Marks Machinery

[lazylathe]

Anyone heard of this?
A nice looking Hardinge lathe for sale $1500 Canadian.

Also some other metal working tools.
Just thought i would pass on the info!
Interested in the mill!!!

Here is the site: http://www.marksmach.com/metalworking.html

 

[GrahamC]

I know this place as I had a look at what he had a couple years ago. At that time (and I imagine still true) he was a sort of "backyard" store - not a real brick and mortar store but rather home based. He had all sorts of stuff in a large garage like building and was in the process of building a larger "shed".

He impressed me as quite knowledgeable and easy to talk to. In the end however he is a salesman.

I had a close look at the Logan Model 200 that he has listed. He has had this lathe for quite some time (at least 3 years) and he gave me a run down on some of it's history (I recall that it has had at least 3 perhaps 4 different owners in commercial serviced over its lifetime). After spending some time examining the lathe I passed - it would make for a good long term refurb type of project. Even at the $950 currently listed price it is over priced even with all the bits include (changes gears and QCTP) - three years ago he was asking quite a bit more. I couldn't comment on the Hardinge but it does pretty nice in the picture.

cheers, Graham in Ottawa Canada

 

[lazylathe]

Hi Graham!

It does seem a bit steep...
I am leaning towards getting a new mill from Busy Bee Tools.
Don't have the space for a large on, so it will be similar to the one on Marks site.
They all seem to be clones from China with different name badges on them!

Would love to get a Sherline mill to sit next to my Sherline lathe, just can't justify the price...

Now that i have been in the hobby for a while and reading a lot, i think i may have been better off
with a chinese lathe....
Oh well!

 

[vlmarshall]

Would love to get a Sherline mill to sit next to my Sherline lathe, just can't justify the price...

Sherline sells mills without the head unit, so you could buy one, and swap the one from your lathe a few times, saving money until you get tired of that and buy another headstock. ;D

 

[lazylathe]

Hi Vernon,

You mean something like this:
http://www.sherlinedirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=721

And then just swop the headstock between the lathe and the mill?
Then one day get another headstock.

Can this mill also be converted to CNC at a later date?

What i am also thinking about is this:
For about $900 Canadian i can get the Sherline XYZ base, only the base.
For $800 Canadian i can get a Sieg clone, a vice and end mills.

It seems to be stronger than the Sherline setup and at least it is always set up and ready to go.
I will not need to spend more time aligning everything and squaring up things every time i change machines.

Any other ideas?

 

[vlmarshall]

Hi Vernon,

You mean something like this:
http://www.sherlinedirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=721

And then just swop the headstock between the lathe and the mill?
Then one day get another headstock.

Can this mill also be converted to CNC at a later date?

That's the one! I suspect that switching between the two will get old after a wile; you'll have to indicate in the head each time... but it gets ya closer to having two machines.
Yes, it can be converted to CNC. The manual version leadscrews are slightly different, as they don't run in bearings like the CNC version. My mill was converted to by D&M, before Sherline offered the CNC parts, and had no bearings on the leadscrews. Eventually I realized this, when my X-axis siezed up during a rapid movement.
Adding the little bearings that I used( http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=1868653&PMT4NO=0 ), would cost you about $15 per axis, and a little bit of lathe work. You could then make your own stepper motor mounts, and add some zero-backlash couplers ($30 each... http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=13206381&PMT4NO=71359812 ), some 270 inch/oz steppers ($40 each... http://www.kelinginc.net/SMotorstock.html ) and a Gecko G540 ($300 http://www.geckodrive.com/product.aspx?c=3&i=14469 ) ... and you'd have what I think is the best CNC controller available, probably for less than $600.

 

[lazylathe]

Hmmmmm.... You may have me convinced on that front, Vernon!

Now i just need to sell some stuff to get some cash to fund the purchases!!!
Going to take a while, so the old Unimat DB200 is going to fill in for mill duty for a while!

Know of anyone interested in a Radio Controlled truck capable of 60mph straight out of the box???
Have an almost new one, only run twice!!
LOL.... if only it was that easy!!!

 

[vlmarshall]

Know of anyone interested in a Radio Controlled truck capable of 60mph straight out of the box???
Have an almost new one, only run twice!!

Gas or electric, and what scale? A friend of mine at work is looking for another.

 

[lazylathe]

It is electric.
Brushless motor, LiPo batteries, the works.
Made by Traxxas.
Also have an unopened Gas one too.
Both 1/10 scale.
Can post pics if interested.
Both in original boxes!

Just pulled them out of storage.
The gas one:
HSP Backwash Pro Version RTR 1/10th scale Nitro 4WD Off-Road Buggy.
2 Speed Transmission, Aluminium Shock Towers and Alu Shocks, Disc Brake system, Metal differentials, 2.5mm Alu chassis
.18 CXP engine, pull start included.
Never been ran, comes with all servos installed.
Just requires batteries for Tx and Rx and Nitro fuel

The Electric one:
Traxxas Stampede VXL Velineon.
Replaced Castor blocks with original Traxxas Alu ones.
Digital speed controller, fully programable.
2x Team Losi 11.1V 20C 3200mAh 3-cell LiPo batteries. Only ever used the one twice and just charged to one to balance the cells.
Good for up to 1 hour of run time each! Replaced the connectors with the Traxxas gold plated low loss connectors.
Team Losi Intelligent Lithium Balance Charger. Charges 1 to 5 cell Lipo/Li-ion. Balance connector for balanced charging and increasing life of batteries. Fully Programmable.
Integy Power Station provides a constant current supply when charging the LiPo batteries. Plugs into wall outlet for stable supply of current rather than using a car battery.