FS Astoba universal mill / lathe

This is an Astoba benchtop universal mill & lathe, made in Switerland. I'd like $3,500. Here is some info from Tony's site (in fact, my machine is pictured there): Page Title

Is it substantially indentical to the Hommel machine, though the Hommel was made in Germany and I'm not sure which preceeded the other. Here's another link from Tony's site: Page Title

My machine is well tooled. It comes with an indexing rotary table, both metric and english collet sets, metric and english thread cutting plates (and all the necessary gears), milling table, attachment for power longitudinal feed, graver t-rest, rear mount cutoff tool holder, boring bars, milling vise, fly cutters, three jaw chuck, four jaw chuck, two drill chucks (one on a spindle arbor, one on a tailstock arbor), steady rest, draw bar collet work stops, face plates (x3), grinding table, grinding wheel, lathe dogs, knurling cutters and bars, slotting cutters and bars, hold down clamps, 4-position cutting tool holders (x2), end mills, and

[WHEW ...]

the head stock bearing pin spanner, horizontal mill headstock arbors (x2), headstock drill, extra chuck arbors (x2, in addition to one already mounted to a chuck), tailstock drill chuck arbor (one, in addition to the one already mounted to a chuck), tailstock dead centers (x4, two long two short), tailstock V-arbor, tailstock flat plates (x3, I’ve used these to start a die straight), headstock centers for metal (x2), headstock centers for wood (x2, they have pointed center pin and two sharpened dogs).

Bob Farr
(313) 673-6679 cell
[email protected] or PM me here

Pics of my machine:

More pictures:





Nothing is rusted, that brown tint is dried up oil goo on the power feed gears that I haven't cleaned yet:

Last pic, some of the miscellaneous tooling:

Bob, it would be of interest to know the swing, center to center, collet capacity, thread range, overall dimensions, weight, etc. I am not going to buy it, but someone should, and we all like to know more about such rare and neat machines.

Larry

Good point Larry. Here are some more specific details:

Lathe: With the spindle mounted on the bed it turns 7" over the bed, 4" over the cross slide, and 8" between centers. With the spindle mounted horizontally on the milling column the machine can face material much larger than 7". Set it up like this for turning large diameter workpieces:



Mill: The column is 20" tall. There is 7-1/2" of daylight between the milling table and the spindle face in the vertical configuration. The spindle can also be laid over at 90-degrees to work like a horisontal mill or grinder. The spindle does not have a traditional internal quill. However, it does have downfeed via the column rack lever, and even has a metric micrometer downfeed feature. The mill table has metric scales cut into the surfaces, and has resetable metric handwheels:



Collets: The metric range is 2mm-10mm. The English range is 3/32"-3/8". The spindle through bore diameter is 14mm/.55".

Chucks: One 5-inch four jaw chuck with reversible jaws mounted on a degreed back plate; one 3-inch three jaw chuck with two sets of jaws (inner and outer) mounted on a degreed back plate; two 5-inch faceplates with t-slots and threaded dog holes both mounted on degreed back plates; one 6-inch faceplate with t-slots mounted on a plain back plate (no degree marks).

Threading: The metric threading range is 0.5-2.0mm in 10 steps. The English threading range is 28-8 TPI in 11 steps. Threading is done manually via change gears on end plates and a handwheel: a sliding universal driveshaft runs up to the compound table to coordinate movement of the threading cutter:



In this picture I was using the Astoba to make a new acme leadscrew for the cross feed of a 12" Atlas/Craftsman lathe. The Astoba handled the whole project. It turned several diameters, cut two different threads and milled the key slot, all on a shaft that was longer than its between-centers capacity (the small end fit into the spindle bore):



Dimensions: The machine is 20" wide, the column is 20" tall, and the base is 12" deep. The column is removable, so the machine can be broke down for shipping into a package that is about 20"x12"x8" (plus crating). I have not weiged it, but everything is made of quality case iron or steel and I'd guestimate the whole package at 120-150 lbs. I do have a comprehensive owner's / operator's manual that goes with the machine.

Bob Farr
(313) 673-6679 cell

Bob Farr,
When I wore a younger man's clothes, I would have walked thru fire for a machine like yours. I hope it finds a good home with someone who will use and appreciate it instead of a static display as a museum piece.
SmokepoleSC

Speed ranges of the motor? 120volt 60hz?

For milling you remove the chuck and the shaft off the back of the motor (I think) holds the tool?

(Perhaps a picture of it in use as a vertical milling machine?)

Are the collets to any standard, or one wanted more would one have to make them? Does the manual include specs for the collets?

Smokepole,

Thank you for the kind compliments. I've done my best to give it frequent use and good care while in my possession. Now it is somebody else's turn.

Brian,

The speed range is 95-4,400rpm. A photo of the motor lable is attached. The manual states that it is 220v but that it is "available for other voltages." The motor is currently running 120v, 60hrz and is reversable:



For milling the the lathe headstock is removed from the bed and attached to the swiveling head plate on the vertical column. The spindle can hold cutters in collets, or it also has dedicated milling cutters which fit a solid drawbar and have the spindle taper included. It has both a handle and micromoter downfeed in this configuration, plus X and Y axes on the table. The milling vise and the rotary table (with a chuck attached) fit under the head with ample milling or drilling space available:



The collets may or may not be a proprietary design by Astoba. I have not been able to identify them yet, and there are no specs in the manual. There are some marking on the ends which will perhaps help. There are a total of about 50 metric and english collets, so precision turning of round stock in the range of this machine is easily covered with the collets included:





Best regards,

Bob Farr
(313) 673-6679

I am sorry to bump this ad just to say "SOLD" but the edit option apparently gets disabled after a few days. Thank you to everyone who expressed an interest. The machine went to a gentleman in Maryland and I am confident that he will put it to good use.

Bob

The buyer would like to report that the good Mr. Farr was a pleasure with whom to transact business.

--Michael

Make of the collets W14 for Astoba KWM

Hi,
the metric collets were made by Schaublin. (The ones with the SV on it.
I have the same one as well as well as an other make marked with a "M" on it? Must be from a German Company but I have noc clue!

Best Regards, William

Bob Farr said:

Smokepole,

Thank you for the kind compliments. I've done my best to give it frequent use and good care while in my possession. Now it is somebody else's turn.

Brian,

The speed range is 95-4,400rpm. A photo of the motor lable is attached. The manual states that it is 220v but that it is "available for other voltages." The motor is currently running 120v, 60hrz and is reversable:

For milling the the lathe headstock is removed from the bed and attached to the swiveling head plate on the vertical column. The spindle can hold cutters in collets, or it also has dedicated milling cutters which fit a solid drawbar and have the spindle taper included. It has both a handle and micromoter downfeed in this configuration, plus X and Y axes on the table. The milling vise and the rotary table (with a chuck attached) fit under the head with ample milling or drilling space available:

The collets may or may not be a proprietary design by Astoba. I have not been able to identify them yet, and there are no specs in the manual. There are some marking on the ends which will perhaps help. There are a total of about 50 metric and english collets, so precision turning of round stock in the range of this machine is easily covered with the collets included:

Best regards,

Bob Farr
(313) 673-6679

Click to expand...