I did miss it. I just went to look at them. For the size that I need, it would cost between 130-180.00 just for the bit. And it would be a very limited-use bit...
I always wanted a milling machine...almost set on just getting one now.
DIY or take it to a Machine Shop?
- Thread starter wachuko
- Start date
I did miss it. I just went to look at them. For the size that I need, it would cost between 130-180.00 just for the bit. And it would be a very limited-use bit...
I always wanted a milling machine...almost set on just getting one now.
There is an industrial area around Orange Blossom Trail (OBT) and 408. I should be able to find a shop there.
But as mentioned in the previous post, I most likely will just get an inexpensive milling machine to start learning.
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ilovevocs
Well-known member
I didnt read every post but the cheap easy solution here is to put it in the vice and file it off.
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The RED mill that HF sells is superior to that thing, I have a Round Column Mill Drill Trust me spend a few more bucks and get the better tool.
it is a Mini Knee Mill instead of that glorified drill press.
That would be too much for me at this time...
I was looking at the Mini... because of the use I will give it, made no sense to get anything bigger...
But then I read about the gear breaking and folks recommending going with the kit to modify it for belt use... so add the cost of that kit (true, not needed from the get go, but it will be required down the line) and it is close to the next one in size... I am trying to find one of those 30% coupons before I head out.
Jumping from that to what you suggest, for the use that I will give it, it is just too much $ for me.
sberry
Banned
I would grind then file or if I was feeling like bullshitting run up to the neighbors and do it.
Ed ke6bnl
Well-known member
I have done many caliper add on for our offroad buggies, seems like rocket science but it isn't that why they give you spacers to adj. the caliper centering.
I would like to use a mill that is trammed in. but the use of a spot facing tool is your real solution and you have a tool for the future. small amounts and mic the thickness if you go passed spacer are for that purpose. along with locktight when complete. make sure your table is square to the part that would be the biggest mistake if the you are not square and then torque down on the bolt there is the weak link. just my thought
Will do. Thank you for the information!
Already ordered a few different center cutting end mills, an R-8 end mill holder set (since the bits have different shank diameters), a vise, etc. Everything should be here Friday.
Still need to get the milling machine, lol.
rsanter
Well-known member
You can look for a used end mill on eBay or you can go to a local machine tool supply place. I have gotten a ton of my cutters from the used machine tool places for cheap
Bob
Bob
kazlx
Well-known member
Bob, thank you. I will start noticing and visiting those places from now on
Ebay is a good place to get cutters, just make sure you buy 'new' ones, unless you want to have them sharpened. You need to minimize factors that will cause frustration when starting out. Also, you don't necessarily need a center cutting end mill if you are going to be side milling and not plunging. Although it doesn't hurt to just get center cutters. Just experiment a little before you attack your calipers. Also, you need a vise, or at least a clamping kit.
You can use a little WD-40 on the cutter/work piece when milling aluminum to help clear chips and keep the cutter from clogging.
wingnut_1
Well-known member
Wachuko,
I did not see it mentioned, but when an end mill is used to plunge, you will not have a flat surface. There is a clearance angle that is ground on the end of the end mill. It will result in a minor cone shaped surface.
http://www.mitsubishicarbide.net/contents/mhg/de/html/product/technical_information/information/endmill_terminology.html
Is this the surface that mates up with the mounting bracket or the backside?
I did not see it mentioned, but when an end mill is used to plunge, you will not have a flat surface. There is a clearance angle that is ground on the end of the end mill. It will result in a minor cone shaped surface.
http://www.mitsubishicarbide.net/contents/mhg/de/html/product/technical_information/information/endmill_terminology.html
Is this the surface that mates up with the mounting bracket or the backside?
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Thank you for the link. Learning a lot!
It is the surface that mates to the mounting bracket. Since I am getting a milling machine I will do side milling.
And yes, I will get some aluminum blocks to practice before hitting the caliper.
That would be too much for me at this time...
I was looking at the Mini... because of the use I will give it, made no sense to get anything bigger...
But then I read about the gear breaking and folks recommending going with the kit to modify it for belt use... so add the cost of that kit (true, not needed from the get go, but it will be required down the line) and it is close to the next one in size... I am trying to find one of those 30% coupons before I head out.
Jumping from that to what you suggest, for the use that I will give it, it is just too much $ for me.
Both Mills are similar in size the mini is too small for any serious use.
the Round Column has shortcomings. I own one and I can tell you that for a fact, take a look at this Grizzly deal, you will need a stand of some sort for the round column HF Mill/Drill, the one I have cost about 300 these days and Harbor freight doesn't sell one. This deal from Grizzly is the same machine with the base/Stand... for a couple hundred more....
