Frustrating!

Milling on a mini-lathe works but space is limited and X,Y travel is tiny. Lack of rigidity is a major problem because lathes just aren't designed to take milling forces; any decent cut is liable to twist and lift the saddle on the bed. A delicate slow approach is essential. It is possible to mill steel. Easier on big lathes than small ones because big means more rigid, but the arrangement doesn't compare well with a real milling machine. Combination machines aren't popular either. Better than nothing in a crowded workshop but still markedly restrictive.

In the good old days most people milled on their lathes and much excellent work was done. But it takes a lot of care and patience getting the work-holding as solid as possible and then cutting within the limits of the set-up. Jobs that took me an hour or more on a mini-lathe take minutes on my milling machine, plus milling machines can handle much bigger lumps of metal and rotary tables etc. Fair bit of filing done in my workshop because the hassle and limitations of milling on a mini-lathe made many small jobs quicker by hand, even though I'm rotten at filing.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 04/06/2020 13:14:24