Subject: Re: SMITHY - to buy or not? Other choices???

From: Mac <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 17:03:10 GMT

Hmm...what plastic are you refering to?

THe only plastic I can find is the mill pulley cover and 
the the knobs on the lock down handles.

Also, isn't the swing over the bed and the max length 
between centers shorter on the ShopTask?

-- 
Mac
Homebrewer and tinker by choice, Computer geek by trade.

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From: [email-masked] (frazier_rick)
Date: Sat, 13 May 1995 00:38:39 GMT

In article [email-masked], Craig Logan <[email-masked]> () writes:
> I'm interested in getting a small combo lathe milling machine for 
> small hobby work.  The Smithy CB-1200XL is in my price range, and
> appears to be of sufficient size to do the work I need to do.  I have
> seen other cheaper units (Harbor Freight), but want to be able to get
> replacement parts and upgrades later.  Comments on the Smithy or
> alternatives would be appreciated.
> 
> Thanks, Craig Logan
> 
> [email-masked]

We've bought a ShopTask for use here at work, and I really like it.  I've
used it more for personal projects (weekends, after work) and it's not too
bad, considering the china connection.  It's got a longer reach for the mill,
(away from the lathe chuck) so you don't have to take the chuck off the head 
every time you want to use the mill.  Of course, the mill quill has a fairly
short vertical range, but it's more than useable once you get used to mounting
mill work higher on the table.   I'm not sure of replacement parts, and you
need to pay up front to get one (or wait about a year).   These units are shipped
out of Aberdeen, WA., and is a fairly small organization.  When we bought ours for
work, the basic unit was shipped to us right on schedule, but one of the "free"
accessories (fly cutter set) took a couple of months to get to us.  All in all,
I'd buy another one (or one for myself, if I didn't have unliminted access to
the one at work).

The shoptask comes with the holes for stepper motors, so you can upgrade to 
computer control if you want....

-rick

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Rick Frazier at Atalla Corporation, San Jose, CA.       [email-masked]