Milling Machine

[Lindsay WoodwardParticipant @lindsaywoodward13166]

I have an Elliot Omnimill 02 and its a beautiful machine for medium sized work, it cost me $3900 Australian and I have never regretted buying it. It would be around 2.1 metres tall and weighs 1500Kg. It was delivered by a crane truck which sat it in the doorway of my shed. The machine has barring points on the base so one can fit a bar under it. I lifted it (by my self) using a rail track bar and a couple of wooden wedges, the wedges used to hold the machine up while the bar is repositioned. Once high enough 3 short lengths of around 50mm diameter pipe was placed under it. One then can readily roll it. Be carefull it can roll real easy on a smooth floor and get away from you, when one of the rollers come out transfer it to the front.. Once into position, the machine had to be moved around 7 metres, it was placed on a 50mm high timber plinth, this saved me having to drop the machine down to to the floor and allows better access to the coolant reservoir which is in the base.

Task took around an hour by myself, although a number of helpers would not have gone astray. I am though used to moving heavy items around like this. Becare full no one gets any fingers or toes under the machine.

Lindsay

[steamdaveParticipant @steamdave]

What about a Thiel 158? Very good Y and Z reach/ height. Table tilts in 2 directions and can also be removed.

They are not as common as Bridgeport but are worth the search – in my biased opinion.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

I know this isn't the biggest or the best they ever saw but if i had my time again i'd have gone for the warco major, a simple brand new belt change mill with ample room and more than enough grunt to carry through most milling tasks. The fact they've sold this machine for so long proves it's popularity, does what it says on the tin and well under budget to buy a decent selection of tooling to go with it, go for the biggest and heaviest milling vise (like 6" width) you can, some vertex parallels and a small milling vise and you will have an accurate and powerful start to your milling adventures.

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 30/03/2016 14:07:53

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> warco major

A popular, robust machine that keeps selling. But a round column and limited quill travel compared to a travelling head or adjustable knee, don't suit everyone's style of working. Many people add a raising block to get extra light under the quill.

Neil

[HevansccParticipant @hevanscc]

In my quest for a similar mid-sixed mill I had narrowed it down to

• Tom Senior M1
• Centec 2A/B/C
• AEW Viceroy

The Harrison, Boxford, and Omnimill mentioned are also excellent and similar in size. My main problem was finding one for sale within my budget and transporting it That's why I ended up going for the Tom Senior which I took apart myself and moved in a Transit van, then did a refurb on it. All the mills mentioned would suit but there are those other factors to consider which can add to the cost.

If you end up with a Tom Senior try to find one with the quill vertical head. If you get an M1 then a riser plate under the central column will give you much more z axis travel.

Hywel

[Author]

Posts