Search Results for 'arc euro'

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Some one has not been reading the last two issues of MEW, I have also written on here about using them

The machine part comes from the fact you don't have to back them off to break the swarf so they can be driven in under power

The shorter lead taper on the spiral flute and spiral poimnt taps can make it a little hardet to start freehand so they are best guided either by the machine that just drilled the hole or a tapping guide/tool.

I've not tried the Axminster ones and unlikely to at that price, ARC ones seem to work quite well and easier on the wallet. Got some brand name ones too that fall between the two price ranges.

Edited By JasonB on 13/09/2019 16:06:08

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

If that is the same motor on your Syil machine, then why not buy the controller that Arc sell.

[Mike Palmer 1Participant @mikepalmer1]

Ian

Thanks for reply here is link to motor details

**LINK**

Mike

[Mark Gould 1Participant @markgould1]

Craig,

Loving this build thread immensely. As an alternative to holding your milling cutters in a collet you can also buy end mill holders from Arc which have fixed sizes. I have 2 ready to go with cutters in them 6mm and 10mm, being 2 sizes I use often.

**LINK**

Mark

[Andy CarlsonParticipant @andycarlson18141]

Another update on the Faircut…

On the face of it there is not much to show for several weeks of effort since I started this thread but hopefully the machine is now in a better state and ready for some real work.

The biggest job has been improving the insulation on the 90 year old Century Electric motor. The drive has been rearranged to move the motor further towards the headstock end but it's still not out of range of swarf. I've added a plastic cover to keep swarf out of the many holes in the ornate end casing of the motor. It's not pretty, being a cut down horse feed additives bucket but it does the job for now. Likewise my oiler covers are tin foil… definitely another job for the 'to do' list.

Most but not all of the bits have been off the lathe. The headstock has been dismantled and some minor galling on the spindle cleaned up. Surprisingly the spindle bearing bolts were just finger tight. I have snugged these down but they are probably still on the loose side because there is always the worry of going too far and breaking the casting. I've seen some suggestions to put shims in the gap. To the best of my knowledge this is not the right thing to do when the bearing housing is only split on one side but it would be good to know if my knowledge is correct here.

All of the gibs were quite sloppy so all of the screws have been out, freed of crud and refitted. Actually, all bar one… One of the screws on the compound slide is different from the others and won't budge. My guess is that its threads are cut a bit shallow. I've tried WD40 and clamping the head in an ER16 collet to get plenty of torque on it but so far no joy. It's not causing an immediate issue so I have decided to apply a further coat of thinking to this screw.

The first real job is an aluminium handwheel cup for my MF70 CNC conversion. The first operations are to face off my horrid hacksawing and then turn down the end to make a stub to engage in the shaft coupler. I'm using the big ESC tool bit for that but found it was maybe 0.5mm above centre which was tricky since it was clamped to the top of the compound and there was nothing I could remove to make it lower. After rummaging around the immediate area in the shed I found a bit of plant pot label and used this to shim the tool underneath just the rear clamp screw. Not pretty but it got the tool onto the centre height. Other than using a less agricultural material I can't think of a better answer just now because the top face of the tool has obviously been profiled during manufacture and I would be very reluctant to lose this.

The next operation will be boring out a blind hole for the handwheel on the other side. This may prove tricky – I have an Arc Euro 6mm boring tool that could quite happily to do this on my Cowells lathe but I really want to try to do it on the Faircut. Whether I can mount the small tool on the Faircut or else find another way remains to be seen.

There is plenty more cleaning to do but this is mostly cosmetic or else related to bits of tooling that I don't need to use on day 1.

[Stuart BridgerParticipant @stuartbridger82290]

A few observations, no time for practical tests yet
ID of my dieholder is 20.72 mm (a bit bigger than 13/16 – 20.64mm)

Original die is 20.48mm OD
New split die is 20.49mm OD (Tracy Tools)
Both are a slightly loose fit in the holder, without tightening screws – I will most likely make a new holder a bit closer fit.

New solid die (from Arc Euro) is 19.90mm OD – New hold holder to be made

Screws in the die holder are cup point, not cone point, so they need to be replaced

[Steve CrowParticipant @stevecrow46066]

Bill, I am also blessed (?) with myopia. Anything under 8 inches is pin sharp, everything over that and I'm in varifocal land.

Also my lathe is tiny and most of the real small stuff I do is in collets so I can get right up close.

I mentioned my hobby to my optician who told me he tests the people from an assay office and other "close" trades and makes special close-up specs for them.

I got a pair made and they are perfect for the 6 to 18 inch range.

