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WTB milling machine, but with a budget

KeeponDragon

KeeponDragon

no problems... just challenges
Hello there,
trying to buy my first milling machine, but with a budget of $2500 cdn.
If I'm b@tsh!t for trying I get it...but what's a metalworker to do right?
 
YYCHM said:
Where are you located? What size/class milling machine are you hoping for?
Click to expand...
I'm in Kelowna, BC :)
Size wise, I have the space in my workshop for something with a 8-10" wide, 30-40" long bed
I'm not sure what class that may be.
I'm not after a bench top machine. But I don't want a monster either.
 
KeeponDragon said:
I'm in Kelowna, BC :)
Size wise, I have the space in my workshop for something with a 8-10" wide, 30-40" long bed
I'm not sure what class that may be.
I'm not after a bench top machine. But I don't want a monster either.
Click to expand...
With a budget of $2500 you probably will be limited to benchtop machines but you may be lucky and find something older and larger within that range.
 
140mower said:
Welcome to the forum..... Something to keep in mind, if 2500 is your cap, you will need to keep a considerable amount of that for tooling if the machine you are interested in doesn't come with any.
Click to expand...
Hello there Mower....y'know...in my enthusiasm...that aspect completely eluded me.
Just as well, I do have ADHD, which leads to hyper fixations. Which leads to impulse purchases lol.
My journey with this challenge lead me back to metal work.
It was the one thing in high school that held my attention.
 
KeeponDragon said:
I only have 1phase in my workshop :( ...
Click to expand...

thats what the vfd is for, you could confirm with the seller, but it is most likely a single phase to 3 phase vfd

there are several members on this forum running 3 phase motors on there machines with single phase, myself included, now that i have had it, i prefer the vfd/3phase setup over just a 220 motor

im not saying you have to buy that machine, just dont let something having a 3 phase motor stop you, so long as the motor is between 200-250 volts you can rock a vfd
 
phaxtris said:
i prefer the vfd/3phase setup over just a 220 motor
Click to expand...

KeeponDragon said:
I only have 1phase in my workshop :(
Click to expand...

Phaxtris is absolutely right. A 3ph motor is WAAAAY smoother than a single phase motor.

A VFD Converts single phase to 3 phase and also adds variable frequency which gives you variable speed. It isn't a problem, it's a VERY BIG plus.
 
I'm going to suggest you have a separate budget for tooling. It is easy to drop a 1-2k on tooling starting up. Vise, clamping, collets, end mills, drill chuck, parallels, dial gauge etc.

When I bought my mill new about 20 years ago, my mill cost $2,400 my initial tooling cost $1,500.00.
 
@KeeponDragon - the comments about tooling are correct, but don't let it scare you.

You can get going with a minimal budget and still do great work. You can also be patient and get great tooling used and even sometimes new but heavily discounted on Kijiji, marketplace, etc

I think it's wise to spend almost as much time planning your tooling purchases as you did planning the machine itself. It's awful easy to waste a lot of money buying things you will never use or at least never get the value from.

Take your time, learn as much as you can, and HAVE FUN!
 
I agree with the comments on tooling, your going to end up spending a pile on it, maybe as much as the machine

However i think it's the easier pill to swallow, you can buy it a little at a time as needed, you don't have to dump 1000$ right away if you don't want to, and of course the world of import stuff from amazon/Ali/bangood makes it all that much affordable for those of us on the bi weekly payment plan
 
Another great way to acquire some of that new tooling is to make it yourself. Do you have any other metal working tools to compliment a mill, ie; bandsaw, lathe? Or plans to expand? What kind of projects do you have in mind? This is a one machine leads to another kind of a hobby (I suppose they all are), so make sure you start planning for a little extra space early on. :p
I started with (and am still using) an old worn 10" South Bend and with it I have turned shafts, milled key ways, threaded bolts, made plumbing parts on a Sunday of all things to get the wife's new washing machine going, etc. The latter goes a long way with softening up the front end as you explain that with the next machine her car simply won't fit anymore. :oops:

If one day I suddenly go silent around here, this post might be a clue. ;)
 
The best way to control tooling costs is to not buy sets of anything.
Buy the sizes you need as you need them. And as noted, AliExpress is a great source. You can mill to inferial dimensions with metric milling cutters :-) Esp easy with a DRO, touch off in metric, switch to inferial for actual milling.

Hold downs/clamps, buy indivdual ones Teco brand from e.g. KTS Tooling (reasonable shipping), buy a few different length studs and nuts, make your own t-nuts.

Drills, buy a metric .1mm increment 1-6mm set and a inferial-metric cross ref chart, you won't need the number/fractional/letter sets. For larger drills buy .5mm increment.

Stick with HSS milling cutters, more forgiving and less costly to buy. and less costly to replace.

gerrit
 
Might have something of interest.
 

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