Search Results for 'arc euro'

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Another "What does the team think" query, or rather queries, as there are two!

I have an old but very good IMO lathe, but the 140mm dia chuck is a 3 jaw self-centering that has seen better days. It is OK and servicable, but the wear means it is not very accurate and stuff rarely runs anything like true. So I was thinking of maybe getting a new chuck. But which chuck?

I have a faceplate come 4 jaw independant chuck of about 200mm dia, so was looking at maybe another 3 jaw chuck. Then I read a couple of articles where the use of a 4 jaw self-centering was considered a better bet than the 3 jaw. Mr ArcEuroTrade's 160mm dia Indian made 4 jaw looked attractive, plus one can get soft jaws for it. But the weight is 9.6kg, which seems a lot. The 3 jaw is 7.7kg by comparison. The lathe is a Weiller 280Z, a German machine from the late 1960's early 70's BTW.

So, Query 1, is a 4 jaw self-centering a better bet than a 3 jaw self-centering, even though it is heavier?

The new chuck would also need a backplate, which would have to be made from a piece of material at least 160mm diameter by 60mm thick. I have looked at available material and I could get a lump of cast iron, or steel in either bright or black.

So, Query 2, which would be the best material, cast iron, bright steel, or black steel?

Regards,

ChrisH

Edited By ChrisH on 31/07/2012 15:17:16

[AESParticipant @aes]

Will,

I’ve dealt with the following and found them all thoroughly respectable & reliable –usual disclaimers. Some of them are “obvious”; some of them may be a surprise. But as above, I’ve had good results with them all.

—————————————-

Arc Eurotrade (small tools, lubricants, bearings, machines, etc) – when you put a Swiss address into the shopping cart their website automatically knows that Switzerland = nil VAT

**LINK**

——————————————

For all the rest of the following it is as well to remind them that Switzerland is NOT in the EU, therefore Nil VAT.

BTW, when the goods arrive home, I’ve found it’s entirely “the luck of the draw&rdquo as to whether or not you get charged Swiss import duty and MWsT (VAT). Sometimes it gets charged, sometimes not, I see no rhyme or reason for it.

—————————————-

Allcap Ltd (large range of various fasteners)

**LINK**

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AtelierMB (steam castings & bits & pieces + a few small tools – as I’m not into steam I’ve not used them)

**LINK**

(website in D & E)

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Chronos Ltd (tools and general materials)

**LINK**

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GLR Ltd (tools and general materials)

**LINK**

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GW-Werkeuge (Germany, but good English – tools and some materials)

**LINK**

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Simply Bearings Ltd (as the name implies, bearings!)

**LINK**

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Little Machine Shop (USA – 100% tools and lathe & mill spares but website also has a link to a good metals supplier)

**LINK**

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(Clive Hartland has already given you “Marcels Machines” for S/H lathes & other machinery – mainly high-end)

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Model Fixings Ltd (small tools, nuts & bolts –BA, small Metric, etc, – small bearings, drills, taps & dies, etc)

**LINK**

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Noggin End Metals (mainly non-ferrous, CI, & eng plastics)

**LINK**

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The Tap & Die Company, London (as the name suggests!)

**LINK**

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and just down the road from me (about 1.5 hrs from Zug) there’s a decent live steam track with regular events. Website:

**LINK**

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The above should keep you going for a while. You’ll have to wait until I get back home (3 or 4 weeks yet, I’m overseas) then I’ll copy some other stuff I have and send it to you (your home address by post or E-mail).

I also have a few tips on getting metals locally – there’s a lot of industry in Zug and you shouldn’t have too many problems once you can "work the system".

Hope there’s something for you in the above.

All the best

AES

[Anonymous]

The cunning plan is now coming to fruition. After my unsatisfactory conversation with the UK distributor a further internet search revealed a metrology company in St. Albans that advertised all the Haimer kit, for purchase online. Their prices were much more reasonable, basically Euros converted to £, give or take a few percent. A couple of days after ordering I get an email to say everything was out of stock, will be available at the end of July, do I want to cancel or wait. I wasn't entirely surprised; I had wondered how a company operating out of a small industrial unit could afford to hold stock of all the items shown on the website. These included high end slip gauges and hardness testers; not cheap items! Anyway, I said I'd wait, and then had second thoughts, as Haimer had a note on their website saying that prices would be going up at the beginning of August. After a 'phone call to the company I got an email stating that the price would not go up; the price I'd been quoted would be the price I paid.

