Wish list item

[Dalecamino]

Lookie what I found here It's on the list :wink::biggrin:

PM 25 MV Bench Top Milling Machine 3 Year Warranty Free SHIP Brushless Motor | eBay

Read the details!

 

[skiprat]

That's identical to mine...:biggrin: we could be mill buddies...:biggrin:

Wrong colour for you though....:tongue:

http://www.warco.co.uk/milling-machines/31-wm-14-variable-speed-milling-machine.html

 

[Dalecamino]

That's identical to mine...:biggrin: we could be mill buddies...:biggrin:

Wrong colour for you though....:tongue:

Warco WM 14 Milling Machine - Quality Small Metalworking Mill

OUCH!! :frown: I believe yours has more amenities. Maintenance tools and such. :wink:

 

[jttheclockman]

Hey Chuck they have 6 available. I will get one too and we can all be the Mill's Brothers:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: but "Till Then" we can dream.


And it is still early morning here:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[jcreasey]

I think that is my milling machine's big brother.
Belt drive would be very nice to have. They are quieter and less likely to fail if you crash the cutter. It looks like a really nice machine!

I have an Optimum BF-20LV.

 

[Dalecamino]

Hey Chuck they have 6 available. I will get one too and we can all be the Mill's Brothers:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: but "Till Then" we can dream.


And it is still early morning here:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Dream a little dream! :biggrin: I liked the Mills Bros. :wink:

I think that is my milling machine's big brother.
Belt drive would be very nice to have. They are quieter and less likely to fail if you crash the cutter. It looks like a really nice machine!

I have an Optimum BF-20LV.

Precision Mathews has me by the throat :biggrin: I haven't crashed a cutter yet but, there's a first time for everything. :redface:

 

[Douglas Feehan]

I was just searching the web the other day for an inexpensive mill. Do any of you mill owners have any suggestions when selecting a mill? I have a Harbor Fright Lathe at home and have looked at their Mill but have not done enough research to make an educated decision any suggestions would be great.

 

[Dalecamino]

I was just searching the web the other day for an inexpensive mill. Do any of you mill owners have any suggestions when selecting a mill? I have a Harbor Fright Lathe at home and have looked at their Mill but have not done enough research to make an educated decision any suggestions would be great.

I don't know enough about them to make an educated suggestion. But, I do know PM is the cream of the crop. On the same page on ebay, is a Grizzly for under $800.00

Hang on here. Some of our guys may be along to help.

 

[skiprat]

Doug, the Chinese clones like mine and the one Chuck linked to are all pretty much the same.

MY choice was made by price and variable speed and mostly by a tilt head....not tilt column.

Mine has the gears, but I'm ok with that. There are many You Tube tutorials on how to mod it if you want.
Personally, I'd rather replace a trashed gear than a damaged motor or overloaded VS card.

I added a reverse switch to mine and also a coolant drain in the table.

I also shortened the handles as they seemed to get in the way when the head was tilted.

If you get one, make sure you can fit a rotary table and small tailstock to the bed. You run out of space quickly.
A rotary table is pretty much a necessity imho.
I have fitted a dedicated collet chuck to mine.

I have the short bed version and wished I had the longer one but can live with it.

You and the old fart Blues Brothers (Chuck and JT):biggrin: should get one

 

[mredburn]

What size mill? IF your looking for a good bench to Try Taig. or Grizzly. Or are you looking to get a big boy floor model?

 

[Douglas Feehan]

I'm looking for a bench model and like the price of the harbor fright 2 speed mills but I'm willing to spend more if it is worth it. I'm not in a big hurry just gathering as much information as I can before I decide.

 

[skiprat]

Douglas, please save a little longer and get a VS model.
A VS on a lathe may be a 'nice feature' but in my opinion, its almost a necessity on a mill.:wink:

 

[Douglas Feehan]

What is your opinion of this model for the money or could this amount of money be better spent?

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mil...paign=zPage&utm_medium=link&utm_source=direct

 

[twinsen]

I want to see SkipRat tutorials on how to use this in pen making!

 

[skiprat]

Doug, that is virtually the same as above but with DRO.

I'm just a little confused though....

These clones come with a spindle DRO as standard and it appears that they have fitted the three axis DRO on the head ( it's position on the column )

When setting up a job you 'zero' the dials or DRO's to a workpiece so I don't understand the reason or advantage of the additional DRO on the column.

I would have thought they would remove the spindle one and attach the 3rd axis one instead. Then all three are on the display.
Now it seems they have two usable and one useless one on the display and still use the spindle one on the machine.


BUT....it seems a better deal than Chuck's link to ..:wink:

Maybe someone can clarify about the DRO issue..

 

[Curly]

Z axis on the display is for the column. So if milling you would be using the table (X & Y) and column (Z) with the spindle retracted and locked for maximum rigidity. For drilling operations, it is a mill/drill after all, where you are drilling to depth you use the spindle display. Either zeroed with the spindle fully retracted or zeroed from the surface of the material.

 

[jcreasey]

Doug, that is virtually the same as above but with DRO.

I'm just a little confused though....

These clones come with a spindle DRO as standard and it appears that they have fitted the three axis DRO on the head ( it's position on the column )

When setting up a job you 'zero' the dials or DRO's to a workpiece so I don't understand the reason or advantage of the additional DRO on the column.

