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What is it?

This topic has 18 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 19 November 2022 at 22:06 by Pete..

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18 November 2022 at 14:52 #621669
Pete.
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@pete-2
Anyone know what this little mill is? It was listed as a "Baby Bridgeport" as the seller didn't know either, the hammerite monster removed the nameplates during the attack, I've added a photo with a 300mm/12" combination square to give some scale it's not huge in size, but seems pretty well made with tapered gibs on both table axis and pretty heavy castings.

But at a loss to what it is I'm guessing 80's or early 90's Taiwan import? Anyone have any idea?
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18 November 2022 at 14:52 #14710
Pete.
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@pete-2
Mystery Machine
18 November 2022 at 15:23 #621673
Dave Wootton
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@davewootton
Seem to remember something very similar marketed under either the Ajax or Pinnacle brands by a firm who had a showroom in Birmingham. Think you are correct and it is a Taiwanese import it would have been early to mid 80's when I visited there, my firm bought a couple of large Pinnacle lathes from them, they were quite nice machines.

Dave

Could have been called Graham engineering, but it was a long time ago!
18 November 2022 at 15:39 #621676
Pete.
Participant
@pete-2
I had a Pinnacle 9×20 Taiwan lathe made in 1988, it was actually very well finished, it had hardened bed ways with nice grinding, hand scraped cross slide ways, the only thing that let it down was the gear train, it was a metal plate attached to the back of the headstock with all the gears on, it seemed like an afterthought and everything meshed quite poorly, I'm not sure if all 9×20 versions are like this?

It was supplied by a company called Excel machine tools which are in the midlands.

I've scraped some paint off and there is Warco green underneath, so it's possible they could have imported it
18 November 2022 at 16:05 #621680
Clive Foster
Participant
@clivefoster55965
Fairly sure one of the smaller Home Workshop / Model Engineering suppliers had either that style of machine or one very similar to it with more modern squared off styling of the ram on display at one of the Kempton Park Model Engineering Exhibitions.

Traded as Engineers ……… (something) as I recall. Possibly based in Wales. Fairly sure the proprietor retired in the early 2000's. Nice man to deal with.

I got a decent DRO system off him for a very reasonable price to fit the one off VFD driven Chester Lux style machine I'd recently bought. Seeing the "Baby Bridgeport" I thought "Dammn, should have waited and saved up a bit more!".

I've since seen that style of machine on a German importers web site around 2010.

Clive
18 November 2022 at 16:35 #621682
Dave Wootton
Participant
@davewootton
Pete

You are right it was Excel machine tools I visited that sold Pinnacle lathes, just couldn't remember the name, memory is dodgy these days!

Dave

Several importers used the Warco green ( Euro machine green or Reseda Green, I once worked for a machine importers and the choice from the Taiwanese factory was the green or a light blue grey. Some of the small mills( A1-S) were badged for resale by yet another company as Elliott and were always specified euro green.

Edited By Dave Wootton on 18/11/2022 16:40:55
18 November 2022 at 18:53 #621704
Dave Halford
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@davehalford22513
Posted by Clive Foster on 18/11/2022 16:05:07:

Fairly sure one of the smaller Home Workshop / Model Engineering suppliers had either that style of machine or one very similar to it with more modern squared off styling of the ram on display at one of the Kempton Park Model Engineering Exhibitions.

Traded as Engineers ……… (something) as I recall. Possibly based in Wales. Fairly sure the proprietor retired in the early 2000's. Nice man to deal with.

I got a decent DRO system off him for a very reasonable price to fit the one off VFD driven Chester Lux style machine I'd recently bought. Seeing the "Baby Bridgeport" I thought "Dammn, should have waited and saved up a bit more!".

I've since seen that style of machine on a German importers web site around 2010.

Clive

Possibly Engineers Toolroom?
18 November 2022 at 18:55 #621705
Craig Brown
Participant
@craigbrown60096
Pete

I have one of these machines, they are quite a rare beast. Yours (assuming you purchased it) is only the third one I have seen online after some quite extensive research. Mine was sold by Excel in 1981, and is currently in storage awaiting restoration.

Be interested to know if you do own it to compare notes.

Cheers, Craig
18 November 2022 at 19:20 #621708
Pete.
Participant
@pete-2
Mystery solved, thanks Craig, I had a look at your photo album, I remember seeing yours for sale but my brain remembered it as a slightly different machine, but no it is the same and yes I did purchase this it just got delivered today.

