Finally took the plunge

[Bigbadbugga]

Been to Chester machine tools today and bought my milling machine 

Champion 20V mill will be delivered on Friday.

Woohoo

[Deko]

Hi BBB
          I bought my Champion 20V about 3years ago and happy to say I have had no problems so far (touch wood). 
 The only things I have done to improve it are to fit DRO's to X&Y and fitted an old computer fan to the top of the motor housing. 
I hope it gives you as much good service as mine has given me.

Cheers Dek.

[Bigbadbugga]

Thanks deko, I have the bits here to build the android tablet DRO discussed in the 'neat stuff' section on here....

http://www.yuriystoys.com/p/android-dro.html

So I have that bit covered.

Is the fan to help cool the motor or keep the crud out?

I've bought the metric unit, but the collets I was given (I bought some basic tooling) are  for a 3/8" drawbar. Is that right or should I have M10? By the time I'd realised after getting home the office was closed so I'll have to call them and check tomorrow.

[Deko]

Hi BBB
          The fan was to help cooling, one or two blokes on the various websites have had problems with cooling, so I thought I have quite a few fans, stick one on just in case. I didn't have a problem and I think those who have must have been trying to work their mills too hard.  You are right about the drawbar, it will be M10 so you will need to swap the collets.

Cheers Dek.

P.S. Are you going to the Chester open days, (23rd-27th June) ?

[Bigbadbugga]

I'll call about the collets in the morning, hopefully they will just put the right set with the machine for delivery and take the wrong set back when they drop it off on Friday.

I wasn't aware of the open days, but now that I am I may just go as by then I'll have a better idea of what tooling I'd like.

[Jonny]

Or make up a 3/8" draw bar easy.
Used to have three drawbars on the little mill all different threads.

The Open days are not what they were 10 yr ago when you could pick up a bargain.
ie Super Lux for £930 when £1500, Lux mill round column £230, Conquest lathe with additional leadscrew and extra QR tool posts £235.

[Bigbadbugga]

And now comes the waiting. (It's 09:35 here in sunny Liverpool, delivery day)

I hate waiting for delivery

[Bigbadbugga]

Well, didn't have to wait long. Ten minutes after my post above it arrived.

Just have to clean a space for it and set it up in the workshop. Pics to follow when that happens, probably early next week

[BaronJ]

Hi BBB
          I bought my Champion 20V about 3years ago and happy to say I have had no problems so far (touch wood). 
 The only things I have done to improve it are to fit DRO's to X&Y and fitted an old computer fan to the top of the motor housing. 
I hope it gives you as much good service as mine has given me.

Cheers Dek.

I've added a fan to my VM20V because after I had got the machine the motor burnt out.  These are permag motors and all the heat is generated in the armature.  The only way that the heat can get out is by conduction through the spindle and bearings.  The internal fan is rubbish and provides very little air flow, especially at low motor speeds.

I discovered entirely by accident that the plastic gears in the body were very tight and had a tight spot.  The machine always had a tight spot when rotating the spindle by hand and this was causing excessive loading on the motor even when not milling.

Since then I've replaced all the gears with steel ones.  The machine is much nicer to use and the motor runs far more cool than it ever did.

A quick note about the drawbar.  I chose an MT3 spindle and it has a 12 mm self releasing drawbar.   Its a nice machine.