Also, I never do any naked eye work, no matter how benign, without safety specs. Because I've worn specs for most of my life, I forget they are "not there" and had a couple of near misses with needle files, for example. I got a pair of those posh ones you see on the Arc-Euro ads and they a very light and comfortable and very clear too compared to those scratchy old ones of yore.

How do dentists know what they need? Maybe check an amateur dentists forum!

Steve

[Jim Dalton 1Participant @jimdalton1]

Hi all

Just to say thanks for the advice from forum members. My SC2 mini lathe belt had stripped. After a replacement arrived from Arc Eurotrade ( who were really helpful), all is fine again. I also stripped down the cross slide/compound etc, oiled everything up, adjusted the gibs and and runs very smoothly and rigidly now, and cuts AL like a knife through butter!!

Thanks again

[Aled DafisParticipant @aleddafis55847]

Posted by old mart on 04/09/2019 20:58:49:

For a four jaw independent, you might look at Arceurotrade, click on their advert at the top. They sell Chinese and Indian chucks. You would also find that getting a lever type of indicator would be easier than the plunger dti for use with this type of chuck.

I've been eyeing these up already. Am I correct to assume from the prices that the Chinese chucks are a better quality than the Indian ones?

I have a plunger type dti on the way, but also have access to a lever model from school until I buy my own…

Cheers

Aled

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Posted by old mart on 04/09/2019 20:58:49:

For a four jaw independent, you might look at Arceurotrade, click on their advert at the top. They sell Chinese and Indian chucks. You would also find that getting a lever type of indicator would be easier than the plunger dti for use with this type of chuck.

I find the quickest way, is to use a plunger DTI, held horizontally in the toolpost; mainly because they tend to be available with a longer throw than lever type ones. (also when I only had the one clock, it had to be pressed into multiple duties)

A good quick project is to make a second chuck key, which in conjunction with a DTI in the horizontal plane, makes setting up a doddle, as you have access to both of a pair of opposing jaws at the same time.

Bill

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

For a four jaw independent, you might look at Arceurotrade, click on their advert at the top. They sell Chinese and Indian chucks. You would also find that getting a lever type of indicator would be easier than the plunger dti for use with this type of chuck.

[VicParticipant @vic]

That’s odd, the TCMT 1102 seems to have a 2.8mm hole through it so should take an M2.5 screw?

**LINK**

I have several tools that use M2.5 Torx screws and the driver for them is T8.

**LINK**

If it does turn out to be a T8 Alan I’ve got several T8 Flag style drivers I don’t use so you’re welcome to one.

I have a “Little Hogger” set of milling cutters that I got from Chronos and one of those takes inserts that look like TCMT inserts but are a little thicker I think. I’ve only ever got replacement inserts from Chronos and these use an M3.5 Torx screw that requires a T15 driver which comes with the set.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

From Arc Euro site…

'Pre+ and Pre- Buttons: These buttons allow you to preset a target measurement e.g. +1.04mm or -1.04mm. Once set, you can then move the preset distance down (or up) to zero'.

George

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Neil Mccarthy 1 on 04/09/2019 07:49:55:

Thank you all I am even more confused now. If you had £700 to spend on a lathe and accessories what would be the best deal to get please. I need something that I can bore and tap as Well and make parts for my rifle that are now obsolete

thank you

Neil, perhaps in the mass of posts you missed my advice which is for what you want to do there isn't much difference between any of the various machines in the Mini-lathe class. They will all turn brass and steel. Any of them will do the job.

I dithered for ages before buying a mini-lathe. It's very easy to get confused by details that probably don't matter much! As there isn't really an obvious leader or an obvious crock you won't go far wrong whatever you buy. I achieved very little by fretting and my time would have been better spent learning to use a lathe rather than confusing myself looking at sales literature.

Today I personally would favour a brushless machine like ArcEuro's Seig but it's a close run thing. There's nothing wrong with the Amadeal Bundle you identified: for a reasonable price you get all the bits needed to cut metal out-of-the box. It's an attractive starting package. I personally have no experience of Amadeal as a supplier but – if it helps – I don't recall any complaints about them on the forum either. If Amadeal take your fancy, go for it.

The one thing I'd advise against is buying very cheap or from an unknown ebay seller or direct from China. It's because this multiplies the risk of getting a poor example (they exist) coupled with an ineffective warranty. Buying from an established British vendor de-risks what happens if the lathe arrives damaged or is unmanageably crude.

By the by you will have spend some time practising to get the best out of the lathe. For example, you might have bad trouble turning stainless steel. It's not because the lathes are inferior but because many stainless steels make life difficult by work-hardening severely during cutting. The cure is to change the steel, not the lathe.

