Hi All,

After years of wanting a milling machine I finally ended up with one suddenly, after stumbling accross a machine nearby. I had previously owned a big old Horizontal mill, but I didnt like working in that orientation. I sold that 5 years or more ago and have been plotting buying a vertical mill ever since. I had settled on an RF30 or similar and was looking for those second hand when I stumbled accross this machine 30 minutes from my house. It weighs 2350 kilos and I paid about thirty cents a kilo for it.

It has 18 speeds between 65 and 1800 rpms, 800mm of x axis travel, about 180mm of y xis travel and probably about 250mm of travel in the knee. All axis have power feed, including rapid, and it all works. In addition the quill extends 80mm. The spindle has an NMTB40 taper. Because the machine is european I am pretty sure its all metric however I cant find any markings to confirm. I measured the quill and the graduations are a really odd size - like .11mm between divisions .

The machine was built in 1964 according the oiling plate on the side. It has a 'made in poland' badge and 'Zaklady Przemyslowe 1 Maj' on it too, which according to google probably means 1 May Industries or similar (1 May being labor day). I dont think this is a brand, probably more a throwback to its communist origins.

Id love to know how this machine, which was made in the height of the cold war, ended up in Australia. Id also love to know what it was making in Poland during that era...

Now to make some chips - i need to buy some end mills but will post separately about that.
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