Axminster CT150 Restoration

[JonnyD]

The machine weighs in at 750 kgs

Are you sure that is right my sedgwick MB weighs in at 390KG which only just over half the weight of yours.

jon

 

[wizer]

Forgive my engineering ignorance. But do welds really hold that much weight? i.e welding is literally like adding metal, rather than a sort of glue to hold things together.

 

[Benchwayze]

The machine weighs in at 750 kgs

Are you sure that is right my sedgwick MB weighs in at 390KG which only just over half the weight of yours.

jon

One day I might get to grips with 1kg being equal to 2.2llbs.
On the other hand, at 70 yrs of age, why should I worry, until it matters. Like now!

You are correct Jon. My machine is about 390kgs. Still a bit Bl**dy heavy to roll around on three pieces of 1" dowel though, so I must get this lifting problem solved. (Lifting it onto the undercarriage that is!)

I think I'll hire an engine hoist from VHS tool hire.

 

[johnjin]

Hi Wizer
Welding properly done is at least as strong as the steel it is welded to.
When welding the heat melts the steel that you are welding to creating a liquid pool that you then add to with the welding wire. This pool should be deep enough to nearly penetrate the steel. I am not a welder but have done a course and I am sure people more skilled in this subject could answer your question better.
HTH

Best wishes

John

 

[jhwbigley]

Iv done a bit of welding, mainly arc welding.

Iv also made myself a mobile base for my TS

basically as john says welding joins material together by the process of melting the parent metal and allowing it to fuse together as it solidifies.

Electric arc welding makes use of a flux coated filler rod that acts as an electrode. A low voltage, high electrical current is struck between the electrode rod and the workpiece. The heat produced by the resulting electric arc melts both the rod and the material to be joined. The rod acts as a filler for the joint and so is comsumed in the welding process.

jhb

 

[wizer]

Well now I know. Thanks very much.

 

[white_sw]

May I ask where you purchased the "£28.00 - New Euro Style Guard " from ? I ask because I picked one of these up earlier in the year
for an absolute bargin of £50 :lol: but it is missing the guard. Appart from that it is in very good nick indeed.....

 

[Chems]

Axminster of course, they had 8 in stock, code was NTG. Arrived a few days later. Can't beat Axminster, got a new Jet air filtration unit for christmas, control unit is broken, 5 min phone call and a new one is on the way.

 

[Ironballs]

I recall seeing an episode of a car is born where they showed that half an inch of weld would hold half or one ton of weight. Can't remember which, but you get the general idea

 

[wizer]

Welding is yet another skill i'd love to learn. I'm saving metalworking for my 40's

 

[Ironballs]

Built my own bike frame on a course this year, learnt brazing and fillet brazing. Loved every minute

 

[Chems]

My thread has been totally hijacked by welding! Inless your offering to weld me a mobile base I hence forth ban welding talk!

Kidding of course, but my mobile base will be wood made. It does get your thinking thou, once you move into serious machine territory, star-rights and wadkins you really do need some strong bases.

 

[Ironballs]

I'd be tempted to find a local welder who could do a base for you, very strong and a much smaller construction than a wood one would be

 

[Chems]

There is no need for a metal base at a mere 75kg, I can lift the thing around on my own. A quick ply base will do for this boy.

 

[wizer]

There is no need for a metal base at a mere 75kg, I can lift the thing around on my own. A quick ply base will do for this boy.

I hope you don't regret saying that in a few years when you've been in bed for 2 weeks with a crippling back condition.

I said things like that three years ago when, even tho I'd had a back problem already for a few years, I dug out 6 inches of rubble and rocks from my garden and installed 3k of hardwood decking on my own. Then the year after did it all again when installing a patio at the other end of the garden.

Take care of your back. It's no fun being a cripple

 

[OPJ]

Chems, you really should get yourself some kind of wheel kit if you do plan on moving it around. How are you lifting it? You should NEVER lift a planer by its tables/beds. Put a straightedge across the whole thing after doing so and you'll see just why...! :?

 

[9fingers]

Chems,

I have the Jet version of this machine and the 8" model. The whole thing is very similar but does not have the handwheels that yours uses for table adjustment.

I'm intrigued by the mechanism that it must have to turn a rotating handle into a linear motion at right angle to the axis of rotation with lots of mechanical advantage. I presume it cant be a simple rack and pinion as it would be too stiff to turn and not be self locking.

The jet has adjusters with their axis of rotation in line with the axis of table movement with a worm gear followed by rack & pinion
Any chance of a description and or photo?

TIA

Bob

 

[wizer]

Off Topic:
But Jet and Axminster machinery MUST be coming from the same factory and the same designers? Mustn't they?

 

[Chems]

Chems,

I have the Jet version of this machine and the 8" model. The whole thing is very similar but does not have the handwheels that yours uses for table adjustment.

I'm intrigued by the mechanism that it must have to turn a rotating handle into a linear motion at right angle to the axis of rotation with lots of mechanical advantage. I presume it cant be a simple rack and pinion as it would be too stiff to turn and not be self locking.

The jet has adjusters with their axis of rotation in line with the axis of table movement with a worm gear followed by rack & pinion
Any chance of a description and or photo?

TIA

Bob

I'm not sure if I followed all that, but the tables don't lock, they are sturdy enough that they don't need to be locked but on the other side of the chrome handles is a small plastic knob which you can tighten to lock the tables. Also a grub screw to increase the friction of the tables movement on the ends, this can also lock off the table, I've locked off the outfeed table on this one.

I think this one will show the movement best:

There is a rack and pinon in there and the left to right movement is used to on a pivot to translate this into the up and down motion you get when you wind the handles. Its a shame I didnt get more pictures as I had it broken down into all the parts, it was easy enough to take apart but putting the pivots back in for the tables was a real pain. Its very sturdy in its construction and I've been lifting it about by the sort of base section so no harm to the tables. You'd have to have a fairly wide grip to be able to lift 75kg via the tables! I can just reach over to the other side of the main block and one hand on the other side and pick it up. Its on the base at the moment but its coming off to have the base painted and then it will be back on for the final time. Just requires that base painting and the fence and other table polished up and its all systems go.

 

[9fingers]

Off Topic:
But Jet and Axminster machinery MUST be coming from the same factory and the same designers? Mustn't they?

Well if they were the same I would not be asking the question??

The chaiwanese machinery industry works like this.

A basic design is undertaken and casting patterns are made.
Several foundries make rough castings to this design
Many machine shops take these castings and make badge engineered machines from them with minor differences.

This is how the
axminster/charnwood/jet/grizzly/warco/chester/myford/SIP/draper/etc etc brands sell marginally different machines with different accuracy, different degrees of support with widely varying prices and quality.

I learned this from a chap whose job it was to visit the foundries and machine shops to assess the quality on behalf of the uk brands.
When Myford wanted to offer milling machines, they applied strict quality controls to their suppliers and imported machines that they inspected before selling on. I have one of these and it is very good indeed. After a few years their rejection/re-work rate got too high and they dropped some on the machines from their range.
I suspect that Axminster and Jet impose high standards on their suppliers and hence the (general) high quality of products we see from those brands but with minor details changes such as on the planers.

regards

Bob