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand-29-inch-x-8-inch-Table/G0705
On the other hand the same Mini Knee Mill from Grizzly is about $3000 or so...
Mine was an unfortunate purchase by someone who didn't seem to know anything but it had MILL in the name and he thought it was what we needed. I inherited the thing and have since made a few upgrades to it... It was sold by Homier under the speedway name, with an MT3 Taper... hard to find "Mill" related tooling for it in that taper, I was able to find some end mill holders, for use with the draw bar but it was of course the wrong thread so I had to make a 3/8-16 Drawbar... the big drawback though is the round column...
I bought a Quill Assembly for it from Grizzly that is R-8 instead of Morse... Added Power Feed
DRO, since the dials were **** on mine... they didn't move and the graduations were metric... It will likely be getting a 3phase 240Vac motor and a VFD so I can stop screwing with belts, get the Fenner Drive belts to take a lot of the vibration out of the spindle but you will still have some vibration just from the motor to the unit itself...
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... This deal from Grizzly is the same machine with the base/Stand... for a couple hundred more....
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Mill-with-Stand-29-inch-x-8-inch-Table/G0705
...
$1,574.00 delivered and with the stand! Additional 25.00 off shipping cost for signing up for their email news... and you are saying that it would be a better unit than the HF I posted? Sweet!
It is the same thing. They are all RongFu clones. Buy the same round collar mill from ENCO in white and it $1100. Buy it on cyber monday and its $800. As much as everyone bad mouths round column mills, I really like my RF31. It definitely has limits and draw backs, but so far it has done everything I've asked.
Your paying for customer service and brand. HF no customer service. ENCO good, but more geared to industrial clients with accounts. Grizzley good customer service target at the home owner level.
Ohhh! Got it now. Thank you.
Oops ENCO has gone up in price 1539 now.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=105-1108&PMPXNO=954034&PARTPG=INLMK3
Unless you have a fork lift pay the money for lift gate service. These things are not light.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=105-1108&PMPXNO=954034&PARTPG=INLMK3
Unless you have a fork lift pay the money for lift gate service. These things are not light.
I've moved mine several times with an engine hoist and a pickup, not really a big deal.
Save some money and have it delivered to the depot and then they can load it in a pickup.
I am lucky I have a Grizzly about 2 hours away. I can drive there and pick it up If I want.
All are Rong Fu not likely "Clones" made in same peoples factory in China. they work. that is about as far as it goes for "Good" I have had one for a long time, Look for some Enco coupon codes too.. they have a 20% off frequently and UPS Free Ship but this will be motor freight.
Mine in the early days
As it sits now... more usable but there are better machines...
Save some money and have it delivered to the depot and then they can load it in a pickup.
I am lucky I have a Grizzly about 2 hours away. I can drive there and pick it up If I want.
All are Rong Fu not likely "Clones" made in same peoples factory in China. they work. that is about as far as it goes for "Good" I have had one for a long time, Look for some Enco coupon codes too.. they have a 20% off frequently and UPS Free Ship but this will be motor freight.
Mine in the early days
As it sits now... more usable but there are better machines...
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kazlx
Well-known member
It's like most other tools/things, it will work for what you need and you won't really realize what's good or bad about them until you use one. In all honesty, at $1500 you are getting into full size BP territory, but obviously not everyone has the space for a full size mill. In general, I'm an advocate for going to a full size machine, but most likely, for what you want to do, modifying bike stuff, mostly aluminum, it will be fine. I'm more of an advocate for people learning machining 
. Warning, it gets addicting...
. Warning, it gets addicting...kazlx
Well-known member
Aren't you special...What's wrong with the guy wanting to learn some new skills?
It's like most other tools/things, it will work for what you need and you won't really realize what's good or bad about them until you use one. In all honesty, at $1500 you are getting into full size BP territory, but obviously not everyone has the space for a full size mill. In general, I'm an advocate for going to a full size machine, but most likely, for what you want to do, modifying bike stuff, mostly aluminum, it will be fine. I'm more of an advocate for people learning machining
That Grizzly G0705, at 1549.00 delivered and with that stand included... seems like a fair deal. So far, the only discount coupon that I have found for the HF is 20%...and that does not include the stand, which I need.
hummm
I don't believe that the Enco includes the stand either at the $1500 mark.
They DO sell the stand separate for $300, HF does not sell a stand for either mill... Something to consider for anyone. I REALLY want to CNC a mill, I have this one and I am reluctant to do it. for $2500 I can get a full size Bridgeport and for a few bucks more a BP Boss and then a centroid or ajax controller... and I am into a full size BP CNC. Granted it is not little or cheap... that said for around $3000 I can do a flashcut retrofit what I have... Then do Ball Screws later... I was at Grizzly in Springfield MO yesterday and walked away from the Flashcut kit AGAIN... I THINK I can do just as well with CandCNC and make my own brackets I will need to get some timing belts and pulleys. and some ball screws and turn some adapter shafts...
