Considering a Milling Machine

[Brian Leach]

Hello All,

I am considering buying an EMCO FB-2, 6 speed milling machine. It is the older, green version, not the Taiwanese, and has a 24 inch bed.

I am a novice and was wondering if anyone has some advice for me.

The price is $1600, which seems to be a good buy to me.

Thanks for the help, Brian

[Bodo Langbehn]

Hi Brian,

I have worked over twenty years with an old green FB-2. I like to work with this machine, it is strong enough for aluminum and brass and quite exactly. I would buy it if the condition is o.k. Does the price includes equipment?

Regards

[Brian Leach]

Bodo,

Thank you for the response.

Some equiptment does come with it, though I am not sure what. What ever comes with it is not much. I will look at the machine later today

You are lucky to live where you do. It is very beautiful.

Brian

[Fabrice Le Roux]

Brian,
Take a clock dial gauge along with you. Or borrow one from the vendor. Check the bed is true, not warped in either axis. Check the shaft for wobble indicating worn out thrust bearings. Rigidity is the key to any milling machine.
Backlash in the leadscrews can be adjusted for up to a point, but use a torch/mirror to look for damage/nicks/cracking of the leadscrews.
Run it in all speeds and listen to the gears and feel for vibration in the drive train.
Hope you get a well-oiled, tight-based, low-hours honey (bit like wife hunting ).
cheers, Fabrice

[Robert E Morey]

Hi Brian,
We have one of the green EMCO Maier milling machines at work. If they ever close the place and auction the equipment I want that mill. Its not as well maintained as Fabrice described but it is a nice machine in good but dirty condition. Even has a 2 axis DRO (Digital Read Out).

If the table isn't chewed up, and travels easly in X and Y and the headstock gears run smoothly and Z motion is smooth then I'd take it. Even a Taiwan mill of this size will be $1000, so I don't think you will loose. I see tooling for them occasionally on evilbay. I think they are still made and sold in Europe if I'm not mistaken? Anybody know?

You can see the work quality Bodo does on his...

Let us know how the inspection goes....
Bob

[Brian Leach]

Fabrice, Bob;

I have already taken a look at the mill and it looks good so far as smoothness and lack of vibration. Everything seems to work as expected, I see no obvious defects and it is SOLID! Tomorrow I will take another look with a dial indicator.

Thanks again guys!

Bob, things seem to be looking up, Congrats!

Brian

[David Da Costa]

Good luck with it Brian, mills are fun

I finally got my new Novakon NM-135 CNC mill moved into my workshop this week to replace my Littlemachineshop 3501 (Seig KX1) cnc mill.

David