[men8ifr]

Comparing the 2:

Ama30LV
£1370
AMA30LV Milling Machine - R8
Bigger drilling and milling capacity
Tapered Gibs (Which I like)
240kg (heavier - better)
Travel 565, 220, 380 xyz (much more travel)
Table size 840 x 210 (much bigger - better for me)

Sieg SX3
£1500
https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catal...-HiTorque-Mill
Allen screw gibs (not so good)
Travel 360, 145, 380 ( much less travel)
Table size 550 x 160 (much smaller)

So the AMA30 wins everything on the spec sheet. I can;t say if it's actually better manufactured - my guess would go with the sieg for that but I don't know - both are made in China.

BUT I would like to just buy the components I need to convert and strip/fit the components. There are kits available for the X3 I believe but none for AMA30LV.. Would converting the AMA30LV be a lot more effort / difficulty?

Which would you pick?

[firepong]

If you can live for a week or 2 figuring out how you want the motors to mount on the ama30lv (if no conversion can be found), you can prototype some parts on the machine itself, then bolt the metal to the machine with motors. After that, when you get it dialed in, you can CAD up some better parts and mill them out yourself. Might have to drill a hole or 2 extra, but it shouldn't be that hard.

If you can think of it, any machine can be CNC'D. Hell, I say someone strap a X/Y base to a drill press and CNC that. Not ideal, but it worked for him and what he wanted it for.

Cheers

[cncuser1]

I would avoid a machine that has a quill. It means more parts that can wear and introduce error.

Heavier is generally better, but for machines of the same class I would look at the overall size of the ways, there bigger is better too.

Look at the bearings on the spindle, how many and the type( conventional ball vs. angular contact)
Also the type of machining you will do might have implications on the RPM specs of the spindle.

[dazp1976]

I would avoid a machine that has a quill. It means more parts that can wear and introduce error.

Heavier is generally better, but for machines of the same class I would look at the overall size of the ways, there bigger is better too.

Look at the bearings on the spindle, how many and the type( conventional ball vs. angular contact)
Also the type of machining you will do might have implications on the RPM specs of the spindle.

Most machines of this size unfortunately have a quill.

[dazp1976]

Comparing the 2:

Ama30LV
£1370
AMA30LV Milling Machine - R8
Bigger drilling and milling capacity
Tapered Gibs (Which I like)
240kg (heavier - better)
Travel 565, 220, 380 xyz (much more travel)
Table size 840 x 210 (much bigger - better for me)

Sieg SX3
£1500
https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catal...-HiTorque-Mill
Allen screw gibs (not so good)
Travel 360, 145, 380 ( much less travel)
Table size 550 x 160 (much smaller)

So the AMA30 wins everything on the spec sheet. I can;t say if it's actually better manufactured - my guess would go with the sieg for that but I don't know - both are made in China.

BUT I would like to just buy the components I need to convert and strip/fit the components. There are kits available for the X3 I believe but none for AMA30LV.. Would converting the AMA30LV be a lot more effort / difficulty?

Which would you pick?

I've just pre ordered an AMAT25LV (couldn't quite budget a 30). Even that has a 185x470 table travel and only £1200.
For what it is I think the X3 is shockingly small!?. It makes no sense.

When I did my small Seig X2:
It took a little time but I manually bodged up a few parts for the x,y first and got the motors etc fitted up.
Then once you've done that and got automated x,y table use that to make the z components.
Once that's done go back to look at the x,y again and re-make some more accurate parts for them.
Wasn't too bad with the right cutters and was my first time ever working with metal/mill

I'll be using the X2 to make the bits for my Amadeal 25.

[men8ifr]

I've just pre ordered an AMAT25LV (couldn't quite budget a 30)

I'll be using the X2 to make the bits for my Amadeal 25.

Let me know how you get on!

The advantage of the AMA25 seems to be lots of conversion parts/well known conversion.
For example heavy metal sells parts for the G0704 which I believe is the same mill G0704 Kits – HEAVY METAL
$700 would get you all the mechanical hardware it seems...

The tricky part is knowing what the mill will be used for. A non variable drive AMA30 is £1370 and must be much sturdier as it's 240kg to the AMA25's 165. But the AMA 45 is 350kg! and looks very sturdy - the geared brushed drive version is ~£1600 I believe but a brushless version £2100....

Very tricky to choose! I like the idea of the bigger versions and would probably just buy a geared brushed AMA45 just for manual work but it's less likely to get a CNC conversion simply because I'll have to make all parts and figure it out myself where'as the AMAT25LV would be much easier and money saved in the purchase could goto CNC parts...

[dazp1976]

Let me know how you get on!

The advantage of the AMA25 seems to be lots of conversion parts/well known conversion.
For example heavy metal sells parts for the G0704 which I believe is the same mill G0704 Kits – HEAVY METAL
$700 would get you all the mechanical hardware it seems...

The tricky part is knowing what the mill will be used for. A non variable drive AMA30 is £1370 and must be much sturdier as it's 240kg to the AMA25's 165. But the AMA 45 is 350kg! and looks very sturdy - the geared brushed drive version is ~£1600 I believe but a brushless version £2100....

Very tricky to choose! I like the idea of the bigger versions and would probably just buy a geared brushed AMA45 just for manual work but it's less likely to get a CNC conversion simply because I'll have to make all parts and figure it out myself where'as the AMAT25LV would be much easier and money saved in the purchase could goto CNC parts...

The frustrating thing for me is having to wait for the machine so I can size it up before I can order some screws for it
I'm going to modify the base a little so I can extend Y a fraction and be able to fit double nuts.
Undecided whether to make my own full bearing blocks or incorporate FF/FK12 blocks into it. Having said that it would limit bearing options, I am considering AC bearings which are 32mm OD.

Should come in around £250 for the hardware depending on bearing type used with enough ally for 3 attempts at each axis.
Many of these kits I see use the C7 screws and plum couplings which can be found fairly cheap. Haven't had any complaints with ones I've used so far.

My only dilemma is I only have nema23 425oz/in motors for the x,y which may be borderline. I'll use them for now and see but I can see speed being limited. Z is no issue (1600oz/in). I'll make some nema23/34 conversion plates for the table parts that can bolt straight on for future use, been looking at some 1000oz/in motors already.
I'm not that proficient in metalwork so all this could take me a while to complete

I'm hoping if all goes well I'll get a 30LV as well the end of next year then the 25 will fully replace my old X2