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Suggest a Mill
- Thread starter casche
- Start date
No sweat. We will do our best to help anyone who asks for it here.
Where or what is HRM?
Some REALLY good members in your area. Hopefully they will chime in.
I will keep my eyes open for you. Not much gear down my way though. I'm currently looking for a cnc lathe that needs a control retrofit. Keep an eye on GC surplus. You have an advantage on that being in the HRM. It's been a bit dead on there lately but good stuff appears some times.
Yeah I'm in the southwest. Near Yarmouth.@Upnorth Do I recall correctly that you're somewhere in southwest NS?
I'm another HRM guy. I'll put my thinking cap on and see if I can think of any good contacts.
D
I have used a ‘full size’ (2 hp) knee mill for years. I apprenticed as a machinist with Ex-Cell-O Special Tools in the 1980s. We machined indexable carbide cartridges and custom boring heads for large milling centres.
Think about what you are going to machine and what type of tooling (Cutters, etc) you will be using. Tooling can make up about 1/2 your expenses when you get a good vise, boring bars, DROs and other metrology equipment . . . then you may want to jump into CNC to make use of you programming and automation interests.
I went the Desktop Manual route . . . for now.
My KING Mill, 110/1/60, 3/4hp is small enough to fit into my basement LAB, but can hog off mild steel with a 1” diameter flycutter. Sure I would like to have a full size knee mill . . . but not when you have to lug down some steps. 90% of what you are going to machine can be done on a desktop unit.
If your pieces are bigger, install a jib crane that can reach a good part of your shop.
Think about what you are going to machine and what type of tooling (Cutters, etc) you will be using. Tooling can make up about 1/2 your expenses when you get a good vise, boring bars, DROs and other metrology equipment . . . then you may want to jump into CNC to make use of you programming and automation interests.
I went the Desktop Manual route . . . for now.
My KING Mill, 110/1/60, 3/4hp is small enough to fit into my basement LAB, but can hog off mild steel with a 1” diameter flycutter. Sure I would like to have a full size knee mill . . . but not when you have to lug down some steps. 90% of what you are going to machine can be done on a desktop unit.
If your pieces are bigger, install a jib crane that can reach a good part of your shop.
Former Member
Guest
Here is a picture of some carbide cartridges that we made at Ex-Cello-O.
Position to the Base and Locating Faces of the carbide insert cutting edge was usually finished by grinding the Faces to bring them into +-.001”.
We made multiple sets of 3 to 8 cartridges for large boring heads.
Interesting work and very precise.
My KING Mini Mill is also shown with the X & Y DRO.
Position to the Base and Locating Faces of the carbide insert cutting edge was usually finished by grinding the Faces to bring them into +-.001”.
We made multiple sets of 3 to 8 cartridges for large boring heads.
Interesting work and very precise.
My KING Mini Mill is also shown with the X & Y DRO.
Attachments
I just picked up an RF45 clone this weekend!!! its is rather heavy....removed the head to get it moved with an engine hoist and a a 1 ton chain winch at the sellers site and my tractor on my end. Lots of basic tooling as well. it runs nice and the gearbox sounds healthy....time for an oil change this week and final placement in the garage....now comes the fun of acquiring tooling.....happy to take recommendations......
With PLEASURE! We love to spend other members money..... Good plan to get advice first!
Does it have an MT Spindle or R8 or?
And what are your machining interests? What kind of things do you want to make?
Give us a brief inventory of what you have already . That way we can build on that.
Also, do you have any other machines?
Do you have any metrology?
Seems you’re in Lanark. That’s quite a drive from the Burlington (4hours?) - but if you want to have a look at my RF 45 clone and tooling i acquired, come have a look.
Also, suggest you take a look at my posts above about how/why i got this mill.
I could send you some pictures but I truly think you’d greatly benefit from a first hand visit to my small shop/garage.
Also, suggest you take a look at my posts above about how/why i got this mill.
I could send you some pictures but I truly think you’d greatly benefit from a first hand visit to my small shop/garage.
@MikeANW - I highly recommend a visit to see @CWret. 4 hours is peanuts vs the savings and pain of buying stuff you don't need. The majority of us have too much of that.
Bring the stock for something simple you want to make so you can get your paws dirty and learn a few things too. Perhaps 2 or 4 Custom T-Nuts for your vise. You will need measurements too. Without a locked down trammed vise you can't make them on yours till you have them. So it's the one thing you need to make on another machine anyway!
Yes, you can buy standard T-Nuts, but nothing beats custom in this case cuz custom ones can be longer (to help protect your T-Slots and can even span both vise ears.
Bring the stock for something simple you want to make so you can get your paws dirty and learn a few things too. Perhaps 2 or 4 Custom T-Nuts for your vise. You will need measurements too. Without a locked down trammed vise you can't make them on yours till you have them. So it's the one thing you need to make on another machine anyway!
Yes, you can buy standard T-Nuts, but nothing beats custom in this case cuz custom ones can be longer (to help protect your T-Slots and can even span both vise ears.
Zoink! That never occurred to me but that’s some good advice there! Besides, it frees up a couple of T-nuts for other things.
Project 42.67…..
D
Thanks for the offer!! I will review your posts for sure. Not sure if I’m driving down though! I do understand machine. I did it along time ago. Has plans to be a tool and die guy then life intervened. Back to it now. And yes …… some t-nuts will be early on rhe list.
Thanks for the offer. I will let you know if I plan to be in the area. Question, I’m having trouble finding a horizontal power feed for the x-axis….. any thoughts?
I got my power X from Modern Tool. Model AS-350. It was part of the original package and come with the mill.
Works great - easy install.
There is 2 models 110V and 220V. They received the 220v by mistake. The tech walked me through hooking it up to the control box to get the needed 220. That was simple enough plus no power cord to a 110 outlet and i didn’t have to wait a few months for the backorder 110 to arrive.
I’ve done several modifications to my mill - 225 lb counterbalance, spindle lock (which locks out the power switch when it’s in place), coolant mister, DRO, to name a few. As I said - stop in for a look anytime you’re in the area.
Works great - easy install.
There is 2 models 110V and 220V. They received the 220v by mistake. The tech walked me through hooking it up to the control box to get the needed 220. That was simple enough plus no power cord to a 110 outlet and i didn’t have to wait a few months for the backorder 110 to arrive.
I’ve done several modifications to my mill - 225 lb counterbalance, spindle lock (which locks out the power switch when it’s in place), coolant mister, DRO, to name a few. As I said - stop in for a look anytime you’re in the area.