I recommend getting a good book too. Sparey's 'The Amateur Lathe' is the classic, but omits modern ideas like carbide inserts because they weren't available when the book was written. More up-to-date and aimed squarely at the Mini-lathe is Neil Wyatt's 'The Mini-lathe' as sold by Camden. Camden are worth exploring for other technical titles.

Don't be afraid to ask questions on the forum either. It's remarkably good at answers!

Dave

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

I have the SC3 and also a micro milling machine from ArcEuro.

Had an issue (self inflicted) when setting up the mill. Rang Arc late on a Friday. Sorry you need to speak to ……… Can you ring back at about 9:30 tomorrow? (Saturday) Rang back then ………. answered to phone, told me what to do, did not call me an idiot (although on reflection I had been one)

I know that if I ring back about the mill or the lathe I will get the answer – either there and then or when the right guy is there, rather than someone trying to guess to help me out.

That's worth hundreds to me – and the prices were the best as well!

Thanks Ketan, you might be able to guess who ………. is – but every dealing I have had with Arc Euro has been equally successful for me.

Nick

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I have just bought one of Arc's vertical dro's for fitting to the Tom Senior.

**LINK**

It is not quite the same as the one we have fitted to the mill drill, and I cannot fathom the Pre+ and Pre- buttons. I have tried every combination of button sequences that I can think of, but none seem to do anything. Hopefully somebody on the forum has one and can let me in on their secrets.

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Hi Neil,

I understand.

The SC2 and SC3 are both belt drive, with brushless motor. They are far more expensive for us to buy than the brushed gear drive being offered by Amadeal.

As a result, the price we state are currently the best we can offer. For SIEG machines, they are probably the cheapest in the world… at present.

If you want, you could consider to buy Starter Set 1 or Starter Set 2, along with the machine, which could save you some money.

Please be aware that prices are subject to change without notice. Currently, with the volatility on foreign exchange, some prices are increasing. At the same time, due to certain competition, prices for some consumables are falling, as suggested in our September Newsletter sent out earlier today to subscribers to our newsletter. However, price reductions is not something we are seeing at present on machines. Please accept our apologies. If the situation changes, one way or the other, this will be reflected on our website.

Ketan at ARC.

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Neil Mc,

It all comes down to budget and perceived value for money.

Mechanically, most of the mini-lathe family will be similar, with small differences in assembly QC.

Amadeal have a 100mm flange as standard for lathe chuck, although ARC, and engineers at SIEG do not agree with the idea, based on load over length of headstock casting support, combined with load on electronics. This is a matter of opinion which can and has been debated over time. This is down to customer choice. Wherever 80mm chucks are fitted, 100mm chucks and backplates are available, only because some customers want them, but not something which we recommend.

The cheapest should be brushed motor versions of mini-lathe. At the cheapest level, there will be no overload protection on board. So, probability of the control board/ motor getting damaged increase under an overload situation (similar to C2)… especially for a beginner. The higher level brushed motor versions (C3) will have overload protection on the control board. In all brushed versions, the fai lsafe is normally the high/low plastic gears. Some people prefer to change them to metal gears, increasing the probability of damaging the control board/motor under an overload event.

Then come the brushless motor family which are now a days sold in two ways…:

A.: gear drive – with high low gears and a 'small' brushless motor – similar to the one in your opening link and which is probably the same as the Warco brushless offering… sold as Superior or Super respectively. The power stated is probably/possible 'input power', 'open to question' as the motor appears to be too small in physical size to be output wattage, because if it was output, gears would quickly break!!. These are not made or supplied by SIEG. See following threads for further understanding:

Warco Super mini lathe (probably same as Chesters Superior lathe) See the size of the motor. It seems to look smaller than what a 500W brushless motor of this type should look like. Also read this brushless motor thread.

B: Belt Drive – SIEG models SC2 and SC3. These are 500W output. The physical size of this brushless motor is 130mm (overall length) or 100mm motor length x 80mm x 80mm. See picture here . There is no hi/low gear to break in these models. The torque control comes from programing on the control board, rather than mechanical gear drive. Till date, competitors of SIEG are unable to achive this with their brushless motor/control board setup.

Strictly speaking, based on the above, the SC2 and SC3 should be the most expensive.

Competitor marketing is selective in use of words 'Super'… 'Superior'… other; and in certain ebay cases, the machines are made to 'look bigger'… often plugged by certain members on here, but on close examination, it is just a standard mini-lathe made to look bigger with addition of sheet metal, and looking at the electrical content soon proves that one is dealing with a product which could be considered to be even cheaper than a low specked mini-lathe.

