to bid or not to bid??

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bertie_bassett:
hi guys need some help deciding on whether I should bid on an old horizontal mill or not

iv been looking for a mill for a couple of yers and ideally I want something with both horizontal and vertical capacity, in good condition, nice and cheap, oh and right on my doorstep would be great

spotted this milling machine on evilbay the earlier, and though it isnt quite what I was after Its is close and within a fairly reasonable driving distance (2-3 hours away)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201292158510?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

pro's

looking at it, it is a very sturdy machine and seems in fair condition
already running on 240v
bit bigger then I was planning ( not sure if that's a plus or not)
no bids so price is tempting
has a selection of cutters with it

cons

no vertical head.
have to rent/hire/borrow something to get it home in, plus find some 'volunteers' to help
cant view/test before bidding
over arm is the round type, id prefer trapezoidal ways e.g. centec style

my biggest concerns are the transport and whether id be wasting my money on it. I don't mind buying a fixer upper ( if the price is right) and would enjoy repairing/modifying bits. but Iv not got spare cash to be throwing about and don't want to buy a lemon.

so what are your thoughts??

naffsharpe (Nathan):
Just my opinion but if it's not what you really want, why waste your cash? Wait until you can afford to have a choice, even if it's only between machines that need work doing on them. There's nothing as frustrating as having to figure out work rounds because you do not have the machine you should have waited for. Been there, read the book, saw the movie then bought the tee shirt and hat and then realised I I'd been a prat in the first place by not buying what I NEEDED.

Nathan.

bertie_bassett:
The thing is, I do t really 'need' a mill. Its more of a want. I have got quite a few project id like to do. But its mostly just hobby use.
The bugest problem iv got is that there is never anything available locally, everything I ever see that looks about right is on the other aide of the country.
Perhaps I'm just getting a bit desperate. Should probably focus on my other jobs first

PekkaNF:
Well if I had loads of space I would get that mill, specially if it comes with that price.

But horizontal mill is not the first or only mill. IMHO. Setting up the work and mill takes some time getting used to.

I think that normal vertical mill/drill (preferably bridgeport style) is very universal for all sorts of small work. Drilling is nice with a quill but pretty hard with knee only.

Horizontal mill is nice for hogging a lot of metal from the slab. Not too economical on more complex forms, because mills are bigger and more expensive (alhough I had a chance of buing one pallet load of slab mills once with 300 euro. Had to pass it because I did not have a TCG.). One guy has a horizonal mill only to do keyways on the shaft and to occassional gear wheel. It spends most of the time idle but if it has right tools on it to finish the work takes only a moment.

Transportation and unloading is allways a big question. You have to be very carefull with mills they are topheavy, asymetrical load, and if they tip over somebody it is most likely very serious.

Pekka

bertie_bassett:
Space is one thing om not too short of, although the workshop needs clearing and reorganising the only machine in it is the lathe so plenty of room for a mill. Could probably get a BP in there if I wanted, but that really would be wasted on me.

One of my primary reasons for wanting a mill is the need to cut gears id like to get a full set for my lathe and to be able to make some for others. So a horizontal would be perfect for that. But then id really want a vertical head too so would have to fabricate something up. ( another project lol)

Looks like transport costs would be around£200 plus id need to get a vice and clamps etc so maby this one isn't as good as it first seems.

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