I got all the items ordered, minus one additional probe, this week. So far I've only had time to unpack and look at the items, not had a chance to try them yet. First impressions are that the build quality is excellent; really nice bits of kit. Nicely packaged, complete with short manuals and a calibration certificate.

I am now looking forward to sending an email to the UK distributor 'explaining' why they didn't get the business!

Regards,

Andrew

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

I bought some ER32 ones from Arc Euro, very useful item and excellent quality.

John

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

I have no connection with Arc Euro, but i know lots of folk on here wanted ER25 collet blocks, they have just been listed on the Arc Euro site.

Cheers Derek

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by Springbok on 22/07/2012 19:25:35:

Great to hear

Bought my first bit of equipment from Warco over 40 years ago from Roger's father when they were in Esher at that time the telephone number was Esher and 4 digits.. never failed me now all but one of my machinery in the workshop is supplied by Warco and all give sterling service. Some at first needed a little bit of tweaking and as David (our editor) says comeing from tiawan and china the shippers are not the most gentle handlers. Also I know you Myford et all; diehards will be up in arms but but even a Chester rep once admitted to me once that the machinery was taken to bits copied and improved on. I have converted all my kit (except the metal bandsaw and that has worked perfectly and accurately for about 10 years.) to 3 phase well worth it.

So this is my defence i of Roger Warren and his company my only gripe would be that ALL our UK suppliers who import this machinery should be like Grizzly in the USof A and produce there own readable manuals. What a UK PR first that would be.

Bob T

Edited By Springbok on 22/07/2012 19:26:49

Edited By David Clark 1 on 23/07/2012 09:57:40

Bob,

I have to admit that the Chinese manuals for all machines are very much crap, to put it politely.

However, what incentive do I have to make a manual for price sensitive machines with low margins when every man and his dog sells the same machines?.

Here is a good example: Grizzlys market size for SX3 means he will import say 400pcs in one batch. He has the holding capacity and market for it. It would take all the distributors in Europe to buy this quantity in one batch, Axminster included!!.

What happens is YOU the customer wants the lowest price, in a small market. Where is the economic sense?. Most of you – especially the beginner who does not know us from Adam cannot make a decision on service, preferring to concentrate on price. Once purchased, the manual will be ripped off from Grizzly, and preparation guide from ARC. This is not a problem as far as I am concerned. This is just an observation.

Having said this, we still service and supply customers who have purchased such machines. Good manuals cost good money and time. Once published, everyone around the world tries to knick it.

We produced a fantastic manual for the KX1/KX3 CNC machines for SIEG. Over the past two years we have had to threaten three companies with legal action for trying to rip it off, and one company has been taken to court in China. ARC does not have unique machines that it can invest time and effort in trying to take legal action against competitors around the world.

If this was the case, ARC would be the first one in a queue of traders who would consider taking legal action against certain exhibition organisers for failing to observe verbal agreements. Just because we do not say anything does not mean that we do not talk to each other.

Chris Moore – Myford and his family invested a lot of time and money in their business. Look where it got them. What loyalty did they get in this time of recession?

We the importers do our own thing, and we appreciate all the business we get. Although your gripe is well placed, I hope you will understand at least my reason for failing to rise up to your expectations. Please accept my apologies.

Ketan at ARC.

[EtheAv8rParticipant @etheav8r]

I ordered the Warco DH-1 over the phone and the delivery was very quick indeed.

Sadly the quality of the DH-1 Vice itself is very disappointing. When I unpacked it there was evidence of the ‘hammered effect’ paint flaking off. Close inspection revealed a lot of debris and paint flake in the main-screw mechanism, paint flaking off having not adhered properly and some evidence of rusting under the painted surface. This surface is to be painted could not have been properly prepared, degreased, surface keyed and an etch primer applied to ensure proper bonding. Frankly quite why this item is painted at all is a mystery, surely it would be better for it to be ground all round and left as clear metal – like the Precision Tool Vices and 10mm Precision Universal Vice from ARC Euro?