Most manufacturers are guilty of failing to specify what they mean by power, be it for input or output. Certain distributors also exaggerate the power stated, but can still justify this as some form of 'input' power'. SIEG always states output power which is lower than input power. However, we know that some companies who buy from SIEG want them to state their own version of the meaning of power, as it is their own company brand interpretation of power.

Unfortunately, presentation of such facts does come across as a 'sour grapes' issue, leaving the potential buyer to make up his or her own decision, which can still prove to be good, bad or ugly.

Having said all of the above, based only on price, the Amadeal second package does appear to be good value for money, for what it is.

Ketan at ARC.

[Martin Hamilton 1Participant @martinhamilton1]

I think if i was in the market for a mini lathe i would probably buy from ArcEuro as they have a very good reputation on this forum, Ketan from ArcEuro is often on the forum & is very helpfull not only to his customers but on other subjects as well. They also appear to nearly always have lathes in stock & hold spare parts in stock + there Sieg lathe uses the desired brushless motor & they come with up to 400mm between centres.

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 02/09/2019 21:03:35:

If it goes wrong, ArcEuro probably have the best reputation for service, and I've had good service from Warco.

I would second that. Choosing a supplier known for good after sales service is probably the most important choice for a beginner to make.

Russell

[MadMikeParticipant @madmike]

Jim have you spoken to Ketan at Arc Euro? He is very helpful.

[Aled DafisParticipant @aleddafis55847]

Hi, I'm in the market for a 4 jaw self centering chuck for my Boxford C lathe. I'm considering the following

ARC Euro Chinese origin 125mm – £97 Link

Sanou (Ebay) Link

Are there any other better alternatives in this price range?  My preference at the minute is the ARC one due to reliable customer support should I have any isses.

Both will need a back plate – ARC Euro – £22 Link

 

Thanks

Aled

Edited By Aled Dafis on 02/09/2019 23:33:02

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Neil Mccarthy 1 on 02/09/2019 19:35:05:

Hi

 

looks like a choice between these 2 at the moment

 

**LINK**

 

**LINK**

has anyone got any advice on which one would be best for a beginner to get please

The two lathes are similar, both based on the same design, and possibly even from the same factory. The Chester version has a Brushless motor, considered a "good thing", and – although power specifications can be misleading – on the face of it the motor is more powerful. The Chester is also 5kg heavier, a hint it's a bit stiffer.

More than 10 years since I compared mini-lathes but back then I got the impression MachineMart were a little expensive compared with the competition, but – who knows – their lathes may be assembled to a slightly higher standard. This is why the forum are nervous about buying direct from China: there are some duds about, and sorting it out might be difficult. Buying from a British importer protects you against that because they'll replace a wrong-un or refund your money.

Watch out comparing prices, for example I think Chester's price excludes VAT and Delivery, MachineMart exclude delivery, while Warco prices always include VAT and delivery. Also worth checking the accessories included: looks like Chester are a little more generous. Also, sometimes discounts are to be had, or the Imperial version is cheaper than the Metric, or the machine you choose is out-of-stock.

When it arrives you may find the machine is a little rough. If it goes wrong, ArcEuro probably have the best reputation for service, and I've had good service from Warco. MachineMart carry spares and I don't recall lots of complaints about their nachines. Axminster cost more but you get a 2 year warranty. I don't think any of the UK suppliers have an 'avoid' reputation, or that any of their offerings have a killer advantage.

In practice the machines are so similar it probably won't matter which you buy.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 02/09/2019 21:06:16

[Jim Dalton 1Participant @jimdalton1]

Hello all

Great forum I've been viewing for a while, this is my first post, looking for help I guess.

So I am somewhat of a beginner, but I've been using my Chinese mini lathe (Sieg SC2 from ArcEurotrade) for a number of months now, with reasonable success.

Today however the motor was stalling. I stripped back the motor end to find a stripped drive belt, on the motor to headstock drive.

I have no doubt this is down to my lack of skill on the lathe, but my questions are

1/how might I prevent this from happening again?

2/ is the immediate fix just a case of slipping on a new belt?

Many thanks

JD

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

The Seig SC2-300 would fit your requirement for 300mm minimum between centres.

If you have the space, and the cash, the SC3-400 with 400 mm centres may be the better bet, in the longer term.

Your horizons are bound to expand, so the larger machine would save changing later on.

I know of at least one Myford ML7 located across the corner of a small lobby, if that would help your space problem, but it does inhibit having longer material being passed through the mandrel.

Like many others on here, I have had only excellent service from Arc Euro Trade.

If possible, do go and visit,them just outside Leicester., where you can see the machines running, and get first hand advice.

Howard