My New Warco VMC Turret Mill

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

I hope this is the correct place to put this, I'm sure someone will move it if not. I will add some pictures in a while as the day progresses.

Anyway I have purchased a Warco VMC (as per the title).

Warco have so far been very decent I ordered the Mill at the Midland show and got a discount. Due to the hectic nature of the show I just ordered the mill itself and decided I would order some ancilliary equipment later (after seeking advice on here). Warco gave me the same show discount on each piece as I ordered it.

More to follow

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

Now the annoying bit.

I was told that delivery would be simple, the local delivery company would call me the night before at give me an approximate time. I have planned to get some of my sons rugby buddies to lift it into the workshop. Sadly the path to the shed is slate chippings so the pallet truck will not be much use.

The main problem is that despite 4 calls to Warco yesterday no time was forthcoming. At around 5pm I was told that the transport company would call first thing and tell me an approximate time. I called Warco at 9am as nobody had called me, I was promised that someone would call me right back after they got hold of the transport company………I rang them back at 10 !! as my sons friends were getting twitchy and wanted to go off. I felt I needed them here in case I got the call at 9am from the driver at the end of the road. Anyway the chap at Warco was rather pompous and didn't agree that I needed people there just in case, as I had adjudged his delivery system to be unreliable.

So it's now 10.30 and after a fairly frank conversation with the Warco dispatch dept they will try their courier again.

It seems to me that Warco should not make promises based upon the perfomance of another company unless they are sure they will be kept to. As a customer of Warco I am not interested in what their delivery company will or wont do.

Sorry for the rant…….more to follow.

[Sandy MortonParticipant @sandymorton10620]

At least you will get it delivered! I live on a remote Scottish island ( the ferry crossing takes 8 minutes) but because of that the world stops at Largs! Enjoy it when you get it and it works OK.

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

Posted by Sandy Morton on 31/10/2012 10:50:13:

At least you will get it delivered! I live on a remote Scottish island ( the ferry crossing takes 8 minutes) but because of that the world stops at Largs! Enjoy it when you get it and it works OK.

Thanks, will do.

So the Warco dispatch guy said it would likely be the end of the day as requested so I sent the boys off and asked them to return at 5 ish.

10mins later the delivery company called and said it will be here in 30 mins Grrrrr.

I am now hoping it doesn't rain

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Well Chris

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! I guess keeping a lot of rugby players happy may well involve considerable expence for you at the local!

I don't know if it will help but I had a lathe delivered a couple of years ago by a company who deliver palletised goods. I'm in a very rural location with narrow lanes and access to my property is restricted. I informed the company of the maximum sized vehicle that could get to me (7 Ton) . When It arrived – at 5pm on a Friday evening – it did so on a 24 Ton lorry !! The driver had various useful suggestions like " Have you got a pallet truck ( Pull it up a hill and across a hardcore car park) or "Have you got some mates who can help you carry it up" etc. etc. I refused delivery and contacted the supplier for him to sort out. He did so about a week later and all was well.

Remember your contract is with the supplier and it is their responsibility to deliver the goods  onto your premises.

Good Luck – do let us know the outcome.

Regards

Norman

 

 

 

Edited By NJH on 31/10/2012 11:12:02

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Might be like a bus, wait all day then two come along…………..

John S.

[Swarf, Mostly!Participant @swarfmostly]

Hi there, all,

I hope the following won't be judged 'off-topic'; it amused me.

Some time ago I was the 'contact man' for a South Bend lathe purchase. The deal was done and the buyer, another friend and I set off in a hired Luton with tail-lift.

The lathe came complete with full industrial stand and the deal included a bench drill, a large cast iron surface plate and several boxes of useful but weighty raw material. It took the three of us and the seller several hours to get it all aboard the Luton, by which time we were all a bit fatigued!

Partway home one of us (not the driver!) phoned the buyer's home to tell them our ETA. We were told that several young men were on-site, visiting the younger daughter of the house – 'Keep them there until we arrive' was the reply.

The Luton was backed up to the garage door and the rear door of the van raised. The said young men, all eager to impress the said daughter of the house, had all that heavy gear off-loaded in about fifteen minutes!

Why do Model Engineers power their engines with steam when testosterone is obviously so much more powerful?!?!

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

One of the things I like about Warco is the 'delivery included' convenience. 3 times in 20 years. Maybe I have been lucky to get their staff driver who came prepared for the grass verge and trucked the items to the designated place inside or out though I do have flat and easy paths.

What I am disappointed about is the manuals. I don't actually need to be told how to screw a chuck on etc as I do have more than one brain cell. However I do need a decent circuit diagram now the things are full of relays (like new cars) let alone speed controllers. Plus the exploded views need to be big not reduced to A5. Luckily with Chinese stuff there is a near identical model on the Grizzly site where they have a decent manual for download.

