well spotted! Notice that you can't see the spindle or belt configuration. Many of the machines in our area are not great, but none as bad as this one looks....The table t-slot has a bust-out too.
that's consistent with what I have envisioned.I think if you may find it frustrating if you’re thinking of using the machine in a conventional way. The lever arrangement is really meant for limited and repetitive action — say running a small part through a pair of slitting blades to quickly cut two slots and then changing in another part to repeat the operation over again — and trying to perform normal milling operations with that setup could be pretty challenging. I imagine it could be done, but i don’t think it would be ideal. Having said that, I’ve not used a lever-operated machine so have no firsthand experience. My MF has the normal lead screws and feed mechanism, but I think there may be someone on the forum who does have a lever machine so hopefully he sees this and can comment.
-frank
Well, I'm still thinking about selling my MFC, but it would be considerably more expensive than the one you found. No shipping charge, though!I found a MH mill for 1100. I was hoping to find an MFC. But i am unsure of the level of control with the level system vs a lead screw in terms of both feed speed and dimensional control.
Lever operated rack controls are designed for single, repetitive, roughing operations: planing, slotting, dovetailing, etc. They can be precise operations but are typically used for for first, roughing operations.I found a MH mill for 1100. I was hoping to find an MFC. But i am unsure of the level of control with the level system vs a lead screw in terms of both feed speed and dimensional control.