Busy Bee Craftex Lathe??????

[rbertalotto]

This thing looks great. One of this sites sponsors is the importer

http://www.busybeetools.com/products...L-READOUT.html

$2600 with Digital Read Out!


Product Description
CX701

12" x 28" Metal Lathe with Digital Read Out - Craftex CX-Series

This new CX-Series Metal Lathe is has the features a serious turner would be looking for. Features include a powerful 1.5HP motor, a large 1.5" spindle bore digital variable speed readout, gear box transmission, precision bed ways and is built with superior accuracy and tolerances.

Other feature include power cross feed, large bed width for added capacity, right & left thread cutting, precision ground and hardened v-way beds and high end gear box transmission design. Like all CX-Series machines, this unit features powder coated paint, sharp looking two tone colours and a full 3 year warranty.

Features

Digital Variable Speed
Power Cross Feed
T-Slotted Cross Slide
Adjustable Gibs for Slideways
Equipped with High End Belt & Control Board
Gear Box Transmission
Overall Heavy Duty Construction
Hardened and ground cast iron bed
Lubricated slide ways
Full length Splash Guard
Full Length Chip Tray
Easy to use carriage controls
Four way tool post
Powder Coated Paint
3 Year Warranty


Specifications

Motor - 1.5-HP, 1.1 KW, 110 V, 12.3 Amp, 4600 r/min
Distance between centers - 27.5"
Swing Over Bed - 11.5"
Swing Over Cross Slide - 6.5"
Width of Bed - 7"
Taper of Spindle Bore - MT5
Spindle Bore - 1.5"
Number of Speeds - Variable (Digital Variable Speed)
Range of Spindle Speeds - 50 - 850 RPM and 110 - 1800 RPM
Range of Longitudinal Feeds - 0.07 - 0.40mm/r
Range of Cross Feeds - 0.02" to 0.28mm/r
Number of Imperial Threads - 21
Range of Inch Threads - 8 - 56 T.P.I
Number of Metric Threads - 18
Range of Metric Threads - 0.2 - 3.5mm
Max. Carriage Travel - 22"
Max .Compound Slide Travel - 3"
Max. Cross Slide Travel - 5.5"
Max. Tailstock Quill Travel - 3"
Taper of Tailstock Quill - MT3

Packing Dimensions - 55" X 27.5" X 27"
Weight - 250 kg (556lbs)
Approx. Shipping Weight - 285kg (634lbs)

Standard Equipment

One Face Plate: 8"
8-pcs Change Gears
4-Jaw Chuck: approx 6-1/4" (160 mm)
3-Jaw Chuck: approx 6-1/4" (160 mm)
Steady Rest
Follow Rest
External Jaws for 3-Jaw Chuck
Dead Center: MT3
Reduce Sleeve (No. 5/3)
Oil Gun
Powder Coated Chip Tray
4-Way Tool Post
Wrenches (8-10, 12-14, 17-19)
Hex Wrenches (3, 4, 5, 6, 8)
3-pcs Chuck Keys
2-pcs Screw Drivers: Phillip & Slotted
Toolbox

[MotorradMike]

Looks like lots of lathe for the money.
I think the DRO is just for RPM though.

[uncle pete]

I own one but not bought thru Busy Bee. There's a major typo in their specifications tho. It's 11"x27".

Pete

[BMW Rider]

I picked up one of these yesterday after ordering it in a couple weeks ago. Got it home, unpacked and onto the stand. I made my own stand for it since they were backordered from the supplier. Still need to do some checking and tuning to get it ready to run. Hopefully it lives up to the billing. When i went into the store, I hadn't expected to end up with this model, but the fellow was a good salesman and knowledgeable with metal working and machining. He helped me compare the machine I had first looked at getting to this one and in the end, once all the extras were added in, this one came out a being a better deal and better machine. Probably way more than I need to start off, but I won't need to seek more accessories and capacity later on. One thing I've learned is it's better to go with more than the minimum and not need to upgrade later.

I'm looking forward to getting to work with it. I have a couple of simple projects to start out with to get my skills back as its been quite a while since I've had the use of a lathe. This is the first time having one of my own, prior employers were the source in the past. With a career change from the auto trade many years ago, I no longer had access to a lathe, but always wanted to have one. Unfortunaetly, the means was not in the budget until now. I don't do much automotive work anymore, but do quite a lot with my motorcycles, and that will be the primary use for the lathe. I saw in the tools thread someone made a tool rest for doing wood turning and might do that too as I do quite a bit of woodwork and would like to do a few small turned items from time to time.

[petermac]

Is busybee c600 mill digital any good

[Black_Moons]

Is busybee c600 mill digital any good

Protip: Make your own thread. Necromancy is bad.

[Kiwi]

Why do they offset the tail stock base ? locks nice lathe can you get the taper turning attachment

[uncle pete]

kiwi,
There's numerous different options on this brand of lathe depending on each dealers specifications when ordering a shipment of them. A lot of the tail stocks use the standard locking nut on the tailstock. Mine comes with a much better rear mounted cam lock type system to lock it down to the lathe bed. MT 2, or MT 3 for the tail stock taper is another variation. Quality Tools in the U.S. sell these same lathes, And have what's called a Big Bore option. MT 5 for the headstock taper instead of the standard MT 4. They can be ordered without the variable speed motor and the seperate feed rod for the longitudinal and cross feeds, Leadscrew covers, Threading Dial, Etc, Etc,Etc. As I said, It all depends on just how the dealer specs the machine out. I special ordered mine and a rear mounted R-8 taper mill for the lathe as a secondary mill thru Garrant Machiery in Quebec the way I wanted it. And it took about 4 months to get shipped over to Canada.

My referances show their built by Weiss Machine Tools in Nanjing China. That may or may not be the actual manufacter since it's very hard to get 100% true answers about just who makes what in China. Googling "Weiss Machine Tools", Or a "WM-280V-F" should get you a link to a variable speed machine with the seperate feed rod.

I'm in no way trying to insult any owners of the Sieg C-6 lathes. But the Weiss lathe I have is light years ahead of the C-6 I did have.

I'm really weight restricted in my shop, And this was the lightest weight lathe in this lathes size capabilitys I could find with a seperate rod for the feeds. Feel free to PM me if you'd like any more info.

Pete

[Oldbrock]

Couple of things I didn't like about mine was the chincy degree aluminum strip on the compound and the square toolpost. Took the cross slide and put it on my rotatary table in the mill and marked my degrees on it. Have only stamped the 60 degree mark as yet and have to make a better "0" line. Added a BXA wedge type toolpost with four extra holders. Would like to see wider gears in the headstock but all in all it's really good value for the money. Would like a telescopic taper attachment but it's not available.. Guess I'll have to make one myself. Peter

[RussZHC]

Uncle Pete:

Interesting...I've looked at this lathe more than once as it is sort of what one would end up with if you take vintage American iron and applied "new" motor, DRO etc. plus, as you mention, it has the footprint to fit in a somewhat limited space and still get the work envelop dimensions as large as possible...what I could not quite figure out was why they choose such an "odd" way of attaching the chuck
(IIRC the manual on the Busy Bee site indicates the spindle is neither threaded nor any of the common series of fitment but looks to be the spindle ends in a flange/"hat" which in turn gets sized and bolted to the back of the chuck...it eliminates the backplate but if that fit to the chuck is off, at some point you have to work on the surfaces of said flange...I just thought it was goofy, why not just D-3 and be done?)