New Lathe

[Blogwitch]

Chester UK are now importing their range.

http://www.chesteruk.net/store/ceriani_david_203_lathe.htm

The the basic lathes seem reasonably priced, until you look at the ridiculous price of the stand and backsplash. Should be a lot cheaper in Italy.

The mills are grossly overpriced for their specification. You could buy a Bridgeport clone for what they are charging for a very basic mill.

http://www.chesteruk.net/store/ceriani_david_mills.htm


Blogs

 

[NickG]

I just noticed that last night too!

 

[Paolo]

Hi my friends....
Yes I'll let you know when the lathe will be on my bench...Blogs I'll report to Mister Ceriani that claim... He seams to be very sensitive man.
I posted in a different site the "photostory" of arrival and cleaning of my Bf20..I don't know if this is the right place to post it...Maybe in a shop section?
Regards
Paolo

 

[Debian]

Looks like the first to be overpriced is that uk vendor, the lathe is 33% and the mill is 45% more expensive than in Italy. For sure the mill is anyway too expensive, but You buy an original italian made machine, and not simply a clone or something from Cina.

 

[Blogwitch]

Paolo,

...Blogs I'll report to Mister Ceriani that claim... He seams to be very sensitive man.

I certainly hope that you do, if we don't complain about being overcharged for a machine, the retailers certainly won't.

Debian,

You buy an original italian made machine, and not simply a clone or something from Cina.

I don't really know what you mean with your statement. Unless you are inferring that Italian made machines are better than far eastern. Not ever having owned a machine from Italy, I can't comment on that, but with regards to my £4k chinese milling machine (as I said a lot less cost than the Italian one) I have nothing bad to say about it at all, and WOULD guarantee that it is a lot more rigid and have a larger capacity than the Italian benchtop one shown, and it has a lot more features both on the machine and the supplied DRO.

Which one would you decide on if you had the space to fit it?


Blogs

 

[Paolo]

Blogs
I'm here not discussing on which is better or not!! A part so I believe that the answer at your question is in the question it self...

Which one would you decide on if you had the space to fit it?

If you don't have?
Best regards

 

[Debian]

Well Blogs,
I would never start a polemic with You, because I learned to love this hobby thanks to Your posts, when You were not just a witch (just take a look here, I wrote that 1 year ago): http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=3480.0

For sure Your mill is much better than the italian one we're talkin' about, but not everyone have all that space! and You know that, in proportion, the bigger the machine, the lower the cost.
Than everyone knows that, usually, on far eastern machine You have to do a lot of cleaning and adjiusting before to get it to work. You know how to do that and I'm sure You could write a book on that, me.... not for sure!!! eheh, that's why I'd prefer a "ready to go" machine, like a wabeco, a ceriani, a myford.... etc etc.

By the way, everyone here in Italy use to say the Ceriani Mill is really too expensive, so... at last, You're right and me... maybe I'd just need to improve my english to don't fall in dangerous misunderstanding.
Really hope to read soon about some of Your new creations, all the best,

Paolo

 

[Paolo]

Hello My friends
I had a long talk with Mister Ceriani...He admitted the price that the stand is a bit expensive..for some reason...But that is not my business!! He allowed me to report you that...:"If your friends have a question to pose they can contact me for any reason and I'll give always an answer"..So feel free and contact him for price, description, or whatever you like....

 

[Blogwitch]

Debian,

I wasn't trying to compare size for size, but value for money.

My mill needed nothing doing to it by the way, it was ready to go from the off. All that needed to be done was level up and grind down a handle spring, as it was too strong for my feeble muscles to compress and hold.

What I was really trying to get over, is that machines are treated the same as designer labels.

Got a name for itself, certain people would pay for it, even if it was garbage.

Now to upset a lot of diehards.


Myford is a very good example. People crave for them, and boast that it is the best small lathe available, and pay silly money to own one. Why?

I have owned a Myford, OK it was an old one, and it did the job, but only like thousands of other lathes on the market. Why should I pay 5 times more than I paid for my lathe, and end up with a machine that was designed for the 60's & 70's and has improved very little since. The company are resting on past laurels, and hoping that people won't realise how far behind the times their lathe really is.

When you get to the Hardinge and Monarch, then yes, they are great machines, but are limited to who can afford both the cost of the machine and spares, and workshop space.

To me, a good machine is a good machine no matter what name it has, and I have found my cheapo far eastern machines are good.
I had some trouble with the original lathe I had delivered, but that was completely sorted by the importers, and now to me, it is the best machine I have ever owned, and wouldn't swap it for a designer lathe if it was offered to me.

So why the extra cost of a machine that will machine no better than the one I have got? I am sure that most people would prefer value for money rather than the so called designer machines.


Blogs

 

[1Kenny]

I have owned an older mill that was made in Italy. It was easy to maintain and cut well.

Kenny

 

[stpjokin1996]

Sorry but what is a Lathe for?

 

[Tin Falcon]

Stephanie:
The lathe is the king of machine tools. with a well equipped lathe you can make almost anything one piece at a time.
Look here there are several hours of decent videos that will give you the basics of machine shop work and tools.
http://techtv.mit.edu/genres/24-how-to/videos/142-machine-shop-1
and more lathe videos here
http://www.wswells.com/video/index.html
I think this will answer a lot of basic questions.
Tin

 

[NickG]

I have owned an old myford and I didn't see what all the fuss was about either. It wasn't good at all. Maybe that was because it was old and worn. Then I used a boxford at school and thought my machining skills had improved 100 fold overnight! That was a nice machine.

I know somebody that has just bought a nearly new myford for a small fortune and he isn't that impressed with it. But on the other hand, I know somebody with a large bore version with DRO etc and he swears by it, but it must have cost an arm and a leg.

I'm sure you could get a chinese lathe for less than half that price, more features, better capacity and achieve the same results.

Each to his own, but personally I can't see why myfords are so expensive and what all the fuss is with them.

Nick

 

[Paolo]

I don't know if it is the right place for posing the pics but...Finally at home!!!! Yesterday my new Ceriani lathe arrived!!! Due to some battery problems I wasn't able to take a pics of his arrival...
The strong board box..with dividers....

On his place....

another view

Some adjustment are needed...moving that..and the shelf....

Wheel room...

original tool post...

I started to try to install my Phase II tool post...It was very hard..but finally...the pics are for tomorrow sorry!!

 

[ariz]

ohhh, you got it finally!
it looks a beautiful machine , and stays perfectly on your bench

I'm happy for you Paolo, this is a great improvement to your workshop!

but we want more pics ;D

 

[NickG]

Looking good Paolo. Your milling machine looks the same as mine!

 

[Paolo]

Hi NickG
This is a good mill...It is an 'Optimum Bf 20....
Best regards
Paolo

 

[Paolo]

I did some changes around the lathe...sorry I didn't had time to pose until now...
I have done an emergency wrench...(Waiting for the new)

Chuck removed

working on the new backplate

Done!!!

The 5C collet chuck installed...

Shelf moved!!!

Wall plugs moved!!

 

[phlegmatic]

Good choice Paolo! Say, how much is the model with potentiometer on it in Italia?

Are you still happy with it?

 

[steamer]

Nice Looking lathe Paulo!

Dave