"spaco" wrote in message
...
| Get the square column!!!!! And,if at all possible, get a knee mill.

HF and Grizzly sell a floor model knee mill that is about $1500 that has
a tilting and swivel head, but IIRC, it's belt drive. Don't know if anyone
has any commentary about that one. I plan on raising it up so that it's
higher off the floor to get the table a good bit higher. I'd obviously
prefer a knee mill, but would like to know what I'm trading off between that
model and similarly priced bench models. For me, shipping isn't that big a
deal because I live near enough the Grizzly store in Bellingham, WA that I
can go pick it up. Hopefully getting it in and out of my F350 4x4 won't be
too horrible!


| They do have bench models, I think. That realignment thing is a major
| issue as far as I am concerned.---- Maybe it's because I don't plan far
| enough ahead? For what it's worth, I only use the spindle for Z
| movement when I am drilling or boring. (Get power Z if you can!) I use
| the knee for Z movement when I am machining to a spec. and for down
| feeding when I am feeding end mills.
| I know that the price differences are confusing. Currently, I have
| been looking at 14" X 40 Lathes. I can get one for $3,000 or I can get
| one for $10,000. So I built a little Excell spreadsheet to help me
| "see" the differences. Spindle bore and weight seem to be two good
| indicators there.

I'm working on that very thing myself, but as you learned, it's a bit
harder to populate all the fields as it sounds, due to the lack of
consistant detailed data between suppliers. How to group by equivalent
machines is also kinda tough, as there are slight differences between
different clones, as no one is really sure about who makes what machines at
the exact time I go to make my purchase. Service will obviously be a big
part of the difference, so Grizzly due to its proximity to me and good
spares service will weigh in heavily. I think comparing the downloaded
owner's manuals will tell me a lot about the differences, but I won't know
until I go to do that.

| I consider the vertical mill and the lathe to be lifelong
| investments, so if at all possible, try to get your hands on the tools
| on your "short list" before you actually plunk down the money. Even if
| it takes a couple of trips to do it.

That's pretty much the plan, but I still have practical considerations
such as available real estate, power (I plan on/expect to be staying in this
house with 150 amp service for awhile, and it has a two car garage.

| I have never seen the catalog descriptions say such things as
| "plastic knobs and handles", "soft screws and bolts", "lot's of play in
| the gibs", "hard to adjust", etc., but 5 minutes in front of the machine
| can tell you a lot, even if it isn't plugged in.

I've looked over the models at my nearby HF store, and being floor
models, I do take into account the beating they take as a floor model. It's
somewhat indicative of what I'll see over the years.

| From my experience on this newsgroup, I'll bet that if you get your
| list assembled, tell folks approximately where you live and ask for
| input, you'll find plenty of places to visit.
|
| Pete Stanaitis

I live in Everett, WA, just a bit north of Seattle. I don't want to
blow a whole day or more of vacation going to get a machine, though, as that
then becomes the equivalent of shipping expense, but all reasonable
considerations are acceptable.