Hi from Kitchener, ON

[trlvn]

Craig
I am thru Oakville on the 403 every few days.

Do you have experience on a XLO 602 or Bridgeport ?
What do you use the Craftex B1977 for ?
What size of endmill will it handle in 1018 steel ?
What do You like about the mill ?

I'm new to machining and I have no experience with a Bridgeport or clone. So far, my Craftex mill/drill has primarily been an obstacle preventing my wife from parking out of the weather! I'm currently working on redoing my basement shop to have a metalworking end. In fact, the electrician was here today putting in the 220 circuit that the mill needs. Now I just have to finish the walls and move a ton of stuff back into the basement...including disassembling the mill/drill into manageable chunks to take down the stairs.

That said, I think the Craftex is pretty capable. It will take a healthy cut in steel. It doesn't have back gears so the lowest spindle speed is 120 rpm. But top speed is a pretty reasonable 2500 rpm. Hopefully this winter I'll be doing a lot more with it.

Craig

 

[Susquatch]

Ya, I'm surrounded by tobacco farms. But I only grow row crops - corn, soybeans, wheat, etc.

It would be a mistake to call me an experienced machinist. Most good machinists have forgotten more than I ever knew. However, I have reached that magic point in my life where I actually do know enough to know how much I don't know!

I am what most people would call a hobbiest. Basically a fellow who loves machining but never really got paid any serious money to do it.

I did have a great career though and spent a lot of time rubbing shoulders with the machinists. As far as I know, I was the only front office fellow who was allowed to use their shop machines. I got an old lathe when I was about 40 or so and converted an old drill press into a mill of sorts by adding an X-Y table. I used them to support my hobbies and to make or repair things for myself, my family, and my friends. When I retired from industry, I decided to buy a farm and that got me into fabricating and repairing used machinery cuz I couldn't afford new stuff. I also upgraded my mill to a column mill/drill and bought a much better lathe. I'm quite popular with the neighbours cuz I can fix and fabricate things that they can't. 10 years later, I am just finished buying and repairing a really nice old knee mill that I have fallen in love with.

 

[LenVW]

I'm new to machining and I have no experience with a Bridgeport or clone. So far, my Craftex mill/drill has primarily been an obstacle preventing my wife from parking out of the weather! I'm currently working on redoing my basement shop to have a metalworking end. In fact, the electrician was here today putting in the 220 circuit that the mill needs. Now I just have to finish the walls and move a ton of stuff back into the basement...including disassembling the mill/drill into manageable chunks to take down the stairs.

That said, I think the Craftex is pretty capable. It will take a healthy cut in steel. It doesn't have back gears so the lowest spindle speed is 120 rpm. But top speed is a pretty reasonable 2500 rpm. Hopefully this winter I'll be doing a lot more with it.

Craig

Thanks for the info.
I apprenticed as a machinist with ExCellO Canada back in the 80s.
I spent four years milling boring bars and carbide cartridges for GM Diesel, Hitachi, Ford and Willeys Tooling.
I am particularly interested in the B1977 size, due to the size of my basement shop.
See the attached photos.
I do have access to a FIRST 9x36 vertical mill, close by.

 

[YYCHM]

See the attached photos.

No images?

 

[LenVW]

Ya, I'm surrounded by tobacco farms. But I only grow row crops - corn, soybeans, wheat, etc.

It would be a mistake to call me an experienced machinist. Most good machinists have forgotten more than I ever knew. However, I have reached that magic point in my life where I actually do know enough to know how much I don't know!

I am what most people would call a hobbiest. Basically a fellow who loves machining but never really got paid any serious money to do it.

I did have a great career though and spent a lot of time rubbing shoulders with the machinists. As far as I know, I was the only front office fellow who was allowed to use their shop machines. I got an old lathe when I was about 40 or so and converted an old drill press into a mill of sorts by adding an X-Y table. I used them to support my hobbies and to make or repair things for myself, my family, and my friends. When I retired from industry, I decided to buy a farm and that got me into fabricating and repairing used machinery cuz I couldn't afford new stuff. I also upgraded my mill to a column mill/drill and bought a much better lathe. I'm quite popular with the neighbours cuz I can fix and fabricate things that they can't. 10 years later, I am just finished buying and repairing a really nice old knee mill that I have fallen in love with.

I apprenticed as a machinist with ExCellO Canada back in the 80s. The company had a huge plant in London and a smaller one in Clinton, where I went to high school and received the placement from the plant in town.
I spent four years milling boring bars and carbide cartridges for GM Diesel, Hitachi, Ford and Willeys Tooling. Then the recession hit and layoffs were everywhere.
I went back to school to study mechanical design and business.
I recently bought an old King Canada drill press and bolted an X-Y table to its base.
Letting the chips fly brought back memories even though my career has been spent designing machinery and developing processes, every company I worked for had some form of machine or fabricating shop (Not much CNC).
If you hear of a used mini mill in Ontario for sale, give me a call.
The field close to our house in Kitchener is for hi moisture corn.
Len - M.519-320-0384

 

[Brent H]

Hey @LenVW - Welcome from just North of Barrie!