I would have thought they would remove the spindle one and attach the 3rd axis one instead. Then all three are on the display.
Now it seems they have two usable and one useless one on the display and still use the spindle one on the machine.


BUT....it seems a better deal than Chuck's link to ..:wink:

Maybe someone can clarify about the DRO issue..

Mine is like that.

It has a digital readout on the quill which I rarely use.
There is also the Z axis DRO readout which does not include anything happening on the quill. So mostly I just lock the quill and use the Z axis.

Sometimes if I am using it as a drill press the little digital quill readout is kindof handy, but mostly it's just hard to read.

 

[skiprat]

I guess what you guys say about the column DRO makes sense, but what would you do if it didn't have DRO?
I lower/raise the head till it is pretty close to my zero reference. I then lock the head and make a 'touch' pass. I then use the fine feed (not the big handles) to set the cut depth with the quill DRO. I then lock the quill and do the first pass/cut. All further cuts would be then depth set the same way and the quill locked before each cut. Of course, I wouldn't do a milling job with the quill extended by more than needed, however......when used with the head tilted, you often need the extra clearance between the head and the work by extending the quill.

I know these are called mill/drills but to be honest, even with the head fully raised, a workpiece in a rotary table or vise etc, there is very little room for a medium sized drill bit in a chuck. Kinda like trying to drill on a mini lathe.

I like to leave my collet chuck fitted in my mill and I'm lucky to have a seriously heavy duty drill press to do drilling. :biggrin:

Maybe if I had bucks to burn, then I'd have DRO on everything. But I really don't, so Ill save my hard earned dosh for cutters and work holders etc. :biggrin:

 

[Rockytime]

I replaced my Bridgeport with this little Grizzly mini mill. Sounds like a bad trade but I no longer have the energy and ambition to do larger projects. So this little mill takes care of all my needs. Mostly making parts for clock repair. I also have a Sherline mill and lathe with many attachments in addition to a MaxiMat7 lathe. Lucky for me everything is Imperial except for the mini mill which is a bit bastardized due to a metric lead screw with inch graduations on the chapter wheels.

 

[bobleibo]

Chuck
I agree with Steve, you need to buy the model with all the bells and whistles, all of them, including the additional $$$'s. I have no idea how to run one of these contraptions but if you need help spending more of YOUR money, let me know, I'm really good at that, and this one even has free shipping~ How can you pass that up? Better hurry before they run out!
Cheers
Bob

 

[Dalecamino]

Chuck
I agree with Steve, you need to buy the model with all the bells and whistles, all of them, including the additional $$$'s. I have no idea how to run one of these contraptions but if you need help spending more of YOUR money, let me know, I'm really good at that, and this one even has free shipping~ How can you pass that up? Better hurry before they run out!
Cheers
Bob

Thanks for your support Bob! :wink: I was counting on selling some of your travel mugs to finance it.:biggrin: Now....get busy :biggrin:

 

[Douglas Feehan]

This infomation has been great. Im not sure i need a dro and could save a few hundred with out it. Im going to look some more as i said this is more of a want then need.

 

[bobleibo]

Chuck
I agree with Steve, you need to buy the model with all the bells and whistles, all of them, including the additional $$$'s. I have no idea how to run one of these contraptions but if you need help spending more of YOUR money, let me know, I'm really good at that, and this one even has free shipping~ How can you pass that up? Better hurry before they run out!
Cheers
Bob

Thanks for your support Bob! :wink: I was counting on selling some of your travel mugs to finance it.:biggrin: Now....get busy :biggrin:

That works....I can do about 3 mugs a week and if you can get $3.75 for each one, that's $11.25 per week so you should have the money for your lathe in about 3 years. I'll get going next week. :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[stonepecker]

Chuck........I will give you $5 for one. :biggrin: I don't drink coffee as you know.

HOWEVER.... If there is a big "G" on it. The offer is $1.50

 

[Dalecamino]

Chuck........I will give you $5 for one. :biggrin: I don't drink coffee as you know.

HOWEVER.... If there is a big "G" on it. The offer is $1.50

OH MY!!!!

Bob, we're going to have to move the decimal two places to the right. :wink::biggrin:

 

[bobleibo]

Chuck........I will give you $5 for one. :biggrin: I don't drink coffee as you know.

HOWEVER.... If there is a big "G" on it. The offer is $1.50

OH MY!!!!

Bob, we're going to have to move the decimal two places to the right. :wink::biggrin:

On the lathe? Holy crap, that'll make it around $160,000 ! For that much, that lathe better do a lot more than cut things. By the time you sell enough mugs to pay for that I'll be one of Wayne's clients! But if I put the G on them, it'll only take a few weeks to sell enough.

 

[stonepecker]

Chuck........I will give you $5 for one. :biggrin: I don't drink coffee as you know.

HOWEVER.... If there is a big "G" on it. The offer is $1.50

OH MY!!!!

Bob, we're going to have to move the decimal two places to the right. :wink::biggrin:

On the lathe? Holy crap, that'll make it around $160,000 ! For that much, that lathe better do a lot more than cut things. By the time you sell enough mugs to pay for that I'll be one of Wayne's clients! But if I put the G on them, it'll only take a few weeks to sell enough.

Keep it up Bob......I make cheap ones of my products. In fact, give me your birthdate.......I bet I can get the death date right.

ROTFLMAO!


I better start on the fudge packers..........they won't even make this year running. Hell even willing to bet the Bears beat'um.