08-29-2016, 02:24 AM
I've mentioned before i'm keen to get hold of a shaper, chiefly for cutting keyways and splines. Just back from overseas and I find there are a few on the market within a reasonable distance of me.
One of those is a 12" Macson, which is an Australian-made direct copy of the Alba / Elliott machine in the same size.
I have just got off the phone with the seller. He says he bought the machine 30 years ago and has never run it. It was freshly painted when he bought it and still appears very nice, but I recognise that is no indication of what the important bits may be like. He's only about 30 minutes drive from me so i'm thinking of going and checking it out; I'd appreciate some advice as to how to get an idea of the condition. he doesn't have 3-phase power to run it, but I could take my rotary phase converter which would enable me to power it up- but I'm wondering if that might be best avoided in a machine that has sat for so long? Would it be best to dismantle the slidey bits and clean and lubricate first?
The bloke has a forklift that could load the machine onto my trailer- I'm wondering if it would be realistic to unload with my engine crane?
One other machine for sale a little over 2 hours drive from me is a 18" Alba that appears to be in not as good shape- there are a couple of chunks out of the T-slots on the box table and it has been modified with the addition of a 4-speed truck gearbox with a flat belt drive. i suspect it will go cheap (which appeals to me) and the extra 6" of stroke can only be a good thing, but it would be a nightmare to unload at this end and seems more likely to need lots of work.
Both of these are, of course, missing their vices.
One of those is a 12" Macson, which is an Australian-made direct copy of the Alba / Elliott machine in the same size.
I have just got off the phone with the seller. He says he bought the machine 30 years ago and has never run it. It was freshly painted when he bought it and still appears very nice, but I recognise that is no indication of what the important bits may be like. He's only about 30 minutes drive from me so i'm thinking of going and checking it out; I'd appreciate some advice as to how to get an idea of the condition. he doesn't have 3-phase power to run it, but I could take my rotary phase converter which would enable me to power it up- but I'm wondering if that might be best avoided in a machine that has sat for so long? Would it be best to dismantle the slidey bits and clean and lubricate first?
The bloke has a forklift that could load the machine onto my trailer- I'm wondering if it would be realistic to unload with my engine crane?
One other machine for sale a little over 2 hours drive from me is a 18" Alba that appears to be in not as good shape- there are a couple of chunks out of the T-slots on the box table and it has been modified with the addition of a 4-speed truck gearbox with a flat belt drive. i suspect it will go cheap (which appeals to me) and the extra 6" of stroke can only be a good thing, but it would be a nightmare to unload at this end and seems more likely to need lots of work.
Both of these are, of course, missing their vices.
Lathe (n); a machine tool used in the production of milling machine components.
Milling Machine (n); a machine tool used in the production of lathe components.
Milling Machine (n); a machine tool used in the production of lathe components.