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  1. #11
    These are general questions to everyone, not just you Magic.?

    #1 What travels would consider ideal.? . . . In X, Y & Z
    #2 What's more important to you Bed size or Travel.? (Consider often you'll see 3ft+ tables with one or two 6" vices taking up only 18" space.)
    #3 What would prefer to use Vice or Fixture plate.?
    #4 What material cutting ability is most important Steel or Aluminium.?
    #5 What's an ideal footprint.
    #6 Bench mounted or Freestanding..?
    #7 Fully Enclosed or Open.?

  2. #12
    m_c's Avatar
    Lives in East Lothian, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 3 Days Ago Forum Superstar, has done so much to help others, they deserve a medal. Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 2,908. Received thanks 360 times, giving thanks to others 8 times.
    #1 What travels would consider ideal.? . . . In X, Y & Z
    X Probably a couple of feet. It's not that critical for me, as most of my parts are round, and those that aren't round aren't that big, but I wouldn't limit the X when it's relatively easy to make it longer.
    Y Ideally minimum 250mm, possibly 300mm. This is where most small mills fail for me.
    Z I'd want enough height so I can fit a decent (probably 8" or 12") 4th axis under it, so enough to probably get a good 400mm under the spindle nose, and still touch the table with a shortish tool
    #2 What's more important to you Bed size or Travel.? (Consider often you'll see 3ft+ tables with one or two 6" vices taking up only 18" space.)
    Neither really. As long as the bed has a bit room either end of travel, you work with what you've got.
    #3 What would prefer to use Vice or Fixture plate.?
    Both, although if I had the Z room, I'd probably get a Pierson pallet system, then mount what I need on pallets.
    #4 What material cutting ability is most important Steel or Aluminium.?
    Both for me. I need to hog lumps of steel down for repairing things, but most production bits are aluminium.
    #5 What's an ideal footprint.
    As compact as you can get the above with an enclosure, but still be able to overhang the table a bit when needed, or removable panels for the inevitable big bits (I do like the idea of the fixed table/sliding head setup used by Chiron, but it does complicate things)
    #6 Bench mounted or Freestanding..?
    Either as long it has a decent enclosure, and coolant tank.
    #7 Fully Enclosed or Open.?
    Enclosed. I've been soaked by coolant enough times to know enclosed is the only way.
    Avoiding the rubbish customer service from AluminiumWarehouse since July '13.

  3. #13
    Yeah, keeping an eye on all the usual second hand outlets, I think that Cincinnati might be just a little big but I might just squeeze that in.

    BT30 is my ideal/minimum tooling, 6500rpm max spindle speed is NBG, that might do as a minimum though, he must have been a Model Engineer! ;-)
    You think that's too expensive? You're not a Model Engineer are you? :D

  4. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by JAZZCNC View Post
    These are general questions to everyone, not just you Magic.?

    #1 What travels would consider ideal.? . . . In X, Y & Z
    #2 What's more important to you Bed size or Travel.? (Consider often you'll see 3ft+ tables with one or two 6" vices taking up only 18" space.)
    #3 What would prefer to use Vice or Fixture plate.?
    #4 What material cutting ability is most important Steel or Aluminium.?
    #5 What's an ideal footprint.
    #6 Bench mounted or Freestanding..?
    #7 Fully Enclosed or Open.?
    #1 X 800mm x Y 400mm x Z 500mm would be nice (has to have space for a decent 4th)
    #2 I'll use all the travel I have, more is better, floor space limitations
    #3 I can live with fixture plates, you can have one with vice mountings ;-)
    #4 Sadly both Steel and Aluminium are a requirement, I have no objection to a belt/pulley change
    #5 10' wide, 6' high and 5' deep would be in the ball park, could go 12' wide and 6' 6" deep
    #6 Free standing
    #7 Enclosure, flood needs to be an option
    Last edited by magicniner; 11-02-2018 at 01:28 AM.
    You think that's too expensive? You're not a Model Engineer are you? :D

  5. #15
    I have had my mill for 6 years now it stared as a Cincinnati sabre 500 and it ran well for 2 years but then it was a pita. I have stripped all electronics out and replaced all drives with new AC servos and added VFD for spindle. It runs extremely well and all from a 240 1ph socket. Originally it had 500x500x500mm hence being a sabre 500 but as they 500 share the same castings as the 750 i fitted the X axis bearing from a 750 and due to the fact that i still have the 500 table i have a machine that now has 850x630x580mm. You couldn't ask for a stronger base they are extremely rigid. I also have a 4/5 axis that i use and tbh you need a machine this rigid to take the table weight.
    The foot print of my machine is 2x2m and i built a 4x2m shed for it and it serves me well. ISO30 will limit you especially if you want run big fly cutters or boring heads. As well as bt40 or cat40 tooling is readily available.
    I have another machine that is iso30 and i had to buy all my tooling new but rarely buy new tooling for my cat40 Cincinnati.
    Last edited by petesurrey; 11-02-2018 at 11:45 AM.

  6. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by petesurrey View Post
    I have had my mill for 6 years now it stared as a Cincinnati sabre 500 and it ran well for 2 years but then it was a pita. I have stripped all electronics out and replaced all drives with new AC servos and added VFD for spindle. It runs extremely well and all from a 240 1ph socket. Originally it had 500x500x500mm hence being a sabre 500 but as they 500 share the same castings as the 750 i fitted the X axis bearing from a 750 and due to the fact that i still have the 500 table i have a machine that now has 850x630x580mm. You couldn't ask for a stronger base they are extremely rigid. I also have a 4/5 axis that i use and tbh you need a machine this rigid to take the table weight.
    The foot print of my machine is 2x2m and i built a 4x2m shed for it and it serves me well. ISO30 will limit you especially if you want run big fly cutters or boring heads. As well as bt40 or cat40 tooling is readily available.
    I have another machine that is iso30 and i had to buy all my tooling new but rarely buy new tooling for my cat40 Cincinnati.
    Thanks Pete,
    That kinda looks the direction I may have to go, buying new tooling will not be an issue.
    You think that's too expensive? You're not a Model Engineer are you? :D

  7. #17
    Chaz's Avatar
    Lives in Ickenham, West London, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 3 Weeks Ago Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 1,600. Received thanks 110 times, giving thanks to others 69 times.
    Thor came about due to the same questions.

    For me, its all about Alu. What could I build that I could run off 240V and give me as close to Datron's performance for 10% of the cost?

    2 tons of concrete and a lot of labour, Thor exists.

    Is it as good, no, very far from it. It does however give me reasonable results and does what I need.

    Id certainly consider a retrofit machine like the Sabre 500 in future. My other limit was roof height, otherwise Id certainly have considered this too at the time.

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