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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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#1
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RF 45 or Chinese Knee Mill
Hi,
I am looking at adding a milling machine to my home shop. I can either buy a RF45 (Taiwanese Rong Fu, not a clone) or for slightly more a Chinese Knee mill with coolant and power feed. Both will probably do what I need. Can anyone give me a push in one of these directions? I have basically restricted my search to a mill with a square column/dovetails. I know it would be better to get a used Bridgeport, or some other American Iron but where I am (Western Canada), these machines (well used) are typically 5000 USD+ used, which is more than I want to spend. Thanks for any guidance you can provide. Chris |
#2
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RF 45 or Chinese Knee Mill
On Sep 23, 3:17 pm, wrote:
Hi, I am looking at adding a milling machine to my home shop. I can either buy a RF45 (Taiwanese Rong Fu, not a clone) or for slightly more a Chinese Knee mill with coolant and power feed. Both will probably do what I need. Can anyone give me a push in one of these directions? I have basically restricted my search to a mill with a square column/dovetails. I know it would be better to get a used Bridgeport, or some other American Iron but where I am (Western Canada), these machines (well used) are typically 5000 USD+ used, which is more than I want to spend. Thanks for any guidance you can provide. Chris Chris truck freight on a machine out of the US might be way more affordable than you think. I'm in a similar situation in eastern ontario machine availability is almost non-existent unless i go to western ontario or new york appropriate NON BRIDGEPORT machines (INDEX EXCELLO CINCY) and similar machines can be had reasonably easy 800km of LTL shipping on a machine of about 1.5 tons was about $1K and 100 for brokerage IN my case i found a gap that let me pick it up for less than 1000 in rental and mileage. I wound up with a full sized Index model 45 for less than a clausing 8520 or 8530 goes for. the trick is to avoid paying the "bridgeport tax" I will not call bridgeports bad machines but they have a name premium associated with them at the moment that they dont necessarily deserve and ythat premium and attention actually droves DOWN the price of otherwise excellent non bridgeport machines Thought i'd mention the other options Brent Ottawa Canada |
#3
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RF 45 or Chinese Knee Mill
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#4
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RF 45 or Chinese Knee Mill
I was in your shoes a couple of years ago and ended up going for a used
Clausing 8520, looked long and hard at the RF45 and other China iron and just couldn't do it... I could have run the machine as is but decided to restore it, that gave me a real appreciation for "older" american iron: http://gallery.intlwaters.com/thumbnails.php?album=323 wrote in message ps.com... Hi, I am looking at adding a milling machine to my home shop. I can either buy a RF45 (Taiwanese Rong Fu, not a clone) or for slightly more a Chinese Knee mill with coolant and power feed. Both will probably do what I need. Can anyone give me a push in one of these directions? I have basically restricted my search to a mill with a square column/dovetails. I know it would be better to get a used Bridgeport, or some other American Iron but where I am (Western Canada), these machines (well used) are typically 5000 USD+ used, which is more than I want to spend. Thanks for any guidance you can provide. Chris |
#5
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RF 45 or Chinese Knee Mill
Terry, that's a great looking restoration job, and the intlwaters site photo
layout is very good too WB .......... metalworking projects www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html "Terry Keeley" tkee(no wrote in message ... I was in your shoes a couple of years ago and ended up going for a used Clausing 8520, looked long and hard at the RF45 and other China iron and just couldn't do it... I could have run the machine as is but decided to restore it, that gave me a real appreciation for "older" american iron: http://gallery.intlwaters.com/thumbnails.php?album=323 -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com |
#6
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RF 45 or Chinese Knee Mill
Thanks!
Was a labour of love "Wild_Bill" wrote in message .. . Terry, that's a great looking restoration job, and the intlwaters site photo layout is very good too WB ......... metalworking projects www.kwagmire.com/metal_proj.html "Terry Keeley" tkee(no wrote in message ... I was in your shoes a couple of years ago and ended up going for a used Clausing 8520, looked long and hard at the RF45 and other China iron and just couldn't do it... I could have run the machine as is but decided to restore it, that gave me a real appreciation for "older" american iron: http://gallery.intlwaters.com/thumbnails.php?album=323 -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com |
#7
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RF 45 or Chinese Knee Mill
On Sep 23, 1:17 pm, wrote:
Hi, I am looking at adding a milling machine to my home shop. I can either buy a RF45 (Taiwanese Rong Fu, not a clone) or for slightly more a Chinese Knee mill with coolant and power feed. Both will probably do what I need. Can anyone give me a push in one of these directions? I have basically restricted my search to a mill with a square column/dovetails. I know it would be better to get a used Bridgeport, or some other American Iron but where I am (Western Canada), these machines (well used) are typically 5000 USD+ used, which is more than I want to spend. Thanks for any guidance you can provide. Chris Thanks to everyone who responded. Chris |
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