Did any of you buy Enco's 8x36 or equivalent machine? What do you think
of it?

Bill

On Oct 28, 1:48 pm, Bill Schwab wrote:
Did any of you buy Enco's 8x36 or equivalent machine? What do you think
of it?

Bill

I owned one for a couple of years. I got mine from W.T Tools. Heres
the link:
http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/p...illing_Machine

It's $2,895. If you ask nicely they will probably give you a 10% or
15% discount. BTW, this is a three phase machine and includes the VFD.

I converted mine to CNC. It's a great machine. I moved and sold the
machine to a friend (He loves it also) then bought a Bridgeport clone
from W.T. Tool for the new shop. I converted that one to CNC also.
Here's a link:
http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/p...illing_Machine

Gang,

Another suggestion lead me to take a quick look at Grizzly as a price
check, and the machine below jumped out as unique. I think I know much
of what you will say, but please have a look at:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G9959

and rip it to shreds (or not) as you deem appropriate. The price and
weight are pretty attractive. The x-travel stinks, but that's not what
usually hurts me. The cross travel is excellent. I assume it is
suitable to Al at best???

Among the pluses of my mill-drill is spindle/table capability. I do not
even want to know how high it will go. Every so often, I crank it up a
bit, and it gets pretty ominous looking. The 8x36 I mentioned falls a
little short there, and I have not seen a riser block for it (haven't
looked very hard yet).

Bill

On Oct 28, 10:04 pm, Bill Schwab wrote:
Gang,

Another suggestion lead me to take a quick look at Grizzly as a price
check, and the machine below jumped out as unique. I think I know much
of what you will say, but please have a look at:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G9959

and rip it to shreds (or not) as you deem appropriate. The price and
weight are pretty attractive. The x-travel stinks, but that's not what
usually hurts me. The cross travel is excellent. I assume it is
suitable to Al at best???

Among the pluses of my mill-drill is spindle/table capability. I do not
even want to know how high it will go. Every so often, I crank it up a
bit, and it gets pretty ominous looking. The 8x36 I mentioned falls a
little short there, and I have not seen a riser block for it (haven't
looked very hard yet).

Bill

A friend of mine has a very similar mill. It's not bad, but the 8X36
is much better. For instance, the G9959 does not have a an adjustable
ram. You have, however, hit on the biggest weakness of the 8X36, it's
table to spindle distance. Given the limitations of each I would much
rather have the 8X36. In almost all cases where it was a problem I was
able to overcome the 8X36s short spindle to table distance by creative
setups. The 8X36 is also called a baby Bridgeport. It is very, very
similar to a Bridgeport (although it has no head knuckle or power
spindle feed, neither one of which I missed).

I would get either the 8X36 or a full sized Bridgeport clone.

rgoldner wrote:
On Oct 28, 10:04 pm, Bill Schwab wrote:
Gang,

Another suggestion lead me to take a quick look at Grizzly as a price
check, and the machine below jumped out as unique. I think I know much
of what you will say, but please have a look at:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G9959

and rip it to shreds (or not) as you deem appropriate. The price and
weight are pretty attractive. The x-travel stinks, but that's not what
usually hurts me. The cross travel is excellent. I assume it is
suitable to Al at best???

Among the pluses of my mill-drill is spindle/table capability. I do not
even want to know how high it will go. Every so often, I crank it up a
bit, and it gets pretty ominous looking. The 8x36 I mentioned falls a
little short there, and I have not seen a riser block for it (haven't
looked very hard yet).

Bill

A friend of mine has a very similar mill. It's not bad, but the 8X36
is much better. For instance, the G9959 does not have a an adjustable
ram.

I understand at least some of what I could do with that, but how much
does it add? Does it help to compensate for cross-travel limits? At
what cost?



You have, however, hit on the biggest weakness of the 8X36, it's
table to spindle distance. Given the limitations of each I would much
rather have the 8X36. In almost all cases where it was a problem I was
able to overcome the 8X36s short spindle to table distance by creative
setups.

Can you give some examples of what you mean? I deal with that now, but
mostly in relative distance; I am not kidding when I say my mill-drill
gets scary tall


The 8X36 is also called a baby Bridgeport. It is very, very
similar to a Bridgeport (although it has no head knuckle or power
spindle feed, neither one of which I missed).

I would get either the 8X36 or a full sized Bridgeport clone.

Fair enough. Capacity vs. money and weight. Where's that anti-grav
unit I ordered??

Thanks!

Bill

A friend of mine has a very similar mill. It's not bad, but the 8X36
is much better. For instance, the G9959 does not have a an adjustable
ram.

I understand at least some of what I could do with that, but how much
does it add? Does it help to compensate for cross-travel limits? At
what cost?

I believe that by extending the ram and swiveling the head you can
actually get the spindle off the table edge. This could be helpful
when you want to work on a the end of a long part clamped to the front
edge of the table (the part would be verticle). And yes, it does
compensate for shorter X travel.


You have, however, hit on the biggest weakness of the 8X36, it's

table to spindle distance. Given the limitations of each I would much
rather have the 8X36. In almost all cases where it was a problem I was
able to overcome the 8X36s short spindle to table distance by creative
setups.

Can you give some examples of what you mean? I deal with that now, but
mostly in relative distance; I am not kidding when I say my mill-drill
gets scary tall


For example, when I had to ream a hole in a tall piece I cut off some
of the shank of the reamer to get the distance I needed from the drill
chuck to the part.

