New Milling Machine

[David Watson 3Participant @davidwatson3]

WarcoWM14

[David Watson 3Participant @davidwatson3]

I am in the research stage of buying a milling machine. The choices are down to the Sieg Sx2.7 or the Warco WM14. Warco are offering the WM 14 with DRO,s fitted Is this something worth considering when buying a first milling machine. I have a Warco Mini Lathe I inherited that has done all I have asked of it so far.

[LainchyParticipant @lainchy]

Hi David,

I've just bought a 2nd hand WM14, and I'll be doing small projects with it. I'm really happy so far, but other posts on the forum mention headroom, and I would confirm that. It's not been an issue so far with mine, but you can see how it's used up. I think the general consensus is to go WM16, but cost was an issue for me as a beginner. No idea about the Sieg.

I may fit a DRO at some point, but so far, the manual dials are working fine

Ian

[David Watson 3Participant @davidwatson3]

Hi Ian, Thanks for youre promt reply. One of reasons for thinking of the WM14 was the choice of a metric or imperial machine. The Siege is metric only as far as I can tell. I can manage metric thinking but the projects in hand or in future will have imperial sizes on the drawings. I heard the coments about size vers cost before. This size of Mill seems to fit with the size of the Mini Lathe. Another fact in this thinking being location of suppliers. ARC Euro Trade are about an hour from me but Warco are a full day away at least. More thinking required maybe.

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

The SX2.7 compares size-wise more with the WM16 rather than the WM14. I've recently bought a WM16B with imperial graduations. I'm pleased with my purchase so far, value for money wise it's impressive. Its speed range of 100-3000rpm is useful. My current project is a 5" gauge loco and the 16B copes well enough although machines of this size are not intended to produce mountains of steel swarf.

I think that I'd be reluctant to go smaller though. I've not fitted a DRO.

Edited By Clive Brown 1 on 13/08/2019 15:13:34

[LainchyParticipant @lainchy]

Hi David,

I believe the Chester 16V is the same mill as the Warco one also? Not sure. My workshop if Chester DB7 lathe and the Warco mill, for both cost and size. They are both Metric, and I was concerned about this… we'll see what happens when I start the Stuart S50 I have. Lots of conversions I suspect.

I've just looked at the Chester, but can't see a built in Z axis DRO or fine wheel… so I'm not sure now. Really pleased with my WM14 though, and I believe the bed is bigger on the later machines too. I found mine on FaceBook, and drove about 120 miles to fetch it

Ian

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Hi David,

The WM14 may complement the size of the mini-lathe. In terms of physical size, spindle taper, and power, it is totally different from an SX2.7. The SX2.7 would compliment an SC4 lathe, which is bigger than a mini-lathe.

WM14 – Spindle taper MT2, INPUT POWER 500w

SX2.7 – Spindle taper R8, OUTPUT POWER 750w – brushless DC motor, physically bigger than a WM14

If metric or imperial is an issue for you, you are best off considering an imperial machine, if you are inclined to think in imperial measures.

If you want to see the physical size, you are welcome to visit ARC and have a look.

Ketan at ARC.

 

Edited By Ketan Swali on 13/08/2019 15:14:10

[David Watson 3Participant @davidwatson3]

I have just added another couple of factors into this research for a milling machine, size. The WM14 will fit in my workshop as it is now but if I would have to shuffle things around to fit the Siege or WM16. As Ketan pointed out the SX2.7 is more in line with a bigger lathe motor size and spindle taper in line with the SC4. The matter of DRO,s is seemed a good idea at the time. I now start to think are they really something I need.?.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

I have a WM16 & I can't complain at all at what I've given it to do. I have fitted dro's on mine, from Arc Euro , remote read out type & I've found them a great help in accuracy, wouldn't want to be with out dro's now. if, as you say they are including dro's I would go for it. Usual disclaimer.

George.

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by David Watson 3 on 13/08/2019 15:44:19:

The matter of DRO,s is seemed a good idea at the time. I now start to think are they really something I need.?.

Have a read of Ron Ladens experiences on this thread.

Ketan at ARC.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

You don’t need a DRO. A calculator, and 25.4 as a conversion factor, is cheap enough at less than a fiver! However, having the option of instant change-over from metric to imperial would mean you never really need to use the dials on the machine feed screws. There are other benefits with a comprehensive DRO, rather than separate items.

I would not want to be without mine, once fitted. The biggest problem with using the hand-wheel graduations is remembering backlash – not an issue with the lathe which generally only makes any particular cut in one direction – but everyone managed, before DROs were invented.

DROs inevitably take up space. That may, or may not, be important.

You don’t have a profile, but Mansfield is likely your approx location? Going to Arc in an hour will use up most of half a day – unless it is ‘in and out’ in a very few minutes! Not much left of a day, for a return trip to Warco! But most things can be posted if time is an issue?

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

As you are near to Arc eurotrade, I would pop over and see their products. They are a top quality and well respected firm. As for dro's, they will save you much time and bother, switchable instantly from imperial to metric, and also eliminate the never ending bother of compensating for backlash. I have one on the Z axis and would dearly love them on the X and Y also. Go for them if they are within your budget.

The small MT2 spindle is a limitation unless you are expecting to work on small projects.

[David Watson 3Participant @davidwatson3]

I didnt expect the amount of replies this fast, thanks folks. The idea of a mill with DRO,s was to be able to expand my choice, making a metric mill easier to use.. I am about to re-fit the workshop to get rid of an old cupboard and make more bench space so I will plan that around what I buy. I will read Ron Ladens thread as mentioned by Ketan. A trip to ARC is my next move. Straight down the A46 Anything North of the M25 is a bonus. My father bought the Warco Mini Lathe because he was living in the area at the time. Also Ketan being a Forum user is a useful contact.

[Stuart BridgerParticipant @stuartbridger82290]

I wouldn't be without a DRO on a mill. It makes working so much easier. Not just switching units, but functions such as decide by two for locating workpiece centres.

[Douglas JohnstonParticipant @douglasjohnston98463]

For years I used a mill without a DRO and thought it was fine. I then fitted a decent quality DRO and I was delighted with it. Apart from the instant swap between imperial and metric, the time saving is considerable when finding the centre of work, or returning to an exact location etc. Once you have one there is no going back !

Doug

[David Watson 3Participant @davidwatson3]

As much as I wanted to visit Warco and ARC to help me make the right choice Warco are just too far for a day out. I thought they might have been at the Midlands Model Engineering Show but they have said they wont have a stand there. I am going to call into ARC first.

The Mini Mill I have seen in use on You Tube seems to need things altering to make it more workable but I would be thinking of DRO,s any way so it would really only be the gas strut mod. The lower cost is tempting, enabling more spending money for setting up.

Is there is any one on the forum with a WM14 nearer to the top corner of Lincolnshire willing to let me have a look at there milling machine.

I am out of the Country for all of November and most of December so I will check things out before I go and then make a choice when I come back.

[rob nashParticipant @robnash96298]

am no expert to machining or milling I have recently started playing with a warco 14 and love every bit of it. the 60 kg weight barely does it justice, its a lot heavier than it looks so have a lifter or a couple of strong friends around , is it right for you really does depend on what you want to make though once you add er25 collet and a swivel vice the z axis depth could get tight but grab a set of 2MT direct collets and take the base of the swivel gets you a decent space to work with.

I have now regrets, though if i did have the space and money I would have opted for the 16B before 14 with DRO

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