Jim Wilkins wrote:

You have a Sieg X2, right?

The quill feed makes a mill handier as a drill press but on an old
worn machine like mine it's an extra wear surface contributing to
inaccuracy. In geometric terms your single dovetailed Z axis should be
more precise and rigid. I suspect that with heavy production use it
might wear faster than a quill plus a knee supported at its center of
gravity. Unless you need to duplicate complicated broken machine parts
you may have a better hobby mill.

The Clausing has too many adjustment joints to be solid enough for
heavy cuts. You can see them in use here,
http://www.lathes.co.uk/clausing%20vertical/
Like a Shopsmith or my Toolmaker surface grinder, each additional
degree of freedom that increases versatility also decreases stiffness.


The X2 is what it is. Looking in Grizzly catalog the shipping weight is 149
lbs. The next one up (X3??) is 418 lb.
Putting an indicator on a mag base on the table with the point against the
column (not the spindle or head, just the column) about 2/3 up I can make it
flex 0.020" in both directions.

I do not know how it compares with anything else (which, in a sense, is why
I started this thread in the first place) but I suspect that the difference
will be significant even against the X3.

I know that people pour concrete into their column and devised all kinds of
brackets to strengthen it - I am not sure if that amounts to flogging a dead
horse.

At this point it does not matter too much as few thou either way are not
kill me. If it ever becomes an issue one will probably consider an upgrade.

--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC