Hiya all.
Anybody have any ideas about where I can purchase an X2/X3 mill in the southern Ontario area ?
I live just east of Toronto. I know I can order something from the US but I would rather give my money to a Canadian company.

Cheers

Hiya all.
I know I can order something from the US but I would rather give my money to a Canadian company.


If you're truly wish to buy Chinese in Canada, Princess Auto carries the X2. Download the "Shop and Garage" catalog to have a look. $1000 regular price but goes on sale occasionally. PA has fans on these forums but my opinion of the local outlet is mostly unprintable (expletives). Maybe someone knows another source.

My 2 cents, import from the US. Get an X3 on sale for the price of a PA X2 (or even less). Wish I had.

Edit/ Is the plan to convert to cnc? Syil Canada pricing is pretty close to Syil America pricing for cnc'd Siegs. You'll be hard pressed to do a comparable conversion for the dollar starting out with a $1000 X2. Princess Auto is charging more than double the current Harbor Freight price. Expect Syil Canada will also offer some after sales help. Princess Auto? ....well, they have a generous return policy.

Thanks Cyclestart.

I go to Princess Auto at times. I sometimes regard the really cheap hand tools as disposable (Use once and throw away).

I am thinking about going to CNC later. I just want to start out with a small mill and use it in manual mode to learn. I Think I would rather learn to walk before I run.

A friend was trying to move me towards a used full size mill but I doubt I could justify a 5,000 lb monster to my wife.

Anyone have any experience with picking up a small mill in the US and bringing it back? I drive over to see some clients in the Niagara Falls and Windsor area a couple of times a year so a side trip over to the US would not be too hard. I was thinking that If I pick it up and bring it over myself, I might avoid some of the FEDEX/UPS broker horrors.

Cheers

Anyone have any experience with picking up a small mill in the US and bringing it back?

I posted this same question before buying from Princess Auto.
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36522
More recently I've driven across with several items for the mill, but none of Chinese manufacture. According to another member here, the import tariff on Chinese products can be 17% if customs decides to apply it.

My experience with customs officials;
1) They will ask for country of manufacture
2) They don't like to look up the import code for the product. If you can supply a code number they will be more pleasant to deal with.

My decision to go with Princess came down to driving distance. 70 miles to PA vs 200+ to a Harbor Freight. In hindsight I would have driven the extra miles and will in the future.

If you do go with Harbor Freight, do a search of this sight for their coupon offers.

Good luck whatever route you choose.

Check out "busybeetools.com".They have a Craftex brand X2 size mill . I've seen the PA X1 and was not impressed .The syill X3 CNC mill I looked at is OK but the Craftex seems to be superior in quality .

Thanks everyone. Lots of good info to think about. I would still rather buy something in Canada but $500 difference in price is kinda hard to ignore. It could buy a fair bit of tooling.
I guess the key is to do the homework before hand.

Hey JustSomeGuy
I live in SW Ontario, in the same situation, wanting a small mill.
How did you make out? DId you buy used or a new small one?
Did you go south to get it?
THx

Hi everyone

I live just north of TO -- looking to get a small mill as well -I to would like to know how Justsomeguy made out.

I got interested in milling recently when reading this article:

http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/shumaker/default.htm

I will work up to making it CNC after learning the fundamntal.

Cheers
Patrike

Hey Again.
I was just looking at busybeetools.ca website.
They have some not bad deals
Let me know if you guys find anything else?
Thx

Hey Again.
I was just looking at busybeetools.ca website.
They have some not bad deals
Let me know if you guys find anything else?
Thx

Hey Beegner

Thanks for the heads up on the Busybee - I have heard of them before but I am not sure if I had every checked them out before. Anyway-I looked at there site and checked out the metal lathes - at this point I don not know what I am looking for -- the article that I listed in my last post said that he has a 5 axis mill. The one he has is a small mill set up for CNC - not sure if say the cheapest 588$ can eventually be set up like his, as is what I am aiming for over the next couple of years as I progress.


Later
Patrike

I just returned from Princess auto. They have a small bench top for $1000.
Not impressed by it. The floor model had parts falling off it, movements did not feel that good.

I guess I will look at the busybee tool one, see if it is better.

Keep me posted if you find anthing.
Later

I just returned from Princess auto. They have a small bench top for $1000.
Not impressed by it. The floor model had parts falling off it, movements did not feel that good.

I guess I will look at the busybee tool one, see if it is better.

Keep me posted if you find anthing.
Later

I have seen that one -- not impressed as well -- any luck getting to Busybee yet!
patrike

No, No luck yet.
It looks great online, just to find the time to drive there.
I live in SW ontario, so I am atleast 1 hour away from a busy bee.
Hope to get there in the next week though.
I will keep you posted. Thank you for checking back

Hiya guys,

Been away for a while due to business and have been trying to catch up on emails and stuff.

The $1000 mill at Princess Auto is the same as the one at Bust Bee ( http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture10?&NETID=1446050903082012653&NTITEM=CT133 )
They are both X2 mills that you see talked about throughout this forum. They are all made by Sieg in China but with different colours and fittings.
I got mine at Princess Auto because they had it in stock and the Busy Bee one was about a month from release at the time. It was one sale for $799 at the time but I suspect that they put it at that price once in a while.
The thing you will have to watch for is the collets. The one at Princess Auto had a set of 8 collets and chuck. The one at Busy Bee does not (last I checked). These collets go for about $160US or so.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the floor model at either Princess Auto or Bust Bee will be kinda shabby and kinda loose. They usually just pop them out of the crate and plop them on the shelf.
Once you get one of these babies home, you will need a couple of days to cleanup and set up. For this kind of money, you are not likely to find anything that is backlash free.
I like mine but it has affected me in a strange way. Now, I can't seem to pass anything made of milled aluminum without wondering if I can duplicate...

JustSomeGuy -- thanks -- looks like it is on for 698.00 currently.

This is one of the things I am not up to speed yet, like what are the differences between the X2 and X3 -- I see the physical diff's but what are the diff's in the capabilities. As well, I see the 3 in 1 units as shown at Harbour Freight --what would be the diff's between one of those and an X3 if you can compare them at all.


Hiya guys,

Been away for a while due to business and have been trying to catch up on emails and stuff.

The $1000 mill at Princess Auto is the same as the one at Bust Bee ( http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture10?&NETID=1446050903082012653&NTITEM=CT133 )..

JustSomeGuy -- thanks -- looks like it is on for 698.00 currently.

This is one of the things I am not up to speed yet, like what are the differences between the X2 and X3 -- I see the physical diff's but what are the diff's in the capabilities. As well, I see the 3 in 1 units as shown at Harbour Freight --what would be the diff's between one of those and an X3 if you can compare them at all.

Patrike,

The X3 is a better machine but I have not had any luck in finding it in this part of Canada. Being kinda cheap, I would rather spend a couple hundred buck on tools then on shipping. If you purchase a machine from the US, you have to keep in mind the cost in getting it home.
The X3 is 3 times the weight of the X2, roughly 50% more travel, double the power and a lot more rigid. All told, it's a far better machine at a lot higher price.
A lot of info on these mills can be found throughout this forum or at http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_mill/Main/mini-mill.htm
They are made by Sieg in China and their site is http://www.siegind.com/Products/blackred_milling-machine.htm
Unless you are very short on space, I would not bother with the 3 in 1 machines. There are just too many compromises in their design. They tend to be less rigid and not as easy to convert to CNC. They also have less bed travel.
Grizzly has a 3 in 1 that looks like a lathe with an X2 attached at http://grizzly.com/products/Combo-Lathe-w-Milling-Attachment/G0516
Just keep in mind that Grizzly does not sell to Canada at all. They have some sort of agreement with Busy Bee.

Hi everyone

I live just north of TO -- looking to get a small mill as well -I to would like to know how Justsomeguy made out.

I got interested in milling recently when reading this article:

http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/shumaker/default.htm

I will work up to making it CNC after learning the fundamntal.

Cheers
Patrike


HOLY CRAP !!!!

That bike is just plain nuts....

With the original setup he had, just the speed control, motor and batteries is well over $1,000. That is not even looking at the materials for all of those custom parts.
Then he moves to a new motor that goes for more then a $1,000 and a new speed control that retails for $550...
Add to all that the fact that the $600 of LiPoly batteries may not have a very long lifespan...

