burke #4 horizontal mill - opinions?
Michael Catano
A burke #4 has come up for sale in my area for what seems to be a
pretty good price. I'm curious if anyone on the list has experience
with these machines, and can offer an opinion as to whether or not
they're appropriately-sized for doing main tube mitering. It seems
like it's on the verge of either being just-big-enough or not-quite.
The machine is very well maintained, in excellent mechanical shape,
and runs smoothly/quietly with no play in any of the important places.
Any real-life experience any of you might have with these machines
would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Michael
chi il
Hubert d'Autremont
I have a Burke #4 and it isn't really big enough for much of
anything.
I debated for a while weather or not to sell it and ended up keeping
it.
At this point all I use it for is slotting and mitering bosses and
bridges. If it has the universal table it is great for this.
The biggest issue you have with mitering is the size of the rotary
table the amount of throw the machine has. DT miters need a lot of
clearance.
Anything with a slot on the front of the table can help a lot.
What is the price if you don't mind me asking?
Wade and I both have a benchmaster which is really an awesome little
machine. I got mine for free but I don't think I would ever trade it.
It has quite a bit of throw and is truly a benchtop mill. I think
there is even one on the bay at the moment. You can usually find them
for less than $500.
I know that Jeff at Sputnik has mounted some mitering set ups to
smaller Atlas mills as well. A Barker may have enough throw but I'm
not sure and I know other people on the list have them.
If I were you though I might keep an eye out for a Hardinge TM or UM.
They are really wonderful machines and parts are readily available
though in the 1200-1800 range.
The main thing with buying any machine is to make sure that most of
the frosting is still on the ways and that everything runs smooth.
Don't go by what the paint looks like cause you can easily get a dud.
If you know any reliable machinists around it may be worth paying them
for a couple hours of time to take a look with you if it is yoru first
machine. A couple hundred bucks to do this may seem expensive but it
will save you in the long run. Buying a part for any machine gets
expensive really fast.
Also Joe at Plaza Machinery is a great resource for used machines and
parts and will ship all over.
Lately I've been fixing up machines more than I have been building and
it sucks.
Hope this helps.
Hubert
Burlington, VT
Michael Catano
Thanks for the info.
The shop selling the machine is asking $350. Their secondary business
was repairing/restoring/refurbing machine tools, and the burke
consequently seems to be in great shape. The machine was used for one
operation (slotting plastic, iirc) on a job they had for a few years
about a decade or so ago. When they lost the job, the machine was
stored and hasn't been used since. They're downsizing the shop,
moving to a new location, and consequently looking to unload some of
their equipment.
I've been looking for a benchmaster for a while after seeing a few of
them come up in flickr streams, but not been able to find one locally
(or regionally) for a good price.
Best
Michael
teryk
> They are really wonderful machines and parts are readily available
> though in the 1200-1800 range.
available" ?
I have a TM and I love it. Just finished mounting up my new vertical
head last night and I finally located a horizontal arbor for it after
months searching for one. While it is possible to find parts I
wouldn't say it is easy and it requires some persistence. Some parts,
such as original arbors and arbor supports are like hen's teeth and
cost a premium when found. If you are going to buy one and want to use
it as a horizontal, make sure if comes complete.
Teryk
Ken Cameron
I am finally getting around to setting up my Nichols horizontal mill
for day to day mitering. Unfortunately when I bought it, it did not
have a half nut for the "X" axis installed. It has the lead screw,
and a place to put a handle, but no half nut. Instead it has the
production rack to hand feed the x axis. I can however, lock the x
axis with some work stops and the travel limits.
Since this will be a dedicated notching machine with a rotary table
and assorted fixtures, I was thinking about locking the X axis in one
place, positioning the center of the rotary table on the center line
of the spindle, and bolt it all down. The centerline of my tube
clamps will also be pinned in to the center line of the rotary
table. By keeping all the centers in place, I can be better able to
cut my tubes to length with out worrying about things getting moved
about and throwing off my length gauge.
Alternatively, if I can locate a half nut, it might be nice to be able
to make some small adjustments or be able to use the machine for other
things if I pull my fixtures off.
Any thoughts on the lock down approach? Any one know where I can get
a Nichols x axis a half nut. I'd rather not have to make one, but
will if i must:
http://www.docsmachine.com/projects/halfnut/nut01.html
-Ken Cameron
Wissahickon Cyclery
As for your question about the current set-up I have all the axis on my Hardinge locked (some with actual bolts and plate) except the feed ( y axis) since the fixture rotates on center.
-Drew
Drew Guldalian
Wissahickon Cyclery
7837 Germantown Ave Phila,PA 19118
www.wiss-cycles.com
www.engincycles.com
Brent Steelman
I have been using a Nichols for dedicated tube mitering for years. It
has the rack and lever arrangement, but this has never been a
disadvantage. I personally would not waste the effort to install a lead
screw. You are not going to be feeding the tube cut with the lever, so
lock it down where you need it and feed the Y with the handwheel. They
are nice tight machines (our shop has 2).
Good luck and I am sure your setup will produce great results.
best,
Brent
Steelman Cycles
3600 Haven Ave #5
Redwood City, CA 94063
tel:650-364-3939
fax:650-364-4029
in...@steelmancycles.com
www.steelmancycles.com