc euro'

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> a crappy Clarke cl300m

My CL300M is still going strong after 15 years, albeit much modified. If you google 'mini-lathe' you'll see that the Clarke is just one example of what is possibly the most numerous design of hobby lathe out there. the Americans call them 7×12 or 7×14 lathes.

The fundamental mini-lathe design is good and packs an awful lot into a small space. If you get a brushless motor version it should tackle all you want.

I suggest you look at various offerings from our advertisers including Arc Euro Trade, Chester and Warco.

Neil

[HowiParticipant @howi]

I have had mine about 18 month now, it is a very capable machine ( for it's size ). I would have loved the x3 but my workshop is just not big enough ( my wallet neither!)

It worked right out of the box as I did not feel confident enough to strip it down at the time. I have fitted Igaging scales on all 3 axis and boy, what a difference, so had to strip it down eventually and was surprised at the overall quality of the machine. For those that mock the Chinese kit based on experiences of 10 years ago, I can assure you that things have moved on a great deal since then. I got mine with the R8 spindle also ( with the freebie kit as well) and tool changing is a doddle. The motor is, as you say, very power full for it's size.

Most experienced of the people on this forum quite rightly advocate much bigger, heavier and stronger machines and would look upon the X2 type machine as a mere toy in comparison – I do have to agree with them, but for it's intended usage range I find it more than adequate, certainly for the types of things I use it for. It all boils down to the space you have, the money you have and the size of things you intend to make.

Arc euro are a pleasure to deal with, I picked mine up from the shop ( more like Aladins cave), it was ready and waiting when I got there and two very nice gentlemen put it in the back of my car for me.

If the size of the X2 is big enough for you, I can readily recommend it.

One last thing, the tachometer that you can buy desperately for £100+, don't bother, you can get a tacho module complete with hall effect sensor and magnet for under £7 on ebay- direct from China (free postage) and took just a week to get here, works a treet.

[David ColwillParticipant @davidcolwill19261]

On Friday I took advantage of Arceurotrades offer on the X2P and thought I would share my experiences with it. Although I have a large and reasonably well equipped workshop I do like to tinker about at home and this was bought for that purpose.

I went for the R8 version because I already have tooling that I can use.

I would also like to point out that this is not a rant, nor is it any kind of fit for purpose debate. If you don't like Chinese machine tools go and buy yourself a Swiss / British one.

Having got it into my workshop (the big one) I couldn't resist trying out this newfangled motor that Ketan keeps banging on about. I got a 6mm drill (not a particularly sharp one at that), a lump of en8 and drilled a couple of holes in it. Initially I set a fairly low speed thinking that I would hear it slow down as per other motor / speed controllers I have used but this wasn't the case. I then tried the same drill again but with the speed set as low as I could go and to my suprise only a small speeding up. I should also point out that I was leaning on it quite heavily. All in all a very positive start.

I know I said this wasn't a rant but what do the Chinese put into their oil to make it smell like that?

I'm hoping to make a start taking some measurements of runout etc in the next week Prior to taking it apart to clean and oiling so will post my findings.

David

[_Paul_Participant @_paul_]

This diagram (courtesy of Sir John Stevenson) is for a Myford ER32 Chuck it gives you an idea of whats involved to make one.

By turning the chuck on the machine that you will be using it on should ensure that you will get the best concentricity your machine is capable of.

They are not difficult to make but try to select some decent steel to make it from and probably the trickiest part is getting the taper right.

Collet nuts as previously mentioned the ball bearing types have a greater clamping force and are quite reasonably priced at Arceurotrade that said it takes quite a bit of force for a standard nut to let the work slip.

You will find a lot of info and help on the Homeshopmachinist forums heres a starter ER40 Chuck

Regards

Paul

[Chris DentonParticipant @chrisdenton53037]

About to order some of these:

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Collets/ER-Collet-Fixtures

Just wondering when you would use the hexagonal instead of the square?

When in a 3 jaw chuck?

[Anonymous]

I would concur with Nigel on the spindle speed. I had no problems engraving with my Taylor Hobson engraver running at, I think, about 18000rpm. However, I had all sorts of trouble when using my CNC mill, running at a maximum of 5100rpm. Even at very low feedrates the single flute tapered engraving bits kept breaking. I ended up using a 4 flute 60° chamfering cutter. That did the job but wasn't perfect. As and when I need to do any more engraving, or even use small cutters, I will be buying a high speed spindle and VFD from ArcEuroTrade.