Hope you are having some fun on the site!

@Susquatch : I Lived in Windsor, Merlin and Chatham - moved out East and then back to Barrie, then out of Barrie.....lots of time in my teens out at Lake Erie on the beach

@trlvn : Craig - if you need a hand moving stuff - let me know - I will bring in the troops and gett'er done for you

 

[LenVW]

I came across this in facebook marketplace. It's a little bit of a drive for you but not too far.

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@Susquatch might have some input on this mill for you.

For $150 more there is a bridgeport closer to you in Stratford

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Thanks Garret, but I cannot get a full size ‘knee mill’ into my basement shop.
I do have access to a FIRST 9x36 which is a couple of miles away.
A used Craftex or other desktop mill would be nice.
Thanks
Len in Kitchener (M. 519-320-0384)

 

[Susquatch]

I Lived in Windsor, Merlin and Chatham - moved out East and then back to Barrie, then out of Barrie.....lots of time in my teens out at Lake Erie on the beach

I worked in Windsor my whole career. We lived in Windsor for a while and then further south near Amherstburg.

Merlin is actually the closest place to my farm with a post office. You didn't by any chance swim at Burns Beach did you? Or was that at Erieau?

 

[trlvn]

@trlvn : Craig - if you need a hand moving stuff - let me know - I will bring in the troops and gett'er done for you

Thanks for the offer Brent but I think we're under control. I've got a self-imposed deadline of next week. I rented one of those storage cubes dropped on my driveway. If I keep it past next Wednesday, I'll have to pay another month's rent. SWMBO is not in favour of that! Besides, it is a good excuse to put my 2 freeloading kids to work.

Craig

 

[trlvn]

A used Craftex or other desktop mill would be nice.

I don't know why, but it is often 'feast or famine' on these. There were a couple of similar machines at (online) auction a couple of months ago. They also pop up on Kijiji from time to time. Note that prices seemed to go 20-30% when Covid started. My theory is that more people were looking for a hobby during the pandemic. The actual price will depend on condition and accessories (DRO, power feed, nice vise, tooling). If you see one on Kijiji at a reasonable price, you have to pounce on it or it will be gone.

Good luck and I'll keep an eye out.

Craig

 

[Brent H]

Roger that Craig!

@Susquatch : Erieau - yep! and Rondeau? I know we we all over there as kids. I know people in Lemington as well

 

[gmihovics]

A full size knee mill is too big To get into my basement workspace.
Looking at used Craftex or New King Canada.
Let me know if you. Know of one.
Thanks. M.519-320-0384

if you're willing to drive to Oshawa there are two craftex mills being sold together.

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[darrin1200]

Welcome Len, from a little village called Lyn in Eastern Ontario.
I used to live in Guelph/Kitchener. I actually enlisted at the Kitchener recruiting office. Most of my family still lives there, I just don’t get back often enough.

I’ve got my eyes peeled for a craftex mini milldrill. Seems like a good fit between budget and shop space. But they are few and far between at a decent price. Most of the ones I see are asking a couple of bucks under new price.

While out of my budget, that pair in Oshawa looks like a good deal.

 

[Susquatch]

While out of my budget, that pair in Oshawa looks like a good deal.

I'm not so sure. The add says he kept the spare around to keep repairing the working unit. That doesn't say much about the reliabity of the units themselves. Maybe I'm wrong to think that way, but it would make me nervous.

I was actually looking at a busy bee mill until I talked to one of their employees who told me to forget it. He said they work good until the plastic gears strip - apparently they cannot hold a good load for long.

When the sales guy steers you away......

 

[Susquatch]

@darrin1200 , @LenVW , @gmihovics (hope I didn't leave anyone out - please forward if I did.)

Here is a small mill on Kijiji in Paris. I'm not vouching for it, just pointing it out. I know zero about the model.

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[gmihovics]

I'm not so sure. The add says he kept the spare around to keep repairing the working unit. That doesn't say much about the reliabity of the units themselves. Maybe I'm wrong to think that way, but it would make me nervous.

I was actually looking at a busy bee mill until I talked to one of their employees who told me to forget it. He said they work good until the plastic gears strip - apparently they cannot hold a good load for long.

When the sales guy steers you away......

@LenVW seemed pretty sold on the craftex mills so I thought I would pass it along. You are right though, needing a part donor doesn't make owning own sound promising.

if a sales guy is warning you, you should just run away, he's either going to upsell you or their products are that bad. Either way you are probably going to regret listening to them later.

 

[LenVW]

I will try again.
See the attached.

 

[Susquatch]

I will try again.
See the attached.

No attachment Len.

 

[LenVW]

Sounds like my history. Been there done that. You will enjoy a nice mill (big or small) way more.

I am using the ‘Attach files’ button in the message screen ?
Here are two photos.

 

[LenVW]

I will try again.
See the attached.