Good Evening all, Im looking into potentially buying a milling machine, and found this Burke (
BURKE MILLING MACHINE milling machine Milling Machine - tools - by... ) in my local area. I cannot figure out which model it is, and do not know sufficiently of mills to know if this will meet my needs. I make small parts for espresso machine primarily, and occasionally larger parts such as the case at 12" length. Please help me find more info and understand the capabilities of this machine. Thank you all for any input.
What drcoelho said. That appears to be a #4 // B100-4.
I have one - disassembled at the moment for a significant modification to get rid of the silly bizness of hanging a heavy motor way out to one side.
It was about the same money, but at least not worn out, had no significant damage, and even came with enough B&S #9 tooling and cutters that I didn't have to spend a great deal on tooling.
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It isn't good choice for general-purpose milling to begin with.
The ridiculously tiny work-envelope (12-13 inches is the LONG axis, the others are EVEN LESS!) wudda been fine for a company making multiple tens of thousands of some small part year after year, but is just too restrictive even as to set-up when one job after the next is NOT the same as the one before it.
Naturally, I soon bought a larger mill! So in a sense, the #4 was
money wasted.
For "tiny spaces", a sliding-head Burke or Diamond (both very rare) or a sliding-head Nichols (not rare, just not common) are all far better mills in not a lot more floor space.
Burke, USMT, Sheldon, Hardinge, and a dozen others made more useful small horizontals above that, about "one size up" if not two.
Further, unless you were TRAINED on a horizontal for a couple years BEFORE verticals, and actually PREFER them? You aren't a "mill hand" and would be better-off starting with an easy-peasy
vertical mill.
Most verticals are not as stiff, but they don't require a lot of skill to learn to do the
basic stuff with, either.
Vertical mills make lousy drillpresses,
(the reverse, even MORE so!!) but lousy is better than NONE, and better than drilling with a horizontal, so there's another reason to go with a vertical mill for a space-limited hobby shop.
Keep looking...