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Machine Tools Warehouse MD-003

Kernel Sanders

Kernel Sanders

Well-Known Member
Good afternoon,

I've been eying a supposedly lightly used (but very clean ) Machine Tools Warehouse MD-003 mill/drill but I cannot find much info about it nor Machine Tools Warehouse either. I searched here too but the link to the company I found was a broken link too. :(
I'm wondering if anyone has one or has used one and can give me an opinion on it?

Thank you kindly
 
The front panel looks almost identical yes. I can only see the pictures in your link but cant see the full size to know for sure. Yours was converted to CNC so without the handles obviously. but the one I've been eying has the offset handle in the base (like a knee mill) that raises and lowers the head like the BB CX611
 
Ok, that is a slightly different machine then. General comments and my humble opinion on it.
Gear head makes a heck of a racket running in any gear.
What spindle taper is it? Hopefully R8 and not MT3.
For manual machining it's fine, capable but don't believe that it can run a big shell mill or similar. Sweet Spot for mine was a 3/8" or 1/2" endmill, or a 2-1/2" face mill (using only 3 of 6 inserts) for surfacing work.

Mine had bad bearings in it from day one, related to poor installation and over size shafts for the bearings. Fixed that right away but still had loads of gear noise.
The weak link in the machine is the column. Too thin a casting, causes too much deflection, limiting the size of cutter and the gear head limits the rpm you can run to get better use of smaller cutters.
Lastly, before I converted mine, I do remember the electrical switches were wired rather oddly, never would have passed a CSA field inspection but didn't bother me as I was converting it anyway and had a 3 phase motor to stick in place, requiring the electrical to be gutted.

Machine Tools Warehouse was one guy in Toronto importing these machines from China, as at the time the only source was in the US from a company called Industrial Hobbies. They were selling machines as manual or converted to CNC. They eventually folded or bought out and became Charter Oak Automation. I think they are defunct now as well.
Anyways I think MTW closed down as well.
 
Thank you very much Mike_R, that is most appreciated!

That definitely helps in my decision on the one I was eying. if the persons asking price drops I may reconsider but I do really dislike excessive gear noise for sure. I'd rather like to hear the actual cutter making chips instead lol

I also (to a milder degree) don't like that I could not find much in the way of documentation or support for a perhaps low/small produced machine. Makes me think that I'd rather have something either still available or that more people actually use.

again I do really appreciate your comments and opinions :)
 
Kernel Sanders said:
I do really dislike excessive gear noise for sure. I'd rather like to hear the actual cutter making chips instead lol
Click to expand...

You might want to refine your search to look for a totally enclosed oil bath gear head. They are much quieter. I'm not sure you could hear the sound of nice chips, but you would certainly hear the chatter and squeal of the normal chips most of us make!

If you ever get down Chatham way, drop by and I can demonstrate.

FWIW, listening to the cutter is one of my favorite ways to know how happy it is.
 
Sorry that what I meant... hearing the cutter to know if its happy or not. Though the chips flying around making a mess to clean up after can be somewhat satisfying as well lol :)

Thank you for the invite and may take you up on that :) I so rarely get down that way anymore though.

Keep the chips flying!
 
I should expand on my noise comments. I've only had 3 milling machines in my life, a 3-in-1,the MTW MD-001 and now my Tormach 1100S3. The 3-in-1 and the Tormach are belt drive, and were night and day quieter than the gear head. The gear head is full of oil, with maybe only the final gear drive to the spindle not fully submerged. The noise is definitely proportional to how fast it runs, and I was using it above its normal design speed often as I had a VFD and wanted higher rpm for carbide tools. Run as intended it's not terrible but not great either.
 
I had a MTW ZAY7025fg mill. The z axis crank is at the bottom right. It can just be seen in the picture. The gears ran fairly quite.
IMG_3898.jpeg
 
@Johnwa
THAT looks to be the exact machine I've been eying! (except no DRO) The only difference I can see is the name/info plate with the model number. The one I'm looking at the plate is white not black and model MD003.
 
Kernel Sanders said:
@Johnwa
THAT looks to be the exact machine I've been eying! (except no DRO) The only difference I can see is the name/info plate with the model number. The one I'm looking at the plate is white not black and model MD003.
Click to expand...
There is lots of Z travel! But I kept bumping into the xy travel restrictions (5x11???j. I think you can get a larger table size now. Other than the size I would say it was a Very good mill.

wmtcnc.en.made-in-china.com

[Hot Item] ZAY7025FG Gear Head Hobby Milling and Drilling Machine

After-sales Service: Video technical support, Online support Warranty: 1 Year Type: Worktable Milling Machine Object: Tool Structure: Desktop Milling Cutter Type: Vertical Milling Cutter
wmtcnc.en.made-in-china.com
 
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