It was local so I was able to go and have a look at it before the auction ended, I thought it was a pretty solid little machine so put a bid in.

I see you have the horizontal support section and Arbor, which mine does not have which is a shame but it wasn't silly money so can't complain.

Could I ask what power your motor is on the vertical spindle, the rating plate has been removed on my, I'm guessing 1hp?
19 November 2022 at 06:45 #621750
Craig Brown
Participant
@craigbrown60096
I seem to remember the KW of the motors being less than I was expecting for their physical size, maybe only 0.5KW (0.75ish HP), but I will check and get back to you.

I too was impressed by its mass for its size, they are an odd height though, when I commission mine I will be raising it slightly on a stand.

I can take some photos and dimentions of the horizontal support if you like, wouldn't be much work to make one.
19 November 2022 at 09:44 #621759
Pete Rimmer
Participant
@peterimmer30576
I'd say that was about as perfect a small workshop machine that it's possible to get for reasonable money. I would have bought it in a heartbeat.
19 November 2022 at 10:06 #621760
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by Pete Rimmer on 19/11/2022 09:44:57:

I'd say that was about as perfect a small workshop machine that it's possible to get for reasonable money.

.

I’m inclined to agree, Pete

… it looks chunky in all the right places, and decently built.

MichaelG.

.

Compare: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire_Bull_Terrier

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 19/11/2022 10:10:22
19 November 2022 at 12:22 #621783
Howard Lewis
Participant
@howardlewis46836
A small universal milling machine would be an asset in almost any workshop.

The welsh company mentioned might be Engineers Tool Room. Sadly, I fear that the owner, Reg Pugh, is no longer with us. Reg was an ex toolroom man so knew what he was importing

He supplied my lathe, and it has been quite satisfactory.

Howard.
19 November 2022 at 13:03 #621788
Clive Foster
Participant
@clivefoster55965
Dave, Howard

Yep. Engineers Toolroom it was. Reg was a very nice and very impressive man.

Until I got my full grown Bridgeport I'd always somewhat regretted that the fiscal and practical stars didn't align well enough to swop out my VFD driven "Lux-a-like" for the baby Bridgeport he had on show. Not that the Lux-a-like wasn't a decently impressive beast in its own right but, like everything in the real world it had its niggles and the Baby Bridgeport didn't suffer from the particular niggles that seriosuly annoyed me.

Clive
19 November 2022 at 20:53 #621842
Craig Brown
Participant
@craigbrown60096
Only 0.4KW. I knew I was surprised because its size is more like that of a 1.5KW
19 November 2022 at 21:27 #621846
Pete.
Participant
@pete-2
Thanks for that, it's definitely less than you'd think, my motor is three phase and having no tag on it I opened it up check if it's dual voltage, it's not so I took it off to weigh it and it's 13.2kg which is about what I'd expect from a 1hp 0.75kw which is what I'll likely replace it with.

It also has an odd tapered shaft on the motor.
19 November 2022 at 21:31 #621849
Pete.
Participant
@pete-2
Posted by Pete Rimmer on 19/11/2022 09:44:57:

I'd say that was about as perfect a small workshop machine that it's possible to get for reasonable money. I would have bought it in a heartbeat.

I thought thought it was pretty good too, and the fact it has int30 on both spindles sealed the deal, I can swap tooling between my VM30.
19 November 2022 at 21:33 #621850
Pete.
Participant
@pete-2
I did also find this, it lives on with a few changes.
19 November 2022 at 22:06 #621854
Pete.
Participant
@pete-2
Posted by Craig Brown on 19/11/2022 06:45:35:

I seem to remember the KW of the motors being less than I was expecting for their physical size, maybe only 0.5KW (0.75ish HP), but I will check and get back to you.

I too was impressed by its mass for its size, they are an odd height though, when I commission mine I will be raising it slightly on a stand.

I can take some photos and dimentions of the horizontal support if you like, wouldn't be much work to make one.

Thanks that'd be good, if I can can find a horizontal arbor I'd like to have that capability, so I probably will make a support, photos dimensions would be helpful.

Yes the height of the machine is odd, or should I say the height of base, quick assessment gave me a 400mm sub base height to get the table to my hip, I'm an average 5' 11" so if you're tall you might need to increase that a bit.
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