Clausing 8250 mill?

[lazylathe]

Hi all,

At the moment i have a Sieg SX2L mill.
Quite small and it needs a lot of work and adjustments to get it within spec.

I have the opportunity to buy a Clausing 8250 mill.
Pictures are being e mailed to me tonight and i will then know the condition of the mill.
At the moment it is running on a VFD 220V single phase.
A full set of MT2 collets and a swivel base vice.

Without knowing the condition of the mill...
I was looking for any input from owners of the same mill.
Good and bad.
What to look for iwhen i go and have a look at it.

To me it looks like a step in the right direction as it looks like a very solid and stable machine.
Possibly more versatile that what i have now.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Andrew

 

[rklopp]

I had one of those as my first mill, more or less. I called it a "Clauseport," since it had a Bridgeport head spliced to a 8520 base. The 8520 came from a lab at my former employer, where it had been purchased headless for a one-time project needing a heavy-duty optical translation stage. I think I paid $125 for it. I bought the head from Dave Sobel. The latter was a bit of a rip to make up for the great deal I got on the base. I had to rebuild the head and I fabricated a very stiff mount to join the head to the base. The mount was stress-relieved and scraped into alignment. I dare say the final product was better than an OEM 8520. Stiffness counts!

It was a great little mill, but I bought an Aciera F2 and Deckel FP2NC, which are even better, and I sold the 8520 to free up space.

8520s are great mill, but as with all used machinery, the condition is paramount.

 

[kvom]

IMO an R8 spindle vs. MT would be better, but otherwise that's supposed to be a very good mill.

 

[Sic Semper Tyrannis]

I have one. Has some wear that is evident. Some dings on the table.

I can't complain it was given to me.

Not all that big, but fits great in my garage.

Let me know if you have specific questions.

 

[Mosey]

I have had an 8525 mill for about 10 years, and I like it very much. I also have complete user manuals and parts lists for the variants of that mill, 8530, etc.
I just put an ER25 collet holder/system on it and it is very nice, better than the MT2 collets. If the price is affordable, I wouldn't hesitate. I will gladly answer any specific questions and share the manuals.. It is small enough to get into the shop, and big enough to do some fine mid-size work. Not a toy.
I have replaced the spindle bearings, added DRO, and a power table feed.

 

[RonGinger]

I have an 8513. That one was actually built to have a Bridgeport M head instead of the Clausing head. I called the factory about it once and they said they built a batch of them for a specific customer.

I have had mine for probably 15 years and think its a fine mill. If you can find one in decent shape I would not hesitate to buy it. It would be nice to have a real Bridgeport, but if you dont have room this is a good machine. A lot better than the typical mini-mill.

 

[lazylathe]

Thanks for all the replies and info!

I will post pics of it as soon as they are sent to me.
It will be easier to see exactly what it is.
He has also said he is not sure if it is an 8250, he will have to check but it might be the next one up.

I know that a Bridgeport is definitely out of the question!
Too big and not enough space, but i have a corner that a Clausing will fit nicely into!

Andrew

 

[lazylathe]

It is an 8520 model.
Pictures should be sent this weekend sometime!

Found out he lives about 20 minutes down the road!!!

If all goes well i should be able to break it down into manageable parts and bring them home a few at a time!
This will also give me a chance to clean and check everything before reassembly!

Andrew

 

[Sic Semper Tyrannis]

It is definitely easy to move compared to a BP.

I did it with a small trailer. Rotated the head 90 degrees and actually laid it down. Me and another guy. Cushioned it and strapped it down.

Took 3 guys to get it vertical, but more because it is ungainly not because it is heavy.

Certainly easy to disassemble too. Head, column and base would be a logical and moveable way to break it up.

 

[lazylathe]

Okay, so i have been sent the pictures of the mill.
He has decided to remove the VFD and keep it.
In my mind that should lower the price of the mill since he said it was included.
I have not spoken to him about that yet.

Any thoughts on it's condition?
He has said in his last e mail that quick scotchbrite of the table and a coat of paint and it will look like new.

My first impressions are it looks like a good machine but a first hand inspection is required.
Need to see how bad the table is and other parts.
I noticed that the fine adjustment wheel is also absent.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
If i were to go and have a look do you have any pointers on what to look out for?
Quill bearings etc...

Oh and one other thing, what do you think it is worth?

Andrew

 

[Sic Semper Tyrannis]

One of the handwheels on the little atlas I think will fit. I bought one for mine and drilled and tapped it for a set screw. I have never used it. Always just lift the table.

I'd adjust the gibs for the the table while it is centered then crank it out...and see how far it will go before it gets stiff.

You can see lead screws from underneath...not all of it but some of it. Take a flashlight.

No idea on bearings.

Price? No idea. As I said mine was free. The guy that owned it had the idea that anything less than a bridgeport was beneath him.

On ebay I have seen them from 500 to 1500. depending on vise/tooling/ condition/ location.

 

[kvom]

Check for backlash. Take a DI and measure runout on the spindle.

Run knee full up and down, and X/Y axes over full range.

How do the ways get lubricated?

 

[lazylathe]

I will have to set up a meeting, maybe next weekend to go and see the mill.
Give it a good once over.
Hopefully he has not removed the VFD and i can power it up!

How are the ways lubed?
No clue, but most likely the same way that my Sieg does.
Manually by me whenever using it! ;D
Could possibly install a one shot lube system?

Thanks for the tips!
Keep them coming!!

Andrew

 

[Mosey]

The ways are lubed by squirting oil into a series of zerk fittings, manually. I can give you an operators manual with all of the locations shown, and the specs for lubing. Nothing special.

 

[lazylathe]

Thanks Mosey!
That would be great!

I will PM you my email address!

Andrew

 

[tattoomike68]

It looks oil starved but a Home shop guy could lube it up and make a go with it.

It has potential/

 

[n4zou]

Hopefully he has not removed the VFD and i can power it up!

Whenever I check a spindle that can't be powered up I just wrap a rope around a pulley and yank it like we did small engines back in the day. Just turning it by hand without the belt will let you feel for bad bearings. I do that even when they can be powered up. If it's hard to turn and/or you can feel "bumps" as you turn it by hand you know the bearings are shot.

 

[Sic Semper Tyrannis]

Mine has ball oilers. A couple oilers on each x y and z axis. Some on the spindle, some on the fine down gear train.

I lubed mine today, trammed the vise, aligned the head and adjusted the gibbs. They were all loose and I am wondering if it was because it was cold in the garage.

 

[Mosey]

You're right, I guess they are ball oilers. 10 of them all together. Clausing says "Oil Daily, with S.A.E. #20 oil"
The handwheel for the fine-feed has a pin in the back to engage with it's gearbox. you could probably do this without trouble.

 

[Sic Semper Tyrannis]

You get the mill yet?????