They DO sell the stand separate for $300, HF does not sell a stand for either mill... Something to consider for anyone. I REALLY want to CNC a mill, I have this one and I am reluctant to do it. for $2500 I can get a full size Bridgeport and for a few bucks more a BP Boss and then a centroid or ajax controller... and I am into a full size BP CNC. Granted it is not little or cheap... that said for around $3000 I can do a flashcut retrofit what I have... Then do Ball Screws later... I was at Grizzly in Springfield MO yesterday and walked away from the Flashcut kit AGAIN... I THINK I can do just as well with CandCNC and make my own brackets I will need to get some timing belts and pulleys. and some ball screws and turn some adapter shafts...
Any of the end mills shown will grab and go sideways in the drill press.
I would suggest a file and patience.
Otherwise, a real mill.
http://orlando.craigslist.or/hvo/5134850662.html
The Asian mini mills kind of work, but they will make you crabby.
I would suggest a file and patience.
Otherwise, a real mill.
http://orlando.craigslist.or/hvo/5134850662.html
The Asian mini mills kind of work, but they will make you crabby.
I don't believe that the Enco includes the stand either at the $1500 mark.
They DO sell the stand separate for $300, HF does not sell a stand for either mill... Something to consider for anyone. I REALLY want to CNC a mill, I have this one and I am reluctant to do it. for $2500 I can get a full size Bridgeport and for a few bucks more a BP Boss and then a centroid or ajax controller... and I am into a full size BP CNC. Granted it is not little or cheap... that said for around $3000 I can do a flashcut retrofit what I have... Then do Ball Screws later... I was at Grizzly in Springfield MO yesterday and walked away from the Flashcut kit AGAIN... I THINK I can do just as well with CandCNC and make my own brackets I will need to get some timing belts and pulleys. and some ball screws and turn some adapter shafts...
It's on sale when you look at it online. If your not in a great hurry wait for a coupon or a good sale. ENCO coupons come out all the time. Grizzly has sales semi regularly.
Have one don't need or.want another one...
dcmus
Well-known member
I have the HF version I purchased used. I found if you can travel in the "Y" axis it's much more stable but messed up several pieces begin to agressive in the "X" axis as already mentioned. Mine is now a dedicated drill press.
I really wished I had the space for something like that... but I do not.
On buying the mill machine...I went to the local HF and they do not stock any of the mill machines. I will go ahead and order the Grizzly G0705.
Thank you all for your patience and contribution to the thread.
Well use sharp tools and small depth of cut. I think I would give away furniture in the house to get a big mill, but that may not work for everyone.
I guess that I will share some personal info...I regret not going into a Mechanical Engineering degree... instead, I went with Computer Engineering... simply because my grade average allowed me to go into the engineering degree with the highest score... I saw it as a challenge at the time...
My father grew up in Ohio and worked for many years in a machine shop during his youth... he was always inventing and building something. He went into the Marines, came back to Ohio, moved again and setup his own company (concrete block manufacturing company). This was way before I was born, but he designed and build all the molds and some of the machinery he used to make the ornamental concrete blocks. By the time I came to the world and understood things, most of what he had build was gone (he was never a man to accumulate wealth as he said we were in this earth on borrow time and he was just here for just a brief moment) and any work he needed, he would have a friend help him with it. So we did not have any of the cool tools to play with. But he never stopped inventing or trying to modify things.
I have always wanted to learn, just never took the time to do so. Now that he is gone, and I am teaching my son a few things, I want my son to learn about the process of creating something from a block of metal... so deep down, this is more than modifying the caliper for my bike.... turning into finally doing something that I have wanted to do for a long time. Seems this was just the trigger to start it all...
So yeah... looks like I am getting old and sentimental...
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find a way to play with the mill before you do your important project. I would not want my first job I did on a milling machine to be anything related to breaks on something I was riding. It was not that hard just took a little to get used to how much metal to take off at a time.
That one has a 3/4" shaft...reason why I got the end mill holder set (includes 3/16, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4-Inch holders).
I would have to use a mill machine, correct. That is the plan. I will not use the drill press.
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jar944
Well-known member
Something is out of wack.
a full sized mill is much better(and for $1500 you can get one) but the mill/drill will make parts cutting along both axis.
kazlx
Well-known member
Don't use end mill holders, use R8 collets.
shoot summ
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2010
- Messages
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You could make quick work of that with a good file.
I will order those right now. There is a set with 13 collets. That should cover all my needs for now.
Can you elaborate why those are better?
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Seems to be a trend around here.
Because it turned into a "let's help this guy buy a milling machine!" thread