Regards,

Andrew

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Ian,
These cutters may be what you are looking for.

Les.

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Thanks. So Sumitomo TCMT/CCMT tips from Arceurotrade for Aluminium and Brass/Bronze roughing (and finishing?) cuts, and maybe steel, but HSS also good for steel. Would you bother to choose a Sumitomo CCMT specified as "Finishing" for finishing and "Roughing" for roughing or do you use "Finishing " inserts for everything from roughing to finishing?. What about stainless steel and cast iron (roughing inserts and finishing inserts)? For CCMT inserts do you follow the standard material speeds as recommended for HSS bits or do you run the lathe at maximum speeds regardless? Ideally I would like to make myself a simple matrix for 5 materials (Steel, stainless, cast iron, brass/bronze and aluminium), vs recommended index tips for each , vs best material speed for each, vs 3 types of cut (roughing, medium and finishing). Then I would be finished bothering our patient forum members!!

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Posted by Ian Phillips on 01/07/2014 15:33:30:

Some time ago I bought a set of five holders and each came with a triangular tip. I can only describe the tips as pure and utter rubbish! If they had been my introduction to indexable tools I would have been put off for life. I would not be surprised if the same thing had happened to many others and they are now in the 'HSS is best' camp.

Ian P

So Adam, there you have it. This is the problem you have and as Ian points out it can put you off for life. I was given a couple of tips to "try" recently and I destroyed them before I had actually made one full pass on the material I was working on!

There is no one single magic answer and the range of tips and styles is just bewildering. Even using the reference guides I get totally confused sometimes. However, this was some advice given to me and it has worked so far: Buy some Glanze holders from Chronos and buy some Sumitomo tips from Arceurotrade. This combination is by far and away the most reliable. So far I have yet to wear out or break (this will happen tomorrow) the first Sumitomo tip I fitted to one of my holders for roughing out of Aluminium. Sure, they may appear expensive, but if you go through half a dozen £3.50 tips and one £6.50 tip in the same time………..

I use the CCMT style tips and would not hesitate to recommend them. I also use HSS tools but for Aluminium and Brass/Bronze I wouldn't use anything other than Indexable. It has worked well for me for a while now. And the lathe I use them on is quite small, not an industrial machine at all.

graham.

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Just one thing about the colletts and chuck you already have. If you buy a machine with 3MT or even 8int you can get an adapter that allows you to use this with a drawbar. Both ArcEuro or Chronos sell these. I have a couple of 2MT tools that I use on my 3MT Mill with these type of adaptors.

I would echo previous advice on here though, go for the biggest Mill you can, absolutely stretch the budget to the max. You will be sorry if you don't because it won't matter what you get, you will always wish you bought bigger but if you really did buy the one you stretched for in the beginning, it won't nearly feel so bad.

it's just the way it is.

graham.

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Martin, by and large the advice above is really good.

But there is one word in your opening post there which is sort of pivotal to the type of advice you should be getting, the word "Business". Now, how much an hour do you get paid to make tooling? That'll be nothing then. Hard to pay the bills with nothing.

Some of us on here have to make our tools pay. That does not mean all the time, just most of the time. A wise man once told me: "If you can make your hobby into a business, you never have to work again". And there is a good deal of truth in this. I have to be very careful because sometimes I can spend an inordinate amount of time building tooling, because I enjoy it.

However, there are days when I really just need to get on with it.

You need a decent vice – between 50 to 150 quid depending on size. Buy a slack handful of T nuts, some threaded bar and get a boxfull of all sorts of weird offcuts bits and bobs. Even big nuts and bolts are useful as hold downs.
You need some sort of tool to centre find with, I use a simple wiggler most of the time which cost me less than ten pounds. You will also need a DTI that can be fitted to the chuck/spindle to set jobs up parallel. Get a collet chuck but try to get one whose size is interchangeable with the lathe – ER35 seems to be the size to go for. I don't know, I don't have a Myford but I do use a variety of Colletts and Collett chucks, Colletts are a fiver each from Arc Euro and four basic sizes will get you started.

Buy a cheap set of DRO's from ArcEuro too. It is a starting point and not much outlay. As you have said, you are new to this and you WILL make some expensive mistakes. I bought the middle of the road setup and wouldn't be without them. I can switch between mm and ins. at will and have no worries about backlash. I am building Yuris DRO system as I want the added functionality.

Finally, although you probably could get away with one tool holder and one cutter for the life of the machine you really are limiting your use of the machine. If you want it to do a multitude of tasks you are going to need tooling, some of it you can make and some of it you really should buy. A flycutter can be made relatively inexpensively, a rotary table is a major project which will take you a week or more. Rotary tables can be had second hand for as little as £75, so would you pay yourself £75 for a week's work? THAT is the calculation.

By and large, most people will admit that the tooling is the cost of the machine multiplied by two. But you don't need to run out getting it all at once. But believe me, over time that's easily what you will accumulate.

graham.

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by John Durrant on 29/06/2014 21:11:35:

I have become the proud owner of an XJ12-300 milling machine (X2 clone I believe) and want a rotary table for it. I know that the bigger the better, but from reading previous posts a 4" table is the best fit for it. Looking at adds and posts the two favourites are Soba and Vertex, with Vertex being the better quality. Looking at the add for ARC Euro Trading they have a table that is a lot more expensive, it looks good, but, is it worth the extra money?

What is the view of you experts?

Experts ….dont know about that…'regular users' on this forum may be…'people with their own opinion' may be…when it comes to rotary tables…even the makers have differing views….

The 4" Rotary Table sold by ARC, is good, but too expensive for what it is. It costs too much to produce. It costs too much for ARC to buy. Hence, the selling price is expensive. It comes with a backplate as standard, to fit an 80mm Chinese origin chuck. So far, after selling them for about 10 years, ARC has had no 'real' complaints. More sales are generated for conversion to stepper motor for CNC application.

However, if you are considering 'low irregular use', we would suggest you save your money and buy the Vertex, or lastly may be SOBA…in that order, depending on your needs.This is our opinion.

Ketan at ARC.

[Russ BParticipant @russb]

Well it's quiet in here……..

For the benefit of anyone reading this in the future – possibly a beginner like myself, use Google to search model-engineer.co.uk and not the built in search box, or you'll find, as I did – you get very few results – where as google does some magic and searches deeper and may find someone mentioning something that is not in the title of the thread but may be relevant – and may have only been discussed less than a month ago – thus the members here are probably dishing out the silent treatment…..

The AXA (I think) is known as Type 100 in Europe, so searching for both could get you more results.

To conclude – an AXA toolpost will not fit without to much compromise or modification – personal opinion, just leave it alone unless your looking for a "quick" tool post that cost's you a fair amount of time, the 0XA are likely a great option, BUT….

As has been pointing out privately, the fact that "everyone" has the Dickson, (or Dixon) type, T00 means that holders are available 2nd hand from time, as well as from many other suppliers. Obvious I know, but I overlooked the benefits of being able to pick up extra holders.

Also the T00 are not so much a direct fit, as the bore on some is not spot on – Bison make the T00.B and T00.M – the M, possibly meaning Myford has a 7/16" bore and a lower overall body height, making it more suitable for the Myford, (as opposed to the B for Boxford?)

A and R Precision make the Dickson style T00 tool post, and all it's accessories they trade on eBay and go by the name of aandrprecisionltd **LINK**. I think they come complete with an adapter for the 7/16" bore if required – worth checking – they used to make these for Myford before they were liquidated in 2011 so they are the real deal, made right here in the UK.

Norman,
Looks like I'm going to be getting a Dickson type after all

Edit* please this post for more information and advice from everyone here http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=56964&p=3

Edited By Russ B on 30/06/2014 15:45:36

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Hello Martin, nice to see a newcomer on the forum.

There are several threads on the forum about milling machine choice and they often also cover tooling. As you already have some end mills you only need one tooling addition for the first 6 months and that is a means to hold one of the cutters. The threaded ones are 'Clarkson' and can be used in a plain holder as well as the ones designed to use that thread. It is cheapest just to start with one of these for say a 12mm or 1/2 inch cutter which will do most of your work most of the time even five years from now.

So you don't need to set aside any of your budget for rotary tables or dividing heads or fancy collet sets at the beginning. ALL the budget needs to go into the mill itself or you will be sorry later. There seem to be several tool dealers in Dorset who put things on ebay so you may pick up other stuff over time.

