# Help buying Exacto mill off CL



## Gaffer (Apr 4, 2020)

Hi Everyone,

Thanks again for your help with my SB lathe purchase. I found a mill in my price range but I am concerned with its condition and if it's issues are a deal-breaker. I don't mind using my time making repairs as long as parts prices/availability don't make this a foolish purchase. The mill is about an hour from me so I received this information from the seller:

Exacto 942B. It was built in 1979; he has had it the past 14 years, but when he moved it to his present house about 5 years ago, he did not hook it up. He said he mostly used it for aluminum and it work fine, but it has "normal wear." It has a 2HP, 3-phase 240V motor, so I'd have to buy a rotary converter or VFD to run it. It includes a vice and some collets (pictured). He couldn't test the motor because his garage is not wired for it. He tested the power feeds and they did not work. The X backlash was about .070 and the Y about .050. The DRO works. He has a rotary phase converter not included, but said he would consider selling it. He is asking $1,200 obo. He told me he is anxious to get it out of his garage and to make him a offer. Should I ask anything else about it, and is it worth me driving to see it in person? I can ask for more pictures if that helps. Should I walk away, and if not, what do you think would be a reasonable offer given the knowns and unknowns.

Thanks,
John


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## Winegrower (Apr 4, 2020)

Not to worry, it will probably be gone before you evaluate all the replies here.


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## DavidR8 (Apr 4, 2020)

I think I would have already been on the road to buy that before asking. 
Seriously good deal. 


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## Alexander McGilton (Apr 4, 2020)

I would be more inclined to get a Bridgeport of equivalent unknown condition. Simply because of the ample supply of spare parts available, and the greater supply of free information on the web for specific repairs.


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## C-Bag (Apr 4, 2020)

I'm no expert by a long shot but I have gained a lot of experience from being here on H-M and buying machines on CL. My first concern is why if he has a rotary converter can't he power it? Doesn't even have 220v single phase? The fact the X and Z power feeds don't work is concerning too. $1200 seems like a good deal but I've seen Bridgports and clones in running condition for that here. But everyplace is different. It's a real crapshoot if you can at least run it. If the motor is toast or spindle bearings are bad you are already in the hole. If it was me and I decided to wanted it I'd use the fact it can't be run and stress it's an unknown and get him to throw in the rotary for the $1200.


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## JimDawson (Apr 4, 2020)

The Exacto machines are high quality Taiwanese machines.  Some had hard chromed ways as an option.  I have owned several of these over 50 years. The backlash does not seem excessive for the age of the machine.  Inspect the ways and and general overall condition.  I would leave the RPC there, and buy a VFD for $150.

Given that it's not under power, you can't tell much about the condition of the head.  But the good news here is that it is a change pulley type, so no danger of variable speed system being junk, a common problem with old machines.


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## mattthemuppet2 (Apr 4, 2020)

yep, I'd be on the way before I stopped to write a post. that's alot of mill for the money. Most likely he doesn't have 220V in the garage (most don't) so can't power up the rotary converter. If it's still available I'd rent a trailer, go there and offer $1000 , plus extra for any other tooling he has in addition to the vise and collets. I'm with Jim too, buy a VFD and have all the benefits of that to go with it.


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## Mitch Alsup (Apr 4, 2020)

C-Bag said:


> My first concern is why if he has a rotary converter can't he power it? Doesn't even have 220v single phase?



Many modern homes only have a single 220V plug and it is in the room with the washer and dryer.

Almost every house in America receives 220V from the electrical power pole with 3 wires {+, -, and neutral} You get 1/2 of the circuits in a house running from {+ to neutral} and the other 1/2 of the panel runs {- to neutral}; 220V single phase is simply {+ to -}.


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## DavidR8 (Apr 4, 2020)

So @Gaffer? Did you get it?


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## Gaffer (Apr 4, 2020)

It's been a long day. I believe I cut a fat hog in the a$$. I gambled and rented a trailer, bought heavy duty tie downs and took a drive. The seller was very nice and hadn't installed it because most of his machine work he does on his Atlas 9". He had a great steel building with his project vehicles and other things. The mill was just taking up space. He powered up the X & Y Mitutoyo DRO and it functioned just fine with. The table moved smoothly, but the cross slide requires some effort. The vertical knee cranks smoothly and easily. I'm not sure why they put the power feed on the knee. It works but the nylon gear is stripped. Same with the longitudinal power feed on the table. Now the good part as I am a lousy negotiator and I don't like to do it, so I asked him what his bottom dollar for it was. Drum roll... $800. He even borrowed his neighbor's forklift and loaded it. The fun begins tomorrow moving it. I don't have access to a forklift, but i think I have it figure out.

It sounds like a VFD is the way to go versus a rotary phase converter. I'll have what I'll need to do it. I'm all ears if you have a recommendation.


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## Aukai (Apr 4, 2020)

Plan the move well, the bottom will try it's best to go on top.   Like a rock under a skate board wheel, be safe, and nice score


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## DavidR8 (Apr 4, 2020)

Holy moly you you did awesome!
Congratulations on NMD (new mill day!


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## Gaffer (Apr 4, 2020)

Thanks. I'm stoked.


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## mattthemuppet2 (Apr 5, 2020)

yeah, nice one!


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## Gaffer (Apr 10, 2020)

My son and I got her in place the next day. It was easier than I anticipated, but still took most of the day and redneck engineering. Yesterday I received my VFD, a WEG CFW300A07P3S2NB20 with GSDA-5K pot from AutomationDirect. I haven't wired one of these before but it looks relatively straight forward.

My goal this weekend is to branch off my 220 line and make a drop at the mill and another on the far wall for convenience. I'm hoping to fire-up the mill. The belt for the change pulleys is quite stretched and there isn't enough adjustment for a good fit, but it should suffice for testing.

The only other obvious issue I discovered is the up and down tilt doesn't work. I'm guessing the previous user attempted to adjust it without loosening the 3 bolts and either stripped the gears or sheared the pin. Other than the little bit of research I did, I'm not familiar with the mechanism. I've watched videos for repairing the issue with the side to side tilt, but haven't seen anything on the up and down part. I imagine they are similar. I intend to build a fixture like Mr. Pete's to support the head on the table. I'll have to figure it out from there. If you've been down this road, I'd appreciate your advice.


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## Chipper5783 (Apr 10, 2020)

That's a very nice looking machine you picked up.  You'll love the VFD - the actual wiring of the VFD is very straight forward, you do need to bypass the mill's existing motor contactors and tie the existing motor control switches into the VFD (the start/stop/reverse is managed in the VFD).

I did a similar activity on a drill press - I did a very sketchy lash up to get it figured out, then I gutted the existing electrics and installed the VFD in a nice cabinet and wired it all pretty and legal.


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