Legacy Mill?

[Allen Bookout]

Has anyone used one of these: http://legacywoodworking.com/productList.cfm?type=1 About the only thing that I could find with a Google search was a good review by benchmark: http://benchmark.20m.com/reviews/Leg...egacymill.html He seems to think that it is overpriced for what it is but there seems to be no alternative. It also sounds as though customer support may be lacking.

If I ever did decide to get one the 900 would probably be as large as I could go with the space that I have. The only thing bad about the 900 as near as I could tell, other than the cost, is that it only turns one way which would be limiting. I sent a email to them this morning regarding this issue but have not heard back. May be they are closed the day after Easter but we will see if they ever respond.

Do the machines work as advertised? What is the quality? How is customer support? Are there other options?

Allen

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Allen,

Bill Grumbine has one and at least one other preson here at the Creek has one. I've been told that the learning cureve is very steep. Try the search function here. I have seen some very nice work come off of them. They come up on ebay from time to time as well. They should have a referal program that you can go see one close to you.

I would research it well and look for a used one before i took the big jump. You might find a prictically new machine with accessories for the cost of the more basic machine.

[Chris McDowell]

Allen I have owned an ornamental mill for several years. They are well built and extremely versatile. There are long periods where I don't even touch it, but when I need it nothing else I have seen can do all the things it does.
The learning curve is a little steep but I find that to be the case on most anything worthwhile. I have never had any problems with customer service, but I will agree the machine is high priced. The main reason I got one was for the turning ability it would give me. Truth be told it is an under utilized tool in my shop. That is my fault not theirs. If I can be of further help, just let me know.

[Allen Bookout]

Thanks Charles! I had done the Search Forums but did not find much. This time I tried the Google SawMillCreek search and found quite a bit.

Good to know info Chris. I might take you up on your offer.

[John Miliunas]

Thanks Charles! I had done the Search Forums but did not find much. This time I tried the Google SawMillCreek search and found quite a bit.

Good to know info Chris. I might take you up on your offer.

Allen, drop Dave Richards a PM. I'll bet he can get you your "fill" of info on the Legacy! Dave is very detail and technically oriented and bet he can give you a ton of info on it. If not, he'll know exactly where to go for additional info!

[Allen Bookout]

Thanks John. Actually Dave Richards was nice enough that he sent me a private message offering his assistance and some real good information.

[John Miliunas]

Thanks John. Actually Dave Richards was nice enough that he sent me a private message offering his assistance and some real good information.

Yup, that sure does sound like the Dave Richards I know!!!

[Dave Bureau]

i've got a 1200 that i bought about 5 months ago. I like the machine alot and found that the assembly manual was the best manual that i have ever seen. you will need to practice to get the hang of it but it is not difficult.
The bits will add up fast and should be in the budget.
Dave

[Jim Becker]

I have not used one, but have seen it used a number of times. Quite impressive, but there is abit of setup work.

[Allen Bookout]

The bits will add up fast and should be in the budget.
Dave

I am trying to not think about that part but I figured as much.

I have not used one, but have seen it used a number of times. Quite impressive, but there is abit of setup work.

Thanks Jim, The more input I receive about this subject the better I will feel about my final decision, whatever it is.

[Jim Becker]

Allen, the thing about the Legacy is that it is a specialty tool. If you have the work to feed it, than it can be a valuable addition to a small shop that needs to do what it can do in-house. It's certainly priced lower than high-end solutions since it leverages commodity router technology, yet is still pretty versatile.

[Randall Frey]

I bought one years ago, it was an entry level machine I believe it was a model 600 (model only offered for a brief time). Their customer service was very good. I too find this is an under utilized tool in my shop but has enabled me to turn some pieces with good results. Consider a model that allows you to do a tapered piece as mine does not.

[Allen Bookout]

Hi Randall, The 900 does allow tapers but it only spirals one direction, from what I could tell, which would eliminate some really neat designs I think. I do not know if there is an upgrade or not. I sent them an email on the subject yesterday morning but have not received a response. The larger models just take up too much workspace for my working area at this time.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have seen 'em and do not like 'em.
Well I do like 'em in so much as they do some things rather well, but they look a tad delicate and unless Iam are going to be using it a lot I'd lose a lot of space to a dust collector that only does one sort of thing well.

I'd prefer to do those few (very very few) jobs that might draw me to such a specialized machine by some other means. Usually with a way more labor intensive effort with results not nearly so precise.

And of course if I really wanted one, for $1,325.00 I could probably make one myself using gears, bearings, and drive chains and threaded shafts from MSC supply, mount the whole mess on some MDF or Baltic Birch and possibly even have a heavier unit when done.

Just look at the picture, and you wilkl see there is no great sophisticated mechanical complexities going on. It's all just ratios. You could accomplish the same thing with sprung drive chains & cogs, or timing belts.

YA could probably buy a machine tool lathe head stock from a junkyard off a broken lathe and build one from that.

When you break one of those machines down they are nothing more than a limited purpose head stock very similar to that found on a conventional metal lathe. A lot less sophisticated and less heavy but very simnilar.

I'll bet the head stock from a Clausing Colchester (the crappiest of lathes just above an EMCO) with open changeable straight gears would be the best to use to do this. Change gears are nice because you can break the rules and make your own ratios.

[Allen Bookout]

And of course if I really wanted one, for $1,325.00 I could probably make one myself using gears, bearings, and drive chains and threaded shafts from MSC supply, mount the whole mess on some MDF or Baltic Birch and possibly even have a heavier unit when done.

Just look at the picture, and you wilkl see there is no great sophisticated mechanical complexities going on. It's all just ratios. You could accomplish the same thing with sprung drive chains & cogs, or timing belts.

YA could probably buy a machine tool lathe head stock from a junkyard off a broken lathe and build one from that.

The $1325 is a bit to swallow I will have to agree. I wish that I had your knowledge and ability to build something like this but if I got it built and it did run it would probably turn at 100 rpm or worse at 6,000 rpm and blow my whole shop up.

One time I built a rototiller to attatch to a small John Deere out of junk yard iron and an old pickup differential. It was so heavy that all it did was lift the front of the tractor off of the ground. I had to run the tractor in reverse to make it work. Does that tell you how good I am at that sort of thing?