HOLY CRAP !!!!

That bike is just plain nuts....

With the original setup he had, just the speed control, motor and batteries is well over $1,000. That is not even looking at the materials for all of those custom parts.
Then he moves to a new motor that goes for more then a $1,000 and a new speed control that retails for $550...
Add to all that the fact that the $600 of LiPoly batteries may not have a very long lifespan...

Yes insane isn't it -- But good job on the parts. I doubt I would follow the same path as that guy but I just would like to do custom parts when the need calls for it. The way it is looking, it maybe sometime before I get around to it.

Later
Patrike

Patrike,

Might want to mark this on your calendar. The bust Bee in Pickering will be doing an instore demo of the mill in December.

http://busybeetools.com/events/demo.htm#pickering

Patrike,

Might want to mark this on your calendar. The bust Bee in Pickering will be doing an instore demo of the mill in December.

http://busybeetools.com/events/demo.htm#pickering


I have it in my calender - thanks. I hate to say it but now I am looking forward to December! Sad, so very sad.

I have it in my calender - thanks. I hate to say it but now I am looking forward to December! Sad, so very sad.

Patrike,

If you are looking for some idea about this hobby or just want to speak to a treasure trove of knowledge and experience, check out the Toronto Society of Model Engineers (http://tsme.netfirms.com/). They hold monthly meetings in the GTA and the next is on Friday at the Downsview Aerospace Museum.
They have been around for decades and have been exhibiting their stuff at the Hobby Show for as long as I can remember.
They welcome visitors to these meetings and I have been meaning to check them out. I just haven't gotten around to it because they have had their meetings downtown and finding parking is just soooo much fun... :rolleyes:
Starting this weeks meeting, they are now held at the Aerospace Museum so I guess I no longer have an excuse.
Their main interests seem to be in the area of engines (Steam, Stirling and the like) but craftsmanship is craftsmanship.

BTW, the mills that that guy is using on that bike site is made by Taig (http://www.taigtools.com/). Those mills are very nice but kinda small. I have not had too much luck in finding them at a good price in Canada. Lee Valley lists their Lathes on their website @ http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&cat=1,330&p=50260. It is a fair bit lighter then an X2 so I assume a fair bit cheaper to ship in to Canada from the States.

Patrike,

If you are looking for some idea about this hobby or just want to speak to a treasure trove of knowledge and experience, check out the Toronto Society of Model Engineers (http://tsme.netfirms.com/). They hold monthly meetings in the GTA and the next is on Friday at the Downsview Aerospace Museum.


Hey, looks like there is not much these guys are not into. Might be worth a look see -- got it in my calender but may or may not go pending other things -- in my old stomping grounds at Downsview where I was a Finance Clerk with the Reserves, oh the memories.

Patrick

Here is a new Canadian site if you are interested.

www.MachineToolsWarehouse.com

HOLY CRAP !!!!

That bike is just plain nuts....

With the original setup he had, just the speed control, motor and batteries is well over $1,000. That is not even looking at the materials for all of those custom parts.
Then he moves to a new motor that goes for more then a $1,000 and a new speed control that retails for $550...
Add to all that the fact that the $600 of LiPoly batteries may not have a very long lifespan...

Hey, he used the same Lithium polymer cells I used for my Electric Quad! (I call it the iQuad...) They are very good cells indeed.

Sorry, a bit off topic! :)

Jason

sweet ride!! wheres the write up? :)

Hiya all.
Anybody have any ideas about where I can purchase an X2/X3 mill in the southern Ontario area ?
I live just east of Toronto. I know I can order something from the US but I would rather give my money to a Canadian company.

Cheers

Hi JustSomeGuy!

We are located in Toronto. Our CNC machines may be of interest to you.

Please have a look at http://www.novakon.net/3.html.

Feel free to contact us should you have any further questions.

Thank you.

Hi JustSomeGuy!

We are located in Toronto. Our CNC machines may be of interest to you.

Please have a look at http://www.novakon.net/3.html.

Feel free to contact us should you have any further questions.

Thank you.
yep true whe forgot about you they carry the same mill as smithy in the us