Which Milling Machine?

[David Goyder.Participant @davidgoyder]

Hi

I know this could be a piece of string question but let me add that I work in 5″ and on smaller engines at that, 0-6-0’s. I have an ML10 that works for 95% of what I have to make and can get the bigger bits made by friends with super 7s.

I think I am right in assuming that my lathe needs to be complemented with a sturdy milling machine so I will want to go a bit up the scale here without going too industrial. The more I compare the specs of what seems to be on offer, the more I get confused so I thought I would seek the views of you experts.

Budget will probably be around £750 but could be persuaded higher by a good case.   I will of course get right of my Fobco 1/2″ drill in the process. Bench mounted would be useful but on a stand will not be a show stopper. Have read about ‘backlash’ a lot  and would prefer a decent machine rather than a poor one that will plague me, the user, who is not ‘died in the wool’ engineer!!!!

Right, over to you experts and many thanks, in advance, for any thoughts or experiences.

Cheers David

 

[David Goyder.Participant @davidgoyder]

Consultation to narrow down the choice!

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Hi David,

Go to –

                  http://www.lathes.co.uk

 

+ select “Sharp” mill. You will see fotos of what I have got – it takes Myford collets, has Myford mandrel thread, table takes tee bolts on vert. slide. ( I recently used vert slide on table for special purpose.)  My “Sharp” has OEM powered table drive and stand.

This site will give detailed descriptions numerous mills + lathes+fotos.

Good luck,

John.

[David Goyder.Participant @davidgoyder]

Thanks

Lovely piece of kit. Will watch for one but seems to be quite rare. Thanks anyway, we have a start as to standards!!

Cheers David

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

David,

 

You have asked an almost impossible question as everyone has differing ideals in a machine, and almost everyone would recommend what they have as being almost perfect, but that applies to them not you.

 

I can maybe give you a bit of a neutral lead, as I was searching for my ideal within a budget a few years back. A machine not quite industrial, but with a robust nature with a fairly deep throat for those larger jobs.

 

My choice at the time was a 626 mill. This is the Chester UK version, but almost all the major suppiers do them with varying different fitments, and of course price.

 

Chester 626

 

Fairly expensive new, but they do regularly turn up second hand at somewhere near or just above the price you are looking at.

 

My fortunes changed overnight, and I ended up with one of these, but if it hadn’t, my choice would have been the 626.

 

836

 

A little out of your league, but for anyone who wants a Bridgeport type machine, and who hasn’t got the room, this is only about 3/4 the size (especially in height), and it is perfect for what I need to do.

 

I hope this helps

 

Bogs

[NJHParticipant @njh]

David

Do I read your post correctly in that you intend to get rid of your drill when you get the mill?

If so I wouldn’t advise it unless you need the space or need to fund the mill purchase. I know that in theory a mill can be used as a drill but it’s very useful to have the two machines together.  You are likely to keep a collet chuck in the mill most of the time and won’t want to keep changing back & forth to a drill chuck. It’s surprising too how often you may be in the middle of a milling job and need to drill a hole in something else.

Norman

 

 

[Anonymous]

My experience has been that since getting a vertical mill, and fitting it with a DRO, I almost never use my drill press. Can’t remember the last time I used it, but it is probably more than a year ago. If I need to whip a small hole through something for the garden or house I use the portable electric drill and if it’s for the workshop it usually needs to be precise.

 

Of course your mileage might vary, depending upon what it is you’re making.

 

Regards,

 

Andrew

 

 

[David Goyder.Participant @davidgoyder]

Dear Bogs

 Very envious of your 836. My budget is more 16V/ 20V. However from your comments I think you approve of the Chester quality. My next step is to go and actually kick the tyres!!!

Thanks

david

 

And Norman, just might keep the drill!!

 

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

David,

 

The only reason I use Chester UK is the same reason people prefer different brews of beer, I like the taste.

 

If I had had the same backup from other retailers, then maybe I would have stuck with them.

 

Other people say that they have had good dealings with other suppliers, so I would expect them to use and recommend those.

 

Bogs

 

 

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I have an X3 about the same size as the 16/20V and after about 4 years am still very happy with it. Like Andrew I tend to do 95% or more of my drilling with it prefering to use a DRO to layout the holes rather than traditional marking out.

 

Fits easily onto a bench and you don’t need masses of head room which is handy if working in a shed. ARC are now doing it with a longer table which may be handy for loco frames.

 

Jason

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

David

 

Lathe familiarity can lead you into trouble when assessing the size of work which can be done on a milling machine.   As I discovered, twice!

 

On a lathe the work holding arrangements are pretty much outside the work envelope proper so pretty much all the space you see can be used.  Not so with a mill as all the work holding (and tool changing) gubbins needs to be fitted into what looks to be the available work envelope which gobbles up space.  Disproportionately so as the machine gets smaller.  There are very good reasons why Bridgeport (ish) size is considered about the minimum for general purpose work in 12 inches to the foot scale.  Obviously this size of work doesn’t concern you but it does emphasise that mills inevitably sprawl and need much more space than a lathe.  A reasonable rule of thumb is that work of size up to 1/3 of the available travel can be coped with pretty easily, beyond 1/2 and you could well need to do some serious thinking.

 

Its also easy to overlook the vertical space needed to withdraw taper mounted tools or the losses from chucks and similar work holders.  Intellectually its pretty obvious that round column drill/mills must suffer very badly in this respect as the effective Z-axis travel is restricted to quill movement due to the heads inability to retail alignment when shifted vertically.  However even when you think you have it all figured out the practical losses can still be surprising.  I’m glad I tried before (not) buying and settling for a square column version.

 

I’ve often considered that Model Engineers would be better served by a baby gantry type planer-mill with interchangeable milling head and planer tool holder than by the conventional style bench machines.  Conventional offerings are inspired by instrument makers machines which are specific to small work whilst ME jobs usually involve some larger stuff.  Seems to me that a planer-mill in planer mode would do the bigger jobs just fine whilst the remaining pure milling tasks  could be handled by a fairly small head.  Not sure about width restrictions under the gantry tho’.

 

Clive 

[David Goyder.Participant @davidgoyder]

Dear All

 

Many thanks for your thoughts, very useful. Yes will keep the Fobco and yes will go and feel and  touch perhaps even try one and `   like the square column argument. Most useful and thanks!

 

Cheers David

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