THE DORE WESTBURY MILLING MACHINE
THIS FABULOUS MACHINE WAS DESIGNED BY EDGAR.T.WESTBURY AND IMPROVED BY ARNOLD THROP AND THEN IVAN LAW OF M.E.S.
BORN IN THE 1950`S OUT OF A NEED FOR A SMALL MILLING MACHINE AS THERE WERE NO SUITABLE MACHINES FOR MODELERS BACK THEN. THE ONLY SMALL MILLING MACHINES THAT WERE AVAILABLE WERE BASICALLY JUST ATTACHMENTS FOR THE LATHE AND LACKED VERSATILITY.
THERE ARE SOME NOVEL FEATURES IN THE DESIGN, THE HEAD IS RAISED AND LOWERED BY MEANS OF A SCREW THREAD ON A LONG PILLAR, THE HEAD CAN BE TURNED THROUGH 90 DEGREES AND MOVED IN AND OUT.
THE SPINDLE WAS USUALLY BORED OUT TO TAKE 2MT BUT R8 OR 3MT COULD BE ORDERED.THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SPINDLE WAS THREADED TO TAKE MYFORD CHUCKS AND ACCESSORIES. ALSO A QUILL WITH A TRAVEL OF 4.5 INCHES WAS INCORPORATED. I HAVE BOTH THE MK 1 AND THE MK 2 MODELS.
THESE MACHINES WERE NEVER SOLD READY TO GO BUT WERE AVAILABLE IN KIT FORM BUT WITH A LOT OF THE MAIN MACHINING ALREADY DONE. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE MACHINE USING A 3.5 INCH LATHE SUCH AS THE MYFORD.
THE SITUATION WAS THAT THE MACHINE WAS ONLY AS ACCURATE AS THE PERSON THAT BUILT IT MADE IT.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A MARK 1 AND A MARK 2 DORE WESTBURY MILL AND HAVE TO SAY THAT I JUST LOVE THEM TO BITS AND USE THEM AS OFTEN AS I CAN. FOR EXAMPLE, I MILLED OUT THE PARTS FOR THE LITTLE GEARBOX THAT I FITTED TO THE EW LEADSCREW.
THERE ARE SOME NOVEL FEATURES IN THE DESIGN, THE HEAD IS RAISED AND LOWERED BY MEANS OF A SCREW THREAD ON A LONG PILLAR, THE HEAD CAN BE TURNED THROUGH 90 DEGREES AND MOVED IN AND OUT.
THE SPINDLE WAS USUALLY BORED OUT TO TAKE 2MT BUT R8 OR 3MT COULD BE ORDERED.THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SPINDLE WAS THREADED TO TAKE MYFORD CHUCKS AND ACCESSORIES. ALSO A QUILL WITH A TRAVEL OF 4.5 INCHES WAS INCORPORATED. I HAVE BOTH THE MK 1 AND THE MK 2 MODELS.
THESE MACHINES WERE NEVER SOLD READY TO GO BUT WERE AVAILABLE IN KIT FORM BUT WITH A LOT OF THE MAIN MACHINING ALREADY DONE. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE MACHINE USING A 3.5 INCH LATHE SUCH AS THE MYFORD.
THE SITUATION WAS THAT THE MACHINE WAS ONLY AS ACCURATE AS THE PERSON THAT BUILT IT MADE IT.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A MARK 1 AND A MARK 2 DORE WESTBURY MILL AND HAVE TO SAY THAT I JUST LOVE THEM TO BITS AND USE THEM AS OFTEN AS I CAN. FOR EXAMPLE, I MILLED OUT THE PARTS FOR THE LITTLE GEARBOX THAT I FITTED TO THE EW LEADSCREW.
THE ABOVE PHOTOS SHOW THE EW LATHE RESTING ON THE DW MILL TABLE. THIS WAS JUST A BIT OF FUN BUT A GOOD ALTERNATIVE TO A ROTARY TABLE FOR DIVIDING IN AN EMERGENCY WITH A DETENT FITTED,OF COURSE THE EW TAILSTOCK COULD BE USED IF MILLING SPLINES ON A LONG SHAFT
ASSEMBLING AND FITTING A SLOW FEED KIT TO THE DW MILL
I RECENTLY BOUGHT A PARTLY BUILT SLOW TABLE FEED KIT FOR THE DORE WESTBURY AND LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING IT. MOST PROBABLY IT IS A KIT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPLIED BY MES WHO ALSO SUPPLIED KITS FOR THE DORE WESTBURY.
I PICKED UP THE KIT FROM MY SON`S PLACE WHERE IT HAD BEEN WAITING FOR ME FOR A FEW WEEKS AND IT WAS LIKE CHRISTMAS WHEN I OPENED THE PARCEL AND PULLED OUT USED JIFFY BAGS FULL OF SMALL PARTS. THE DRAWINGS WERE THERE TOGETHER WITH THE INSTRUCTION BOOK.
YES, THIS WAS A MES KIT ( MODEL ENGINEERING SERVICES ) A COMPANY FORMERLY RUN BY THE WELL KNOWN MODEL ENGINEER IVAN LAW AND NOW BY HIS SON. THEY HAVE CUT OUT MOST OF THE KITS BUT STILL MARKET THE QUORN TOOL GRINDING MACHINE KIT.
MES USED TO MARKET THE DORE WESTBURY MILLING MACHINE KITS AS WELL AS THE SLOW FEED KIT AND A RANGE OF USEFUL KITS FOR ACCESSORIES SUCH AS THE DW MACHINE VICE AND ROTARY TABLES. UNFORTUNATELY COMPETITION FROM INFERIOR BUT CHEAP MACHINES AND ACCESSORIES FROM THE FAR EAST, THAT COULD BE USED STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX, KILLED OFF DEMAND FOR THE KITS.
I PICKED UP THE KIT FROM MY SON`S PLACE WHERE IT HAD BEEN WAITING FOR ME FOR A FEW WEEKS AND IT WAS LIKE CHRISTMAS WHEN I OPENED THE PARCEL AND PULLED OUT USED JIFFY BAGS FULL OF SMALL PARTS. THE DRAWINGS WERE THERE TOGETHER WITH THE INSTRUCTION BOOK.
YES, THIS WAS A MES KIT ( MODEL ENGINEERING SERVICES ) A COMPANY FORMERLY RUN BY THE WELL KNOWN MODEL ENGINEER IVAN LAW AND NOW BY HIS SON. THEY HAVE CUT OUT MOST OF THE KITS BUT STILL MARKET THE QUORN TOOL GRINDING MACHINE KIT.
MES USED TO MARKET THE DORE WESTBURY MILLING MACHINE KITS AS WELL AS THE SLOW FEED KIT AND A RANGE OF USEFUL KITS FOR ACCESSORIES SUCH AS THE DW MACHINE VICE AND ROTARY TABLES. UNFORTUNATELY COMPETITION FROM INFERIOR BUT CHEAP MACHINES AND ACCESSORIES FROM THE FAR EAST, THAT COULD BE USED STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX, KILLED OFF DEMAND FOR THE KITS.