opinion; old German milling machine

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liveaboard
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opinion; old German milling machine

Post by liveaboard »

In Portugal where I live, privately owned machines are rare, so are decent prices.
The problem with dealers is that they always strip off all the tooling.
So hunting around the internet, I found this;

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Universal-Werkz ... _Auction=1

"made in Germany", but that would be East Germany, 1965 or something it says.
I don't know if I can arrange transport at a practical price, but if I could, what do you think?

It's an auction so the price could go up.
I've never used a milling machine, know almost nothing about them.
I would have to buy sight unseen; it's not practical for me to travel there to look at it.

There are more machines in Germany. old ones like this go for prices I could pay.
John Hasler
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by John Hasler »

That's a really interesting design with the shaper-like Y axis.
wally318
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by wally318 »

Go to the Lathes.uk site.
They have information on this machine.
Click on the archives page and in the milling section, alphabetically.
Its another derrivative of the Deckel style mills.
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liveaboard
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by liveaboard »

Thanks for that.
It reads like it's a hell of a machine, or it was when it was made.
I haven't had luck finding transport.
wally318
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by wally318 »

I took a closer look at the pics.
It look like it will need a bit of cleaning up at the least.
But everything seems to be there. Plus some tooling. +++
Power, you need to ask about the motor voltage/phase.
The tag on the machine says its 1550 kg/3300 lbs
about 2X the weight of a deckel FP1, with larger table travels
in all directions. Its a fairly big starter machine, but if you have room
for it and have/can use the capacity and can see it run,
might be a good machine.
If you look at the Deckel pages @ Lathes.com click on FP2
you'll see the specs. But speeds might be a bit lower at the top end.
The machine pre-dates mass carbide usage.
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liveaboard
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by liveaboard »

Thanks for taking the time;
I have 380v 3-phase 50Hz at my place, and I can build a shed to house it.
The problem is moving it; 1,000 miles is not difficult, but getting it onto the transport is difficult.
I wrote to the seller [in native German] to ask about the loading situation; is the approach flat, is there a large door, is there anyone close by with a forklift we could hire?
I got an enthusiastic answer from a woman who didn't seem to understand the questions.
I think it's a widow machine.
It appears to be on a concrete pad in a home garage with a low ceiling.
I doubt I can arrange transport at a practical price, given the conditions. I can see the 380v power plug lying in the tray, so at least we know the electricity is disconnected.

As you said, pretty big for a starter machine. I was intimidated by larger lathes I saw, but later I realized larger doesn't mean more difficult to use.
I seriously doubt this machine will come to me, but dreams are free!
Russ Hanscom
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by Russ Hanscom »

Go for it. I bought a Gorton mill in New York (I am in NM)on ebay with a ridiculously low bid - expected to get outbid. Took three days each way to travel. I took a pile of blocks, rollers, and rigging. It took most of a day to safely load; it was in a garage and had to be rolled out and up a ramp. Had to buy a trailer as no rental outfit would let theirs go out of state; sold the trailer for $100 more than I paid when done. Quite an adventure, but I am glad I have the mill.
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liveaboard
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by liveaboard »

Thanks Russ;
I can't go there myself. Aside from being away from home for 6 days, the cost would be crazy, and I have no vehicle that can even tow a trailer that could carry it.
Tolls + fuel would be $400-$500 for my little car, twice that for a truck that could carry the machine. If I had one.
However;
I now have an offer from a transport company for around $1,000.
So I'm probably going to bid on it; it's still a long shot, but I'm really quite excited!
Russ Hanscom
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by Russ Hanscom »

Such type of machine has a hollow base and is notoriously top heavy. I built a temporary base for mine out of heavy planks so I could expand the footprint and use rollers under it. If you have access to a pallet jack, those are really handy for moving that type of equipment.
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liveaboard
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by liveaboard »

At home I have an agriculture tractor with pallet fork that can lift it.
I presume the moving crew will have a pallet wagon; but it might be tough getting the machine onto it.
I will warn them about it being top heavy if things go that far.
I've asked the seller to provide pictures of the approach, building, and road. If there are stairs or anything, I'll have to give it a miss.
Luckily, I have a German person to help me with the correspondence.
OH asks; "What do you want to make with that huge expensive machine??"
I don't even know; but something always turns up.
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Harold_V
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by Harold_V »

One rarely purchases a machine for a specific task. Machine tools are owned to provide freedom for the owner, to allow their use for unknown future projects. They also fulfill needs those of us have in the way of building one's small empire. One can not own too many machines.

I have several machines that see little use. All are important to me. They solve problems that might otherwise be difficult to resolve.

Luck with the mill. You'll wonder how you got along without it if you are fortunate to end up with it.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
John Hasler
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Re: opinion; old German milling machine

Post by John Hasler »

liveaboard writes:
> OH asks; "What do you want to make with that huge expensive machine??"
> I don't even know; but something always turns up.

Tools, fixtures, improvements and enhacements for that machine (and others). Surely there are things your lathe needs that require a mill.
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