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ErichKeane
·As many of you know, I've done a lot of work on my L&R Console cleaning machine. I've now been using it ~6 months, and have hit a point of annoyance: Baskets.
I invested a few hundred bucks in baskets of both sizes a while back, so I have a decent number. However, I kind of hate the L&R baskets.
Large ones:
The large one is 3 tiers with a bunch of little baskets. Admittedly, the ones I have aren't in the best shape, but I never feel like things are separated securely. Also, getting to the 'lower' baskets requires pulling out the upper basket in a way that is at high risk of spilling stuff.
Small ones:
The small ones are kinda neat with the top piece, and I have the little insert in the bottom that has a lid. However, I find that this ends up being too small/not having enough compartments when I really want them, so I end up having to do most watches I work on in 2 different runs.
At one point, i picked up THIS style of basket/complete set, available for ~$60 on ebay.
However, I found that while the baskets were fine, the part the connected to the machine was pot-metal cast aluminum. It wasn't even close to 'round' or concentric in any way, and attempts to drill out the center hole to make it work with the 9.5mm hole on the machine exposed how brittle the metal was/how poorly made it all was.
RECENTLY, I discovered this on AliX: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256810257154917.html?
It is sold as an ELMA basket, and has the complete set including the top with the 'spring' on it. They ARE expensive at ~$200 for the full set though, so not for the feint of heart! I will say though, I spent more putting together a decent set of L&R baskets, so it is competitive.
As you can see, the top of the basket has a half-decent steel ring. HOWEVER, the hole in the ring is 8mm, instead of 9.5mm (or 3/8"?) on the L&R machine.
I ordered it a while back, and got it in while I was away on my trip! I decided to work on it today. I chucked just the top plastic up in my 6 jaw (like a 3 jaw, only... 2x) on my metal working lathe. I avoided getting the 'nubs' interfering with the vice jaws, and did a little bit of boring on it with a boring bar. I was REALLY shocked to see how little runout it had! The plastic is pretty darn stout, so you can crank down on it reasonably hard, and the metal ring ran pretty concentrically.
After taking off the 1.5mm, and adding a M4x0.7mm set screw, it mounted to my machine perfectly:
I ran it through the rinse in a cycle, and it seemed to work perfectly! The baskets have quite a bit of variety, so hopefully I can do the amount of organization I want without risking losing pieces! AND, it is a bit futureproof.
So an idea for anyone who has an L&R and is unhappy with the baskets, for ~$200 and a 20 minute lathe adventure (plus a 25c set screw!) you too could have Elma style baskets!
I invested a few hundred bucks in baskets of both sizes a while back, so I have a decent number. However, I kind of hate the L&R baskets.
Large ones:
The large one is 3 tiers with a bunch of little baskets. Admittedly, the ones I have aren't in the best shape, but I never feel like things are separated securely. Also, getting to the 'lower' baskets requires pulling out the upper basket in a way that is at high risk of spilling stuff.
Small ones:
The small ones are kinda neat with the top piece, and I have the little insert in the bottom that has a lid. However, I find that this ends up being too small/not having enough compartments when I really want them, so I end up having to do most watches I work on in 2 different runs.
At one point, i picked up THIS style of basket/complete set, available for ~$60 on ebay.
However, I found that while the baskets were fine, the part the connected to the machine was pot-metal cast aluminum. It wasn't even close to 'round' or concentric in any way, and attempts to drill out the center hole to make it work with the 9.5mm hole on the machine exposed how brittle the metal was/how poorly made it all was.
RECENTLY, I discovered this on AliX: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256810257154917.html?
It is sold as an ELMA basket, and has the complete set including the top with the 'spring' on it. They ARE expensive at ~$200 for the full set though, so not for the feint of heart! I will say though, I spent more putting together a decent set of L&R baskets, so it is competitive.
As you can see, the top of the basket has a half-decent steel ring. HOWEVER, the hole in the ring is 8mm, instead of 9.5mm (or 3/8"?) on the L&R machine.
I ordered it a while back, and got it in while I was away on my trip! I decided to work on it today. I chucked just the top plastic up in my 6 jaw (like a 3 jaw, only... 2x) on my metal working lathe. I avoided getting the 'nubs' interfering with the vice jaws, and did a little bit of boring on it with a boring bar. I was REALLY shocked to see how little runout it had! The plastic is pretty darn stout, so you can crank down on it reasonably hard, and the metal ring ran pretty concentrically.
After taking off the 1.5mm, and adding a M4x0.7mm set screw, it mounted to my machine perfectly:
I ran it through the rinse in a cycle, and it seemed to work perfectly! The baskets have quite a bit of variety, so hopefully I can do the amount of organization I want without risking losing pieces! AND, it is a bit futureproof.
So an idea for anyone who has an L&R and is unhappy with the baskets, for ~$200 and a 20 minute lathe adventure (plus a 25c set screw!) you too could have Elma style baskets!