The 8X36 is also called a baby Bridgeport. It is very, very

similar to a Bridgeport (although it has no head knuckle or power
spindle feed, neither one of which I missed).

I would get either the 8X36 or a full sized Bridgeport clone.

Fair enough. Capacity vs. money and weight. Where's that anti-grav
unit I ordered??

Thanks!

My advice is to spend the absolute most that you can afford and get
the heaviest mill with the biggest working envelope available for that
money. You will never regret getting a larger and heavier mill, but at
some point will regret getting a smaller and lighter one.

My advice is to spend the absolute most that you can afford and get
the heaviest mill with the biggest working envelope available for that
money. You will never regret getting a larger and heavier mill, but at
some point will regret getting a smaller and lighter one.

As I just posted in a reply to Nick, storm damage is a realistic
scenario. I do not have to be able to move a mill far or often, but I
would want to be able to do so. If I buy something that will have to
stay where it lands, I want to give that some serious thought. Ron, the
guy who first taught me how to run a mill, says he has dragged BPs by
himself. However, a BP might move by itself on Ron's command (nicest
guy you'd ever want to meet, but one scary looking dudeg), so that
might not count. Other folks report everything from "no problem" to
"don't try it". Looking at the various reports, something happens
between 1500 and 2500 lb.

Bill

On Oct 29, 10:59 am, Bill Schwab wrote:
My advice is to spend the absolute most that you can afford and get
the heaviest mill with the biggest working envelope available for that
money. You will never regret getting a larger and heavier mill, but at
some point will regret getting a smaller and lighter one.

As I just posted in a reply to Nick, storm damage is a realistic
scenario. I do not have to be able to move a mill far or often, but I
would want to be able to do so. If I buy something that will have to
stay where it lands, I want to give that some serious thought. Ron, the
guy who first taught me how to run a mill, says he has dragged BPs by
himself. However, a BP might move by itself on Ron's command (nicest
guy you'd ever want to meet, but one scary looking dudeg), so that
might not count. Other folks report everything from "no problem" to
"don't try it". Looking at the various reports, something happens
between 1500 and 2500 lb.

Bill

You really can move a BP by yourself if you know how. You use a
Johnson bar (a long pry bar) to lift the front about an inch or so.
Then, put a piece of round bar or heavy pipe under it. Do the same in
the rear. Now you can manhandle it around. As a pipe comes out from
under one end of the base put it back on the other end of the base. As
long as the surface (hopefully concrete) is relatively smooth and
level you will not have a problem. I have not personally done this,
but when my Baby Bridgeport was delivered by my rigger (a small guy
without huge muscles), I was astonished at how easy it was for him to
move it exactly where I wanted it using this method.

Bill Schwab fired this volley in
:
Other folks report everything from "no problem" to
"don't try it". Looking at the various reports, something happens
between 1500 and 2500 lb.


My Cincinatti #2 with the table and head on tips around 3-grand.

I had a truck wrecker strongarm my Cincy #2 off the flatbed, and put it
just inside the door threshold of my building. Then I finished the wall,
and put in a door G.

With a fair collection of stout, long pry bars, fulcrum blocks, and 4'
long x 1.5" steel rollers, I was able to move it single-handed to the
final position.

It wasn't so much hard, as it was a "thinking job". THINK what'll happen
if it slips off the rollers. THINK where your hands and toes are at all
times. Think, think, think -- and when you thunk it all, think some
more.

I'm not a big guy -- 'bout 180 wet, and a year away from 60; but it never
taxed my strength, just my fear-factor.

LLoyd

Lloyd,

Bill Schwab fired this volley in
:
Other folks report everything from "no problem" to
"don't try it". Looking at the various reports, something happens
between 1500 and 2500 lb.


My Cincinatti #2 with the table and head on tips around 3-grand.

I had a truck wrecker strongarm my Cincy #2 off the flatbed, and put it
just inside the door threshold of my building. Then I finished the wall,
and put in a door G.

With a fair collection of stout, long pry bars, fulcrum blocks, and 4'
long x 1.5" steel rollers, I was able to move it single-handed to the
final position.

It wasn't so much hard, as it was a "thinking job". THINK what'll happen
if it slips off the rollers. THINK where your hands and toes are at all
times. Think, think, think -- and when you thunk it all, think some
more.

I'm not a big guy -- 'bout 180 wet, and a year away from 60; but it never
taxed my strength, just my fear-factor.

That sounds about right for what I would need. I suspect I would feel
better "thinking" (good point!) it across the garage using a crane and
dollies vs. rollers. If I can find an appropriate tool at a reasonable
price, I would certainly consider buying it.

Thanks,

Bill

On Oct 28, 10:04 pm, Bill Schwab wrote:
Gang,

Another suggestion lead me to take a quick look at Grizzly as a price
check, and the machine below jumped out as unique. I think I know much
of what you will say, but please have a look at:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G9959

and rip it to shreds (or not) as you deem appropriate. The price and
weight are pretty attractive. ...

I used the Enco 100-5100 equivalent for a while. Its work envelope is
about the same as my Clausing and the R8 spindle is more useful. The
main parts were reasonably well made although the little fittings were
junk, and it needed some tweaking. But overall it was acceptable for
non-critical prototype work (deliverables and flight hardware always
went to the main machine shop anyway).

Bill Schwab wrote:
Did any of you buy Enco's 8x36 or equivalent machine? What do you think
of it?

I have an older version. Other than being
a little cramped under the spindle and in
the Y-axis, it's a great machine. I fitted
mine with a VFD and X-axis power feed.