"Loads of drill bits reamers, tool steel cutters etc etc, often just gets scrapped!" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

Do not know what the Arc Euro table is like as I have not seen one in the flesh so to speak, I do own a 4" Vertex that has done a fair bit of work faultlessly for 5 years or so and a 8" Jones and Shipman which I have motorised to act as a 4th axis on my milling machine so I can machine diameters over 400mm.

I picked up both off a well known auction site, £65.00 for the Vertex as new and had never been used, the other I paid £25.00 and just needed cleaned up to work fine.

Pays your money…………..

really depends on what you need it for, if indeed you actually do at this moment in time.

Bob

[John DurrantParticipant @johndurrant47282]

I have become the proud owner of an XJ12-300 milling machine (X2 clone I believe) and want a rotary table for it. I know that the bigger the better, but from reading previous posts a 4" table is the best fit for it. Looking at adds and posts the two favourites are Soba and Vertex, with Vertex being the better quality. Looking at the add for ARC Euro Trading they have a table that is a lot more expensive, it looks good, but, is it worth the extra money?

What is the view of you experts?

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

I have now fitted a 180 Ncm stepper motor (From Arc Euro) to my rotary table and connected it up to the "Steve Ward" rotary table controller. I am using a TB6560 based stepper driver bought on Ebay and a keypad from an old phone. It seems to be working without any problems.

Les.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Arceurotrade do a range of sizes.

Mike

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Hi Chris,

Is this what you were looking for? You can get them from ChesterUK too.

 

Thor

Edited By Thor on 28/06/2014 07:13:23

[Russ BParticipant @russb]

I'm not sure if I'm mistaken or not, I'm asking searching questions here – so any related info or tips, especially first hand advice would be great

I'm looking to purchase a quick change tool post for my Super 7, and I fancy a Dorian AXA size wedge type from MSCdirect. I have read through and I see that the minimum centre height from topslide is 0.875". Regards fitting an AXA size post to a Super 7 – from memory I think they are about 0.650" – am I mistaken?

This would mean losing 0.225" off the maximum tool height of either 1/2 or 3/4" (conflicting information online?). If this is 1/2", it would leave me with a meagre 0.275" – restricting me to 1/4" tooling or forcing me to grind away a little from the tool holder to perhaps squeeze 5/16" in?

p.s. Regarding the non standard 60% size version of the AXA know as the 0XA – I can't find a European supplier but I'll keep looking – they seem more suitable although perhaps questionable quality…… Tormach seem to make them for LMS in the states.

I wish the powers that be would revise the standard and release a 0XA officially! 

Edit= link to the Dorian Lathe Tools Catalogue page 28 for the intro, 32 for the dimension table http://www.doriantool.com/wp-content/uploads/dorian_tool_lathe_accessories_catalog.pdf

Edited By Russ B on 27/06/2014 14:34:00

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Another gold star for Arc Eurotrade. Yesterday at about 12:10 I ordered a stepper motor to fit to my rotary table plus a few other bits. They arrived in less than 24 hours at about 11:30 this morning.

Les.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Welcome Alan,

You will soon be offered many choices. My advice would be to think about the size of that steam engine/traction engine. You may be able to borrow a larger machine for the biggest components (wheels/flywheels) but a machine capable of handling larger components will make working on smaller components in tougher materials less stressful.

As for choice -most beginners on a budget look at either new far-eastern imports or a good second-hand British machine, but there are other (more expensive) options such as new British or European.

I suggest you search these forums as there are threads on this topic already, but forum members never tire of this particular subject matter!

Neil

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Both the sets of gears from Arc Euro are metal, presumably steel. Ian S C

[MetalhackerParticipant @metalhacker]

Bill,

I had this problem when I first used mine. The allen head screw is not in fact a screw. It controls a pinion which moves a locating stud backwards to release the head to tilt. When I tried it I turned anticlockwise which sheared a pin in the assembly and it would not release. I then had to disassemblle the head to repair it. To release turn it clockwise about 1/4 turn or so. On mine it does not hold the head located square anyway whenlocated so i will remove it when and if I next strip the head down.( good guide on arc eurotrade website.) Tram the head straight when returning to upright and hold the pin out till the front bolts are done up. There is a better user guide to the SX3 on the Grizzly websute. I forget the number their machine is called but the PDF is freely downloadable and has a good exploded diagram of the machine.

good luck

Andries

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Our friends at ARC supply screw-in tangs – see HERE so, providing the threads are the same, you can have the best of both worlds! I do agree though that 13mm capacity will be quite big enough in your lathe.

Norman