Re: Tool up

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., <info.host@b...> wrote:

> Thank you very much for the help, how long have you been collecting

all this

> milling stuff J. S.?

Two centuries.
Started in 1975 and it's now 2001

> Beaver was bought by a US company which is why there is so little
> information about them.

Beaver which was made in Norwich England went pear shaped in the late
80's. I believe their is a company in Birmingham still doing spares
for them.
Other that main castings though nothing is really that special that
it cannot be remade if there are problems. One of my main jobs is
modifing electric motors to fit old installations, it's not that hard
but don't tell anyone <g>

> The mill looked incredibly solid and was by far the least worn one
> there. The BVRP (Which now opens the doorway to lots more 'net

searching)

> comes as a 40 or 30 I read. Where abouts are you John? How much

does a new

> set of ballscrews cost for a mill of this size out of interest? I

am sitting

> down. : )

These are a very solid mill, not much bigger than a Bridgeport but
way way beefier. I have a Bridgeport that I got very cheaply but to
be honest If I had to go out and buy a machine like this again I
wouldn't touch another one. I would much rather have a Beaver, Elliot
or an Ajax. The feed gearbox on a Bridgy is a joke. I've got bigger
gears in my wrist watch. The book even says "Don't use quill feed
with a tool greater than 3/8"
3/8" ?? On a one ton machine?? what a hoot.
They list the Beavers as 30 or 40 but of the ones I know off, about 5
they are all 40.
I'm between Nottingham and Derby J25 M1 area.
As regards the ball screw contact me off list if and when you decide
to buy this - not before.
But if you do then I'd advise you to use it as a pure manual machine
for a while to learn milling. CNC is Ok but it's nice to know what
250mm/min actually *feels* like. These's no better experiance than
snapping an end mill in the job. That experiance, it doesn't come out
of a book it's hands on.