I spent a good 1½ hours cleaning up the DH-1 vice, removing debris from the screw mechanism and removing flaking paint and oiling it ready for use. When I bolted it down to the mill table I noticed paint oozing out from under the hold-down points, so removed it and cleared away the paint from there too.

I then mounted the vice and carefully set-up the inside facing edge of the left end jaw clocked true along the Y axis. I then checked the other faces and unfortunatly they are well out of the stated tollerance- one of them by over 10 times the error! I have emailed the details to Warco last Monday – but have had no response yet.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Here's one £19.50 **LINK**

John S.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I think the only long arbor Myford sold was a between centres one.

Not ideal for milling between centres.

I would want a long 2 Morse taper one as used on a Centec mill or similar.

I think I would buy an Arc Euro Trade 2 Morse taper arbor with say a 16mm hole for cutters and make my own arbor from a piece of steel bar. Sounds like a good project for an MEW article. Any takers?

regards David

 

 

Edited By David Clark 1 on 18/07/2012 19:20:19

[David LittlewoodParticipant @davidlittlewood51847]

Wolfie,

For most of my routine turning I use inserted tip tooling. I have rather a lot of holders probably far more than I need – but the most useful ones are these:

SCLCR holder, takes CCMT tips; the most used, basic knife tool, will do turning and facing.

SCLCR boring bar – similar shape to above, but on longer shank and geometry optimised for boring

Q-cut parting tool – the best parting tool I have used, by a country mile.

You can find most of these on the Greenwood website, **LINK**

A word about quality and price. The Greenwood prices are high, but the special offers are a good deal less. You can get Glanze tools much cheaper from Chronos; the quality of the holders is OK – not as good as the Greenwood ones, but acceptable. The tips seem to be much more brittle than the more expensive ones, so I don't like them. The Greenwood site is well worth reading for the helpful guidance.

For really fine shaving cuts, a good sharp HS toolbit is slightly better – not as much as some would have you believe, I have done tests on mine and found a 0.5 thou cut with carbide is relatively easy, less than this and they are inclined to rub. I generally have a conventional knife tool and a 45 degree chamfering tool in HS set up for both my lathes.

Other points:

(1) Ady suggests sharpening TC tips on a green grit wheel. Don't waste your time, green grit is a total PITA, get a diamond wheel, they are cheaper, work better and are virtually indestructible:

**LINK**

Use a cup wheel for preference.

(2) You can find toolholders and tips quite cheaply on eBay – but take care, a lot of them are surplus industrial-sized tools and may not fit on your lathe. If you do find some common tips, for example CCMT 0602 or 0604, from a good maker (e.g. Sandvik) at a good price, snap them up even if you have to buy 10.

(3) You can get holders which use the obtuse corners of tips for rough turning, they won't cut to a shoulder but will happily chew massive cuts off in straight turning.

(4) Even carbide tips can be freshened up with a diamond hone.

(5) Your best course may be to buy a cheap set from Chronos and then experiment to see how you get on – for example:

**LINK**

I think you have a Myford 7 – if so, the 10 mm size will be the one for you.

David

Edited By David Littlewood on 16/07/2012 12:49:03

[Acid-burnParticipant @acid-burn]

Hi Martin

Yes i have been doing that, everytime i need to face anything i remove the plastic leadscrew gear (i havnt sorted that neutral lever yet) i then move the saddle across to the work piece and lock the halfnuts, i then turn the sadle level just a mm and the whole leadscrew shifts towards the tail (looking at it again its probably not even 1mm) then im ok for facing. its a bit annoying really as the lathe is in pretty good nick, (i think it might have been in a school at some point as it has a really old electrial safety sticker on it from way back before i was born lol) every other tolerance on the lathe i tight with no slop.

Im going to be ordering one of the Sieg X1L milling machines from Arc Euro soon (when i have saved some more money) Do there prices stay steady does anyone know?