Also their (and others to be fair) make their online specification details barely adequate. Following up on a different thread I looked up the WM18 mill mentioned to find only a couple of low resolution pictures and features not explained (depth gauge). It would cost little to have 20 detailed pictures, detailed descriptions, online manuals and photos of it in action from happy customers to give a feel for the scale of the machine. They need to wake up to the internet.

[MetalhackerParticipant @metalhacker]

I totally agree about Warco manuals. I bought a bandsaw off them and the manual was rubbish with several pages missing. I complained at their stand at the next show I attended and they said they would send a new and complete manual…did they 'eck. I have seen nothing from that day to this. I eventually got a manual from Dias Costa for an Identical German version of the saw which was great. I rather got the impression that Warco are very much less attentive after they have got your money than before. Arc however have been very good with parts and info on their mills though again the best manual for an SX3 is found on the grizzly site. The Arc strip down is however very useful to show what goes where.

BW

Andries

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

Well it's finally in, with the aid of a JCB.

I couldn't wait for the rugby guys to return as rain threatend.

I am trying to upload some photos without luck at the moment.

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

This is how it came on the pallet.

The outer skin removed the contents.

We unpacked things and lifted it off the pallet.

With the aid of a couple of scaff tubes and some loading straps.

It was at this point one of the boys pulled his back and it was game over.

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

The cavalry arrives !!

Here it is, a work in progress and a bonus extra shot.

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

The only problem I spotted was the longditutonal power-feed was not included.

Seems Warco didn't bother to tell me but apparently I should get it next week.

Nice of them to tell me the happy news. Grrr

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

For people moving something similar without access to a JCB here's a suggestion. A 2 ton engine crane is built on a 4 castor base with about a 2 ton carrying capacity. After lifting the tool onto suitable blocks strip down the crane, slide under and use a normal trolly jack to lift and lower the tool onto the trolley. It only takes 15 minutes to strip or rebuild the crane onece you have done it a few times. If you can borrow a second crane it is even easier. Take precautions for a tip-over though which is one reason I wouldn't recommend assistants under fifty. Old guys aren't in such a hurry.

[Grizzly bearParticipant @grizzlybear]

What a nice workshop/mansion. Good luck with your new purchase. Looking forward to hearing more, when you are using it.

Regards Bear..

[60019Participant @60019]

"…A 2 ton engine crane is built on a 4 castor base with about a 2 ton carrying capacity."

Indeed

(I see I took this photo on 16-Nov last year – nearly had a year at this now).

Mike

PS and unrelated. Anybody else think there should be a Hurricane Jules out there?

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Well done Chris

That looks like a potential " Cozy Corner" – all set up for hours of fun!

I've found that decorating the empty workshop in a light colour is a good move ( a lesson learned from experience!). You can never have enough light in a workshop and a year or so down the line you will have so much stuff in there you won't be able to decorate!

I also like the high level power points – again you can never have too many.

Cheers

Norman

Edited By NJH on 31/10/2012 19:04:54

[SteveWParticipant @stevew54046]

Glad for your sake its all safely installed. I had a far happier experieince with my Warco lathe – I think a lot depends on the driver. And the access. Mine came well equipped and placed the pallet where I wanted it.

I did have a wait for the lathe but Warco were accurate to the week when it became available.

SteveW

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

Posted by SteveW on 31/10/2012 20:14:01:

Glad for your sake its all safely installed. I had a far happier experieince with my Warco lathe – I think a lot depends on the driver. And the access. Mine came well equipped and placed the pallet where I wanted it.

I did have a wait for the lathe but Warco were accurate to the week when it became available.

SteveW

Oh yes the driver was great, but then again he didn't work for Warco. !

[Mustafa B. AddayParticipant @mustafab-adday34743]

Chrisj,

would it be possible for you to turn your pictures 90 degrees before uploading?

(or am I the only one having to lie down to have a look?)

Regards, M. B. Adday

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

I got a message that someone had posted that they were having trouble seeing the pics.

I wonder what happened to that post ?

I have now worked out how to rotate them, sorry but here are the correct ones.

[chris jParticipant @chrisj]

[NJHParticipant @njh]

It does seem, Chris, that your worries about getting it inside before it rained were unfounded. It looks very well protected to me and could have survived a bit of wet. Anyway job done successfully and now you can get on with the interesting bit – any mill specific projects planned?

Cheers

Norman

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Hi Chris,

Congratulations with your new mill. Hope your helper didn't suffer any permanent injury. Might have been wiser to wait for the cavalry instead of lifting it manually?

I got my new mill a couple of months ago, not as heavy as yours so it was easy to get it off the pallet. I moved the crate over my lawn by rolling it on a couple of broomstick pieces. With the help of a friend it was moved into the workshop (no injuries).

Regards Thor

Edited By Thor on 01/11/2012 10:45:58

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