JHOLLAND1
Titanium
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2005
- Location
- western washington state
MICROTOR
While memory still serves me I will recall features of an unusual Spanish tool room lathe- the Microtor D 330. This machine was a product of ICO-TOR, San Sebastian, Spain. I purchased the machine in 1978. Build year-1972. Swing 330 mm x 600 mm centers. Quality of construction on par with SAG 14. Two speed spindle motor 1500 and 3000 rpm @ 50 HZ. Disc brake, manual. Three speed gear box attached to spindle motor with back gear in headstock. Three v-belt drive with sheave in center of spindle. Total of four spindle support bearings. Pressure lube. DIN plate spindle nose chuck mount. Metric components with loose gears for Imperial thread cutting. 380 vac 3 phase. Exotic ceramic screw in fuses. Cast iron bed and base with heavy cast aluminium covers. Preset stops on cross feed hand wheel. Number 4 morse tail stock. This machine had a few quirks and one unforgivable flaw. Spindle motor speed and direction were controlled by joystick mounted in headstock. Horizontal for hi-low and up down for spindle rotation. No electric interlock was present. This would permit the disconcerting event of sudden high speed spindle reversal if the operator bumped the joystick. A protective casting was present over the j-stick but close examination of photos of these machines on secondary market shows j-stick shortened by hacksaw in majority. This was the case with my machine. The flaw?- this lathe would not allow cutting of 13 tpi thread. It would cut 12, 12.5 and 14 tpi threads but not 13. Yup- most of my threading needs then were 1/2 by 13 tpi. After 3 turns of nut galling, jamming and general unpleasantness when 13 tpi nut was used with 12.5 rod. Very few Microtor lathes were imported- likely less than two dozen. Current owners of D 330 reading this- please point out any inaccuracy. I have taken the liberty of utilizing european dealer image of machine until I can locate my own. I sold machine 15 years ago.
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2703026220101642816xtwzTX
While memory still serves me I will recall features of an unusual Spanish tool room lathe- the Microtor D 330. This machine was a product of ICO-TOR, San Sebastian, Spain. I purchased the machine in 1978. Build year-1972. Swing 330 mm x 600 mm centers. Quality of construction on par with SAG 14. Two speed spindle motor 1500 and 3000 rpm @ 50 HZ. Disc brake, manual. Three speed gear box attached to spindle motor with back gear in headstock. Three v-belt drive with sheave in center of spindle. Total of four spindle support bearings. Pressure lube. DIN plate spindle nose chuck mount. Metric components with loose gears for Imperial thread cutting. 380 vac 3 phase. Exotic ceramic screw in fuses. Cast iron bed and base with heavy cast aluminium covers. Preset stops on cross feed hand wheel. Number 4 morse tail stock. This machine had a few quirks and one unforgivable flaw. Spindle motor speed and direction were controlled by joystick mounted in headstock. Horizontal for hi-low and up down for spindle rotation. No electric interlock was present. This would permit the disconcerting event of sudden high speed spindle reversal if the operator bumped the joystick. A protective casting was present over the j-stick but close examination of photos of these machines on secondary market shows j-stick shortened by hacksaw in majority. This was the case with my machine. The flaw?- this lathe would not allow cutting of 13 tpi thread. It would cut 12, 12.5 and 14 tpi threads but not 13. Yup- most of my threading needs then were 1/2 by 13 tpi. After 3 turns of nut galling, jamming and general unpleasantness when 13 tpi nut was used with 12.5 rod. Very few Microtor lathes were imported- likely less than two dozen. Current owners of D 330 reading this- please point out any inaccuracy. I have taken the liberty of utilizing european dealer image of machine until I can locate my own. I sold machine 15 years ago.
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2703026220101642816xtwzTX
