Just picked up my first mill

[drum makerParticipant @drummaker82202]

Just collected my first milling machine, yup it’s a round column mill/drill, was told it was a Chester, buts actually the warco version a Zx-15

I know round column are not a fave of many, but i think I got a fair deal, I’m no model engineer but It will come in handy in my wood workshop.

had to break it down to get it back to my workshop, but it’s pristine, the guy bought it new 16 years ago and then never used it, it’s never made a cut, was wrapped up in its original plastic and still covered in quite a bit of the protective gunk, just sat in an outhouse…. got loads of extras with it, just no cutters. Can’t wait to get it built back up.

[drum makerParticipant @drummaker82202]

Yup it’s a round column i

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

We have a large round column mill at the museum, and as it is larger 500mm X travel and more Z and Y than the refurbished Tom Senior, it is definitely staying. You have to carefully plan jobs when using one as raising the column halfway through can be a bother. I have fitted a laser sight to the right side of the head which reflects off a window back and helps to get things within 0.002". I may change the sight for something with a better focussed beam some time.

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Don't forget to treat it to a milling cutter chuck, they are only supplied with a drill chuck from new.

[drum makerParticipant @drummaker82202]

Posted by old mart on 24/04/2021 13:43:32:

We have a large round column mill at the museum, and as it is larger 500mm X travel and more Z and Y than the refurbished Tom Senior, it is definitely staying. You have to carefully plan jobs when using one as raising the column halfway through can be a bother. I have fitted a laser sight to the right side of the head which reflects off a window back and helps to get things within 0.002". I may change the sight for something with a better focussed beam some time.

I have a few mods planed for keeping the alignment, the rotating column may actually provide beneficial I tend to want to do awkward things with my machinery.

[drum makerParticipant @drummaker82202]

Posted by Dave Halford on 24/04/2021 13:52:08:

Don't forget to treat it to a milling cutter chuck, they are only supplied with a drill chuck from new.

There is a new unused one in the wood box on the bench… loads of extras such as vices and rotary tables etc thrown in, he just never got round to buying cutters

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

Congratulations thats a very good find, nice little rotary table included, an almost ready to go set up, there's been lots of very good work carried out on the smaller round column machines. As Old Mart rightly says just needs a little planning. I imagine you'll have lots of fun with that little lot.

Dave

[Brian HutchingsParticipant @brianhutchings]

Excellent find. Mine is a round column maching and I've never had any problems with the head moving, even under heavy cuts.There are a number of mods around that allow up and down movement of the head without losing register and I keep meaning to get around to a modification but other things keep getting in the way.

Brian

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

We bought the drill mill as a basket case and it required a lot of work before getting it going. One problem that surfaced was sand left in the column falling out even after trying to stop it. I didn't want anything getting in the base joint when it was bolted up, so I found a huge cork (some helicopter part, don't ask me what) and pared it to size with a wood chisel ans stuffed it up the tube.

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