Thanks Again

Leanne x

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

Hi Leanne,

I think John has covered most of your points but with regard to the side to side play on the leadscrew you have two options.

1. Loosen the bearing blocks at either end of the leadscrew and see if you can push them closer together to remove the slack. You will have to re-align the bearnig blocks to ensure that the leadscrew can still rotate easily and that on closing the half nut the leadscrew does not move. If there is not sufficient movement in the bearing block to take up the play in the leadscrew then you could elongate the holes so that then can move horizontally to take up the play.

2. The other method of taking up the play is simply to make a washer the correct thickness to take up the play. This is the easiest solution if there is a lot of play.

I think there are instructions for aligning the leadscrew in the ArcEuro guide.

Mike

[john swift 1Participant @johnswift1]

Hi Leanne ,

on my lathe , I had to move the position of the neutral de-tent , by carefully drilling at an angle so the existing dimple drifted by about 0.5mm from its original position .

the die-cast drive belt cover is only about 2.5 mm thick ,so the revised de tent can't be drilled too deep !

the lead screw will fit through the spindle , the lead screw is 16 mm diameter and the spindle bore about 20 mm

with the far end of the lead screw unsupported , don't us too high a speed when drilling the other end , to attach the handle

the greatest improvement I've made is to replace the spindle bearings with taper roller bearings from Arc Euro Trade

see arceurotrade.co.uk/projects.aspx

unless you have another lathe , just ensure your make the new longer spacers before , you  remove the spindle ! ( the centre of the roller bearings are off set by about 1.25 mm

the  new roller bearings and new gibs solved my problems with parting off and improved the finish (both being sold as spares for the C3 lathe

note- the CL300M is a C2 lathe and the motor and speed control is not the same as the one used on the slightly larger C3 lathe

John

 PS        I'll take a picture of the three detents on my lathe

the neutral position  is not half way between the others , its closer to the reverse position

Edited By john swift 1 on 11/07/2012 15:33:38

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Arc Eurotrade have chuck removal wedges (pairs), the 2MT ones are 4 . 85 UK Pounds, in their catalogue no., 8, they have a good range of drill chucks, and arbors, at whs a reasonable price compared to what I see at this end of the planet. Ian S C

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi John

He says you can get a collet closing nut from Arc Euro Trade but also says he used the nut from his spin indexer adaptor which is different which is why he cut a different thread.

So it is fit for purpose, just thread to suit your nut.

regards david

[EtheAv8rParticipant @etheav8r]

CoalBurner – Thank you for your valuable comments regarding to your experience

Dias – thank you for locating the review

George – Not sure exactly which "100mm radial precision vice from Arc Euro" you are referring to as they only do a "100mm Cast Iron Radial Milling Vice"……. and I have one….. Their Precision Tool Vices are excellent but non radial.

David – Thank you for making the review issue available to all (I am a subscriber).

Result I think….. The Warco DH-1 it will be. Thanks everybody.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Nice to see a blog about vices crop up at the right time: I have just received my 100mm radial precision vice from Arc Euro yesterday(usual disclaimer) & was wondering if anyone else had the same, it looks a nice piece if kit to fit onto my W16 mill …when it arrives, I was wondering though whether it would be a tad too big, maybe I should have got the 80 mm..

Cheers

George

[EtheAv8rParticipant @etheav8r]

Posted by Steambuff on 27/06/2012 16:06:27:

Have you looked at the Precision vice from Arc Euro Trade? I have 2 of these and have had no problems.

(No connection, just a happy customer)

Yes I already have the 80mm jaw width one of these and am also very happy with it, and considered getting both the 50mm and the 100mm versions to suppliment it, but they are limited in their mounting and orientation options. The pair of them would be cheaper than either of the two I have shortlisted, but I want more flexibility, and the 100mm radial vice I originally got (£70) with the Sieg mill sadly has the fixed jaw out-of-square. I was wondering why I could not accurately square off blocks (I thought it was me or a mill problem), and eventually discovered that when I changed the vice – I could!

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

Have you looked at the Precision vice from Arc Euro Trade? I have 2 of these and have had no problems.

