AMA25LV Milling Machine

[Omnimill]

I went to Axminster Tools today and had a good look at an X3. Quite a nice machine, and perhaps a bit better (as others have said) thought out having the Z motion controlled by a handwheel at the front of the machine. For it's size i was quite impressed with it. I'm just not sure it will be rigid enough. Only real way to tell is to try one I suppose :-\

Vic.

 

[xr6t]

Hi,

I have just purchased the same machine. (See "New Toy")

Here in Australia it is sold as the Optimum BF20L Vario, cost including tax is $1,540 this includes the very well built stand.

I was surprised to see that they have updated the switch panel to a touch pad membrane type, very impressive. The control panel has a the name "Machinetech, Germany" on it.

The only thing that I am now considering is there a conversion kit to change the plastic gears? Although the sales people at Sieg when they were trying to sell me the X3 said that this was not a bad feature, stopped amateurs like me wrecking something in the machine more expensive.

The M10 drawbar is proving to be a problem with tooling, most of the MT2 stuff seems to have 3/8" UNC thread.

Cheers

KenM

 

[Maryak]

The M10 drawbar is proving to be a problem with tooling, most of the MT2 stuff seems to have 3/8" UNC thread.

Ken,

Some of my tooling has 1/2" thread and some have 3/8 - M10. I got around this by buying threaded rod to match and using 4 nuts, (2 locked to set the length and 2 locked at the top for tightening and undoing the drawbar).

Hope this helps.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[xr6t]

Thanks for that Bob.

Again the simplest solutions are obscured thru the complications of my brain matter.

Cheers

KenM

 

[Omnimill]

It's a shame there isn't some kind of standard for draw bars. I settled on buying MT3 collets with an M12 drawbar thread on the basis that if I then bought a tool with say M10 or 3/8" Whitworth I could easily open it up to M12 so I only needed the one drawbar. I've only bought one tool that needed this doing so far though - an MT3 flycutter with a 3/8" thread.

Vic.

 

[swivelhead]

Hi
It looks like the AMA25LV is made by Yangzhou Real Bull Machinery Ltd in China.
Supplied in the UK by Amadeal, Chester and a few others, priced around £785 plus
delivery.
Quality of Real Bull machines is as good if not better than many other far east imports. I have a mill and lathe made by them and have had no problems so far.

Tony

 

[Twmaster]

Thanks for the info Tony. It looks like the same machine is sold here in the US by Grizzly as Model G704 @$950US.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand/G0704

I'm looking to buy a new mill/drill once I get situated in my new home. I've pretty much settled on a Rong-Fu type m/d. I'm looking at several models from different vendors.

 

[xr6t]

:bow:Bob (Maryak) Thanks for the tip on the drawbar problem

I had, for me, a great day and am quite chuffed with the success of the operation today. ;D

Whilst not being able to use the two nuts locking technique due to the desighn of the machine, it gave me sufficient idea to make a drawbar anyway. Thm:

Like you suggested, I went to my local hardware store and purchased a length of 3/8" UNC Rod, cut it to match the OEM drawbar, I then machined a piece of steel rod the same dimensions as the bit (not sure what to call it) that rests on the bearing, threaded it to screw down into position and cross drilled it, tapped a thread and inserted a brass screw to stop it going anywhere. Then using the drill chuck in the mill with an end mill, squared off the top for spanner and presto, I can now use the collet set up I bought.

Thanks again, Karma has gone your way.

KenM

 

[Maryak]

Ken,

Glad it worked for you.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[Florian]

No quill feed................

John S.

But for these machines you can find milling heads with quill feed. (As this machine is not being provided anymore you will have to look around but once in a while you can find them.

Florian

 

[John S]

But for these machines you can find milling heads with quill feed. (As this machine is not being provided anymore you will have to look around but once in a while you can find them.

Florian

So you pay top dollar for a obscure model machine, then wait 10 years to find a part that you may have to pay 1/2 the machine price to obtain?

Sorry not for me, when there are other machines just as universal with more chance of getting old parts.

As an example look at the Tom Senior mill, how many are out there with fixed head quills compared to the movable quill, then compare costs of the machines and the moveable heads just on their own.
I'll bet there are many users of fixed head machines that would like to change but can't due to cost or availability.

Last query is who's to say this machine is in decent condition as regards wear of slides etc?

John S.

 

[Blogwitch]

I have to agree fully with John on his reply.

It is very nice having old iron, but only if you have the cash and means to get it back to original, and keep it there, otherwise you can find that you are fighting with a worn out, substandard machine.

I have been there with an old Myford, and lastly my old well loved Atlas lathe, but it was a struggle over many years getting it up to the specifications that now comes as standard on modern day machines. My new Chinese lathe and mill far outperform my old machines now that I have tweaked them to my own settings.

When it came to what John said about obtaining parts, I spent ages trawling the internet trying to get a replacement head assembly for my Atlas and managed to find one eventually thru a spare parts importer. It was rather expensive by the time it was shipped over from the US.

I was gobsmacked last night as I was reading thru John's website, and came across a chap selling a second hand quick change gearbox for a Myford, for 500 squid (or lots of bucks), you can go out and buy a brand new lathe or miller for around that price. But I suppose someone will buy it, just to complete their jigsaw puzzle, and have a bit of boast factor as well.


Blogs

 

[John S]

Blogs,
That seems to be the going price on a Myford screwcutting box, bear in mind they are over a thousand pounds new.

then add into this it can't do metric threads so you need a complete new quadrant and set of gears.

Whilst this is set up you loose the fine feed and it takes longer to swap over than just shuffling some gears on a non gearbox model.

When I had my Myford I always wanted one, eventually I found one, fitted, it bought all the extras for it and from that day on I rued the day I'd bought it.

OK a pain to keep swapping gears but a bigger pain to keep swapping from English to metric, to fine feed to a special and back again.

If you only cut imperial and stick to what's in the box then they are good, first time you need something special then you are jumping thru hoops.

John S.