(No connection, just a happy customer)

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello Chris.

As Jon says, sooner than later the oil or the chips will find their way …
I've been there …
I always had trouble with common scales (digital caliper like) until I installed the system that you can see in the photos in my album and you may find, for example, in the ArcEuro Trade here.
I used aluminium angle profile as a mechanical protection that does not prevent the reading, which is made on the separate displays.
Pictures (dificult to take) of my system: here here and here.

Best regards
Costa Dias

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Terry.

Have you considered a collet chuck like one of these?

I have an Emco rotary table that is similar in size to the one you have linked to, but I've never had need to mount a 3 or 4 jaw chuck to it as yet. What I did make was a faceplate that was as large a diameter as possible, given the restriction of still being able to use the setup on its side.

You could make up some sliding jaws (complete with jacking screws) to fit into the four tee slots of the table that can be securely fixed in position and used to clamp parts in a similar way to a 4 jaw chuck.

Martin.

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Hi all,

I am thinking of buying a chuck to suit a small rotary table I have acquired. The table is the same as the Arc Euro 100mm one here. As I can only afford one chuck at the moment which would be the most useful in the view of those with experience of such things, a 4 jaw independant or a 3 jaw self centring?

Best regards

Terry

[PatParticipant @pat]

Hi Chris

These small mills come in a variety of different configurations and there are several factories in Tiwan and China making them. So not only do they come in different colours but they eminate from different places as well and to make the mix even wider some importers have them badged and made to their own specifications. What I am trying to put over is that just because they look similar there can be differences in the castings and the clearances between the moving bits.

Here is a link to a site showing DRO scales fitted toa Seig X2. This mill has a tilting mast but the X and Y axis arrangements would be similar .

**LINK** Amadeal and ArcEuro have the scales but you would have to improvise your own brackets as per the link but the dimensions may be different. You could also search the CNCZone for X1 + DRO

Hope this helps – Regards – Pat

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

If you bought it from ArcEuro, email Ketan for his comments before you go any further.

[Nyrup BoeghParticipant @nyrupboegh48678]

Hi

Once again, thank you for your answers.
If I were living in England in traveling distance from Arceurotrade, I am sure I would drive by and talk with them. If I had to by the Sieg C3 and SX2+ here in Denmark it would probably have had the name Rothwerk and have been sold by people who had not got a clue of what they were trading… ;o)

I bought from Arc because even with postage included money was saved compared to fx. Rothwerk and the SX2 with R8 spindle is not available at all.
I were a bit anxious about the fright. Would the machines be damaged.
Well, on both the lathe and the milling machine the bottom of the plywood case did not withstand the heavy machine during the travel. In both cases the plywood cracked and was splintered but the band around the case did hold it in place and no damage seems to have happened with the machine itself, so i guess that it is not this fright problem that is the course of inaccuracy.

I have already dismantled, cleaned and lubricated the complete X/Y table.
Also I did that on the fine-downfeed (z-axis) mechanism.
The head I have left on its own as everything seems to function ok and I assume that the bearings in the spindle are closed sealed entities and as the SX2 is belt driven there is not much to do inside the milling head.
​​I did however encounter a problem with the x-travel. At the leftmost end of the table it binded so much even after cleaning and lubricating that I clearly had to do something about it.
I "bit the cake" and used some sanding paper – I did not have any emery cloth – and sanded the dovetail in the left end. In a matter of an hour or so I managed to get it sliding smoothly and the surface were considerably more smooth than the original machined surface from the Sieg factory.

The machine was, as you might already have guessed, bought new. But as the fright is expensive and troublesome the possibility of returning the machine is not an option.
All of this I did consider even before placing my order. I took the chance and did perhaps not exactly win the lottery.
I am not keen to make irreversible changes to anything and certainly not when I am not sure how to do it and if I am making more damage than remedy.
Therefore I think that I do have to stick to shims and probably an aluminium plate that I can machine to a right angle and level workspace on the milling table.
Aside from these troubles I am happy with my purchase.
Had it not been for the Sieg factory I probably would never have fulfilled my dream of a metal lathe neither a milling machine.

Kind regard,
Nyrup